On these packages you will travel from city to city on your own, exploring at your own pace. We have arranged transportation in most cases and day tours for you to see the destination. Enjoy the time and flexibility to linger longer or pick up the pace and see as much as possible. The choice is yours.
This tour is conducted at a medium-fast pace. Some long travel days may be required to complete this itinerary and you will typically spend two nights at each destination, with some one night stays required. This trip includes a mix of sightseeing and free time to explore at your own pace. You will be required to move about unassisted, including getting on and off vehicles, walking up and down stairs and some activities will be conducted on uneven or steep terrain. You will be required to handle your own luggage.
✓ Enjoy the flexibility of independent travel with all arrangements made for you, and free time to explore at your own pace
✓ Incredible sightseeing, including the Blue Mosque, Goreme Open Air Museum, Ephesus, Hierapolis, and Pamukkale
✓ See the best of Istanbul with 2 days of including touring, visiting Beylerbeyi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Chora Museum, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Spice Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, and a Bosphorus Cruise
✓ Visit the natural wonders of Cappadocia and Pamukkale, and the amazing historic sites of Hierapolis and Ephesus
✓ 8 nights in boutique, 4 and 5-star hotels throughout Turkey, including a stay at a historic mansion turned cave hotel in Cappadocia
✓ Breakfast daily
✓ All transportation between destinations and economy flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia, Cappadocia to Izmir, and Izmir to Istanbul
✓ Airport transfers included on the first and last day of your tour
✓ Professional English-speaking local tour guides at each site
✈ Needing international airfares to accompany your Inspiring Vacation? You will be able to access our flight portal after securing your package to add international airfares to your booking.
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Welcome to Istanbul! You’ll be greeted at the airport and transferred to your beautiful hotel in the heart of the historic old town. The rest of the day is yours to explore as you see fit.
Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
Please note: if you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. However, if you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will still be provided to the starting hotel.
After breakfast, get to know Istanbul. Bridging continents, religions, cuisines, and thousands of years of history, Istanbul offers centuries of architectural styles, philosophies, and delights in a single city. Today you’ll enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting some of Istanbul’s most famous highlights.
We will visit Spice Bazaar and cruise along the Bosphorus, sailing between Europe and Asia. After lunch, we will visit the Asian side of Istanbul, including Beylerbeyi Palace. An imperial Ottoman summer residence from the 1800’s this impressive palace sits right on the edge of the Bosphorus. Then, head to Camlica Hill. One of the highest points in Istanbul, Camlica Hill offers panoramic views of the city and the mouth of the Golden Horn.
After breakfast, explore the Topkapi Palace, the Imperial core of the Ottoman empire from the 15th to the 19th century. Next, visit the Blue Mosque, constructed in 1617. This grand building sits as an icon across the Istanbul skyline. You will also visit the Hippodrome, an ancient circus that was once the centre of the Byzantine Empire. You can imagine the chariot races that ripped through the open square centuries ago. Next, visit the Chora Museum. Finally, visit the Grand Bazaar - one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, featuring more than 4,000 shops.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, you’ll glimpse your first sights of this magical landscape as you head to your boutique cave hotel. Famed for the unique fairy chimneys and geological formations, Cappadocia offers a landscape like nowhere else. The remainder of the day is free to explore.
You may choose to begin the day with an optional Hot Air Balloon flight, to take in the sites from above. Afterwards, you will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, and Unesco site featuring rock-cut churches and monasteries dotting the hillside. You will also visit the stunning landscapes of Uchisar Castle, Devrent Valley and the fairy chimneys.
If you wish to book the optional Hot Air Balloon flight, please speak to your tour guide at the beginning of your trip in Istanbul to help you arrange this.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Izmir. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi, a relaxed beach resort on the Aegean coast. The remainder of the day is free to explore.
Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, and the ancient city of Ephesus. Feel the magic of the stadium where chariot and horse races were once held. You will also have the chance to experience some Turkish handicrafts. Your last visit will be to the quaint mountain village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines that you can sample. After the visit to Sirince you will return to your hotel.
After breakfast, you will visit the Pamukkale calcium terraces and Hierapolis. Discover the flowing thermal spring waters in the moon-like landscape of calcium pools. Next, visit Hierapolis, including the magnificently preserved necropolis, the main street, gates, the thermal baths, the Greco Roman theatre and the Basilica of St. Philippe. You’ll have the opportunity to swim in a therapeutic bath of hot spring mineral waters, visited since the 2nd Century BCE.
After your breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Istanbul, where your trip will come to an end. Please note that if you are connecting to an international flight the same day, you may need to transfer from SAW airport (mostly used for domestic flights) to IST International Airport. Flight times may vary, so please do not book a flight that departs before 6:00pm. Alternatively, you can add additional nights in Istanbul to extend your Turkish adventure.
Departure transfers are included as part of your package, in Kusadasi. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight. Once you arrive by flight into Istanbul, no futher transfers are included.
If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.
This product requires full payment upfront to secure your booking.
Once you have created your booking you will be directed to your invoice to choose your preferred payment method.
This is a land only package.
This package does not include international airfares. If you would like to add airfares to your booking our flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub. The flight portal will allow you to search for all available airfares to your destination. The function works like most general flight search engines allowing you to select your preferred airline, book different cabin classes (eg. Business class) and view flight durations and transit times to your destination.
The flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub once the following criteria has been met:
Visit our Flight Hub for more information on terms and conditions, amending your flights and information on luggage allowances.
Some of our packages will include airport transfers in either one or both directions when arriving or departing from your destination. To know if transfers are included please view the ‘inclusions’ section of your selected package. If airport transfers are stated, transfers will be included as advised.
If transfers are not included, we also offer the option to book your airport transfers using our online portal. Access to this portal is available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed. Transfers are readily available and do not need to be booked until your final hotel list has been confirmed. Once you have made a transfer booking, please refer to your confirmation email for all transfer details including a local contact number for the transfer company.
If you book pre and/or post-tour accommodation on your own arrangement, and the tour includes transfers, note that these will be forfeited. The transfers are only provided in line with the tour dates and pre and/or post-tour accommodation purchased through Inspiring Vacations when available.
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a ‘3'
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Tipping
A friendly reminder that tipping is not included in your package. Tipping is not compulsory on your trip, but they can make a big difference to locals employed in the tourism industry. If you feel that your guide and driver have done an impeccable job, you can choose to give a gratuity, but this is entirely your decision.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, however, any changes are beyond our control.
Single Supplement
Single supplement is $1,341.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
Group Size
Minimum: 2
Maximum: 20
Children
Children must be 5 years old or above and share a room with parents at all times. Children are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
All participants must be in good physical condition to fully engage in this journey. For the safety and welfare of yourself and fellow travellers, if you are feeling unwell prior to departure, we advise staying home and contacting us to arrange alternate plans.
Prior to selecting your trip, carefully review the itinerary to assess your ability to comfortably manage our travel style. Please be aware that if, based on evaluation by our leader or local representative, a participant is deemed unable to safely complete the itinerary, we retain the right to exclude them from all or part of the trip without reimbursement.
It is advisable to consult your physician for current medical travel advisories and any required vaccinations before embarking. We recommend carrying a first aid kit and any necessary medications in their original packaging, as they may not be readily available during travel. For those carrying medication, it's essential to check your government's foreign travel guidelines for local restrictions or regulations.
You can enhance your holiday by arriving or departing before or after the tour. On this tour you can choose from the following options:
Pre Tour Accommodation
Post Tour Accommodation
Please select the number of extra nights required in the 'Additional Nights Accommodation' field when making your purchase. The additional cost for these arrangements will be added to your final payment invoice and are subject to availability.
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