Tour the Best Highlights of South Turkey in 10 days

Tour the Best Highlights of South Turkey in 10 days

Explore the highlights of South Turkey and see some of the amazing places of history and stunning landscape that this beautiful country has to offer.

Throughout your trip, you’ll visit Istanbul’s highlights, including Hagia Sofia and cruise between two continents on a Bosphorus cruise.

You will venture to the UNESCO-listed Ephesus where you will see one of the worlds best-preserved ancient site and see where Virgin Mary spent her final days at the House of the Virgin Mary.

Explore the fairy-tale landscape of mystifying Cappadocia where you can also see the labyrinth of the underground city.

Visit Priene was an important city in ancient times because here is where the Panionium stood. Miletus was the principal port and the wealthiest imperium on the Aegean coast. Didyma was once an ancient Ionian city and now known as Didim.

The last stop is Bodrum, where you will tour this coastal town on your own, with many attractions and activities on offer.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day

Stop At: Sultanahmet District, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Arrival to Istanbul Airport where our driver/guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel for check-in before having the rest of the day at your leisure.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at an Istanbul Hotel

Day 2: Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul

Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Go to the Topkapi Palace, which was once used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries and see the magnificent collection of priceless jewels, silver, crystal, and porcelain, robes that were worn by the sultans and the relics of the prophet Mohammed. (Entrance to the Harem is extra).
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
After lunch, we will visit the stunning Blue Mosque that was built for Sultan Ahmet I, and is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkey
Visit the ancient Hippodrome the sports centre with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II and visit the hidden Underground Cistern.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Beyazıt, Kalpakçılar Cd. No:22, 34126 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
See the Grand Covered Bazaar with its many shops perfect for your holiday souvenirs. 

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya), Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Visit the Hagia Sophia, which was built by Emperor Justinian and was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years and has intricate mosaics and a huge central dome.


Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Istanbul

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise and Beylerbeyi Palace

Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkey
Smell the aromas of the Spice Market with hundreds of different spices to purchase.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Board your cruise of the Bosphorus where the waterway separates the two continents Europe and Asia.

Pass by Rumeli fortress which was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, so he could prepare for his conquest of Istanbul.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Beylerbeyi Palace, Abdullahaga Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia where you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was once the summer address of the Ottoman Sultans, then on to Camlica Hill for a fantastic view of Istanbul.

Time for lunch in a lovely seaside fish restaurant. Cruise is on a public boat unless other arrangements are made.

Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in an Istanbul Hotel

Day 4: Istanbul - Cappadocia

Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkey
Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and upon arrival, you will be met at the airport just outside the arrival’s gate and transfer to Cappadocia. 



Tour the Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the fascinating underground settlements in Cappadocia then drive to Sahinefendi (Sobesos) which is newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses and Archaeological excavation site.

Villages in the valleys are surrounded by the “tabletop” mountains which are spectacular.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Keslik Monastery, Urgup Turkey
Continue to the Keslik Monastery close to Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a thin smoke layer which you can only see by torchlight.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mustafapasa Yeni Cami, Sht. Nadir Kurt Sk. Yukarı, Mustafapasa, Urgup 50400 Turkey
Visit Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; outstanding examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saruhan Exhibition and Culture Center, Yeni kayseri Yolu 6 km, Nevsehir 50500 Turkey
Visit Saruhan Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers would rest and recover from their day’s journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce and people across a network of trade routes of North Africa, Asia, and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice Road.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Red Valley, Nevsehir Ortahisar, Nevsehir 50650 Turkey
Continue with the panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations and is in the heart of Cappadocia but still away from the tourist crowd.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 5: Cappadocia

Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Aktepe Koyu Turkey
Meet at the hotel reception after breakfast, then have your first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia with some rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley, walk-in Pasabag near Zelve and wonder at the “fairy chimneys” where the sound of the wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Avanos Carsi Seramik, Ataturk Cad. Hukumet Konagi Karsisi, Avanos Turkey
Lunch in Avanos which has been the centre of terra cotta work of art since around 3000 BC and you will get a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Goreme National Park, Goreme 50180 Turkey
You will get the opportunity to visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and view the finest examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century).
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkey
Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a beautiful panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 6: Cappadocia – Ephesus

Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
Take an early morning flight from Kayseri to Izmir (direct or via Istanbul), and upon arrival, our professional driver will meet at the airport with your name sign and transfer to Ephesus.

Visit the ancient city of Ephesus and spend a few hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Apostles Paul, Caesar, Cicero, and John and many other well-known historical names.

The recently opened Terrace Houses (entry included) which is where the wealthiest Romans lived and are a great example of sensitive excavation and presentation and the mosaics and frescos are stunning.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Ephesus Terrace Houses, Selcuk 35148 Turkey
The recently opened Terrace Houses (entry included) which is where the wealthiest Romans lived and are a great example of sensitive excavation and presentation and the mosaics and frescos are stunning.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House), Selcuk 35100 Turkey
Tradition says that St John brought Virgin Mary here after the Crucifixion and lived her last years close to the city of Ephesus on a secluded mountaintop. A lovely chapel was constructed on the site and tended by Franciscans and open to visitors and has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
We will continue with Saint John Church where Apostle John spent his final years and was buried.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Temple of Artemis, Ataturk, Park Ici Yolu No:12, Selcuk Turkey
Visit the Temple of Artemis to see the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at a hotel in Kusadasi

Day 7: Kuşadası – Priene- Miletus – Didyma – Bodrum

Stop At: Miletus, Didim Turkey
Drive to Bodrum, and on the way, we will visit Priene, Miletus and Didyma.

Ephesus may be the creme-de-la-creme of the ancient ruins but Priene, Miletus and Didyma though less frequently visited are still significant ancient settlements.

Priene sits on a dramatic position overlooking the Meander Valley and plain. Miletus preserves a spectacular theatre, and Didyma has a Temple of Apollo vaguely reminiscent of the magnificent temples at Karnak in Egypt.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a hotel in Bodrum

Day 8: Bodrum

Stop At: Bodrum City, Bodrum City, Bodrum, Mugla Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
Discovery of Bodrum on your own.

Suggested visits are Bodrum Castle, Museum of Underwater Archeology, Amphitheatre, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Bodrum Windmills.

Recommended activity, Scuba Diving, Daily Boat trip.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a hotel in Bodrum

Day 9: Bodrum – Istanbul

Stop At: Bodrum Airport, Unnamed Road, Bahçeyaka, 48440 Bodrum/Muğla, Turkey
Transfer to the airport and take a morning flight from Bodrum to Istanbul Ataturk airport.

Arrival and transfer to Hotel and have the rest of the afternoon for the last chance to complete your visits.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in a hotel in Bodrum

Day 10: Departure Day

Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Transfer to Istanbul Airport to connect to your international flight.
Duration: 1 hour

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