# Private 5-Day Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour — Red & South Tours
Canonical: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/private-cappadocia-ephesus-pamukkale-5-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane
Updated: 2026-10-25

## Key facts
- Price: From €1569 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Private tour (only your party, your own guide and vehicle)
- Duration: 5 Days
- Included: Flights, hotels & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul hotel pickup included. Your private driver will meet you at the lobby at 05:00 AM.
- Payment: Reserve online with a 40% deposit by card (at least the cost of the flights), the balance in cash on arrival.
- Cancellation: Cancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule

## Overview
Fly from Istanbul for 5 days of private touring in Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale, with domestic flights and four hotel nights. The Cappadocia route covers the Red and South tours. Day 1 is a private Red Tour in Cappadocia after the flight from Istanbul, with a night at a cave hotel. Day 2 follows the South route, then an evening flight to İzmir and a transfer to Kuşadası for two nights. Day 3 is Ephesus; on day 4 you drive to Hierapolis and stay overnight in Pamukkale. Day 5 is free there before your transfer and flight to Istanbul. At Pamukkale you walk barefoot on the marked travertine path. Cleopatra’s Pool requires its own ticket, which is not included. Workshop stops are part of the programme: day 1 carpet; day 2 onyx and leather; day 3 carpet. Each visit is about 30–45 minutes, with no obligation to buy.

## Highlights
- Visit Devrent, Paşabağ, Avanos and Zelve
- Explore Çavuşin and Özkonak Underground City
- See Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary
- Walk the Pamukkale terraces and visit Hierapolis
- Travel with your private guide and vehicle

## Itinerary
### First Cappadocia day: Red Tour with a personal guide

The 05:00 lobby pickup in Istanbul gets you to the airport for the flight east, and in Cappadocia your private guide and driver are waiting at arrivals. Five days is a comfortable pace, and today sets the tone: the Red Tour of Devrent Valley, Paşabağ, Avanos and Zelve, planned around your interests rather than a group timetable. Keen on history? Spend longer at Zelve. More into craft? Try the potter’s wheel in Avanos, and there is a carpet workshop too. Expect about 2.5 km of walking and check-in at your cave hotel by late afternoon. Stops: Devrent Valley, Paşabağ (Monks Valley), Avanos pottery workshop, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min).

### South Tour with your own guide, then fly to İzmir

After breakfast and check-out, your guide picks you up between 09:30 and 10:20 for the South Tour, a day of about 8 hours and 3 km of walking. It starts with the climb through old Çavuşin to a view over Red Valley, then goes underground at Özkonak, a quieter site than the famous southern cities. After lunch come onyx and leather workshops and the viewpoint over Ortahisar castle. With a private vehicle your bags ride with you, and in the evening the driver takes you to the airport for the flight to İzmir, followed by a private transfer to Kuşadası. Stops: Çavuşin old village and Red Valley view, Özkonak Underground City, Onyx workshop (about 30–45 min), Ortahisar castle viewpoint, Leather workshop (about 30–45 min).

### Ephesus and Selçuk from Your Kuşadası Hotel

With your own guide and vehicle, today's Ephesus visit can be as detailed or as brief as you like. After pickup at your Kuşadası hotel you spend the morning in the ancient city, then have lunch in Selçuk; entrance tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary are included. In the afternoon you see the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis and a carpet weaving center. Your driver brings you back to Kuşadası for the evening, and tomorrow you drive to Pamukkale. Stops: Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min).

### Your Own Guide at Hierapolis and a Night in Pamukkale

Your private driver loads your luggage at the Kuşadası hotel and heads inland for about three hours. At Hierapolis your guide shapes the visit around your interests, whether that is early Christian history, Roman engineering or photographs from the theatre. You decide how long to stay on the barefoot terraces and when to break for lunch. Instead of racing to an airport, you finish at your Pamukkale hotel with the evening free. Stops: Frontinus Street, Ploutonion, Hierapolis theatre, Pamukkale travertine terraces.

