Glories of Turkey 12-Day From Istanbul

Turkey’s greatest strength is its variety, and this 12-day route packs in an impressive spread: imperial Istanbul, WWI memorials at Gallipoli, Greek and Roman ruins, Mediterranean towns, Seljuk monuments, and Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys. You get far more than a city break, but you also avoid the planning burden of connecting all these places yourself.

I like the small maximum group of 20, especially since some departures have been much smaller. I also like the practical package: hotels, breakfasts, admission fees, ground transport, and airport transfers are included. The main drawback is the pace. Several days run for seven or eight hours, and the published schedule has overlapping references to Laodicea, Pamukkale, and Antalya, so you should confirm the exact day-by-day plan before paying.

At a glance: what makes this route useful

• From two continents to Cappadocia: Start in Istanbul and end among the volcanic rock formations of central Turkey.
• Major ancient sites included: Troy, Ephesus, Laodicea, Perge, Aspendos, Side, and Göreme all feature in the route.
• Strong guide-led experience: Past departures have used guides including Tamer, Fatih Karci, Omar, Halil, and FFD, with drivers such as Murat, Mustafa, Hekim, and Yilmaz.
• Practical inclusions: Breakfast, entrance fees, hotel transfers, an air-conditioned vehicle, and the Cappadocia to Istanbul flight are covered.
• Hands-on local stops: You see carpet weaving in a village and pottery-making in Avanos.
• Not a restful holiday: Long road days and frequent hotel changes are part of the bargain.

Istanbul starts with the city’s grandest sights

Your arrival day is deliberately light. A transfer takes you from Istanbul International Airport to your hotel, then the rest of the day is free. That gives you time to recover from your flight or take a first walk without a guide and a timetable.

Day two focuses on Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s historic core. You visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Irene, the palace Harem, and the Hippodrome. This is a strong opening because the sites sit within the same broad historic area, and a guide can help connect Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern Turkish history.

Topkapi deserves your attention. The palace is not simply a grand building to photograph. The Harem and Hagia Irene add depth to the visit, though the number of rooms and objects can feel tiring after the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Wear comfortable shoes and expect a full touring day.

An optional half-day Bosphorus cruise is offered in the afternoon. It is a fine way to see Istanbul from the water and cross between Europe and Asia, but it is not part of the core inclusions. Check the extra cost and timing before committing, especially if you want enough time on land.

Gallipoli brings a quieter kind of sightseeing

Day three leaves Istanbul for the Gallipoli Battlefields. This is one of the most serious stops on the trip. You visit Anzac Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, The Nek, Johnston’s Jolly, original trenches, tunnels, and memorials.

The value here comes from the setting and the explanation. Gallipoli is not a quick photo stop. The terrain, memorials, and battlefield remains make more sense when a guide explains the campaign and points out how the positions related to one another.

The day lasts about eight hours, so the time on the road matters. This is also a place where respectful behavior is essential. If your interest is mainly food, shopping, and scenery, Gallipoli may feel heavy. If you want to understand one of the defining events in modern Turkish, Australian, and New Zealand history, it is an important inclusion.

Troy and Behramkale add village life to the ruins

From Çanakkale, the route heads to Troy. The ancient city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the newer Troy Museum gives useful context before or after the ruins. The museum matters because the archaeological remains can be hard to read without diagrams, reconstructions, and objects.

The day continues to Behramkale, an old village of stone houses and narrow lanes. You have time to walk, take in the scenery, and stop for Turkish tea or coffee at a local café. This is a welcome change from formal archaeological sites. You get a short look at daily village life rather than another large monument complex.

The trip then continues south to Kuşadası. Expect another full day, with a mix of walking, museum time, and road travel. This is not the day to schedule a demanding evening activity.

Ephesus is the ancient-site high point

Ephesus is likely to be one of your strongest days. The ancient city has a powerful sense of scale, with its streets, theatre, and surviving public buildings showing how large and important the Roman-era city was.

