Tailor Made Holidays: Highlights of Anatolia

Tailor Made Holidays: Highlights of Anatolia (Turkey)

Prices from £1,750 per person

If you would like to see the highlights of Turkey’s history, this is the best option to take: combining Cappadocia, truly one of Turkey’s most fascinating and scenic regions, with imperious Istanbul; Ephesus, legendary city of antiquity and the natural wonder of Pamukkale.  Connections between Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus/Pamukkale will be made using internal flights. Connections between Pamukkale and Ephesus will be made by escorted driver.


Day 1: UK to Istanbul

Fly to Istanbul where you will be met by our representative for your private transfer to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 2: Istanbul

Istanbul Classicals:  (6hrs 09:00 a.m from Hotel)
Visit the most important popular sites of Istanbul in one full day tour. Aya Sofya Mosque, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Irini church and Grand Bazaar. Lunch & Entrance Fees are included

Day 3: Istanbul

 Two Continents with Bosphorus Cruise: (6hrs 09:00 a.m from Hotel)
One of the most beautiful sights in the world, the Bosphorus, is the strait separating two continents - Europe and Asia. Spice Bazaar, Rustempasa Mosque, Bosphorus Cruise, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Camlica Hill
Lunch & Entrance Fees are included

( Alternativley, choose to explore the city independently, please inform us of your plan, we will not include private tours) 

Day 4: Istanbul to Cappadocia

Pick up and private transfer from your hotel to  Istanbul airport for your flight to Cappadocia where you will be met by our local representative at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for private transfer to your hotel.

Day 5: Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys & Göreme Tour

If you would like to book Hot Air Balloon, please inform us, in this case, you will be picked up at around 5am early morning after arrival (we particularly try to book first day of arrival in case if you can not fly due to weather conditions, you can fly remaining days – if you cannot fly at all, we will refund full amount on your return). If you choose to do Hot Air Balloon, preparation and 1 hour flying time, you will be driven back to hotel around 8.30 to 9 am for your breakfast.  

After breakfast our tour guide will pick you up around 9 to 9.30 am from your hotel for a full day small group tour which includes a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique ‘fairy chimneys’ and Pashabagi to see the fascinating mushroom shaped Pinnacles. After lunch at Avanos visit the ancient rock-cut churches and Christian settlements of the Göreme Open Air Museum before finally heading to see the natural castle of Üçhisar. Drop off at your hotel at approximately 17:00pm.

Day 6: Rose Valley and Kaymakli Underground City Tour

After breakfast our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel at around 9am. You will enjoy another full day small group tour that includes a visit to the Red Valley to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 5km through the Gulludere Valley. Visit Cavusin with its famous houses and churches of the Christian clergymen. After lunch visit Pigeon Valley and then the underground city of Kaymakli, which was home to the early Christians, and finish the day with a visit to the natural castle of Ortahisar. Drop off at your hotel at approximately 17:00pm.

Day 7: Izmir airport  & Aphrodisias & Pamukkale

Our driver/representative will pick you up from your hotel in Cappadocia for your private transfer to the Cappadocia airport to fly directly to Izmir. On arrival you will  be met by our driver/ guide for private transfer to Pamukkale. If your flight is in the morning, on the way to Pamukkale you can stop at the ruins of Aphrodisias. . It’s the ruins at Ephesus that generally get most of attention when it comes to the ancient sites of Turkey. But, in many ways, Aphrodisias is far superior. The site stretches out over a large area, it’s been extremely well preserved or restored, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the moment because it doesn’t have the large tourist crowds it probably deserves. The Aphrodite is all about love, isn’t it? And at the ancient temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the love goddess, you can feel it all around you. Not just in the ethereal sense, but in the practical.  Lunch  & Entrance Fees are included. Drive and overnight in Pamukkale.

Note: If your flight is late afternoon or evening flight, then you will be driven directly to Pamukkale and on the way to Ephesus you may stop and explore Aphrodisias.

