7-Day Turkey Tour from Kusadasi: Istanbul, Pamukkale, Ankara, Cappadocia and Ephesus

Start your 7-day tour with pick from your central Kusadasi hotel for a hotel-to-hotel transfer. Your tour includes six nights of accommodation; enjoy two nights at a 4-star Kusadasi hotel, one night at a 5-star Pamukkale hotel, two nights at a 5-star Cappadocia hotel and one night at a 4-star Istanbul hotel. All accommodation is centrally located for maximum convenience, and you’ll have ample time to explore each town at leisure in between excursions.

Day 1: Kusadasi (D)
On arrival at your Kusadasi hotel, the rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure; perhaps visit one of the town’s immaculate beaches, like famous Ladies Beach. In the evening, your guide will meet you at your hotel for a welcome meeting, giving you the finer details of your itinerary before leaving you to enjoy dinner.

Overnight: 4-Star Hotel in Kusadasi

Day 2: Kusadasi – Ephesus – Selcuk (B, D)
After breakfast your guide will pick you up by luxury minivan for your full-day trip to the ancient town of Ephesus – the eastern Mediterranean’s best-preserved Classical city. Envisage the grandeur of Roman life in Turkey on a tour around its ruins, seeing highlights like the Temple of Artemis – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Break for lunch in town (own expense) and then meet your guide for a visit to a traditional carpet-weaving store called Ege in the nearby town of Selcuk. Carpet-weaving skills are firmly rooted in Turkey’ history, and you’ll hear all about this time-honored craft from your guide. See carpets being made by master weavers and watch them dye the fabric with natural plant-based ingredients. Return to Kusadsi by minibus and arrive back at your hotel in time for a relaxing dinner.

Overnight: 4-Star Hotel in Kusadasi

Day 3: Kusadasi -- Pamukkale and Hierapolis (B, D)
Relax over breakfast, then check out of your hotel and visit an important leather factory in Kusadasi with your guide. Turkey is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of leather goods, and the factory showcases some of Kusadasi’s finest leatherwork. Browse the locally handcrafted goods, and shop for items to take home.

After stopping for lunch (own expense), hop on board your minibus for an afternoon trip to the archeological site of Pamukkale. On a tour, see Pamukkale’s magical white travertine rock terraces cascading down from the ancient city of Hierapolis. Walk around this incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site with your guide, learning about the rock’s formation, and then head to the ancient city of Hierapolis for a refreshing dip in its naturally formed bathing pools (own expense). Walk around its crumbling ruins, admiring its Classical necropolis (Roman burial site) and gigantic Roman theater before checking in to your Pamukkale hotel in time for dinner.

Overnight: 4-star Hotel in Pamukkale

Day 4: Pamukkale – Silk Road – Cappadocia (B, D)
Enjoy breakfast and then check out of your hotel to hit the road! Traveling by minibus, head east in the direction of Turkey’s magical Cappadocia region. Including stops, the journey takes up most of your day, but you’ll pass along a fascinating stretch of road known as the Silk Road or Uzun Yol. In ancient times, the path consisted of caravan trails between the important silk-making regions of Anatolia. Nowadays, the most prominent reminders of ancient trade route are the kervansarays (caravan palaces) that span the road. Stop to visit one of the best-preserved ones – Sultanhani Caravansary – and then enjoy a stop in Konya to enjoy lunch (own expense) and to visit Mevlana Museum, dedicated to the Muslim poet Mevla Celaddiini-Rum.

On arrival in Cappadocia, check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner. Alternatively, take part in an optional folklore evening (own expense). A great introduction to Anatolian culture and tradition, the evening features live belly dancing and music from a local folk band, plus unlimited drinks!

Overnight: 4-star Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 5: Cappadocia -- Göreme Open-Air Museum -- Kaymalki Underground City (B, D)
After breakfast, your guide will collect you for a trip to Göreme Open-Air Museum – an essential Turkish museum to visit while in Cappadocia. Nestled in the heart of the region’s fairytale landscape typified by caramel-colored buildings and the bizarre fairy chimneys, this open-air museum comprises a cluster of rock churches and monasteries that attest to Byztantine life in Cappadocia. Explore with your guide and learn about life long ago in this intriguing area of Anatolia.

Stop for lunch (own expense) in Göreme and then head by minibus through Devrent Valley to see the perfectly formed fairy chimneys in dense clusters. After a short journey, arrive in Kaymakli Underground City and head below ground to walk around its subterranean maze of passages, cellars and stables. Return to your Cappadocia hotel in the evening and enjoy dinner .

Overnight: 4-star Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 6: Cappadocia – Ankara – Istanbul (B)
Check out of your hotel after breakfast and hop on board your minibus to travel to Istanbul. The journey takes most of your day, and you’ll stop on the way to visit Ankara -- Turkey’s sophisticated capital. Enjoy lunch (own expense) and then head inside Anit Kabir – the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded modern Turkey. Browse an extensive collection of Atatürk memorabilia inside the mausoleum’s museum and learn about this colorful yet domineering dictator. Arrive in Istanbul in the early evening and then spend your night at leisure. Your guide will happily give you restaurant recommendations for dinner.

Overnight: 4-star Hotel in Istanbul

Day 7: Istanbul – Istanbul Airport (B)
Enjoy breakfast, and then the morning is yours to spend at leisure in Istanbul – perhaps shopping for souvenirs or sightseeing independently. At a pre-arranged time in the afternoon, check out of your hotel and finish your tour with a transfer to either of Istanbul's two major airports or another Istanbul hotel.