Compare Turkey: Coastlines & Cappadocia by G Adventures vs Turkey Luxury Travel Turkish Adventure by Inca

Day 1 Istanbul

Arrive at any time. Shake off that jet lag and prepare for an evening buzzing with excitement. Head out with your group and CEO for drinks at a favourite local spot. After, feel free to do some exploring in the area on your own or with some fellow travellers. Kick-off your adventure in Istanbul with lively music, and a healthy dose of fun.

Get the most out of your time in Istanbul by pre-booking the following activity to experience before your tour starts: Istanbul Walking Tour and Bosphorus Cruise. If you do, we recommend booking accommodation for an extra night pre-tour. And don’t worry if you can’t decide now. This activity is available for pre-booking any time before your tour starts, while any of the optional activities listed can be booked independently upon arrival in Istanbul.

Day 2 Overnight bus from Istanbul to Goreme

View the sights on an orientation walk, then spend some free time exploring the city. Travel by private, overnight bus to Cappadocia.

In the evening, board the private, overnight bus, departing at 6pm from your hotel.

Day 3 Göreme

Opt to try a hot air balloon trip during sunrise. Then, after breakfast visit the Goreme Open Air Museum on foot.

Day 4 Göreme

Today enjoy free time to explore Cappadocia, hike in the area, explore its underground cities, and enjoy the incredible fairy chimneys dotting the landscape. Opt to join the bus tour and visit the different valleys stopping for photos along the way.

One of the best ways to explore Cappadocia is on foot. Opt to join a trekking tour through one of the beautiful valleys. Ask your CEO about the many other walking and hiking options available in the area.

Want to do more with your tour? Book the Cappadocia Balloon Ride or Whirling Dervishes upon arrival by arranging it with your CEO. If you book the Cappadocia hot air balloon ride, you will be flying on Day 4 or 5 (weather permitting).

Day 5 Overnight bus from Goreme to Olympos

Enjoy more free time to explore beautiful Cappadocia. Opt for a soak in a Turkish Bath before your overnight bus to Antalya.

Day 6 Olympos

Upon arrival to Antalya, continue to the village of Olympos on the Mediterranean coast. Relax and enjoy the beaches of Olympos. Opt to set off on a walk to see the flames of Mount Olympos at night.

In the morning, set off for a journey along the coast. Passing through the stark Anatolian landscape, enter the richly forested mountain region which leads to the coast and the small village of Olympos. There is time to relax and hit the beach before opting to take a short drive in the evening to Olympos Mountain. Enjoy a brief walk to see the spectacle of the chimera, a phenomenon where flames mysteriously rise from cracks within the local rocks.

Day 7 Olympos/Kekova

Continue to the beautiful coastal village of Kekova and spend the afternoon onboard a boat in the Mediterranean Sea. Enjoy a freshly prepared dinner before disembarking the boat and driving to our hotel for the evening.

Day 8 Kekova/Fethiye

From Ucagiz continue exploring the Turquoise Coast to the coastal town of Fethiye.

Day 9 Fethiye

Enjoy free time to explore Fethiye. Opt for a boat trip to it's near-shore islands, hike to Oludeniz lagoon or visit Butterfly valley.

Day 10 Fethiye/Pamukkale

On arrival to Pamukkale visit the beautiful white cliffs of Pamukkale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the ancient site of Hierapolis.

Time to leave sea level behind, passing through fruit orchards we make our way to Pamukkale. In the afternoon, visit the famous white cliffs of Pamukkale. We also have the opportunity to explore the ancient site of Hierapolis built on top of the white "castle". This UNESCO World Heritage Site is evidence that the hot springs of Pamukkale were used as a spa since the 2nd century BC.

Day 11 Pamukkale/Selçuk

Head back to the coastal town of Selçuk. In the late afternoon visit one of the best preserved sites, Ephesus.

Visit the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Ephesus. One of the foremost cities of the world in its time, with a strategic location on the trade route, this well-preserved city is one of the best places in the world to get a real feeling of what life must have been like during Roman times.

Day 12 Selçuk

Enjoy free time for an optional traditional Selcuk cooking class.

Day 13 Selçuk/Çanakkale

Travel north to Canakkale and visit the Legendary Troy en route.

Travel to Çanakkale. On the way, visit the world famous Troy. Enjoy the harbour town of Çanakkale, a busy port with a thriving student population. Join the crowds as they stroll the waterfront nightly, enjoying the atmosphere of the night.

Day 14 Çanakkale/Istanbul

In the morning, option to visit Gallipoli Peninsula before driving to the big city for one last night with the group.

Opt to visit Gallipoli early in the morning, where thousands gave their lives during WWI in the battle of the same name. We'll continue our journey to Istanbul where there will be the opportunity to continue your sightseeing or get in some last minute shopping. Why not top off a wonderful adventure with an optional dinner at one of Istanbul's atmospheric restaurants.

Day 15 Istanbul

Depart at any time.

Your tour might be finished, but the adventure’s far from over. Pre-book the following activity to experience after your tour ends: Istanbul Walking Tour and Bosphorus Cruise. If you do, we recommend booking accommodation for an extra night in Istanbul. And don’t worry if you can’t decide now. This activity is available for pre-booking any time before your tour starts, or it can be booked upon arrival in Istanbul.

Please note that check-out time from the hotel is normally mid-morning, but luggage storage facilities are available. We are able to organise extra post-trip accommodation if you wish to extend your stay for a few more days. Please ask at the time of booking.

Day 1: Depart USA, fly to Antalya

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner on Day 2

Accommodation: Tuvana Hotel

Fly from your home city to Antalya, Turkey. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel and checked-in. You'll meet the rest of the group for dinner in a glass-walled dining room.

Day 3: Phaselis, Myra, Kale, boarding the gullet

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Yacht, Gulet

We drive south along the coast, stopping for a seaside picnic at the ancient site of Phaselis (690 BC) not far from the ancient site of Olympus. Nearby, the unquenchable Chimaera burns to this day. We continue to Myra to see impressive rock tombs, a fine theater, and the Church of St. Nicholas (Guess who got his start there!).

By mid-afternoon, at the nearby port of Cayagzi, we board the gulet that will be our home for the next five nights. We sail west to Kekova Roadstead to visit the hillside village of Kale, formerly known as Simena.

We explore the remains of a castle located above Kale—the panoramic view is spectacular. You see many sarcophagi from Hellenistic and Roman times. We stroll along the path through nearby Teimiussa, just east of the village of Uçagiz.

You may have a chance to try your hand at rolling out gözleme (börek), a very tasty, traditional, thin flatbread (it looks a lot like a flour tortilla) which is sprinkled with herbs and goat cheese and baked on what looks like an upside-down wok. Making them seems so simple, but you'll discover it's another story when you try to roll one out!

On the yacht our itinerary is flexible, respecting both the weather and our interests. When conditions are right, we put up all the sails and, like the ancient mariners, let the wind drive us onward. We have quiet times, good hikes, and opportunities to swim, read, and just hang out. This is a vacation! Each night we anchor in a sheltered cove or bay. On the aft deck, we will enjoy

Day 4: Kas, Gemiler Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Yacht, Gulet

We sail early, moving slowly along the submerged ruins of the sunken village, then turn westerly towards the charming village of Kas. After a leisurely shore visit we cruise to Gemiler Adasi (Island) where the Knights of St. John built a castle and monastery along the route of the Crusades. We explore the remains of several churches and a monastery, and ponder the purpose of a mysterious covered passageway that runs for nearly a thousand meters along the spine of this narrow island. We overnight in its protective anchorage.

Day 5: Kayaköy, Göcek, Cleopatra's Bath

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Yacht, Gulet

We have a vigorous hike to the village of Kayaköy that was deserted in the aftermath of WW I. Over a cool beverage and a warm gözleme, we'll talk of the post-WW I events that led to Kayaköy's abandonment. You may choose to remain on board to read, swim, or snooze instead.

After lunch we sail along the coast to visit the charming village of Göcek. After the visit, we may cruise on to the trailhead at Cleopatra’s Bath where we anchor for the night.

Day 6: Lydae, Ekincik

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Yacht, Gulet

We disembark for a scenic yet challenging morning hike through the pine forests to the mausoleum at ancient Lydae. If you choose not to hike, you may remain on board as the gulet cruises around the peninsula to anchor. As you wait for the hikers at the end of the trail at Agalimani you may swim or just relax. In the afternoon we cruise to a peaceful cove on the Bay of Ekincik where we anchor for two nights.

