8-Day Tour of Turkey

When you arrive at Istanbul airport, our driver will be waiting for you at the exit with the board bearing your name. You will then be driven to the hotel. After the flight, please take your time settling into your hotel and unwinding. Your travel advisor will meet you at the hotel at the scheduled hour to give you a brief overview of your eight-day tours of Turkey.

Following breakfast, you will be picked up by our guide from the lobby to begin the walking tour of the Old City. You will see significant locations today, including: The famed Blue Mosque and Hippodrome, the German Fountain, the Topkapi (Sultan’s) Palace, the Grand Covered Bazaar, the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column from the Temple of Delphi. (Everything is a walking area.) You will be driven back to your hotel at the conclusion of the tour.

Early in the morning, our driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby and transfer you to the airport for a 60-minute flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, our representative will meet you at the exit and take you to our office where you can leave your luggage before starting the **North Cappadocia tour**.

During the tour, you will visit the Esentepe panoramic viewpoint, see Uchisar Castle from outside, and explore Pasabag Valley, Devrent Valley, and the Three Beauties Valley. The tour will also continue to the towns of Urgup and Avanos, famous for their red clay pottery, where you can try making pottery yourself.

At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Start your morning with the unforgettable **Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tour**, one of the highlights of your 8-day Turkey trip, where you can watch the sunrise over the stunning landscape. After breakfast and check-out, your guide will pick you up from the hotel to begin the **South Cappadocia tour**.

You will explore Meskender Valley and Rose Valley, famous for their red-colored rock formations and scenic hiking trails. The tour also includes visits to Cavusin Village with its historic cave houses, Pigeon Valley, and the panoramic viewpoints of Love Valley. Later, discover the fascinating **Kaymakli Underground City**, an ancient multi-level settlement with rooms, wineries, tombs, and storage areas used centuries ago.

Around 17:00, the tour will end and you will be transferred back to your hotel.

After breakfast, check out of your room and head to Pamukkale. Along the road, we will stop in Konya, which was once a major Silk Road trading hub and is recognized as the adoptive home of Rumi (Mevlana), the Sufic mystic who founded the Whirling Dervish. Arrive in Pamukkale at the end of the day and settle into the hotel.

The guide will pick you up for the tour of Ephesus today after breakfast and check-out. The 25,000-seat amphitheater, the renowned Celsius Library, the Temple of Hadrian and Ephesos amphitheater with waterfront street of Ephesus Ancient City, the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World), and the House of the Virgin Mary—her final residence—will be the last section. You will be driven to the airport for the 60-minute flight to Istanbul after the tour of Ephesus. A Road Runner Travel representative will meet you at the airport in Istanbul and take you to the hotel.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel between 12:00 and 13:00. Depending on the time of your international flight, the driver will meet you at the lobby to take you to the airport, where you will be left with the memories of your eight-day tour of Turkey.