Private Turkey Tour From Ephesus to Cappadocia (6 Days)

Private Turkey Tour From Ephesus to Cappadocia (6 Days)

You will discover Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia on this private tour.
You want the freedom and comfort of touring Turkey in a private car driven by a professional driver, guided by a professional tour guide.
We discover the ancient wonders of Turkey on this Archaeology tour. We explore the best-preserved ancient sites, visit local villages and learn about rich Turkish culture. We follow off-the-beaten paths, eat traditional lunch and dinners. Access more intimate, out of the way spots that have never seen on a bus tour. See as much as you can or slow things to a saunter. The Highlights of Turkey tour focuses on the classics of Turkey such as Ephesus and Pamukkale. It also features unusual and picturesque sights such as Cappadocia and makes a full visit of Konya – the city of the Whirling Dervishes. This is a full-service private tour guided by local Archaeologist. There are no expensive hidden extras.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet your guide at Izmir Airport or your hotel in Izmir. .

Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
You will meet your driver-guide at the Izmir and drive to Ephesus. You will visit Ephesus Ancient city with the Library of Celsius, Temple of Hadrian, Agora and fantastic Greco-Roman theater (Terrace Houses are extra and optional). Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Selçuk. Selena Hotel or similar

Day 2: EPHESUS - PAMUKKALE

Stop At: Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey
After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit nearby Ephesus Museum, a beautiful repository of marble and bronze statues and many artifacts thought to have come from the Temple of Artemis.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
You will visit the impressive ruins of the Byzantine Church of St John mark the spot where St John the Evangelist was buried. St John is believed to have spent the last years of his life in Ephesus writing his version of the Gospel. Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) believed that a tomb dating from the 300s was John’s, so he built a great church above it in the 500s. Afternoon, we drive to Pamukkale. (3 hour 30 minute drive)
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Pamukkale. Melrose viewpoint Hotel or similar

Day 3: PAMUKKALE - KONYA

Stop At: Pamukkale Thermal Pools, Pamukkale Turkey
Today we will visit Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Pamukkale is Turkey’s foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff. As they cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools. Named the Cotton Fortress in Turkish, it has been a spa since the Romans built the spa city of Hierapolis around a sacred warm-water spring. The Antique Pool is still there, littered with marble columns from the Roman Temple of Apollo. You can swim in it for a fee. Afternoon, we continue to Konya, known as Iconium in Roman times, which was the capital of the Seljuk Turks. Mevlana (Celaleddin Rumi) founded a Sufi order known as the Whirling Dervishes here. Overnight in Konya.

Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Konya. Mesnevi Hotel or similar

Day 4: KONYA - SILK ROAD - CAPPADOCIA

Stop At: Mevlana Muzesi, Mevlana Cd. No:1, Konya 42030 Turkey
We will visit the Mevlana Museum. At the very heart of Konya, in more ways than one, is the Mevlâna Müzesi (Mevlana Museum), the former tekke (dervish hall) that now holds the tomb of Mevlâna Jelaleddin Rumî, founder of the Mevlevi order of dervishes, commonly called the Whirling Dervishes. Mevlâna Jelaleddin Rumî (1207-1273) is among Islam‘s greatest poets and mystic philosophers.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saratli Kirkgoz, Ataturk Bulvari, Aksaray Turkey
We will descend deep into the earth through the passages and tunnels of Underground City. See the ingenious "millstone" defense doors, wineries and rooms carved from the living rock.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Cappadocia. Akman Boutique Hotel or similar

Day 5: CAPPADOCIA - CAVE CHURCHES - FAIRY CHIMNEYS

Stop At: Goreme National Park, Goreme 50180 Turkey
You will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, which was once a Byzantine monastery. See the finest examples of religious frescoes in rock-cut churches from the 10th to the 13th centuries. The Göreme Valley holds the region’s best collection of painted cave-churches. Medieval orthodox Christian monks (1000-1200 AD) carved the caves from the soft volcanic stone and decorated them with elaborate Byzantine frescoes.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Pasabag, Urgup Turkey
You will enjoy Paşabağı Valley. Pasabagi Valley, while walking through vineyards among strange multiple "mushroom-capped" volcanic rock formations.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Avanos, Avanos, Cappadocia
You will walk in Avanos Town (population 12,000), on the banks of the Kızılırmak River in Cappadocia, which is all about pottery-making. The red clay from the riverbanks is excellent for traditional household pottery as well as industrial uses such as building blocks and roof tiles. You can see pottery being made, and even take a pottery-making class and make some yourself.
Overnight in Cappadocia.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Cappadocia. Akman Boutique Hotel or similar

Day 6: CAPPADOCIA - FAIRY CHIMNEYS - UÇHISAR

Stop At: Uchisar, Uchisar, Cappadocia
Uçhisar is a small town with different volcanic rock formations. The natural rock citadel of Uçhisar is the tallest point in Cappadocia, visible for a great distance from the region’s other towns. The natural fortress of Uçhisar, riddled with man-made dwellings and dovecotes, dominates the skyline of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Aktepe Koyu Turkey
Look at the rock shapes here: pinnacles, bulbs, sensuous shapes, one that reminds you of a camel—Devrent has some of the most fantastic natural rock sculptures in Cappadocia.

We return to the hotel. The end of our services.

Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.