Private Tour Details
Fam Trip Istanbul and Ephesus
Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights
Destinations: Istanbul, Izmir, Ephesus, Pamukkale
Travel Style:
Places You’ll See
Tour Map
Tour Plan
Day 1 - Arrival to Istanbul
Our driver will meet you in front of the international arrivals and will take you to your hotel in the old city of Istanbul. After checking in to your hotel, resting and freshening up in your hotel, our guide will meet you for an afternoon walk in Istanbul and dinner. You will be dropped back at your hotel then.
Day 2 - Cruise the Bosporus of Istanbul
You will meet our guide in your hotel after breakfast and walk to the Eminonu area. You will be able to see the Sirkeci Train Station on the way, which is the final destination of the Orient Express. Agatha Christie wrote her best seller book ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ in Istanbul in a hotel room overlooking the Golden Horn, which starts by the Eminonu area banks. You will explore the oriental streets of the Spice Market in Eminonu before embarking on your boat for a cruise in the Bosporus of Istanbul. It is an experience that only Istanbul can journey between Asia and Europe yet in the same city. You will return to Eminonu or Karakoy after the cruise and have lunch in a local restaurant there. Your journey will continue to Istiklal street with one of the oldest subways of the world, Tunel. The nostalgic tram running in Istiklal's pedestrian-only street will take you to the end of the 19th Century. You will visit the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua before tasting world-famous Turkish Delight in one of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district's oldest shops. Our guide will take you to Galata Tower to finish the day and take spectacular pictures of Istanbul’s European and Asian sides. You will get back to your hotel after climbing to the top of the Galata Tower.
Day 3 - Explore the old city of Istanbul
After breakfast at your hotel, you will meet with our guide and will explore the monuments in the old city of Istanbul. The name of the area is Sultanahmet today, but the ancient name was Hippodrome during the Byzantine times. You will see the Serpentine Column between the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of III Theodosius, the landmarks of Byzantium's ancient hippodrome. The area was a race track where different colors were used for different competitors for the first time. You will continue to the Blue Mosque than to see the world-famous blue tiles of the Grand Mosque of Sultan I Ahmed. A walk will follow your visit to Hagia Sophia in the underground cistern of Yerebatan right across the ex-seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church. You will have lunch in a local restaurant in the old part of Istanbul before visiting a gorgeous palace of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi. It was converted to an Ottoman palace by Fatih, the conqueror after the 15th Century and was the Ottomans' administrative place for more than four centuries. When the baroque and rococo architecture became more popular, the last Ottoman Sultans had abandoned the palace and lived in the new waterfront palaces in the Bosporus of Istanbul. You will see the Harem apartments, treasury, and the holy relics chamber before finishing the day with a cup of Turkish coffee overlooking the ‘real’ history channel. You will return to your hotel afterward.
Day 4 - Istanbul on Food and Turkish Bath Experience
Our guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on a food journey today in the unbeaten narrow back streets of Istanbul. During your walk, you will taste the delicious street foods of Istanbul and hear the stories behind them. You can have lunch in a non-touristy restaurant before our guide takes you to a traditional Hamam, Turkish bath. You will experience Turkey's most oriental experience in one of Istanbul's traditional Turkish baths and will relax over the hot marbles heated from underneath. You will get scrubbed and will get a soap massage before leaving the structure relieved. Our guide will drop you at your hotel then to rest for your Ephesus and Pamukkale trip.
Day 5 - Flight to Izmir and Tour Ephesus
Our driver will take you to Istanbul Ataturk airport for a morning flight to Izmir Adnan Menders Airport. It is just 45 minutes away from Ephesus Ancient City, and our guide and driver will pick you up from the domestic arrivals of Izmir airport. You will be informed about your two days in the region and visit the ancient city of Ephesus first before visiting the House of The Virgin Mary on top of the Bulbul Mountain, which has spectacular views of the Aegean Sea. After lunch, you will visit the Selcuk Museum and the Temple of Artemis, one of the World's Seven Wonders. You will have the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of Saint John and Isabey Mosque before going to Sirince Village for your accommodation. Sirince village is located in a valley just 15 minutes out of Ephesus in the mountains surrounded by olive trees and wine yards. The Greeks lived in the village until the 1920s, leaving beautiful architecture, and you will stay in one of them with your family tonight.
Day 6 - Flight to Istanbul after Exploring Aphrodisias and Pamukkale
Our guide will meet you in the morning at your hotel to visit the best-preserved ancient city of Anatolia. You will see beautiful marble sculptures in Aphrodisias's museum after seeing the Hellenistic world's biggest stadium. The Temple of Aphrodite and the Tetrapylon are the highlights of this ancient city, and you will leave for Pamukkale-Hierapolis Natural Park. Hierapolis is a UNESCO registered ancient city and has the biggest graveyard in Turkey. We recommend visiting Hierapolis's museum to see the intact Roman sarcophagi during the ancient city's excavations. After taking a break by the Cleopatra pool, which is still a popular swimming spot in the area, our guide will assist you in Pamukkale's white travertines created by cascading calcium for thousands of years. Our guide and driver will take you to Denizli Cardak Airport then for an afternoon flight back to Istanbul. You will meet our driver in the domestic arrivals in Istanbul, and we will transfer you to your hotel.
Day 7 - Departure from Istanbul
Our driver will take you to one of Istanbul's airports to take a flight back home or for your next destination.
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Fam Trip Istanbul and Ephesus
Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights
Destinations: Istanbul, Izmir, Ephesus, Pamukkale
Travel Style: