Original
Explorer
Best of Turkey
4.8
Excellent
256 reviews
15 days
Start
Istanbul, Turkey
Finish
Istanbul, Turkey
Trip Code
ERSI
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 16
Physical Rating
Meals
14 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners
Transport
Private Bus, Public Bus, Train, Dolmus, Gulet (boat)
Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights), Guest house (4 nights)
From £1,932(15 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Discover the ancient and modern lives within Turkey as you explore thousands of years of history in the remarkable ruins of Ephesus, discover a WWI battlefield in Gallipoli and immerse yourself in the vibrant vibe of the university town Eskisehir.
Take in the diversity of this epic landscape with a visit to the natural hot springs of Pamukkale, a cruise along the picture-perfect Turkish coast over Sunken Cities, and an optional hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia.
Get to know the friendly locals over a home-cooked dinner in Cappadocia, then get treated to a Turkish barbecue feast by your local hosts in Kayakoy.
Pull on your walking shoes and set out on a half-day hike along a section of rugged coastline, following part of the ancient walking trail of the Lycian Way and exploring the landscape of Cappadocia.
Get among local life – from taking local buses and a traditional gulet (boat) ride to staying in one of the cave hotels that Cappadocia’s famed for.
Is this trip right for you?
This trip uses a combination of public and private transport, and all vehicles are modern and have air-conditioning and most are fitted with seat belts. Some journeys can be long in order to maximise the areas visited, but this gives you a chance to interact with the local community and see more of the country. You'll also be pleasantly surprised to find most Turkish buses have wi-fi and serve coffee and cake! Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the bus, so make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find specifics under ‘Packing’ in the ‘Essential Trip Information’ section.
This trip uses a combination of public and private transport, and all vehicles are modern and have air-conditioning and most are fitted with seat belts. Some journeys can be long in order to maximise the areas visited, but this gives you a chance to interact with the local community and see more of the country. You'll also be pleasantly surprised to find most Turkish buses have wi-fi and serve coffee and cake! Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the bus, so make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find specifics under ‘Packing’ in the ‘Essential Trip Information’ section.
Itinerary
Get to know a Turkish way of life, from coast to city
Get your Turkish delights on a 15-day adventure from Istanbul. This trip is a mix of ancient ruins and modern cities, Islamic history and Ottoman influence, inland discoveries and coastal cruising – and everything in between! Discover Gallipoli on a guided tour that will teach you about its significance during the First World War, unlock the secrets of the ancient city of Ephesus, admire Oludeniz’s Blue Lagoon from high up on the Lycian Way and swim in the Mediterranean on a traditional gulet cruise from Kas. From the winding laneways of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar to the bizarre landscapes of Cappadocia, you'll discover the local’s side to Turkey.
Inclusions
Meals
14 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners
Transport
Private Bus, Public Bus, Train, Dolmus, Gulet (boat)
Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights), Guest house (4 nights)
Included activities
Istanbul - Orientation Walk
Gallipoli - Fully guided Gallipoli tour & visit to the Commonwealth graveyards
Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
Troy - Archaeological site visit
Ephesus - Archaeological site visit
Pamukkale - Hierapolis and Travertines National Park
Kayakoy - Village visit
Lycian Way - Hike from Kayakoy to Oludeniz Beach
Kayakoy - Home-cooked Turkish BBQ dinner
Kas - Leader led orientation walk
Kas - Handicraft market
Kekova - Turkish Coast Cruising & Sunken Cities
Konya - Mevlana Museum
Cappadocia - Leader-led orientation walk
Cappadocia - Dinner at Local Family Home
Eskisehir - Odunpazarı Village Visit
Optional activities
Istanbul - Topkapi Palace Combined Ticket (Topkapi Palace + Hagia Irene + Harem) - TRY2000
Istanbul - Turkish Hamam (inc. massage) - EUR100
