Arrive in Istanbul, where a local representative will welcome you before your transfer to the hotel. Your journey begins in a city whose palaces, mosques and trading traditions reflect centuries of history.

The remainder of the day is at leisure, allowing you to settle into your accommodation and enjoy your first impressions of Istanbul at your own pace. With your guided sightseeing beginning tomorrow, today provides time to relax after your travels and ease into the experience ahead.

Overnight in Istanbul.

Meals: None

Breakfast at your hotel.

Set out on a full-day guided exploration of Istanbul’s historic landmarks. Begin with Topkapi Palace, once home to the Ottoman sultans, where the palace setting introduces the traditions and grandeur of the empire.

Visit the galleries of Hagia Sophia, offering a distinctive perspective on this remarkable monument and its layered history, before continuing to the Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s most recognisable landmarks. These visits reveal the artistic and architectural traditions that have shaped the city across the centuries.

Your tour also takes you to the Grand Bazaar. Its covered passageways and colourful displays provide a lively contrast to the monuments visited earlier, revealing Istanbul’s longstanding role as a centre of trade and craftsmanship.

Overnight in Istanbul.

Meals: Breakfast (B)

Breakfast at your hotel.

Depart Istanbul and travel inland towards Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Here, visit Ataturk’s Mausoleum and its museum, dedicated to the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey.

Following yesterday’s introduction to imperial Istanbul, this visit reveals another significant chapter in the country’s story. Discover the importance of Ataturk’s legacy and the establishment of the republic before continuing towards Cappadocia.

Arrive in Cappadocia and settle into your cave hotel for a two-night stay. The change of setting introduces a different character to your journey, as Istanbul’s grand monuments give way to a region renowned for its unusual rock formations and carved spaces. Dinner is included this evening.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

Meals: Breakfast (B), Dinner (D)

An optional early-morning hot-air balloon experience is available at an additional cost, subject to weather conditions and availability.

Breakfast at your hotel.

Enjoy a full-day excursion through Cappadocia, discovering how generations have adapted to its remarkable landscape. Explore an underground city, where spaces carved beneath the surface offer an insight into the region’s history of shelter and refuge.

Continue to Goreme Open Air Museum to discover Cappadocia’s rock-cut religious heritage. The relationship between the landscape and its carved churches provides a fascinating perspective on the communities that once lived here. Visit the natural fortress of Uchisar, another striking example of the region’s distinctive terrain.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant. During the day, you will also have the opportunity to learn about traditional handicrafts, including handmade carpets, Turkish tiles, onyx and pottery, connecting Cappadocia’s cultural heritage with its continuing craft traditions.

An optional evening outing featuring a Turkish show and dinner is available at an additional cost.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

Meals: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L)

Breakfast at your hotel.

Your journey concludes with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Depart with memories of Istanbul’s imperial landmarks, Ankara’s connection to modern Turkey and Cappadocia’s extraordinary underground and rock-cut heritage.

Your onward flight is not included and can be arranged at an additional cost.

Meals: Breakfast (B)