Itinerary - Turkey 360°: Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus

Round trip flights are not included in the package, so you can choose from where and when you want to fly. This is to give you maximum freedom of choice!

Check-in at the hotel in Istanbul and meet the rest of your group! Let's start warming up the engines by taking a stroll through the streets of this lively city. We can get lost in the historic bazaar and discover local products (from fish to books!) and then reach the seafront to relax in the sun waiting for our first sunset on Turkish soil, which will certainly be one to remember.

Today it's time to leave Istanbul (but we'll be back, don't worry!): we take a train that takes us to the capital of the country: Ankara. We'll find a private minivan waiting for us that will be our means of transport for these days: let the adventure begin! Turkey's strategic position, between Asia Minor and Mesopotamia , has made it one of the most important crossroads of trade routes for centuries, but has also put it in the sights of numerous invasions. We will be able to see with our own eyes why this land has attracted so many different cultures for so many centuries - and how they have influenced the evolution of the country.

First stop of the day: Ihlara Valley. This 14km deep canyon, protected by rocky walls and difficult to cross, was home to hermits and early Christian communities. It will be our first taste of Cappadocia.

We will then reach the town of Avanos , which will welcome us tonight and tomorrow: it is located on the banks of the Kilizilirmak, the so-called Red River, and is known for its local crafts, especially carpets and vases. But we stop just long enough to leave our backpacks, and we have to move towards the real show: the UNESCO site of Göreme National Park.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 , Göreme National Park is a constellation of rock formations that were formed by a series of volcanic eruptions. The layers of volcanic ash, once solidified, formed volcanic tuff, sculpted over the centuries by meteorological phenomena: the peribacalar (fairy chimneys) or kalelar (castles), as they are called by the local population, are the result of these natural erosions. Humans have also left their mark: we will visit the Open Air Museum to discover the remains of Byzantine culture - a group of churches, chapels and monasteries carved into the rock, including the famous Karanlik Kilise , which still retains many of its original frescoes.

The alarm will ring very early this morning: we will get up before the sun rises to live a unique experience. We will board a hot air balloon and fly over the city : seeing the sunrise from here, with the majestic Göreme valley merging with the horizon, will be a sight we will not easily forget. Let's enjoy these moments and forget about the daily chaos. The peace and tranquility that you breathe here will give us unforgettable moments. This will only be the warm-up, because once landed we will discover on foot - but not only - the incredible valleys of Cappadocia and we will try to recognize on the ground everything we have seen from above. Why did we say not only? Because the adventures of the day do not stop here: an adrenaline-filled quad tour awaits us to discover the beauties of these valleys - certainly a new and less common way to explore the surroundings, but we do not hold back!

In the afternoon we will visit the underground city of Ozkonak , whose origins date back thousands of years. Originally designed to protect the population from invaders, this city is a collection of labyrinthine passages, churches and houses that spreads over several levels. The feeling of claustrophobia down here is generally normal, but we will soon return to the surface to enjoy a typical Göreme bar.

It will be difficult to say goodbye to Cappadocia but the days that await us, in terms of incredible landscapes, have nothing to envy, so we head towards our next destination, a piece of local history, with a name that also evokes past eras: the Sultanhani caravanserai. What could it be? Anatolia was a land of passage for merchants who brought their merchandise from the East to Europe. Obviously their months-long journeys also included stops to regenerate and from this need the caravanserais were born: large buildings that housed accommodation, an inn, areas dedicated to the custody of caravans and sometimes a small mosque, all fortified to protect travelers from ill-intentioned people. These stops will take us to today's final destination... the city of Konya .

In this town of vital importance in Roman and Byzantine times, as it was located on the road that connected Constantinople with Antioch, we can discover one of the most evocative traditions of the region, the dervish dance. This religious ceremony linked to Sufi mysticism consists of dancing around oneself until reaching an ecstatic state in which one experiences universal love... will we fall in love with this region? Surely yes!

Today we will have to get up early to get to our next stop on time. Pamukkale owes its fame to the white calcite terraces invaded by the thermal waters that come from the mountain above, the famous "cotton castle" - we will walk among these pools (then we will bathe!) and visit the ancient Roman baths of Hierapolis . Founded around 190 BC it recalls the ancient times in which Greeks, Romans, Jews, pagans and Christians lived peacefully together: we walk among the well-preserved ruins of the city, passing in front of the Temple of Apollo and the Roman Theatre , which could hold up to 12,000 spectators, until we reach the Agora and the Arch of Domitian . After much travel and exploration, we can finally immerse ourselves in the thermal pools and enjoy the benefits of the hot water as we wait for the sunset, saying goodbye to another incredible day of our adventure.

We are moving again! After breakfast we say goodbye to the beautiful Pamukkale and leave for Izmir. Before reaching this city, we find the real destination of the day: the ancient city of Ephesus , one of the largest Ionian cities in Anatolia, a very important commercial center and capital of the Roman province in Asia - today one of the most important archaeological cities in the entire Mediterranean Sea; we walk through the agora, the ancient square in whose center there was the Temple of Isis, and continue to the Odeon, the Prytaneum (town hall), the Asceplio (hospital), the Gate of Hercules and the Temple of Hadrian. We will be amazed in front of these ancient remains, thinking about how just under 2,000 years ago there were people who, like us, walked exactly the same streets that we walk now and how so much beauty has managed to resist in all this time, defying the passing of the years.

After a quick lunch - today we might try çorba (that is, red lentil, yogurt or wheat soup, the choice is ours!) - we continue until we reach Izmir (aka Smyrna) , where we can relax and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation: how about a traditional hammam? Sounds good, right?

After discovering the Roman city of Ephesus yesterday, today it is time to do the same with its Greek equivalent: Pergamon . Founded according to legend after the victory in the Trojan War, it was a great center of power during the Greek domination of the region , becoming the capital of the kingdom that bore its name. We will focus our visit on the Acropolis, the center of the religious and military life of the city. After the visit, we will set off again to reach Istanbul. Along the way there will be plenty of opportunities to take some photos while crossing the Osmangazi Bridge: the fourth longest bridge in the world.

After touring the entire country, it's time to explore the capital! Istanbul, of ancient origins, was first called Byzantium, and then Constantinople, being the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires : so let's hope to see a city with a thousand faces! After a good breakfast we immerse ourselves in the city starting from the Blue Mosque, the most photogenic building in Istanbul: its name comes from the over 20,000 turquoise ceramic tiles that decorate the walls of its dome - we will definitely be with our noses in the air! The exterior of the mosque is also no small thing: grandiose arches, curved lines and an almost unreal symmetry make it a magical place.

After regaining our strength, perhaps with a tasty kebab, we will arrive at the Basilica of Santa Sofia , which until the 15th century was actually the most important church for Christians: when we enter we will once again be left speechless in front of the majesty and grandeur of the interior, in particular the dome, built like the entire Basilica by Emperor Justinian. The play of light that is created through the windows and the golden decorations on the ceiling give the atmosphere a mystical point, and the dome seems to want to fly above the nave. We will end the afternoon by exploring the Grand Bazaar , an old market that still today offers us stalls to buy the impossible, and then we will end in style with a nice dinner all together, reliving among us the best moments of this trip.

Check-out and goodbye – until your next WeRoad adventure!