Istanbul - Hagia Sophia - EUR25
Istanbul - Archaeology Museum - EUR15
Istanbul - Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts - EUR17
Selcuk - Basilica of St John - EUR6
Selcuk - Ephesus Archaeological Museum - EUR10
Selcuk - Meryemana (Mary's House) - EUR22
Ephesus - Terrace Houses entry - EUR15
Selcuk - Sirince Village visit & wine tasting - EUR22
Pamukkale - Hierapolis Museum - Free
Pamukkale - Cleopatra Ancient Pool - TRY340
Pamukkale - Hot Air Balloon - EUR180
Konya - Karatay Museum - EUR3
Goreme - Whirling dervish performance - EUR30
Goreme - Turkish Night with Dinner - EUR50
Cappadocia - Hot Air Balloon Deluxe Flight - EUR230
Cappadocia - Hot Air Balloon Regular Flight - EUR200
Goreme - Open Air Museum - EUR20
Goreme - Underground city - EUR13
Goreme - Valley Tour - EUR20
Goreme - Open Air Museum (including entrance & transport) (min. 4 participants) - EUR30
Nevsehir - Whirling Dervish Tour - EUR40
Istanbul - Water Marbling - EUR35
Istanbul - Balat & Fener Walking & Tasting - EUR40
Istanbul - Coffee Workshop - EUR32
Istanbul - Mosaic Lamp Workshop - EUR50
Dates and availability
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Ending
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Important notes
1. This trip starts in Istanbul on Day 1 at 1.00 pm. This allows time after the joining meeting to explore Istanbul with your Leader.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip, subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Reviews (243)
5 stars
208
4 stars
25
3 stars
5
2 stars
3
1 star
2
Danielle
Jul 30, 2025
Our tour leader Mete provided a wealth of knowledge about his home country and was very knowledgeable on all topics. He was very approachable and helpful if you needed him at any time. He made our trip to Turkey an absolute memorable journey filled with a fantastic mix of planned activities and free time. Mete provided a fabulous cultural experience as well as opportunities to experience the beautiful beaches and cuisine in the country. The Full Day boat cruise and lunch on board was fantastic! Thank you so much for making my vacation a memorable one!🌍🇹🇷 Dani Anthony from Canada
Fiona
Jul 30, 2025
This trip was fabulous. We have always wanted to go to Turkey and decided to go ballooning in Cappadocia for my birthday. An excellent day! Nothing was too much trouble for our wonderful tour leader Mete who also organised a beautiful cake for the big day. The trip covers a lot of distance but travel was easy. We had 8 on our tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone.
Brad
Jul 25, 2025
This trip is the perfect way to get a taste of Türkiye. The itinerary features a fantastic combination of historical sites, diverse natural sightseeing, local cuisine and culture. Whilst it can be quite hot in summer, Türkiye is safe, welcoming, and not to be missed.
Melissa
Jul 22, 2025
Best of Turkey real is as the name suggests all the highlights and with enough time to relax and unwind. What an amazing tour, it made me want to turn around and do it again. Our local guide Taylan was so knowledge and the tour had some many great inclusions!
Katie
Jul 20, 2025
Such a great trip beykan was our guide and his knowledge and patience made the trip an unforgettable experience. Got to see all the highlights of Turkey in an extremely well organised way
Peter
Jul 09, 2025
Great trip .loved it
Richard
Jul 06, 2025
This trip by far, is the best trip I have been on. It was rich in history and culture, it had a focus on supporting local family business's and the tour guide we had, Can Kurtulay, was by far the best tour guide I have had.
Christine
Jul 06, 2025
Best of Turkey is a great name for this trip covering a huge area, seeing and experiencing wonderful places with a guide who made it easy.
Carolyn
Jul 06, 2025
The Intrepid Best of Turkey provides deep insights in to the history, culture, people and diversity of Turkey. The trip covers all the highlights, provides plenty of free- time and optional activities. After completing the trip I have a new appreciation of Turkey and feel much more informed about the country. This trip was one of my highlights to date with great options like paragliding, hit air ballooning and of course swimming in The Mediterranean
Catherine
Jul 06, 2025
This was fantastic overview of Turkey. There was so much variety in this trip and it was well paced with lovely beach and boat days in the middle.
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