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Istanbul

Turkey

Embark on an 8-day private tour to explore the rich history and culture of Turkey. Your itinerary has been carefully crafted to ensure you experience the best of Turkey. Enjoy all meals, accommodation, and transportation (including domestic flights) conveniently provided. With a personal guide by your side, you'll hear stories and gain insights that will make your experience truly unforgettable.

Day 1

Meet at the airport Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. 

Istanbul Airport

Day 2

Explore the grandeur of Ottoman architecture at the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), located on Istanbul’s Old City peninsula. Opened in 1616 to rival the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) across the way, the six minarets punctuating the Istanbul skyline and 20,000 blue Iznik tiles decorating its interior are designed to inspire awe. The Basics The Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul’s top attractions and offers the opportunity to visit an active place of worship in the historical Sultanahmet neighborhood. Stroll through the airy courtyard and pause to soak up the atmosphere inside the mosque’s vast and curvaceous interior under cascading domes. Most small-group and private tours combine a visit to the Blue Mosque with a broader exploration of the Sultanahmet



Blue Mosque

The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque / Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi, with its innovative architecture, rich history, religious significance and extraordinary characteristics has been fighting against time for centuries, is the largest Eastern Roman Church in Istanbul. Constructed three times in the same location, it is the world’s oldest and fastest-completed cathedral. With its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, monolithic marble columns and unparalleled mosaics, is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history.



Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

Behold the imperial complex of Ottoman sultans at Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi), the royal residence in Istanbul throughout the first 400 years of the Ottoman Empire. The palace contains myriad buildings and courtyards, including a treasury, harems, an armory, imperial halls, and royal chambers—all with intricate Iznik tilework and opulent architecture. The Basics To understand the history of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, explore the vast Topkapi Palace. The complex has elegant chambers, landscaped grounds, and small museum collections to admire, as well as a viewpoint over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Guided tours, which can offer a more comprehensive experience of the palace, often allow you to skip the long entry lines with a guide, and usually include a visit to the palace’s harem section. Many Istanbul sightseeing tours combine Topkapi Palace with an exploration of the other top sights in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district.



TopkapI Palace

Day 3

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi) is the ultimate covered market. Its 5,000+ vendors hawk carpets, beaded bracelets, gold and silver jewelry, multicolored lanterns, leather goods, ceramics, belly-dancing outfits, and more. With goods that span all price ranges, you’ll find the perfect souvenir in the bazaar’s labyrinthine alleys. The Basics Getting lost in the Grand Bazaar is part of the experience, as every twist and turn reveals interesting Turkish goods. Built in the 15th century during the Ottoman era, the market remains an active and lively center of commerce—and today, tourism—in Istanbul.


Grand Bazaar

bosphorus tour 
after lunch transfer to istanbul airport for flight to izmir 

Bosphorus Strait

Day 4

Ephesus (Efes) is one of the greatest ancient sites in the Mediterranean. During its heyday in the first century BC, it was the second-largest city in the world, with only Rome commanding more power. Many reconstructed structures and ruins, including the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, can be seen here. The Basics This ancient city is home to an incredible number of ruins in varying states. The site is best explored with a guide who can help shed light on the function and significance of the various structures. Guided tours of the site depart from Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum, Selçuk, and Kuşadasi.



Ancient City of Ephesus

A holy shrine to the supposed death place of St. Mary, the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus is a standing testament to the home of the beloved mother of Jesus. Many believe that the house was indeed the place where she spent her final days, and today you can visit the restored stone house, which now serves as a chapel. Serving as sacred territory for Christians and Muslims alike, the Virgin Mary's House has called hundreds of thousands of visitors and pilgrims since its discovery in the 19th-century. Remnants of the chapel date as far back as the 6th-century, and serves as the place where its caretakers, the Lazarist Fathers, conduct mass every day. Despite the altar placed within, the house still contains a bedroom and kitchen, decorated with pictures of Mary and candles.



Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)

Baggio Rossini Leather Store

Day 5

Pamukkale Natural Park

Day 6

After breakfast, we depart for Izmir Airport for our domestic flight to Cappadocia. Transfer from Kayseri airport to your Cave hotel. Overnight in Cave Hotel in Cappadocia 

Kusadasi Market

Goreme National Park

Day 7

Kaymakli Underground City

Matis - Cappadocia

Fairy Chimneys

Uchisar Castle

Ozler Onix Factory

Day 8

After breakfast we depart for Kayseri Airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul and then back to home.

8 Days Best Of Turkey Packages tour:Istanbul Cappadocia Ephesus Pamukkale

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Routebeschrijving

Istanbul Half-day Tours Itinerary (2026 Guide) – What You'll See & Do

Hier is het startpunt

Istanbul Airport