# The grand tour of Turkey in 12 days Twelve days and eleven nights covering the great places of western Turkey: three nights in Istanbul's old city, three nights in a hotel of stone houses and caves in Uçhisar, Cappadocia, three nights in Şirince for Ephesus and Pamukkale, then two nights in Bodrum facing the castle, linked by two domestic flights. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/grand-tour-turquie-12-jours/ ## How it works Western Turkey brings together, a few hours apart by air or road, many of the country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the old city of Istanbul, Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, Ephesus, and Hierapolis-Pamukkale. This trip links them in four stages, from the Bosphorus to the Anatolian plateau, then to the Aegean coast. Two domestic flights avoid long drives: Istanbul – Nevşehir, about 1 h 20, then Kayseri – İzmir, about 1 h 25. Private transfers between airports and hotels, and from Selçuk to Bodrum (169 km, about 2 h 25), are included in the price, as is the group excursion to Derinkuyu and Ihlara. You fly into Istanbul and out of Bodrum, which is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. ## At a glance | Day | Plan | Night | |---|---|---| | 1 | Arrive in Istanbul, Sultanahmet in the late afternoon | Hotel Ibrahim Pasha | | 2 | Guided tour: Topkapı and its harem, Süleymaniye, Grand Bazaar | Hotel Ibrahim Pasha | | 3 | The Bosphorus by ferry to the mouth of the Black Sea | Hotel Ibrahim Pasha | | 4 | Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, evening flight to Cappadocia | Taşkonaklar | | 5 | Balloon at dawn, Göreme open-air site, Zelve and Paşabağları | Taşkonaklar | | 6 | Derinkuyu underground city, Ihlara Valley | Taşkonaklar | | 7 | Free morning in Uçhisar, evening flight from Kayseri to İzmir | Kirkinca Houses | | 8 | Ephesus | Kirkinca Houses | | 9 | Pamukkale and Hierapolis | Kirkinca Houses | | 10 | Drive to Bodrum, Bodrum Castle | METT Bodrum | | 11 | Bodrum: the Mausoleum, a boat trip or the beach | METT Bodrum | | 12 | Fly home from Milas-Bodrum | | ## Days 1 to 4: Istanbul Istanbul Airport is 46 km from Sultanahmet, about an hour without traffic, by private transfer. [Hotel Ibrahim Pasha](/en/hotels/ibrahim-pasha/) has 24 rooms in two Ottoman houses by the old Hippodrome; its rooftop bar looks over the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara. It was priced at about €245 a night for early June, breakfast included. On day two, a seven-hour guided tour covers [Topkapı Palace](/en/turkey/istanbul-historic-peninsula/), with its treasury and harem, the Süleymaniye and the Grand Bazaar, lunch and tickets included. Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. On day three, the municipal ferry's long route sails up the [Bosphorus](/en/turkey/istanbul-bosphorus/) from Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı, at the mouth of the Black Sea: about six hours return including the stop, for 320 Turkish lira, about €6. It passes Dolmabahçe Palace, the fortress of Rumeli Hisarı and the yalı, wooden Ottoman mansions on the water. On day four, visit Hagia Sophia in the morning, by the paid upper-gallery route for foreign visitors, then the Blue Mosque, outside prayer times. The direct Turkish Airlines flight to Nevşehir leaves Istanbul Airport in the evening. ## Days 4 to 7: Cappadocia ### Stone houses in Uçhisar A private transfer takes you to Uçhisar, above the valleys. [Taşkonaklar](/en/hotels/taskonaklar-hotel/) has 24 rooms in old stone houses and caves around gardens; its restaurant, Moniq, serves Cappadocian food from recipes handed down by local women. It was priced at about €300 a night for early June, breakfast included. ### Balloon, Göreme, Derinkuyu and Ihlara Day five starts before dawn with the balloon flight: an hour in a basket of up to 20 passengers, transfer and breakfast included. Every morning, Turkish civil aviation allows or bans flights depending on wind and rain; a cancelled flight is usually moved to the next morning, and this trip leaves three mornings in Cappadocia. The [hot-air ballooning in Cappadocia](/en/guides/montgolfiere-cappadoce/) guide explains the rules. Then visit the [Göreme site](/en/turkey/cappadocia/), an open-air museum of rock-cut monasteries and frescoed churches, followed by Zelve, a valley inhabited until the 20th century, and the multi-capped fairy chimneys of Paşabağları. The Museum Pass Cappadocia, included in the price, opens the museums and sites of Nevşehir and Aksaray provinces