About this trip
Thirteen days across Turkey's classical highlights, moving from Istanbul through central Anatolia to the Aegean coast. You get a guided run through the country's big historical set-pieces, with comfortable hotels throughout.
Istanbul opens the trip with its Historical Peninsula — Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar all sit within walking distance of each other. From there you head to Cappadocia's volcanic valleys and underground cities, then Ankara before finishing on the Aegean coast at Ephesus.
It's an easy-paced, fully guided trip built around seeing rather than doing, with local food along the way and a group format that suits families as well as solo travellers.
What you'll do
- Explore Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
- Wander Cappadocia's fairy chimney valleys and an underground city
- Visit Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum, in Ankara
- Walk the Ancient City of Ephesus near Izmir
- See the House of Virgin Mary
- Optional activity in Cappadocia to see the region from above
- Easy-paced and fully guided, with a set itinerary rather than free days
- You change base several times, moving between Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ankara and Izmir
- Suits families and groups looking for a structured, comfortable introduction to Turkey's main historical sites
Worth it if you want to see Turkey's highlights efficiently with a knowledgeable guide. Think twice if you need reliable hotel quality or dietary variety beyond buffets.
- Guide quality is genuinely variable—Harry is exceptional, but other guides unresponsive to specific requests.
- Hotels range from decent to dirty and dated; buffet meals nightly are repetitive with lukewarm, mushy hot food.
- Itinerary covers all major sites—Cappadocia, Troy, Gallipoli, Pergamon, Istanbul—efficiently in 13 days.
- December travel risks snow affecting activities like Cappadocia balloon rides; pack layers regardless.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Istanbul · 20 Oct – 21 Oct
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