• 5 Days Bus Tour From Istanbul to Cappadocia - Pamukkale and Ephesus


5 Days Bus Tour From Istanbul to Cappadocia - Pamukkale and Ephesus

Overview

€575 Per Person ( Recommended for low budget travellers )


Details

Depart from İstanbul to Cappadocia with Overnight bus

1. Day: Depart from İstanbul to Cappadocia with Overnight bus

20:30 Overnight bus from İstanbul to Cappadocia. (The duration of the bus ride from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes 10 hours. During the journey the bus generally stops 3 times for bathroom breaks and personal needs.)


Arrive to Cappadocia / Cappadocia Sightseeing Tour

2. Day: Arrive to Cappadocia / Cappadocia Sightseeing Tour

Arrive to Cappadocia around 07:30. You will be able to go and get breakfast at a nearby cafe before your tour bus comes to pick you up for your full day Cappadocia tour at approximately 09:30. Our first stop of the day will be at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Göreme Open Air Museum which was once a Byzantine monastic settlement comprised of more than 10 churches, rectories, accommodation and a theological school. You’ll be amazed at the tiny churches carved into the rocks and decorated with frescoes, many of which are in good condition.

Our second stop will be Paşabağ Valley, also called the Monks Valley, home to some of the best examples of mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. This valley was previously home to a settlement of monks, and today you can climb up into one of the fairy chimneys and see part of their former quarters.

We then drive to Devrent Valley, also known as “Imagination Valley”, where some of the most surreal rock formations can be found, many of them shaped like animals. See if you can spot the camel, snake, seal and dolphin-shaped rocks.

We will have lunch at a local cave restaurant in the town of Avanos, which is famous for its pottery. After a tasty lunch of traditional Turkish cuisine, we will visit a local family-run pottery workshop for a kick-wheel pottery demonstration.

Our last stop will be Uçhisar Castle, the highest point of Cappadocia. This is a great opportunity to get some great panorama shots of Cappadocia and the fairy chimneys.

After your tour you will be dropped off at your Cappadocia Cave hotel.

Note: an optional early morning sunrise hot air balloon ride can be arranged for tomorrow morning for 190 euro per person.

Overnight Cappadocia

(-/L/-)

Cappadocia Sightseeing Tours

3. Day: Cappadocia Sightseeing Tours

Pick up from your hotel after breakfast (approximately 09:30). Our first stop of the day will be Esentepe, a popular spot for enjoying a panoramic view of Göreme and its fairy chimneys and unique rock formations.

We will then drive to Derinkuyu Underground City, one of the deepest of Cappadocia’s many underground cities, and built by early Christians fleeing from persecution. Including rooms such as stables, cellars, chapels and wineries, you’ll be impressed as you wander through this underground city.

We then drive to Ihlara Valley where we will hike a section of the valley, checking out the tiny churches cut into the rocks, along the way. We will then have some chill time and lunch at Belisirma Village. We will also visit Selime Monastery, the biggest rock-cut cathedral in Cappadocia.

Our last stop is at Pigeon Valley where you will have a great photo opportunity. At the conclusion of the tour we will drop you at the bus station for your 19:30 overnight bus to Pamukkale.


Note: Your luggage will be stored on the tour bus during the tour

(B/L/-)


We are in Pamukkale Today :) Explore the Pamukkale & Hierapolis

4. Day: We are in Pamukkale Today :) Explore the Pamukkale & Hierapolis

You will be picked up by our driver from Denizli bus station where you will arrive at approximately 6.00am. It’s just a 20 minute drive to Pamukkale from here. On arrival in Pamukkale you will be transferred to a hotel in Pamukkale for an opportunity to freshen up and some breakfast before starting your Pamukkale tour at 9.30am.

Your tour starts with a visit to the nearby village of Karahayit where you will visit the red springs, with waters coloured a rusty-red colour because of the high iron content of the water.

We then drive to the North gate of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient Roman spa town of Hierapolis, and start our tour. Hierapolis was an important place for healing in Roman times because of the believed therapeutic qualities of its waters.

As you wander the ruins with your tour guide, you will see highlights such as the necropolis (graveyard), one of the biggest in the region, with over 1500 graves, the Roman bath, the theatre and the Agora (ancient market). You’ll also hear stories of some of the famous characters from history who visited or lived here including Cleopatra and St Philip, whose tomb is on top of a hill outside the northeastern section of the city walls, and which you will be able to see from a distance.

We’ll then take a break at the Cleopatra Antique Pool where the water is a pleasant 36 degrees Celsius and filled with invigorating minerals. Here, you have the chance to swim over Roman columns which believed to have fallen into the water during an earthquake. Please note that entrance to the swimming pool is an additional 50TL per person, payable at the site.

Your guide will give you free time to paddle in some of the pools as you wander down the hill to Pamukkale’s natural park and lake. You will then meet your tour guide for a late lunch.

The tour finishes at approximately 15:30-16:00 depending on the size of the group and its interests.

After the tour you will be transferred to Kusadasi by bus. The journey takes around 3.5 hours with a break halfway. Drop off at your hotel.

(B/L/-)

Today Time to Visit Ephesus -House of Virgin Mary

5. Day: Today Time to Visit Ephesus -House of Virgin Mary

08:45 Pick up from hotel with your luggage for your Full Day Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi. We will visit Ephesus-House of of Virgin Mary –Temple of Artemis. The Tour will end around 17:00 pm then we will drop off you off to the bus station in Selcuk. You will have free time until 22:30 (you can keep your luggage at our bus company office until your bus departure time) 22:30 Night bus from Selcuk to İstanbul. (The duration of the Selçuk to İstanbul bus trip is 10 hours). Tomorrow morning you will arrive in İstanbul at 08:30 am. End of the tour service.

Today Meals Included - Breakfast & Lunch

5 Days Tour Package Includes:

Overnight bus ticket from Istanbul to Cappadocia

1 Night Hotel in Cappadocia

2 Days Cappadocia Guided Tour with Lunch

Overnight bus from Cappadocia to Pamukkale

Freshen up room at Pamukkale

Pamukkale Hierapolis Guided Tour with Lunch

Bus from Pamukkale to Kusadasi

1 Night hotel Kusadasi

Ephesus Tour

Overnight bus from Selcuk Ephesus to İstanbul

All sightseeing entrances fees (excluding the Ephesus Terrace Houses and the Cleopatra Pool in Pamukkale - entrance an additional 50TL per person payable at the site)

Not included:

Drinks at lunch time

Personal Expenses

Gratuities

Entrance to the Cleopatra Pool in Pamukkale (additional 50TL payable directly to the pool)

Entrance to the Ephesus Terrace Houses)


Note

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