### Slow Morning by the Springs, Private Ride to Denizli

Your last morning has no guided program. Sleep in, have breakfast and enjoy the hotel's thermal water if the property offers it, or explore Karahayıt and Pamukkale village on foot or by local minibus. Lunch is not included, and any return to the terraces needs a fresh entry ticket. At the agreed time your private driver collects you and your bags for the hour-long drive to Denizli Çardak Airport and the flight to Istanbul. Stops: Morning at leisure.

## Included
- Private licensed English-speaking guide
- Private air-conditioned sightseeing transport, Istanbul hotel-to-airport transfer, return Cappadocia airport–hotel transfers, İzmir Airport-to-Kuşadası transfer, and Pamukkale-to-Denizli Airport transfer
- Entrance tickets: Paşabağ and Zelve (one ticket), Özkonak Underground City, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Hierapolis and Pamukkale
- Lunch on days 1 and 2 in Cappadocia, day 3 in Selçuk and day 4 in Pamukkale
- 1 night in Cappadocia: Celestial Cave Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
- 2 nights in Kusadasi: Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
- 1 night in Pamukkale: Lycus River Thermal Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
- Flight Istanbul → Cappadocia on day 1 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
- Flight Cappadocia → Izmir on day 2 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
- Flight Denizli → Istanbul on day 5 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)

## Not included
- Tips (optional)
- Personal purchases
- Drinks with meals
- Dinner
- Lunch on days 5
- Cleopatra’s Pool admission

## Good to know
- Workshop stops: a carpet weaving centre, a leather workshop, an onyx workshop and a pottery workshop. Part of the programme, no obligation to buy.
- Domestic flights are economy class. Your baggage allowance follows the ticket fare, and we confirm it with your tickets.
- Travel with the passport you booked with: airlines check the name on the ticket against it.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes: the valleys and rock-cut sites have uneven ground and steps, and the underground city has low, narrow passages.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen in summer and a warm layer in spring, autumn and winter: mornings in Cappadocia are cool, and the underground city stays cool all year.
- Vegetarian, vegan or other dietary needs at lunch: tell us when you book and we let the restaurant know.
- Mobility needs or travelling with small children? Tell us before you book, and we tell you honestly which parts of the day suit you.
- We send your final programme, hotel names and pickup times before departure, and you can reach us on WhatsApp during the trip.

## FAQ
### Which Cappadocia routes does the private 5-day tour cover?

Day 1 is the Red Tour (Devrent Valley, Paşabağ, Avanos and Zelve) and day 2 the South Tour (Çavuşin, Özkonak Underground City and the Ortahisar viewpoint), followed by the evening flight to İzmir.

### Can we keep our own flights and still take the private 5-day tour?

Yes. Remove the flights option; your guide meets you at the Cappadocia airport and your driver at İzmir airport, and on day 5 we drop you at Denizli Çardak Airport. Private rides in Istanbul are at /airport-transfers.

### How far do we walk on the private Red and South tours?

Allow about 2.5 km on the Red Tour and 3 km on the South Tour, including an uphill stretch of 30–45 minutes to old Çavuşin. Your private guide sets the pace to suit you.

### Where are the workshop stops on the private 5-day itinerary?

Day 1 includes Avanos pottery and a carpet workshop, day 2 onyx and leather workshops, and day 3 a carpet workshop near Ephesus. Plan on 30–45 minutes per stop, and there is no obligation to buy.

### Can we swim at Pamukkale during the private tour?

Not on the travertines, where you only wade barefoot. Cleopatra's Pool allows swimming with its own ticket, which is not included, and your Pamukkale hotel may have thermal pools.

### What does the last day in Pamukkale look like on the private tour?

It is free until your private driver takes you to Denizli Çardak Airport for the Istanbul flight. Breakfast is included; lunch and the transfer from the Istanbul airport to your hotel are not.

## Book
Book on the tour page: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/private-cappadocia-ephesus-pamukkale-5-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane. Questions: WhatsApp +90 507 357 58 94