13 Days Istanbul, Cappadocia, Nemrut and Gobeklitepe Tour

Hippodrome and ObelisksThe open square preserves the line of Constantinople’s former racecourse. Look for the Egyptian Obelisk and Serpent Column as your guide explains how crowds gathered here for races and public events.

Blue MosqueEnter the courtyard of this working Ottoman mosque, then see the tiled interior during visiting hours. The sequence of the day takes account of prayer times.

Hagia SophiaThe huge central dome brings the scale of the sixth-century building into view. Your guide explains its Byzantine origins and the changes made during its long Ottoman history.

LunchPause for the included lunch between the morning and afternoon visits. Drinks are paid for separately.

Topkapi Palace and HaremWalk through the palace courtyards and visit the Harem, both included in the day. The arrangement of these spaces helps explain the separation between court business and life within the imperial household.

Shopping OpportunityThe itinerary includes a stop to browse local goods. Your guide introduces the products and leaves you time to look; buying anything is optional.

Grand BazaarBrowse the covered lanes where jewellery, textiles and other goods fill the shop windows. The Grand Bazaar closes on Sunday, when the tour uses an alternative shopping stop.

Golden HornThis sheltered inlet separates the historic peninsula from the districts around Galata. From the water, the hills and waterfront make the shape of the old city easier to follow.

Lunch on boardSit down to the included meal as the boat continues its route. Drinks are extra, and the boat is shared with other passengers in both package options.

Bosphorus StraitThe European and Asian shores face each other across the strait. Watch the waterfront neighbourhoods and passing boats from the deck as you travel between the two sides of Istanbul.

Devrent ValleyLook across clusters of naturally shaped rock and see which outlines you recognise. The camel-like formation is a useful starting point, while the surrounding slopes offer plenty of less obvious shapes.

Pasabag Open Air MuseumWalk among fairy chimneys topped by dark caps of harder stone. The carved spaces within some formations show how people adapted this unusual landscape for shelter and religious retreat.

Goreme Panoramic ViewPause above Goreme to take in the settlement and the rock formations around it. This wider view connects the separate valleys you visit during the day.

LunchTake a break for the included restaurant lunch before continuing the northern circuit. Order drinks separately if you would like them.

Avanos Pottery WorkshopWatch a potter form a vessel on the wheel and learn how local clay is worked. The demonstration gives a close view of a craft associated with Avanos and the nearby river.

Zelve Open Air MuseumFollow the paths through a former settlement cut into the rock. Openings for homes and places of worship appear at different heights along the valley walls.

Uchisar Castle (exterior view)See the tall rock citadel from outside and look for its many carved openings. Entry and the climb to its summit are not part of this tour.

Rose ValleyThe rock faces here reveal pale pink tones among the ridges and carved spaces. Your guide points out how the softer layers have worn into folds and narrow gullies.

Underground CityDescend through a section of the underground settlement, where passages connect rooms on different levels. Expect steps, low ceilings and narrow sections along the visitor route.

LunchStop for the included lunch during the circuit. Drinks remain a separate purchase.

Pigeon ValleyView the valley walls and the small dovecotes cut into them. These openings are traces of the practical role pigeons once played in local farming.

Gulludere ValleyAn optional walk of up to two hours follows paths through the valley landscape. Guests who prefer to skip the walk can wait with the vehicle and rejoin the group afterwards.

Cavusin VillageSee the old rock-cut settlement above the village and the openings left in its exposed stone faces. The visit brings the day back from broad valleys to the way people lived within them.

Cendere BridgeStop at the Roman stone bridge spanning the Cendere River. Its broad arch and surviving columns stand out against the open valley around it.

Arsameia Ancient CityExplore the remains of a Commagene royal centre on the hillside. Carved reliefs and Greek inscriptions connect this stop with the rulers commemorated at nearby Nemrut.

LunchLunch is included in the Nemrut circuit and arranged between the visits. Drinks and your evening meal are separate.

Karakus TumulusSee the burial mound and the columns that still mark parts of its enclosure. The monument adds another royal memorial to the day before the ascent to Nemrut.

Mount Nemrut Summit at sunsetWalk from the car park to the terraces of Antiochus I’s monument, with its monumental statues and fallen heads. The required ascent is approximately 800 metres on a steep, stepped stone path, usually around 20 minutes at an average pace. Vehicles cannot continue to the summit.