The itinerary also includes the Temple of Artemis site and the Ephesus Archaeology Museum. The temple remains are limited, so keep your expectations in check. The museum helps fill in the gaps with objects from the area and gives you a better view of the people who lived here, not just the stones they left behind.

A carpet village visit follows. You see how carpets are made by hand and learn what affects their value. This is a useful cultural stop, but it also has a commercial side. If you are not shopping, listen to the demonstration, ask questions, and do not feel pressured to buy.

Ephesus is another eight-hour day. Much of the site is exposed, and the combination of sun, uneven ground, and crowds can wear you down. Good walking shoes and a hat will serve you well.

The Laodicea and Antalya section needs clarification

The supplied schedule lists Pamukkale on day six, then describes Laodicea and travel to Antalya. Day seven repeats Laodicea and again refers to Antalya, followed by the Antalya Archaeological Museum. This appears to be an outline error or a compressed description of two connected days.

Before booking, ask Fez Travel to confirm three points: when Pamukkale’s travertines are visited, which night is spent in Antalya, and whether Laodicea is toured once or twice. That is not a small detail. Pamukkale is one of Turkey’s signature sights, while Laodicea and the Antalya museums offer a different kind of historical experience.

Laodicea was a major city in the Lycus River Valley, and the ruins help show how towns functioned in the ancient region. Antalya then provides a change of mood, with a resort-town setting and museum visits. The schedule refers to both the Necropol Museum and the Antalya Archaeological Museum in different places, so confirm which collection is included.

This part of the trip is valuable because it gets beyond the best-known stops. The tradeoff is less certainty in the printed outline. Get the final operating schedule in writing.

Perge, Aspendos, and Side form a powerful Roman day

Day eight brings three major classical sites: Perge, Aspendos, and Side. This is another long day, but the sites are different enough to keep it interesting.

Aspendos is the star for many people. Its Roman theatre, built in the second century and designed to seat about 15,000 people, remains remarkably imposing. Perge gives you a broader view of an ancient city, while Side combines ruins with a coastal town setting and the Temple of Apollo.

The benefit of a guide is clear here. Without context, columns and broken walls can blur together. With a good explanation, you can understand the difference between a theatre, a civic street, a temple, and the infrastructure of a large Roman settlement.

You will need stamina. Three archaeological sites in one day means repeated walking over rough or uneven surfaces. The pace should suit people who would rather see a lot than linger for a full morning at one place.

Konya introduces Seljuk and Sufi Turkey

The route turns inland on day nine, heading toward Cappadocia through central Turkey. Along the way, you visit the Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana Museum in Konya.

The caravansary shows how important long-distance trade once was. Its walls, entrance, and courtyard give you a sense of the support system needed by merchants crossing Anatolia.

Konya’s Mevlana Museum brings a different tone. It is tied to Mevlana and the Mevlevi tradition, often associated with the Whirling Dervishes. The visit adds religious and cultural context after several days centered on ancient Greece and Rome.

This is another eight-hour touring day, much of it involving transport. The reward is a gradual change from the Mediterranean coast to central Anatolia. You should not expect a relaxed transfer. The journey itself is part of the route.

Cappadocia saves some of the most unusual sights for last

Cappadocia gets two full touring days. On the first, you visit Pigeon Valley, Red Valley, Çavuşin village, and Avanos.

The valleys reveal the region’s soft volcanic rock formations, while Çavuşin offers a look at a historic settlement. Avanos is known for pottery, and the tour includes a demonstration or lesson in handmade pottery. That practical element gives the day more character than a sequence of viewpoints.

Day eleven focuses on Göreme Valley Open Air Museum, the fairy chimneys, and an underground city. The open-air museum is one of Cappadocia’s essential stops, with rock-cut churches and painted interiors. The underground city shows how people used the soft rock below ground for shelter and storage across multiple levels.

You then take an evening flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul. The flight saves a long return drive, but it also makes the final day feel less leisurely. Keep your belongings organized and confirm the baggage arrangements before departure.

Hot-air ballooning is not listed as an included activity. It is often associated with Cappadocia, but you should treat it as a separate optional expense and ask whether it can fit the schedule. The same applies to Turkish night shows and the optional Bosphorus cruise.

Hotels, transport, and meals: what the price covers

The cost is listed at $2,904.10 per person. That is a substantial price, but it covers a lot: accommodation, breakfast, professional guiding, entrance fees, hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned non-smoking vehicle, Istanbul arrival and departure transfers, and the domestic flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul.

For a first visit, that can be good value. You are not separately arranging long-distance transfers, admission tickets, or a complicated flight connection. The small-group format also gives you a better chance to ask questions and keep the day moving at a human pace.

The hotel standard is described as boutique and 4-star accommodation. Past departures have not produced identical impressions at every property, so I would treat the hotel quality as generally comfortable rather than uniform. Ask for the current hotel list if room standards matter to you.

Breakfast is included, while dinner is listed as optional in the inclusions. Tips for the guide and driver, travel insurance, and optional activities are extra. Build those costs into your budget rather than assuming the headline price covers every meal and excursion.

Guides can shape the entire experience

A route this busy depends heavily on the guide. Past departures have used Tamer, Fatih Karci, Omar, Halil, and FFD, among others. Tamer has been praised for being friendly, flexible, and attentive, while Fatih Karci has been singled out for handling a group of 11 well and keeping the history clear.

Drivers also matter because several days involve long road journeys. Names connected with past departures include Murat, Mustafa, Hekim, Yilmaz, Hasan, Ilhan, and Akim. The operator may assign different people to your departure, so do not book based on one particular guide unless Fez Travel confirms that person.

A small group is a real advantage. The maximum is 20, but some departures have had only two, five, eight, or 11 people. Group size can affect how much time you have at sites and how easy it is to handle questions or special needs.

Who should book this Turkey tour?

I would choose this trip if you are visiting Turkey for the first time and want the major highlights without arranging internal transport yourself. It suits people who enjoy ancient sites, cultural history, long scenic drives, and a full daily schedule.

It is also a good match if you prefer a guide to handle admissions, transfers, and hotel changes. The included airport transfers remove some arrival stress, and the flight from Cappadocia avoids retracing the entire route by road.

I would hesitate if you want slow mornings, long beach breaks, or several free afternoons. The tour is not designed for travelers who prefer to settle into one hotel. It is also a poor fit if you dislike exposed ruins, uneven walking surfaces, or eight-hour touring days.

The child rate applies only when a child shares with two paying adults. Most people can participate, but the physical demands still deserve attention.

Should you book Glories of Turkey?

Book it if your priority is coverage. In 12 days, you see Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus, the western and southern archaeological sites, Konya, and Cappadocia. That range is the tour’s best feature.

Before paying, confirm the duplicated Laodicea and Antalya wording, check the current hotel list, ask what dinners cost, and find out which optional activities fit your dates. Remember that the booking is non-refundable, although a full refund or alternate date is offered if the operator cancels because of poor weather or too few participants.

For an active first trip, the value is strong. For a slower holiday, choose a shorter route with fewer hotel changes.

FAQ

How long is the Glories of Turkey tour?

The tour lasts approximately 12 days, beginning and ending in Istanbul.

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is Istanbul International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point after the departure transfer to Istanbul International Airport.

Is airport pickup included?

Yes. Arrival airport transfer and departure airport transfer in Istanbul are included, along with hotel pickup and drop-off.

What kind of transport is used?

The tour uses a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicle for the road sections. A domestic flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul is also included.

Is the Cappadocia to Istanbul flight included?

Yes. The domestic flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul is included. Passport copies must be sent after booking.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes. Entrance fees listed for the included sightseeing are covered.

Is breakfast included?

Breakfast is listed as included. Dinner is optional, so it is not part of the standard package.

How large is the group?

The maximum group size is 20 people. Actual departures may be smaller.

Can I cancel for a refund?

The experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If the operator cancels because of poor weather or because the minimum number of participants is not reached, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.