Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale: First-time 6-day Turkey Travel Plan

6-day first-time trip to Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Pamukkale

6Days

€2,900〜/Per person (when two people share a room)

• Price
  What's Included

  • Hotel accommodation fee
  • Türkiye domestic flights
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary
  • Admission fees to attractions listed in the itinerary
  • Private car
  • Official Japanese guide

• 

  Price
  What's not included

  • International and domestic flights to/from Japan
  • Beverages and additional orders during meals
  • Room service tip
  • Porter fee
  • Personal expenses such as phone charges and laundry
  • Guide/driver tips
  • Items not listed in the itinerary, optional arrangements

Recommended travel points

Detailed itinerary

• Day 1

  

  Istanbul → (Izmir) → Ephesus → Kusadasi

  After arriving in Istanbul early in the morning, we will transfer to Izmir on a domestic flight in Turkey.
  After arriving in Izmir, we will head to Ephesus (Efes) by private car.
  
  Ephesus is a city built by the Ionians around the 11th century BC on the Aegean coast of western Turkey. After Roman rule, it flourished greatly as the capital of the province of Asia. It is said to be the birthplace of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who taught that "everything flows," and the site of the Temple of Artemis, dedicated to the goddess of fertility and celebrated as one of the Seven Wonders. The Apostle Paul preached Christianity here, and it is said that the Virgin Mary spent her later years with the Apostle John in Ephesus, making it a city that has witnessed numerous civilizations, characteristic of Turkey.
  
  The ruins of Ephesus include the remains of the Celsus Library and a well-preserved amphitheater that can accommodate 25,000 people, making it an impressive spot where you can feel the history firsthand.
  
  After that, we head to Kuşadası, which is popular among both Turkish people and people from around the world for its beautiful scenery with many hills and the sea.
  Check into the hotel and have dinner.
  
  
  Breakfast: - Lunch: ○ Dinner: ○
  Accommodation: Kusadasi

• Day 2

  

  Kusadasi → Pamukkale

  After breakfast at the hotel, we will move to Pamukkale by private car.
  
  Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle," named after its long-standing reputation as a famous cotton-producing region. The spectacular sight of over 100 limestone terraces, formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate-rich hot springs flowing down the mountainside over many years, is part of the natural heritage registered as the World Heritage Site "Hierapolis-Pamukkale."
  Hierapolis, which spreads over the limestone terraces, is a cultural heritage site built in 190 BC as a city of the Kingdom of Pergamon and is the site of a spa resort. Remnants include an amphitheater, the northern bath which is a Roman-style bath, and the remains of a large bathhouse that could accommodate 1,000 people at once. At the bottom of the thermal pools of Pamukkale, which became ruins due to repeated earthquakes, you can see the remains of the Roman era submerged.
  
  After sightseeing, you will check into the hotel and have dinner.
  
  Breakfast: ○ Lunch: ○ Dinner: ○
  Accommodation: Pamukkale

• Day 3

  

  Pamukkale → (Konya) → Cappadocia

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will take a private car for about a 7.5-hour drive to Cappadocia.
  
  The route from Pamukkale to Cappadocia passes through the inland region of Turkey, characterized by a continental climate with extreme temperature differences and dryness, resulting in a drive through vegetation completely different from Japan.
  
  You will stop for lunch and a break in the town of Konya.
  
  Upon arrival in Cappadocia, you will check into the hotel and have dinner.
  
  Breakfast: ○ Lunch: ○ Dinner: ○
  Accommodation: Overnight in Cappadocia

• Day 4

  

  Cappadocia

  After breakfast at the hotel, you will head out for a tour of Cappadocia by private car.
  
  Cappadocia is located in the central Anatolian plateau on the Asian side of Turkey, with various attractions spread over about 50 km north to south, and the entire area is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia."
  The Göreme Open-Air Museum features rock-cut churches built by devout Christians from the 4th to 11th centuries. The Kaymakli Underground City is a massive subterranean space that existed since ancient times and housed many people. Among the unique rock formations created by the erosion of tuff and lava layers deposited by volcanic eruptions over many years, notable ones include the "Three Sisters Rocks" in Esentepe, the "Fairy Chimneys" in Paşabağ, and the "Camel Rock" in Devrent.
  
  The various landscapes, which have been preserved since times earlier than the Heian period in Japan and before the Middle Ages in Europe, are unique and moving.
  You will smoothly visit the highlights of Cappadocia, which are difficult to tour individually, with a private car and guide.
  
  
  Breakfast: ○ Lunch: ○ Dinner: ○
  Accommodation: Overnight in Cappadocia

• Day 5

  

  Cappadocia → Istanbul

  After breakfast at the hotel, we will move to Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport and travel to Istanbul by air.
  
  After arriving in Istanbul around noon, we will tour the Topkapi Palace, which means "Cannon Gate Palace." This palace, where the sultans of the Ottoman Empire resided from the mid-15th century to the mid-19th century, has been open to the public as a museum since 1924. The palace, which does not have large buildings but rather a series of relatively small buildings and rooms, along with numerous gardens and detached buildings, is beautifully preserved and is part of the World Heritage Site "Historic Areas of Istanbul."
  
  After that, we will visit the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı), the largest market in Turkey, where thousands of shops line up, offering a variety of Turkish crafts and other items, exuding an exotic atmosphere.
  
  After that, you will check in at the hotel.
  
  Breakfast: ○ Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: Overnight in Istanbul

• Day 6

  

  Istanbul

  After breakfast at the hotel, we will continue our sightseeing in Istanbul, following the previous day.
  
  Istanbul, which flourished as the capital of numerous countries and was also known as Byzantion and Constantinople, continues to thrive today as one of the leading metropolitan areas in Europe.
  In the "Sultan Ahmed Mosque" within the World Heritage "Historic Areas of Istanbul," where many historical buildings remain, you can see the Hagia Sophia (Cathedral), which underwent numerous historical transformations after its foundation was laid during the Eastern Roman Empire era, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which is affectionately known as the Blue Mosque and is a symbol of the area, and the Hippodrome, a stadium from the Byzantine Empire era.
  Furthermore, you can enjoy the Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar, where many grocery stores line up, and a cruise (regular ferry) along the Bosphorus Strait, which lies between Europe and Asia.
  
  At night, you will be taken to the airport by a private car, and the journey will come to an end.
  
  Breakfast: ○ Lunch: - Dinner: -
  Accommodation: -

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