Turkey: Istanbul, Ephesus & Cappadocia
7 days, Istanbul to Şirince
Itinerary
Day 1Istanbul: Where Asia and Europe Meet
Visions of ancient kingdoms, whirling dirvishes and exotic food float through your head as you touch down in Istanbul. Take in the hustle and bustle of the city and catch glimpses of the spires of some of the city's many mosques en route to the hotel. Welcome to Istanbul, and to Turkey, and we invite you to let the sights, sounds, flavours and history ignite your imagination as you embark on this thrilling adventure.
Arrive in Istanbul at any time and transfer to your hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head out on a short orientation walk to the old square to see the iconic Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque lit up at night before arriving at a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner of local specialties.
Arrival Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Istanbul Evening Orientation Walk
Set off from the hotel with your CEO on an evening orientation walk of Istanbul. Pass by some of city's highlights like the Hagia Sophia (also known as the Aya Sofya) and the Blue Mosque to see them all lit up at night.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Grand Sirkeci Hotel Istanbul (or similar)
Meals included:
DinnerDay 2Istanbul: Iconic Landmarks and Ancient Traditions
Often the best way to discover a city is on foot, and this certainly rings true in Istanbul. Visit some of the iconic highlights of the old city to fully appreciate the rich history and complex mingling of cultures that have shaped the city over the millennia. Feast on delectable local street food and try cookies from one of the city's oldest bakeries before taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the Grand Bazaar.
Head out on a walking tour of Istanbul, visiting the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Enjoy street food döner sandwiches and wraps for lunch then explore the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar before taking the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.
Istanbul Walking Tour
Begin the day in Istanbul with a walking tour in the old city, including a visit to the historic Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque. Be awed by the Blue Mosque's symmetry and internal tile work, and take the chance to learn more about the ceremony behind Islam, as it is a working mosque. Continue to the Basilica Cistern and then pass in front of the magnificent Hagia Sophia (or Aya Sofya), one of the great churches of the Byzantine Empire which was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. There will be time for an optional visit to the Hagia Sofia before continuing on to lunch.
Your Foodie Moment: Street Food Experience
Roam through the lively streets of Istanbul's Old Town and bring your appetite - there are dozens of street food stalls to choose from! Opt to try the cheese-stuffed börek, minced meat topped lahmacun, bagel-like simit or classic döner.
Grand Bazaar Visit
Walk through the Grand Bazaar, the area locals come to do their shopping, and down to Golden Horn. Enjoy a coffee break at Buyuk Valide Han while admiring the view of Bhosporus. Visit Rustempasa Mosque.
Accommodation
Grand Sirkeci Hotel Istanbul (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 3Cappadocia: Fairy Chimneys and Kaymakli Underground City
Leaving Istanbul behind, you'll head firmly onto the Asian continent to the surreal, wind-sculpted landscapes of the Cappadocia region. Step into ancient history with a visit to the tunnels and storerooms of the vast Kaymakli underground city complex. Settle into your cave hotel, carved right out of the rocky landscape.
Take a morning flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia in time for a lunch of traditional pide, a type of Turkish pizza. Drive to the Dervent Valley, stopping at landscape viewpoints and at the iconic "Three Beauties" to marvel at the fairy rock chimney formations. Continue to the underground city of Kaymakli for a visit before arriving at the hotel in the evening.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Kaymakli Underground City
Visit the ancient and expansive subterranean complex of the Kaymakli Underground City. Thought to have been built between the 8th and 7th Century BC, Kaymakli was carved out of the rock and consists of nearly a hundred tunnels with vast amounts of storerooms, ventilation shafts and a church.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchYour OMG StayExedra Hotel Cappadocia
Day 4Cappadocia: Your OMG Day
Immerse yourself in the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia by exploring either on foot or by e-bike. See the fairy chimneys up close and imagine how the wind and elements have shaped the earth and impacted human settlements throughout the ages until modern times. Observe churches cut out of the rocks and hilltop structures with commanding views of the surroundings. You'll learn of the human experience in this region by having dinner and tea in a local family home for a one-of-a-kind cultural exchange.
Choose between a hike or an e-bike ride through the rock formations of Cappadocia before visiting the impressive rock-carved churches at the Göreme Open Air Museum. Climb the stairs up to the top of a rock formation of Uchisar Castle for incredible views before driving to a small village to have dinner and tea with a local family. Return to the hotel in the evening.
Göreme Open Air Museum Visit
Explore the unique Open Air Museum, a site made up of a number of medieval painted cave churches. Carved out by Orthodox monks, many of the churches are up to 1,000 years old and still retain their amazing colour and vibrancy.