GobeklitepeLook down into the excavated enclosures, where large T-shaped pillars carry carved animal figures. These early Neolithic structures give the guide a starting point for discussing communities that lived here before pottery became widespread.

Sanliurfa Archaeology MuseumExplore the museum’s displays of finds from the region. The exhibits help place the morning’s road journey and the Gobeklitepe visit within a much longer sequence of settlement.

LunchThe afternoon itinerary includes lunch as well as the museum and city visits. Drinks are extra.

Haleplibahce Mosaic MuseumSee the mosaic floors preserved and displayed here, with figures, animals and patterned borders. Viewing them at close range reveals details that can be difficult to recognise in a photograph.

BalikligolWalk beside the pools and surrounding courtyards associated with the local story of Abraham. Your guide distinguishes the traditions attached to the site from the buildings you see today.

Hasimiye SquareFinish among the streets and trading activity around Hasimiye Square. It provides a view of central Sanliurfa beyond the archaeological sites and museum galleries.

KarahantepeView the excavated stone structures of this early Neolithic site. Visiting after Gobeklitepe lets you compare the forms and layouts your guide points out at the two places.

Sogmatar Ancient SettlementExplore the remains spread across a rocky landscape around Sogmatar. The carved inscriptions and structures bring a later period of the region’s religious history into the route.

Bazda CavesSee the large cavities left where stone was quarried from the hillside. The spaces and cut surfaces show the scale of the work needed to obtain building material here.

LunchTake a break for the included lunch during the excursion across the plain. Pay separately for any drinks.

HarranArrive in Harran and get an introduction to the settlement and its position on the surrounding plain. Your guide sets the context for the house and historic-area visits that follow.

Traditional Harran Beehive HousesLook closely at the conical roofs of Harran’s distinctive houses. Their construction provides a different response to local living conditions from the rock-cut settlements visited in Cappadocia.

Historic Harran AreaContinue through the historic remains to see traces of the settlement’s earlier buildings and street spaces. This final stop broadens the visit beyond the well-known beehive houses.

Halfeti VillageVisit the settlement beside the Euphrates, where the waterfront and hillside buildings face the reservoir. The stop introduces the area before you see more of it by boat.

Euphrates Boat TripTake the included boat trip from the Halfeti area. The water gives a different view of the valley slopes and the settlements along the shoreline.

LunchLunch is included during this long excursion day. Drinks and dinner in Gaziantep are separate.

Zeugma Mosaic MuseumSee the mosaic collections brought together from the region, including works from ancient Zeugma. Study the faces and geometric details that survive within the individual floor panels.

Gaziantep Castle (exterior view)View the castle from outside as part of the city itinerary. This stop covers its position above the surrounding streets; an interior visit is not part of the itinerary.

Coppersmiths BazaarWalk through the bazaar where metal goods and working shops share the narrow lanes. Listen for the sound of hammering as you look at the finished pieces.

Almaci MarketBrowse stalls selling the nuts, spices and other foods associated with Gaziantep. It is a useful place to recognise ingredients you may have encountered at lunch.

Ephesus Ancient CityWalk along the surviving streets to see monumental facades, public spaces and the theatre. Your guide relates these remains to the city’s daily life and its role within the Roman world.

LunchStop for the included lunch between visits in the Ephesus area. Drinks are charged separately.

House of Virgin MaryVisit the small sanctuary on the wooded hillside above Ephesus. Your guide explains the tradition that associates this place with Mary and its continuing role as a pilgrimage site.

Temple of ArtemisSee the remains of the sanctuary that once stood outside the ancient city. The surviving column and foundations help locate a temple whose original scale now needs explanation.

Pamukkale TravertinesSee the white terraces formed by mineral-rich water. Walk barefoot where access is open, following the marked visitor areas that protect the deposits.

LunchThe day includes a lunch break before the remaining visits and your airport transfer. Drinks are extra.

Hierapolis Ancient CityExplore the archaeological remains above the terraces with your guide. The streets and public buildings show how the ancient settlement developed beside these thermal waters.

Cleopatra Antique PoolThe pool is open and you can view it without a swimming fee. Guests who want to enter the water pay the separate swimming charge; allow for this within the tour’s available time.