Embark on a 5-day adventure in Istanbul and Cappadocia, exploring UNESCO sites and opting for a thrilling hot air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.
Flight from Istanbul to Denizli – Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Laodicea Tour - Overnight at Kusadasi
Istanbul - The travel services will begin with a transfer from your hotel to the airport. Your driver will meet you at the reception of your hotel or at your Airbnb address if parking is available. You will then be transported to the airport for your flight from Istanbul to Denizli.
Denizli Çardak Airport - Upon arrival Denizli Cardak airport, your tour guide and another driver will meet you at the exit gate of the arrival terminal, and then you will start the full-day tour to Pamukkale Natural Park, Hierapolis Ancient City, Laodicea Ancient City.
Hierapolis & Pamukkale - The highlights of Hierapolis Ancient City are Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Latrina, Oil Factory, Frontinus Street, Agora, Byzantium Gate, Triton Fountain, Cathedral, Apollon Temple, Plutonium, Theater and Antique Pool. During visits to these ancient ruins, you can take some photos from the nicest corners of the Pamukkale.
Pamukkale Thermal Pools - After visited the Hierapolis Ancient City, you will have free time for about 60-75 minutes to explore the natural beauties of the Pamukkale, and swim at white travertines - thermal pools (or antique pool - Cleopatra’s pool with extra fee). Then meet again with your guide, start walking in the middle of travertines from up to down without shoes and socks.
Cleopatra Pools - Situated above the Pamukkale white travertine pools is one particularly spectacular location fed by the same hot springs. Here you can bath in the same waters in which Cleopatra once swam! A professionally run modern spa facility allows you to enjoy these historical healing waters. Unlike the white water of the lower pools the Antique Pool favored by Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, is pure clear warm water. Once it was surmounted by a Roman Temple to Apollo with ornate roof held up with Doric columns. Imagine how Cleopatra must have experienced this when you imagine it in it’s glory day.
Pamukkale - You will stop at a local restaurant for your lunch. Today’s lunch is included during guided tour.
Karahayit - After the lunch, you will have experience traditional handcraft workshop for get lecture about the special stones/metals of Pamukkale.
Laodicea - Excavations here have revealed artifacts dating from 3500 BC (Late Chalcolithic) to 3000 BC (Early Bronze Age). The city’s name comes from the Seleucid king Antiochus ii, who named it for his wife Laodike in the 3rd century BC when it was thriving. Later controlled by the kings of Pergamum, it was willed to the Roman Empire, and thrived again from the 4th to 6th centuries. Its importance then numbered it among the Seven Churches of Revelation.
pamukkale tandem paragliding - Pamukkale Paragliding Adventure (Optional Attraction – You can add this attraction to your experiences with extra cost.) : See Pamukkale’s glistening white travertine and ancient Hierapolis, including the enormous theater, from the air on this short-but-sweet paragliding experience with a seasoned pilot. You will race off the edge of a slope about 1,300 feet (400 meters) up, then glide on the breezes over the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kusadasi - After your tour to Pamukkale Natural Park - Hierapolis Ancient City - Laodicea Ancient City, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi.
Kusadasi Castle - This small castle is picturesque Byzantine fortress stands on the causeway-connected Guvercin Adasi (Pigeon Island) and has recently been renovated. * There is no any visit to this place on tour. You can visit there by your own after we dropped you to your hotel in Kusadasi.
Okuz Mehmet Pasa KervansarayI - This caravanserai was built by the Grand Vizier Okuz Mehmed Pasha to support maritime trade in the region. This historical building is opposite to Kusadasi cruise port. * There is no any visit to this place on tour. You can visit there by your own after we dropped you to your hotel in Kusadasi.
Guided Tour to Ephesus and Its Surroundings - Flight from Izmir to Cappadocia - - Overnight at Cappadocia
Kuşadası - After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, the tour guide will pick you up around 09:00 AM for a full-day tour to Ephesus and its surroundings. * At the end of the tour, you will be directly transferred to Izmir Airport for your flight to Cappadocia.
Kusadasi Gazi Begendi Park - Before drive to Ephesus area, you will stop at the Gazi Begendi Park (Hill) for you can take photos of the amazing Kusadasi Bay.
Ancient City of Ephesus - Your first visit will be the Ephesus Ancient City. Ephesus was one of the most important harbor cities in antique world and also it is mentioned in the book of Revelations as one of the seven churches. Also Celsus Library and theater in Ephesus are the other highlights. You will see the Celcus Library, Temple of Hadrian, Fountain of Trajan, Odeon, Agora, Fountain of Domitian, Hercule Gate, Grand Theater, Nike, Ancient Toilets and more during tour in this ancient city.
The Temple of Artemis - The next stop of your tour will be at the Temple of Artemis which first built during the Archaic period, and one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World.