Day 8: Pamukkale & Hierapolis

Explore magical Pamukkale.  Literally translated as ‘Cotton Castle’, this unique natural wonder appears from a distance as a shimmering white fairytale castle, or snow-covered mountain. Its limestone-laden thermal spring waters have created a magical landscape of white rocks and thermal pools. You can explore the nearby World Heritage site of Hierapolis, which is an exceptional example of a Greco-Roman thermal installation established on an extraordinary natural site. The therapeutic virtues of the waters were exploited at the various thermal installations, which included immense hot basins and pools for swimming. Lunch  & Entrance Fees are included. Overnight in Pamukkale.

Day 9 : Pamukkale & Ephesus & The Basilica of Saint John

After breakfast your driver will pick you up from your hotel in Pamukkale and drive to Ephesus, one of the best preserved and most visited ancient Roman cities. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school. It was also here that St Paul preached some of his most famous sermons and where the Virgin Mary spent her final days. After Ephesus you will be driven to House of Mary and The Basilica of Saint John. Lunch  & Entrance Fees are included. Overnight in Ephesus.

Day 10: Return to the UK.

You may extend a few more free days to relax either in Ephesus or in seaside resort of authentic Turkish resort of Alacati or busy resort of Kusadasi. If you choose to return to UK, you will be picked up  from your hotel for your private transfer to Izmir airport for your flight back to the UK.

Empire Palace Hotel

Istanbul - 4* - Bed & Breakfast

An authentic and comfortable hotel in a convenient location.

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MDC Cave Hotel

Cappadocia - 4* - Bed & Breakfast

The MDC Cave Hotel is located in a quiet and charming area within walking distance to the city centre and is surrounded by the extraordinary beauty and relaxing nature of the valleys and the unique fairy chimneys - a stunning location which makes the MDC Cave Hotel a special place to stay in Turkey.

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Richmand hotel

Pamukkale - 5* - Bed & Breakfast

Richmond Pamukkale Thermal 315 invites you to renew both spiritually and physically within its health-filled thermal waters, in the confines of its garden and Pine trees.

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Neo Efessos Boutique Hotel 

Ephesus - 4* - Bed & Breakfast

This exceptional boutique hotel offers true personal service and amazing architecture representing old glory days of Ephesus. 

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Istanbul

Istanbul is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of the Orient and the Occident, with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia. For the perfect Two-centre holiday, combine a stay in Istanbul with a Turkish coastal resort or Cappadocia or just the city break alone.

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Cappadocia

Cappadocia’s landscape was formed around 30 million years ago when volcanic activity left the region blanketed with ash. The ash solidified into what is known as ‘volcanic tuff’, this is an easily eroded material and as it wore away over many years, it left the distinctive rock formations seen in Cappadocia today.

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Pamukkale

Literally translated as ‘Cotton Castle’, this unique natural wonder appears from a distance as a shimmering white fairytale castle. Its limestone-laden thermal spring waters have created a magical landscape of white rocks and warm shallow pools, which are said to cure all types of ailments.

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Ephesus

Drive to Ephesus to visit this ancient Roman city, one of the best preserved and most visited in the world, with its grand marble streets and imposing library. Once home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was also here that St Paul preached some of his most famous sermons, and where the Virgin Mary spent her last days.

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Istanbul Daily Tours

Day 1 - Istanbul Classic Tour
Duration: 9 am to 4 pm.
Visit the most important popular sites of Istanbul in one full day tour.
St Sophia Museum, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar.

Day 2 - Istanbul Two Continents Tour
Duration: 9 am to 4 pm
One of the most beautiful sights in the world, the Bosphorus, is the strait separating two continents Europe and Asia. This tour includes a Bosphorus Cruise and visits the Spice Bazaar, Rustempasa Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorous Bridge and Camlica Hill

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Hot-air Balloon Tours

Cappadocia is known around the world as one of the best places to fly with hot-air balloons. The spectacular surrealistic landscape, combined with excellent flying conditions, allows the balloons to gently drift over and between fairy chimneys and pigeon houses hewn from the unique rock formations, through beautiful orchards and vineyards and impressive valleys with distinctive rock formations and features – and then float up over rippled ravines for breath-taking views across the region.

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Highlights of Anatolia - Prices from  1 Apr- 31 May, Oct   Jun, Sep  1 Jul- 31 Aug
Tailor Made Holidays 
 
        £1,750   £1,998      £2,198

Price Includes:

  • Return Flights, including internal flights
  • Private return transfer in Istanbul
  • 3 nights 4* BB in Istanbul
  • Private return transfer in Cappadocia
  • 3 nights 4*BB Cave Hotels BB in Cappadocia
  • 2 Days regular tours in Cappadocia
  • Internal direct flights from Cappadocia to Izmir
  • 1 or 2 nights in each Pamukkale  and Ephesus 
  • Private escorted tour to Pamukkale & Ephesus by guide 
  • Private return transfer 
  • Please note prices are guidance only and subject to change depending on the season and departure airports and timings. 

Flights info: 
Return Flights are included in above prices with Turkish airlines (or British Airways where available) flight to Istanbul from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester,  Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin. However prices are subject to change depending on flight departure airports and flight timings. We can book any flight from any airport on request. Once you book flights with us, we will issue ATOL certificate for all packages including flights and you will be protected financially for any airline failures.  

Early booking discounts & loyalty discounts

"Our holiday in Turkey exceeded our expectations. Cappadocia was interesting and beautiful. It was exciting staying in cave. Istanbul was amazing. We had very little previous experience of Turkey and Turkish people, so we enjoyed the beauty of the country and friendly hospitality of the people. We felt safe and not at all threatened in the city. The quality of food and service in restaurants was good. Efes beer is very tasty. We were a little confused on our first day in Istanbul as the tour details implied a bus tour, but all become clear when we realised how close all the sights were to our hotel. We had a memorable holiday. Thank you Akin."

Mr David Hyam, 19.5.2019

"Dear Mr. Koc,I've been meaning to write to you for some time, to say thank you for arranging such a wonderful holiday for us. We had 4 nights B&B at the Empire Palace Hotel in Istanbul, which was wonderfully central - with friendly, helpful staff - and then flew to Cappadocia, staying at the MDC Cave Hotel in Urgup, which was delightful. The location was outstanding and the hotel quite unique. We have travelled all over the world and I can safely say that this holiday was one of the best - full of new experiences including a trip in a hot-air balloon, visiting underground cities, ancient cave dwellings with amazing frescoes and fabulous landscapes. It was fun and exciting. For the first two days of tours in Cappadocia we went with the local representatives, who were excellent and our guide, Mustafa Sahin was outstanding. Thank you again for a brilliant trip and we will recommend your company. We may be interested in Croatia next year. Yours sincerely,"

Barbara Lewis , 30.7.2018

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"I wanted to send you an e-mail now that we are back from our wonderful holiday. My wife and I wanted to express our sincere gratitude to you and the team at Diamond Star for arranging a truly unique style of holiday that we are still talking about to friends and family two weeks after we came home. The places we have visited, and the things we have seen were truly amazing, it will take a month or more to sort through our photos"  Andrew and June Welch - 24 Oct 2022

"Back from our holiday to Istanbul/Cappadocia what an awesome holiday. The hot air balloon was out of this world. Thank you Diamond Star for making it all possible special thanks to Nazan. I recommend this company to make your dreams come true."  Mrs Angela Bailey - 6 Oct 2022

"We arrived home from Fethiye on Monday, and would just like to thank you and Akin for planning an amazing trip. The gulet was fantastic and as usual, the Ece Saray Hotel was lovely. The staff there are some of the best we have come across, and the breakfasts were great. We are looking ahead to 2023 and were wondering if you could arrange a quote for a similar trip."  Sue and Mike Fedeczko - 28 September 2022

Speak to a Specialist

Akin has been to all these places and experienced all these holidays.

Give him a ring to discuss your holiday in detail on 0330 390 0999 or send an email.

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