Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia & the Aegean

Sultanahmet's great monuments.

• 09:00

  Hagia Sophia

  ~€25; 1,500 years of Byzantine-then-Ottoman history.

• 11:00

  Blue Mosque & Hippodrome

  Free (closed at prayer times); the six-minaret mosque.

• 14:00

  Basilica Cistern

  ~₺900; the eerie underground Roman water hall.

Topkapi and the Bosphorus.

• 09:00

  Topkapi Palace

  ~€30 incl. Harem; the Ottoman sultans' court.

• 13:00

  Grand & Spice Bazaars

  Free; 4,000 shops, haggle hard. Turkish delight samples at the Spice Bazaar.

• 17:00

  Bosphorus ferry

  Public ferry ~₺40; sail between Europe and Asia at sunset.

Into the fairy-chimney land.

• 10:00

  Flight to Cappadocia

  ~1h15 ~$40-70; shuttle to Goreme ~₺200.

• 15:00

  Goreme Open-Air Museum

  ~₺700; rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes.

• 18:00

  Sunset point

  Free; valleys of carved tufa glowing at dusk.

The bucket-list dawn.

• 05:00

  Hot-air balloon ride

  ~€180-250; hundreds of balloons over the valleys at sunrise. Book ahead.

• 10:00

  Rose & Red Valley hike

  Free; 2-3h trail past cave churches and rock formations.

• 16:00

  Uchisar Castle

  ~₺100; the highest point, 360-degree views.

Go deep, then start the Aegean leg.

• 09:00

  Derinkuyu underground city

  ~₺450; eight levels carved for 20,000 people.

• 14:00

  Pottery in Avanos

  Free demos; the red-clay pottery town on the Kizilirmak.

• 19:00

  Night bus / flight to Pamukkale

  Overnight bus ~8h ~$25, or fly via Istanbul; head for the white terraces.

Cotton castle and a spa city.

• 08:30

  Travertine terraces

  ~₺700 (incl. Hierapolis); walk barefoot down the white calcite pools.

• 11:00

  Hierapolis & Cleopatra's Pool

  Included; Roman ruins. Swim among submerged columns (extra ~₺200).

• 16:00

  Drive to Selcuk

  ~3h west toward Ephesus.

One of antiquity's great cities.

• 08:00

  Ephesus ancient city

  ~€40; the Library of Celsus and the great theatre. Go early.

• 12:00

  Terrace Houses

  Extra ~₺500; remarkably preserved Roman mosaics and frescoes.

• 15:00

  Temple of Artemis & Basilica

  Free; a lone column of an ancient wonder, plus St. John's Basilica nearby.

Wine village and the Aegean coast.

• 09:30

  Sirince village

  Free; hillside Greek-era village, fruit-wine tastings ~₺100.

• 13:00

  Drive to Izmir

  ~1h; lunch on the Kordon seafront.

• 17:00

  Kemeralti Bazaar & Konak

  Free; historic market and the clock-tower square.

Out via Izmir.

• 09:00

  Aegean breakfast

  Full Turkish kahvalti spread ~₺250-400; the great national breakfast.

• 12:00

  Airport transfer

  Direct train/Havas bus ~₺50-100.