Selcuk - You will stop at a traditional Turkish restaurant for your lunch. Today’s lunch is included during guided tour. After the lunch, you will have experience in a traditional handcraft co-operative for get lecture about the special arts of Turkish villagers.
Sirince - This pretty old Orthodox village, 12 km away from Ephesus and 30 km from Kusadasi, was once Cirkince (“ugly”). Indeed its habitants gave this name on purpose as they did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still after years, visitors understood that the village was not ugly at all and called it Sirince (“pretty”). As the village is located on the top of a mountain, you will enjoy the impressive wine yards’ and peach trees’ views on his way. You will find wines made from apples, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, melons, watermelons, cherries and many other sorts of fruits.
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport - At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Izmir airport for your flight to Cappadocia.
Cappadocia - Upon your arrival at Cappadocia airport, another driver will meet you at the exit gate of the arrival terminal and transfer you to your hotel in Cappadocia.
- Transfers at the mentioned airports for domestic flights in the itinerary
- Flight Tickets: Istanbul to Denizli - Izmir to Istanbul or Izmir to Cappadocia
- XX nights hotel accommodation including breakfast
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off services for each mentioned tour and transfer on itinerary
- Professional tour guide licensed by Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- Dinner & Drinks
- Entrance fees of the museums (Your guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip the line.)
Explore UNESCO Sites of Turkey with this three-days customized travel package from/to Istanbul by plane. Visit the Goreme open-air museum, rock churches, unique landscape and rock-cut houses of Cappadocia. And then flight to Aegean coast of Turkey for visit to Ephesus Ancient City, House of Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis with an expert local guide in a small-group tour. For an even more unforgettable experience, wake up early for a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia (optional).
- Hotel drop-off (return to Istanbul) timing : The departure time of return flight is between 08.00pm and 09.00pm from Cappadocia. That’s meaning, your return flight will be landing Istanbul airport or Istanbul SAW airport between 09.30pm and 10.30pm. After you arrived Istanbul, local tour operator will transfer you to your drop-opff point. If you will do this tour post-cruise, the drop-off point will be your hotel in Istanbul center for this transfer. If you will do this tour pre-cruise, the drop-off point will be Istanbul Galataport (Cruise Port) for this transfer.
- The prices of package are valid for accommodation at the double or triple room. If you would like make reservation for single room(s), there could be supplement cost. There are not going to be any extra cost for single / solo travelers. This cost already accounted on price of these travelers.
- The pre-planned hotels are “Hagia Sophia Mansions in Istanbul” - “The Magnaura Palace in Istanbul” - “Zeynep Sultan Hotel in Istanbul” - “Exedra Hotel in Cappadocia” - “1811 Cave Boutique Hotel in Cappadocia” - “Sedirli Konak Boutique Hotel in Cappadocia” for your accommodation on this travel. You can choose any of them while booking. If preferred hotel by you is not available for standard/superior rooms on your travel dates, local tour operator can replace it with an equivalent hotel.
- The check-in time of hotels is 02.00pm, and you can not start use your room before this time. This is about the check-in & check-out policies of hotels. If your arrival flight will be landing to Istanbul-Turkey before that time , you have to add one night more hotel reservation to package, or wait at the reception of your hotel until 02.00pm for check-in to hotel.
- The differences between the package options are about the hotel categories. Tour(s), airport transfer(s) and flight ticket levels will be same for all options.
- The local tour operator will send e-tickets of your domestic flights at six days before your departure date. You will not need print out copies of the tickets for domestic flights. Your passport and reservation number on the tickets will be enough for check-in to plane.
- The local tour operator can request your some passport details for the bookings of your flight tickets.
- You will have 15kg luggage + 8kg hand bag quota per person for each domestic flight. If you will need more luggage capacity, please inform that to local tour operator. There could be some extra fee for luggage quotas more than 15kg. This is exactly about the policies of airline companies.
- If your pick-up or drop-off hotel is inside of airports (IST and SAW airports) local tour operator do not provide any pick-up / drop-off service on this trip package.
- Hot air ballooning is a fully weather-dependent activity and the Civil Aviation Authority determines whether the flight will be held. If your flight is cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, you are entitled to a partial refund. In such a case, your refund will be processed by the day after of that trip. Your refund rate will be the difference between options of “included balloon ride” and “excluded balloon ride” for the cancellations of the hot air balloon ride.
- The Standard Balloon Ride has an One-hour approximately flight duration with 20 to 28 people capacity basket. The flight duration could be 50-55 minutes or 65-70 minutes. This situation depend the weather conditions before landing, and pilots are decide to that within the safety rules of Civil Aviation Authority. Total activity duration is approximately 3 hours.
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
- The children who 5 years old and under are not allowed to balloon tours.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults. If you will be 1 adult + 1 child, local tour operator can request & charge the amount of 2 adults.
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
