The Quintessence of Turkey
Five days to explore the best of Turkey’s main attractions and historical sites including the Roman ruins of Ephesus, cotton cliffs of Pamukkale and the fairy chimney landscape of Cappadocia.
Small Group Tours
Boutique Hotels Only
Flights Only (No Overnight Buses)
Highlights
Five days to explore the best of Turkey’s main attractions and historical sites including the Roman ruins of Ephesus, cotton cliffs of Pamukkale and the fairy chimney landscape of Cappadocia.
Tour Itinerary
Pick up from your Istanbul hotel & early morning airport transfer for your flight to Izmir. Then visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Then visit Ephesus Ancient City, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the world. Here you will explore the Agora, Odeon, Celsius Library, Hadrian Temple, Roman Baths, Grand Theatre & Marble Street. After a lunch break, visit the House of Virgin Mary, where she is thought to have spent her final years. Overnight stay in Kusadasi.
Morning drive (2.5 hours) to Pamukkale, then lunch. In the afternoon, tour the 'Cotton Castle.' Bring swimwear as you may have time to swim in the Antique Pool (extra fee applies.) Also visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its theatre and Necropolis. Overnight in Pamukkale.
Morning flight to Cappadocia (via Istanbul.) Free afternoon exploring the cave town of Goreme. Overnight in a cave hotel in Cappadocia.
05:00 Hot air balloon flight Drive to the take-off site and have a quick snack and safety briefing while watching the balloon inflate. Then you're off! Soaring over fairy chimneys, and dipping low to skim cave dwellings. This may be your favourite part of your Turkey trip - it will certainly be unforgettable. Celebrate a soft landing with a quick drink, and return to your hotel for breakfast around 8.30am. Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (North) Visit Zelve open air museum, which once housed one of the largest communities in the region. Visit Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy-chimneys. Drive to Pasabag (Monks Valley) to see the most interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Visit Goreme Open-Air Museum and the natural Castle at Uchisar. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.
Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (South). Visit Derinkuyu Underground City and the beautiful Valley of Ihlara, formerly known as Peristerema. Explore the famous rock-hewn churches and hike 4 km through the valley. On the way back, visit monasteries in Selime Village and a 13th century Caravansaray on the Silk Road. After the tour, transfer to airport for your flight back to Istanbul. On arrival, pick up from the airport and transfer to your hotel. END OF ARRANGEMENTS
You can customize this trip with additional days! Slow the pace with rest days in locations of your choice, or add additional sightseeing days along the route.
Tour Map
Tour Details
Gallery
Hotels
Departure Date
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Start DateFinish DateDay / Days / Every Day
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Start Date: 01.01.2018Finish Date: 31.12.2020Day / Days / Every Day: Every Day
Price List
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StartFinishSingleDouble/Twin PPTriple PP
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Start: 01.01.2018Finish: 31.12.2019Single: 1,811 AUD 1,721 AUDDouble/Twin PP: 1,562 AUD 1,484 AUDTriple PP: 1,421 AUD 1,350 AUD
Reviews
Anne Alex
Australia
Hi Michael, I've been home since the 1st August & l’m finding it pretty hard to adjust to the Adelaide weather & get back into the routine of everyday life! I really loved Turkey. I met some great people, saw awesome things & l really wished l had of been able to spend more time there. I would really love to return one day & travel at a slower pace. It was a pretty hectic 5 days, but awesome just the same!
Read MoreFiona Kennedy
Sydney
I highly recommend this organisation. Everything worked out perfectly for us and was better than expected.
Read MoreJac Davis
Sydney
It is my great pleasure to recommend TTC; actually it's more of a testimonial than a review. Ihsan, Robert and Michael, not to mention your chosen agents, drivers, guides etc have been second to none. Nothing was a problem, even last minute requests and alterations to plans. Prompt and thorough replies to enquiries, perhaps not the cheapest provider but certainly value for money.
Read MoreDavid Swan
Australia
Hi, Michae
Just a short note to thank you and your staff for all the arrangements made for our recent trip to Turkey.
We had a great time. We came away from this, our second visit, more fascinated by Turkey, with the intention of making Istanbul a standard stop-over whenever we fly to Europe. Where ever we went, the Turkish people were very friendly, good humoured and treated us with kindness.
Read MoreM. and K. O'Sullivan
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
We were so delighted with the service we received from the Turkey Travel Centre. Michael Altan was extremely quick in all his email replies to us and gave us detailed information which we found very helpful. We stayed at Sokullu Pasa hotel in Istanbul which was like home as the staff were so friendly, particularly Yusuf. The location of this hotel to all the historical sites in Istanbul was excellent as were the buffet breakfasts every day. We would highly recommend the Turkey Travel Centre, as well as the guides and companies mentioned.
Read MoreMichael W. Vavra
Canada
Dear Carolyn, don't know if you remember me , but I was the person with concerns about a walking tour in Istanbul and Ephesus. I was worried about excessive distances, heat etc. My concerns were unfounded. As you first stated, the historical Istanbul sites are so close together that walking between them is really the only way to see them. Your guide Eda was both extremely knowledgable and personable. I would not hesitate to recommend you or your services in the future. So glad I booked with you. Thank you for making our trip so memorable.
Read MoreBlogs
Hot Air Balloon Rides over Cappadocia
There is no doubt that the landscape of Cappadocia is unique. Cave houses and hotels dotted among the lunar rock formations have made it a top holiday destination in Turkey.
To fully explore the region on foot would take months. There are many valleys as well as separate towns and outdoor attractions such as the Goreme Open air museum. Indeed, the best way to see Cappadocia is from the air.
Hot Air Balloon Rides over Cappadocia
The balloons are the biggest attraction of Cappadocia. I remember my previous visits to the region when I would wake up early in the morning and sit on the balcony with a cup of coffee.
From there, I could see more than thirty hot air balloons floating across the horizon just as the sun was starting to rise. I could hear the rush of hot air flowing into the balloons and see miniature figures in the basket. One morning, someone even waved at me and shouted hello.
The scene is really quite unreal. Just as the sky starts to get rid of the darkness of the night, the hot air balloons come into sight with their colorful balloons and brown wicker baskets.
Read MoreThe Cave Churches of Cappadocia
Colourful balloons, fairytale chimneys, beautiful steeds, cave hotels and yet the land of Cappadoci offers even more surprises, with its fascinating churches.There are as many as 600 churches made out of the soft rock that dot the Cappadocia landscape, but there may well be many more yet to be unearthed.
Following the eruption of Mount Erciyes, the ash and lava formed soft rocks which eroded due to the elements. The region’s inhabitants came to realize they could carve into the rocks and soon turned them into houses, caves, and churches. The churches offered sanctuary to early Christians who then decorated them with art and symbols.
The churches flourished following the gathering of more communities under the guide of Saint Basil of Caesarea – one of the three renowned Cappadocian Fathers who advanced early Christian theology. The 4th century sanctuaries included many examples of Byzantine art, but later churches offer richer frescoes and images of the day.
The best churches are the ones at Goreme Village, but there are more with strong Egyptian influences with local names such as Sandal, Snake and Apple.
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