Day 7: Caunus, Dalyan, Ekincik

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Yacht, Gulet

This morning we disembark onto an African Queen-style put-put to motor past Iztuzu Beach, a long sand spit, now a protected loggerhead sea turtle nesting site, and meander through the silt marshes and cattails up the Dalyan River to visit the Lycian site of Caunus. On the way we will see the huge rock cut Lycian tombs carved into the cliffs. In Caunus we visit a Roman theater, bath, and agora dating from the 2nd century BC.

The hikers among us will head over the peninsula on a three-hour hike to the lovely Bay of Ekincik. Everyone else will go into the little village of Dalyan for bit of shopping before rejoining the gulet in Ekincik Bay.

Dinner will be on board or you may elect to dine ashore, on your own, at one of the fine restaurants overlooking the bay.

Days 8: Euromus, Didyma, Priene

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Nisanyan Houses

After breakfast on the gulet we drive north through farmlands and pine-forested mountains to visit the Temple of Zeus at Euromus. After a brief visit, we continue to the Aegean coast to explore the remains of the enormous Temple of Apollo at Didyma. After learning about ancient fortune-telling and the Greek oracles, we continue north to the Menderes (ancient Meander) River delta and Miletus. From here, we continue north to visit ruins of the impressive Greek city of Priene with its grid system of streets.

In the late afternoon, we arrive in Sirince, the "Tuscany of Turkey," a historic village located in the hills not far from Ephesus where we spend two nights in a historic property. You will have time to settle in to your charming hillside accommodations at Nisanyan Houses before we meet for dinner.

Day 9: Ephesus

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Nisanyan Houses

We depart in the morning to explore Ephesus, the largest Greco-Roman site in the world, and if reopened in time, the Ephesus Museum at Selçuk. You will have the entire day to take in this magnificent site.  We will be visiting the following sites around Ephesus: the Basilica, the House of Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, another ancient Wonder of the World. We will have lunch in Selçuk at a small typical restaurant. In the evening we will return to our hotel before dinner.

Day 10: Fly to Istanbul

Accommodation: Four Seasons Sultanhamet

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast we depart to the Izmir Airport to catch our mid-morning Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, a crown jewel among cities, where we begin our wonderful days exploring legacies of Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman civilizations.

We start right away on arrival to develop your sense of Istanbul’s amazing layout. We pass the massive Byzantine walls that span the peninsula from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. These walls both defined and protected Constantinople until breached by the Turks in 1453. From there we head for our hotel where we will luxuriate in the heart of old Istanbul, the Sultanahmet, for four nights.

Days 11-13: Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Day 17

Accommodation: Four Seasons Sultanhamet

We keep a flexible schedule with respect to the order of events in our exploration of Istanbul. Weather, group interest and energy are all taken into consideration. Here are our best intentions and we usually do them all—and then some!

During the next three days, you’ll explore the Sultanahmet, visiting the Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, and the site of the ancient Hippodrome where we see the great obelisk brought from Egypt by the Romans. We enjoy a cruise on the Bosphorus, and visit Taksim Square—one of the highest points in Istanbul. We stroll down Istiklal Caddesi, a historic commercial and residential street open only to pedestrians and its cute little red trolleys. For a sweeping 360° view of Istanbul, including the Asian side, we climb the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese in 14th century.

Drive through an old gate in the triple Byzantine wall to visit the Kariye Cami’i or Church of St. Savior in Chora, renowned for its magnificent mosaics and frescoes. you'll explore Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years, and visit the Suleymaniye Cami’i—a vast religious and educational complex built for Suleyman the Magnificent by the great Turkish architect Sinan.

In the Spice Bazaar, you'll find a cacophony of sights and sounds as we stroll through its warren of passages. The marvelous Rustem Pasha Mosque, located in the heart of a bustling marketplace, is one of the finest examples of the architecture of Sinan.

Wander through the Grand Bazaar where you’ll have some time on your own to shop, visit the splendid Archeological Museum, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Mosaic Museum, have a Turkish bath, or just savor the aromas and sights.

Day 14: Depart for home

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport with check-in to your homeward bound flight, unless you are remaining for more adventures.