for three days. On day six, the underground city of Derinkuyu, the deepest of those open to visitors, is 33 minutes from Göreme; the Ihlara Valley, a canyon lined with rock-cut churches, 1 h 25. On day seven, the morning is free in Uçhisar, then a private transfer takes you to Kayseri airport, about 1 h 10 away, for the direct evening flight to İzmir. ## Days 7 to 9: Ephesus and Pamukkale ### A village above Ephesus From İzmir airport, a private transfer reaches Selçuk in 52 minutes, then Şirince, a former Greek village 8 km away with white houses and stone lanes; you arrive late in the evening. [Kirkinca Houses](/en/hotels/kirkinca-houses/), family-run since 1999, has ten village rooms and six mountain cottages around a pool. It was priced at about €133 a night for early June, breakfast included. ### Ephesus Day eight is devoted to the [Ephesus site](/en/turkey/ephesus-sirince/), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015: Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre. Entry, €45 from 1 April 2027 including the Ephesus Experience digital museum, is included in the price; the Terrace Houses need a separate €16 ticket. In Selçuk, the Basilica of St John, at the foot of the Ayasuluk citadel, and the Ephesus Museum round off the day. ### Pamukkale On day nine, a guided excursion with hotel pick-up in Selçuk goes to Pamukkale, 196 km away: its white travertine terraces and the ancient city of Hierapolis have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, with their ancient pool. Entry to the site, €35 from 1 April 2027, and lunch are included in the excursion. ## Days 10 and 11: Bodrum The drive from Selçuk to Bodrum is 169 km, about 2 h 25. Bodrum Castle, built in the 15th century by the Knights of St John at the harbour entrance, houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology; entry, €22 with audio guide, is included in the price. [METT Bodrum](/en/hotels/mett-bodrum/), a five-star resort of 103 rooms, suites and villas in Haremtan cove, faces the castle; it has a private cove and a spa with hammam. It was priced at about €190 a night for early June, breakfast included. On day eleven, the site of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, shows its foundations and fragments in a site museum. The [Bodrum peninsula](/en/turkey/bodrum/) page describes the bays and boat trips. ## Day 12: departure Milas-Bodrum airport is 38 km away, a 38-minute drive, by private transfer. ## Good to know - **The pace.** The trip has two evening flights, on days four and seven; you reach Şirince late in the evening. - **When to go.** Average June highs are 26.9 °C in Istanbul, 25.6 °C in Nevşehir and 31.8 °C in Selçuk. In Cappadocia, dawn is cool all year: a warm jacket is useful for the balloon. - **Domestic flights.** Fares were checked for dates in June 2027; they vary with the day and time. - **Ramadan and holidays.** Opening hours change at some places: see [Ramadan and holidays 2027 in Turkey](/en/guides/ramadan-fetes-turquie-2027/). - **Entry requirements.** The [visa and entry requirements](/en/guides/visa-turquie/) guide covers the document required and the length of stay. The rule for your country: (Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/grand-tour-turquie-12-jours/) - **Safety.** None of the stops is in an area advised against by the foreign ministries Sabaro follows. The [safety in Turkey](/en/guides/securite-turquie/) guide goes through the country area by area. The advice from your country: (Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/grand-tour-turquie-12-jours/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can the trip be shortened? Yes: the [Istanbul and Cappadocia in 8 days](/en/ideas/istanbul-cappadoce-8-jours/) idea keeps the first two stages, and [the ancient Aegean coast in 9 days](/en/ideas/egee-antique-9-jours/) develops the last part, from Pergamon to Bodrum. ### Can we end on the Lycian coast instead of Bodrum? Yes, by replacing Bodrum with Fethiye and Çıralı and flying home from Antalya: see [the Lycian coast in 9 days](/en/ideas/lycie-cote-et-criques-9-jours/). ### Can we avoid the evening flights? Yes. The Istanbul – Nevşehir flight also runs in the morning; between Cappadocia and İzmir, direct flights are mostly in the evening, and morning flights connect in Istanbul. ### Is this trip suitable for children? Yes, for children who cope with travel days: the balloon, the underground cities and the Bosphorus appeal to them. Some balloon operators do not take children under 6.