6-Day Private Guided Tour to Istanbul and Cappadocia

Day 1: Arrival Airport Transfer Istanbul

1. Istanbul
   3h
   You will be picked from Istanbul Airport and taken to your hotel. Today there is no scheduled activity, you will meet with our guide next day at 09:30 AM

Day 2: Old City Classical Istanbul

1. Istanbul
   30m
   You will be picked up from your hotel with a private van service and private tour guide at 09:00 am for an Istanbul tour to discover the Old city.
2. Blue Mosque
   30m
   Built between 1609-1616, this impressive mosque has six minarets. Why is it called "Blue Mosque?" There are two stories: the first, more common one is that the interior is covered in Blue İznik tiles. The second is: many years ago, ancient sailors who sailed by the mosque on the Marmara Sea saw the blue colors of the sea reflected in the mosque.
3. Hippodrome
   30m
   The ancient Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine civic life, from political and theological controversies to chariot races and riots. Built in 203 by Emperor Septimus Severus, it is estimated that the arena could accommodate up to 100,000 spectators.
4. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Hagia Sophia Museum / Hagia Sophia / Santa Sofia Built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, it played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic worlds. After the Ottoman conquest, the bells, altar, iconoclastic and sacrificial vessels were removed and most of the mosaics were eventually plastered, turning the church into a mosque, then a museum, and now a mosque for the second time. The most important stop of an Istanbul tour is operated in Old City Istanbul / Constantinople. *Please note that tour guides do not prioritize jumping there as it is no longer a museum.
5. Grand Bazaar
   1h
   Grand Bazaar / Kapalı Çarşı One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops with colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold.
6. Basilica Cistern
   1h · Admission ticket not included
   Byzantine Cistern; was the water storage of Byzantine Empire providing clean drinking water to the citizens of city, especially during period of siege. Binbirdirek and Serefiye Cisterns are the options that you can visit by talking with your tour guide on tour day. *Please remember that Basilica Cistern is under restoration until end of 2022 so it's not open to visit.
7. TopkapI Palace
   1h 30m · Admission ticket not included
   (Optional 90 USD)Topkapi Palace Museum / Topkapı Sarayı More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles the power of the Ottoman Empire.

Day 3: Istanbul Bosphorus Region Tour

1. Istanbul
   30m
   Your Istanbul tour guide will wait you at your hotel lobby or cruise port and start your Istanbul Bosphorus Region Tour;
2. Misir Carsisi
   1h
   Spice Market is a colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a variety of products. Some of them are spices, purses, flavored teas, Turkish delight, nuts, as well as ceramics, and small souvenirs. Spice Bazaar is located in Eminonu Square which is the connection place of Bosphorus and Golden Horn.
3. Bosphorus Bridge
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Bosphorus Cruise; is operated with public ferry to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian side. On the way we see Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridge, mosques. Your best Istanbul tour memories will be in Bosphorus. * Please advise if you prefer Private Yacht Option for Bosphorus Cruise.
4. Dolmabahce Palace
   1h 30m · Admission ticket not included
   (Optional 90 USD)Dolmabahce Palace; Elegance and beauty with most luxury decoration, chandeliers, rugs, crystals, ceramic fireplaces. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with gorgeous furnishings, paintings, porcelains made for Dolmabahce.
5. Taksim Square
   30m
   Taksim Square; A great place defining modern Turkey which witnessed important historical moments.
6. Cicek Pasaji
   30m
   Cicek Passage; A combined structure of traditional and modern construction methods and architecture style by Ottoman Empire is reflected here. Cicek Passage has very good food joints, cafes, shops, bars, night clubs around Taksim.
7. Istiklal Caddesi
   1h
   Istiklal Street; (Istiklal Caddesi) and Galata Tower along with embassies of European countries in Taksim.
8. Istanbul
   30m
   After finishing your private Istanbul trip here, your private guide can drop you off back to your hotel.

Day 4: Istanbul - Flight to Cappadocia

1. Cappadocia
   4h
   You will be picked up from your Istanbul hotel by our private van service and you will be transferred to Istanbul Airport for a flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir city. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative at the airport holding a name sign with your name on it.

Day 5: Cappadocia Red Tour & Hot Air Balloon (Optional )

1. Goreme
   2h
   Hot Air Balloon (Optional) In the early morning you will be picked up from your hotel for a Balloon Ride over the valleys of Cappadocia for a duration of 1-hour. After the Balloon flight, you will have a celebration in the valley and a ceremony of flight certificate. After the ceremony, you will be transferred back to your hotel for breakfast.
2. Devrent Valley
   1h
   Cappadocia is already well known for its unusual rock formations, but at Devrent Valley—nicknamed Imagination Valley—these large stones are the densest cluster found anywhere else in the region and they seem to take on a life of their own. We will walk through this amazing valley
3. Fairy Chimneys
   1h
   Pasabagi (Monk's Valley) A stone-sculpted wonderland of billowing tuff cliffs and towering fairy chimneys; Monks Valley is the postcard image of Cappadocia and it’s every bit as compelling in real life. Named for the Christian monks who once hid out in the rocks, the valley’s UNESCO-listed landscapes are both a geological wonder and a key part of Cappadocia’s history.
4. Avanos
   1h
   Avanos which is known for the pottery, a craft dating back to the Hittite period. The red clay which is worked by local craftsmen comes from the residue in the Kizilirmak River, the longest river of Turkey.

Day 6: Valleys & Underground Cities (Blue) Tour

1. Goreme
   1h
   (Optional) Jeep&Safari Tour; Discover hidden corners of Cappadocia—famed for its unique lunar landscapes, underground cities, and volcanic rock-cut churches—during this rugged jeep safari. Riding in a sturdy vehicle, you’ll get access to sights off-limits to walking and bus tours, including one of the oldest cave monasteries in Cappadocia.
2. Red Valley
   30m
   Rose Valley, one of the most beautiful trekking valleys in Cappadocia, and explore the famous rock- cut churches by hiking through the valley.
3. Cavusin
   30m
   Rest in Cavusin, an old Greek village, known for its Christian houses and churches.
4. Ortahisar
   30m
   Ortahisar Castle similar to Uchisar Castle in style, where storage caves can also be observed.
5. Kaymakli Underground City
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Descend towards the center of the earth with a trip to the Underground City of Kaymakli, one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia’s many such settlements. Discover this underground city and its stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, and wineries.
6. Pigeon Valley
   30m
   Visit the Pigeon Valley. See spectacular view of dovecotes (pigeon or dove houses), old abandoned cave homes and old Greek houses of Uchisar and Ortshisar Castle, the biggest mass of fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. 4.30 pm.
7. Istanbul
   3h
   At the end of the tour, we can transfer to two places. If you want to stay in Cappadocia, you will be transferred to your hotel. If you want to fly to another city, you will be transferred to the airport. Just let your tour guide know. Necessary adjustments will be made.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels