Cappadocia, Fethiye & Istanbul – 10 Days of Offbeat Turkey

Today you see the southern side of Cappadocia, which many visitors skip. The day starts underground at Kaymakli, one of the largest of the region's underground cities, where early Christians and villagers hid from raiders in tunnels and rooms carved several floors down into the rock, with stables, kitchens and ventilation shafts.

From there your TourOn guide takes you into Ihlara Valley, a green river gorge lined with rock-cut churches, for a walk along the stream to traditional villages. Lunch is by the river. The last stop is Selime Monastery, a huge complex carved into a cliff face, with a cathedral-sized church and views over the valley. It is a full day, and a good mix of history and outdoor walking.

At a glance: Time needed: ~8–9 hrs tour · Travel: Hotel pickup and drop-off by tour vehicle · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (around 9:00 AM): Breakfast and hotel pickup for the guided Cappadocia Green Tour.

• Morning: Kaymakli Underground City, about 1 hr.

• Late morning: Drive to Ihlara Valley, about 1 hr, and the valley walk past rock churches to the villages, about 1.5–2 hrs (around 3–4 km, mostly flat after the steps down).

• Noon: Lunch by the river in Belisırma, about 1 hr (own cost).

• Afternoon: Selime Monastery, about 45 min, with a short climb on uneven rock.

• Evening: Back at the hotel around 5:30–6:00 PM. Dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Hotel → Kaymakli ~30 min, Kaymakli → Ihlara ~1 hr, and back to the hotel ~1.5 hrs, by tour vehicle.

Tips & what to carry

• Kaymakli's tunnels are narrow and low. You will need to stoop; not ideal for anyone claustrophobic or with back trouble.

• There are around 300–400 steps down into Ihlara Valley and back up. Wear walking shoes with grip.

• Carry a hat and water for the valley walk in summer; it can be hot in the gorge.

• Underground it stays cool all year. A light layer helps.

Included today

• Cappadocia Green Tour [Guided - Full Day]

• Entry fees

• Pick-up and drop-off from your hotel

• Professional tour guide

Overnight: Cappadocia

No fixed plans today. If you want the balloon flight, it starts with a 4:30 AM pickup: a light breakfast at the launch field, about an hour floating over the valleys and fairy chimneys at sunrise, and a small post-flight celebration before you are back at the hotel by 8:30 AM. It is optional and not in the package cost, at INR 27,300 per person including transfers.

The rest of the day is yours at your own pace. Wander the lanes and cafés of Göreme, climb up to the rock castle at Uçhisar for the view, or go to Avanos for its pottery workshops and the riverside. Handicraft shopping is good here: carpets, ceramics and onyx. You can also add an ATV ride, horse riding through the valleys, a Turkish bath or a sunset viewpoint, all at your own cost.

At a glance: Time needed: Free day (balloon ~4 hrs if booked) · Travel: Own arrangements · Pace: Easy

Schedule

• Optional (4:30–8:30 AM): Hot air balloon flight with light breakfast and post-flight celebration. Not added in cost: INR 27,300 per person including transfers.

• Morning: Breakfast at the hotel.

• Late morning: Free. Göreme town, or Uçhisar Castle for the view, about 1 hr (taxi own cost).

• Afternoon: Free. Avanos for pottery and the riverside, or handicraft shopping, about 2–3 hrs.

• Optional: ATV ride, horse riding, Turkish bath or a sunset viewpoint visit (own cost; book through your hotel or us).

• Night: Dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• No transfers today; local taxis and tour pickups are own cost.

• Göreme → Uçhisar ~10 min, Göreme → Avanos ~15 min by taxi.

Tips & what to carry

• Balloon flights are cancelled in high wind. If yours is, ask the operator about the next morning before you fly out.

• Dress in layers for the balloon; it is cold before dawn.

• Carpet and ceramic shops expect bargaining. Ask about shipping and certificates before you pay.

• Sunset horse rides need no experience; wear long trousers.

Overnight: Cappadocia

Check out of your cave hotel and transfer to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport for your domestic flight towards Fethiye. You fly into Dalaman Airport, with a possible connection depending on the flight schedule that day. On arrival, collect your luggage for the private transfer to Fethiye, about an hour along the coast.

The change is complete: from dry volcanic valleys to pine-covered hills dropping into blue water. Check in at your hotel and relax after the travel. In the evening, walk along the marina, where the gulets are tied up for the night, and find a waterfront café or fish restaurant for dinner. Fethiye is your base for three nights.

At a glance: Time needed: Travel day · Travel: Domestic flight (possible connection) + ~1 hr transfer · Pace: Moderate

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast and check out. Transfer to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport.

• Noon / Afternoon: Domestic flight to Dalaman (included: Kayseri – Dalaman leg), with a possible connection depending on the schedule.

• Afternoon: Private transfer Dalaman Airport → Fethiye, about 1 hr. Check in at your hotel.

• Evening: Free. Fethiye marina and waterfront (own cost).

• Night: Dinner by the harbour (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Cappadocia hotel → Kayseri Airport ~1 hr 15 min or Nevşehir Airport ~40 min by road.

• Kayseri → Dalaman by domestic flight (included).

• Dalaman Airport → Fethiye ~1 hr by private car.

Tips & what to carry

• If your flight connects via Istanbul, the travel day can take most of the day. Keep snacks and water handy.

• Check the baggage allowance on the domestic ticket before packing souvenirs.

• Fethiye fish market lets you buy fish and have it cooked at a restaurant around the square; a fun dinner (own cost).

Included today

• Domestic Flight Leg [Kayseri - Dalaman]

• Room Type: Standard Double Room

Overnight: Fethiye

An early start for one of Turkey's great sights. Pickup is at 6:30 AM for the drive of about 200 km inland to Pamukkale, the Cotton Castle, where mineral-rich hot springs have built white travertine terraces and thermal pools down the hillside. With your professional guide you walk on the terraces, barefoot, through the shallow warm water.

Above the terraces stands Hierapolis, a Roman spa city with bathhouses, a necropolis and a large ancient theatre that once seated thousands. You have free time to walk along the thermal terraces and enjoy the views before an included lunch. Pamukkale and Hierapolis entrance charges are additional, as per the current tour listing. After about ten hours of sightseeing and travel, you return to Fethiye for the night.

At a glance: Time needed: ~10 hrs including travel · Travel: ~3 hrs each way by tour vehicle · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Early morning (6:30 AM): Hotel pickup in Fethiye and drive to Pamukkale, about 200 km, roughly 3 hrs with a rest stop.

• Late morning: Pamukkale travertine terraces and thermal pools with your guide, about 1.5 hrs.

• Noon: Hierapolis: Roman bathhouses, the necropolis and the ancient theatre, about 1.5 hrs.

• Afternoon: Free time on the terraces, then lunch (included), about 1 hr.

• Evening: Drive back to Fethiye, reaching your hotel around 6:30–7:30 PM.

Travel for the day

• Fethiye → Pamukkale ~200 km, about 3 hrs each way by tour vehicle.

Tips & what to carry

• Pamukkale and Hierapolis entrance charges are additional; carry Turkish lira or a card.

• Shoes come off on the travertine. Carry a bag for footwear and expect the surface to be rough in places.

• Cleopatra's Antique Pool is currently temporarily closed for renovations, according to its website.

• The white surface reflects strong sun. Sunglasses, cap and sunscreen are a must.

Included today

• Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour [Full Day]

• Professional guide

• Hotel pickup/drop-off

• Lunch

Overnight: Fethiye

A completely free day on the coast. Most people head to Ölüdeniz, about 25 minutes away, for its famous Blue Lagoon, a sheltered sweep of shallow turquoise water and pebbly beach backed by pine-covered mountains. Swim, rent a lounger, or simply sit at a beach café. Back in town, Fethiye's marina, old streets and shops are good for an easy afternoon.

For adventure lovers, this is the place for tandem paragliding. You launch from Babadağ Mountain, one of Türkiye's best-known paragliding sites at nearly 2,000 metres, and glide with a pilot above the lagoon, the mountains and the Mediterranean coastline before landing on the beach at Ölüdeniz. Paragliding is optional and not included. Spend the rest of the day by the sea before returning to your hotel.

At a glance: Time needed: Free day · Travel: Own arrangements (~25 min to Ölüdeniz) · Pace: Easy

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Head to Ölüdeniz and the Blue Lagoon by dolmuş (minibus) or taxi, about 25 min (own cost).

• Optional: Tandem paragliding from Babadağ Mountain, about 1.5–2 hrs including the drive up and around 20–40 min in the air (own cost; book a day ahead).

• Noon: Lunch at a beach café in Ölüdeniz (own cost).

• Afternoon: Beach time at the Blue Lagoon (the lagoon area has a small entry fee, paid locally) or back in Fethiye for the marina and shopping.

• Evening / Night: Sunset by the sea and dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• No transfers today.

• Fethiye → Ölüdeniz ~25 min by dolmuş or taxi.

Tips & what to carry

• Paragliding depends on the wind and is often booked out in summer. Book a day ahead and keep a backup morning in mind.

• Pilots usually set weight limits for tandem flights; check with the operator.

• Ölüdeniz beach is pebbly. Water shoes help.

• Go to the Blue Lagoon early in summer; it fills up by late morning.

Overnight: Fethiye

After breakfast, check out of your hotel in Fethiye and transfer to Dalaman Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul, about 1 hr 20 min in the air. On arrival in Istanbul, collect your luggage and transfer to your hotel near the Grand Bazaar in the old city.

Check in and take some time to rest after the journey. The evening is yours to explore the nearby streets, cafés and shopping areas: the neighbourhood around Beyazıt and the Grand Bazaar comes alive with tea houses and simple kebab places once the shops close.

At a glance: Time needed: Travel day · Travel: ~1 hr transfer + ~1 hr 20 min flight + ~1 hr transfer · Pace: Moderate

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast and check out.

• Late morning: Transfer Fethiye → Dalaman Airport, about 1 hr.

• Noon / Afternoon: Domestic flight Dalaman → Istanbul (included), about 1 hr 20 min.

• Afternoon: Transfer to your hotel and check in.

• Evening / Night: Free to explore the nearby streets and cafés. Dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Fethiye → Dalaman Airport ~1 hr.

• Dalaman → Istanbul ~1 hr 20 min by flight (included).

• Istanbul Airport → old city hotel ~1 hr by road.

Tips & what to carry

• Confirm with your consultant whether your Istanbul airport transfer is arranged. If you travel from Istanbul Airport on your own, board the HAVAİST-12 coach at the bus level. It leaves every 30–45 minutes and takes roughly 90 minutes to Aksaray square (about 470 TRY per person).

• From the Aksaray drop-off, the hotel is about 1.5 km away: a 5-minute taxi (about 100–150 TRY) or an easy 15-minute walk down Gençtürk Caddesi.

• The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and shuts around 7:00 PM on other days.

• Get an Istanbulkart transport card for trams, ferries and metro over the next two days.

Included today

• Domestic Flight Leg [Dalaman - Istanbul]

Overnight: Istanbul

A self-planned day in the historic heart of the city, which is right on your doorstep. Start early in Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, for 1,500 years a church, then a mosque, then a museum and now a mosque again, and the Blue Mosque across the square with its blue Iznik tiles. Add the Basilica Cistern, the Byzantine underground reservoir with its forest of columns and Medusa heads, or Topkapi Palace if you have the time and energy.

In the afternoon, walk to the Grand Bazaar, with its 4,000-odd shops of carpets, ceramics, lamps, spices and Turkish delight, then down through the busy streets of Eminönü to the Spice Bazaar near the water. In the evening, you can take a relaxing Bosphorus cruise for the palaces, mosques and towers along the shore, then return to your hotel.

At a glance: Time needed: ~7–8 hrs self-guided · Travel: Walking, tram and ferry (own cost) · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (from 9:00 AM): Sultanahmet Square, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, about 2 hrs including queues.

• Late morning: Basilica Cistern, about 45 min, or Topkapi Palace, about 2.5 hrs (closed Tuesdays). Tickets paid locally.

• Noon: Lunch in Sultanahmet or Çemberlitaş (own cost).

• Afternoon: Grand Bazaar, about 1.5–2 hrs; then walk down to Eminönü and the Spice Bazaar, about 1 hr.

• Optional: Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü in the evening, about 1.5–2 hrs (own cost).

• Night: Back to your hotel; dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Hotel → Sultanahmet ~15 min by T1 tram or ~25 min on foot.

• Sultanahmet → Grand Bazaar → Eminönü all walkable, 10–20 min each.

Tips & what to carry

• Mosque dress code: women cover hair, shoulders and knees; men wear trousers below the knee. Shoes off at the door.

• Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque close to visitors at prayer times, and for longer at Friday midday prayers.

• Bargain at the Grand Bazaar; start well below the first price and walk away politely if it does not move.

• Beware of over-friendly strangers offering to guide you to a carpet shop.

Overnight: Istanbul

Your second free day shows the newer, more local side of the city. Start in Galata and Karaköy, with their steep lanes, design shops and coffee places around the Galata Tower; climb the tower for the view over the Golden Horn if the queue is short. From there walk up to Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul's busiest pedestrian street, with its red heritage tram, shops and restaurants, to Taksim Square at the top.

Later, head to the Ortaköy waterfront for Bosphorus views under the bridge and a famous kumpir, a stuffed baked potato. For something different, take a local ferry across the Bosphorus to Kadıköy on the Asian side, with its food market streets and neighbourhood feel; ferries are also the best way to see everyday Istanbul from the water. Come back to the European side for a last night in the city.

At a glance: Time needed: ~7–8 hrs self-guided · Travel: Tram, ferry and walking (own cost) · Pace: Moderate

Schedule

• Morning: Galata, Karaköy and Galata Tower, about 2 hrs (tower tickets paid locally).

• Late morning: Walk up Istiklal Avenue to Taksim Square, about 1.5 hrs with shops and cafés.

• Noon: Lunch on or around Istiklal (own cost).

• Afternoon: Ortaköy waterfront, about 1.5 hrs, by bus or taxi from Taksim.

• Late afternoon / Evening: Ferry across the Bosphorus to Kadıköy, about 20 min; explore the market streets, about 2 hrs.

• Night: Ferry back to Eminönü or Karaköy and your hotel. Dinner on your own (own cost).

Travel for the day

• Hotel → Karaköy ~20 min by T1 tram.

• Taksim → Ortaköy ~20 min by bus or taxi.

• Kadıköy ↔ Eminönü/Karaköy ~20 min by public ferry.

Tips & what to carry

• The Istanbulkart works on ferries, trams and the funicular; top it up at machines.

• Istiklal gets packed on weekend evenings. Keep your phone and wallet in front.

• Galata's lanes are steep. Comfortable shoes are a must.

• Kadıköy's fish and meze places are good value for a last-night dinner.

Overnight: Istanbul

After breakfast, enjoy some free time depending on your flight schedule, a last walk for simit and tea or some quick shopping, before you check out of the hotel.

Then transfer to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen Airport for your flight home. From the valleys of Cappadocia and the turquoise coast of Fethiye to the energy of Istanbul, your ten-day Türkiye journey ends here.

At a glance: Time needed: Free until departure · Travel: ~1 hr airport transfer · Pace: Easy

Schedule

• Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Free time, flight permitting.

• Noon: Check out (usually by 12:00 noon).

• Departure: Transfer to Istanbul Airport (about 1 hr) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (about 1 hr 15 min), reaching at least 3 hrs before your international flight.

Travel for the day

• Hotel → Istanbul Airport ~1 hr, or → Sabiha Gökçen ~1 hr 15 min, by road (more at rush hour).

• The international flight ticket is not included.

Tips & what to carry

• Check which Istanbul airport your flight leaves from; they are on opposite sides of the city.

• Claim VAT refunds at the airport before check-in for eligible purchases.

• Spend leftover lira before you leave; it is hard to change in India.