Your OMG Day: Meskender Valley Hike or E-Bike Tour
Option 1: On the Meskender Valley Hike, we will start our hike downhill through the fairy chimneys. Then we'll go through the caves and visit some cave houses. We will have many photo opportunities during our hike through the spellbinding valley.
Option 2: Meet your cycling guide and journey through the valley on e-bikes. We will be cycling through the fairy chimneys and magical rock formations. We'll stop to visit cave houses along our cycling adventure. There will be many photo opportunities so don't forget your camera.
Uchisar Castle
Climb the stairs, some man made and some natural, up to the top of the rock formation where you will be met with an amazing view of the region.
Your Local Living Moment: Zelve Village Dinner
Join a local family in Zelve for a dinner together. They will be preparing a tradition dinner made in pottery. After, join the family for tea and lovely conversation.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerYour OMG StayExedra Hotel Cappadocia
Day 5Şirince: Flavours of Turkey
Discover more of Turkish cuisine today as you visit a local food and vegetable market then take part in a cooking class to learn how to make gözleme, a delicious savoury stuffed turnover, cooked on an iron griddle over the fire. You'll see the landscapes change again as you fly towards Turkey's Aegean coastline and discover the ancient village of Şirince, an agricultural settlement that dates back to ancient and medieval times.
Drive to the town of Ugrup for time to shop and explore before continuing to a local food and vegetable market in Avanos. Next, take part in a cooking class to learn how to prepare typical Turkish gözleme. Afterwards, catch a flight west from Kayseri to Izmir and transfer to the Village of Şirince to take part in a short orientation walk before enjoying the rest of the evening at leisure.
Please note that due to varying airline schedules of the flight to Izmir, it is possible that the order of activities be changed as well as the exact locations of each on this day.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Your Foodie Moment: Gozleme Cooking Class
Drive to Zelve for a Gozleme cooking class with different ingredients. We will learn how to prepare the dough while using the rolling pins. Choose what ingredients you want, like cheese, mince meat, potato and spinach. Fill your dough and cook it on a traditional iron plate on the fire.
Avanos Market Visit
Visit the Avanos Fruit & Vegetable Market to prepare for the Gozleme cooking class.
Accommodation
Nisanyan Hotel Sirince (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 6Şirince: Ancient Ephesus
Be transported back in time as you explore the vast ancient city of Ephesus, walking through the site to its northern gate. You'll see the remains of the Temple of Artemis, where expert excavation makes it easy to imagine it in all its glory. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary and explore the area around the Greek Orthodox Church, stopping for a drink from the refreshing natural spring water.
Drive to Ephesus for a tour of the site, including a visit to St. John's Basilica. Enjoy some free time for lunch in Selçuk before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary and the Greek Orthodox church. Enjoy a 3-course farewell dinner at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel in Şirince for the night.
Free Time
Spend the afternoon exploring Selçuk or the village of Şirince as you wish.
House of the Virgin Mary
Drive to the House of the Virgin Mary where we will have a short walk around the Greek Orthodox Church, drink from the natural spring water and visit inside of the church.
Temple of Artemis Visit
See the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.
St. John's Basilica & Ayasuluk Castle Visit
Visit the basilica and tour the castle.
Ephesus Visit
Tour the ruins of ancient Ephesus to get a feeling of what life must have been like during Roman times. Take in its massive, well-preserved theatre, which dominates the view down Harbour Street. See the two-story library, whose façade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces. Built in AD 125, it once held nearly 12,000 scrolls.
Accommodation
Nisanyan Hotel Sirince (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Şirince
Today your adventure comes to an end, and you can depart at any time.
Departure transfers to Izmir airport are included.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Airport Transfer
Transfer to the Izmir airport for your flight home.
Meals included:
BreakfastYour OMG Stay
View of a hotel room with large bed and white sheets. 
View showing hotel with staircases. 
View of the hotel with a pool in the foreground.
Exedra Hotel Cappadocia
Nevsehir, Turkey
2 nights (Day 3 - 4)
Set in a complex of ancient caves and stone houses, the Exedra Hotel has been carved out of the natural environment itself and represents the natural features and beauty of the Cappadocia region. The hotel features comfortable rooms with a mix of modern comforts and ancient stone design for a truly unique stay.
Why we love this stay
- Every guestroom is unique in it's design and layout.
- The hotel features a giant terrace with sweeping views of Cappadocia's surreal landscapes.
- There is a pool onsite, perfect for cooling off from the summer heat.