7 Days Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Pamukkale and Cappadocia, Budget Tour from Istanbul by Bus

Day 1: Overnight Bus to Selcuk/Kusadasi

Late evening you will be transferred to the bus station to take your overnight bus departing at 8.30 pm to Selcuk or Kusadasi. The total duration of travel will be 10 hours. There will be three breaks on the way to Selçuk/Kuşadası for your personal needs. Note: During your transfer on the local bus, you will be unaccompanied and touring services will start once you have met your local tour guide upon arrival at the destination.

• Overnight Bus to Selçuk or Kuşadası
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day

Day 2: Ephesus Tour with overnight in Kusadasi

Arrive at Selçuk bus station. Met on arrival and transferred to our local office. You will have free time before the start of the tour. This tour will start from our office in Selcuk. You will be picked up from outside the office for the full-day tour of Ephesus. You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Next, you will visit the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch. After lunch, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims. Afterwards, you will visit the Isabey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi for check-in.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Lunch

Day 3: Priene, Miletus & Didyma Tour

After breakfast, you will be picked up around 09:00 am to depart for Priene, the first grid-system planned city of the Ancient World, built on a hillside. You will visit the Theater, the Temple of Athena, the Bouleterium, the Agora, and the Altar of Zeus and Cybele. Next you will proceed to Miletus, the home of Thales and a principle Ionian city. You will then visit the Delphinium, the Nymphanion, the Theater, and the Faustina Baths. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will continue to Didyma to visit the Temple of Apollo, with its gigantic columns, and then will return to your hotel in Kusadasi.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour – Overnight Bus to Cappadocia

After breakfast around 8:00 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours. En route to Pamukkale after 1.5 hours, there will be a 10-minute stop for a restroom break. Upon arrival around 11:45 am, the group will be first taken to have lunch and after lunch, at around 1:00 pm you will begin your guided tour of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis area with a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also, you will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at your own expense) during this free time. The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time.

At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to the bus station for your overnight bus to Cappadocia. The overnight bus departs from Pamukkale to Cappadocia around 9:00 pm. You will have free time at the bus station from the time you are dropped off at the bus station till the time the bus is ready to depart. You can have your dinner around the bus station if you like during this time. You will travel overnight to Cappadocia in a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus. The total duration of travel will be 10 hours. There will be three breaks on the way to Cappadocia for your personal needs.

• Overnight Bus to Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5: North Cappadocia Tour

Upon your arrival at the Goreme bus station in Cappadocia, you will be met at the bus station and transferred to your Cappadocia hotel. At the hotel, you can have your breakfast and be ready to meet your tour guide around 9:30 am. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The museum features a series of carved caves and ancient churches, providing a glimpse into the region’s monastic history. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel around 4:00 pm.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: South Cappadocia Tour – Overnight Bus to Istanbul

For an additional option, you can book an early morning hot air balloon ride and enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please be aware that this activity comes at an extra cost.

After breakfast at the hotel around 9:30 am you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi). Next, you will visit Cavusin Village which is famous for its houses and churches of Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi). In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour.

After the tour, you will travel overnight to Istanbul in a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus departing the bus station at approximately 8:30 pm. The total duration of travel will be 11 hours with arrival into Istanbul the next day. There will be three breaks on the way to Istanbul for your personal needs.

• Overnight Bus to Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7: Arrival in Istanbul

The local bus will arrive at the main Istanbul bus station between 7:30 – 9:30 am depending on traffic conditions. Upon your arrival at the main bus station in Istanbul, it will be the end of our service. You will need to arrange your own transportation from the bus station. End of our service.

• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• Overnight intercity bus tickets as per the itinerary
• 2 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary: (B) breakfast, (L) lunch
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

NOT INCLUDED:

• Transfer from Bus Station to Hotel in Istanbul at the End of the Tour
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour.
• As this is a group tour, there will be shopping stops included in the tours. If you do not wish to make shopping stops please request a private tour of Cappadocia and we can provide the additional cost separately.