Epic 23 Days Max 8 People
Grand Turkey Tour (23 Days)
The complete Turkey experience in one journey. From Istanbul and Gallipoli to Ephesus, Cappadocia, Gobekli Tepe, Mardin, Van, Kars, Ani, Trabzon, and Ankara — 23 days, 9 UNESCO sites, one private guide.
Price from: $9,900 per person
Availability: All Year
Route: Istanbul → Istanbul
Max group size: 8 people
Tour Highlights
- The complete Turkey experience — west to east and back — in a single 23-day journey
- 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Göbekli Tepe, Ephesus, Cappadocia, and Hattusha
- Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe — the world's oldest temples, with specialist commentary
- Ani ruins, Ishak Pasha Palace, Lake Van, and Akdamar Island — Turkey's extraordinary east
- Sumela Monastery and Amasya on the Black Sea route
- Cave hotel stay in Cappadocia with optional sunrise hot air balloon
- Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, and the full Aegean-Mediterranean corridor
- Private guide and vehicle, maximum 8 people, all entrance fees included
The Grand Turkey Tour covers Turkey from end to end — not as a rushed overview, but as a measured journey through every major archaeological period and geographical region. Twenty-three days from Istanbul westward to Gallipoli and Troy, south through Pergamon and Ephesus to Pamukkale, across to Cappadocia and the Sufi heritage of Konya, down to Gaziantep and Göbekli Tepe, northeast to Kars and the Armenian plateau, along the Black Sea coast to Trabzon and the Sümela Monastery, and home through the Ottoman towns of Amasya and Safranbolu. Nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Every major Anatolian civilisation represented.
The same private licensed guide travels with you for all 23 days — no handoffs between regional guides, no loss of continuity. Maximum 8 people. This is one of our rarest departures; it runs on fixed dates with limited availability. All entrance fees, 22 breakfasts, and 20 dinners included.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Istanbul Welcome / Arrival
- Airport welcome and transfer to your hotel in the heart of Sultanahmet, within walking distance of the Hippodrome.
- Afternoon free to explore at your own pace — the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar waterfront are all nearby.
- Overnight: 5-Star Holiday Inn Istanbul City.
Day 2 Istanbul Historic Treasures
- Topkapi Palace: the seat of Ottoman power for 400 years — the Imperial Harem, the Treasury, and the Sacred Relics.
- Hagia Sophia: 1,500 years of continuous history as Byzantine cathedral, Ottoman mosque, and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Blue Mosque, the ancient Hippodrome with its Egyptian Obelisk, and the Grand Bazaar with 4,000 shops across 61 covered streets.
- Meals: Breakfast | Overnight: 5-Star Holiday Inn Istanbul City.
Day 3 Gallipoli Peninsula & Canakkale Crossing
- Spice Bazaar and the 16th-century Rüstem Pasha Mosque — one of Istanbul's finest Iznik tile interiors.
- Gallipoli Peninsula: ANZAC Cove, Chunuk Bair, Lone Pine Memorial — the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign battlegrounds.
- Ferry crossing of the Dardanelles to Çanakkale — the strait where Europe and Asia face each other.
- 320 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 4-Star Iris Hotel Canakkale.
Day 4 Legendary Troy & Ancient Pergamon
- Troy: nine layers of occupation spanning 3,500 years, from the Bronze Age city of Homer's Iliad to the Roman city of Ilium.
- Pergamon Acropolis: a Hellenistic library city rivalling Alexandria — the Temple of Trajan, the 10,000-seat theatre cut into the hillside.
- Asklepion: the ancient healing sanctuary and forerunner of the modern hospital — sacred springs, dream therapy, and the medical school of Galen.
- 390 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Elite World Hotel Kusadasi.
Day 5 Magnificent Ephesus & Sacred Sites
- House of the Virgin Mary: traditionally identified as Mary's final home — a pilgrimage site for Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims.
- Ephesus: the Celsus Library, the Great Theatre (24,000 capacity), the Temple of Hadrian, and the marble-paved Curetes Street — one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world.
- Basilica of St. John: the 6th-century Byzantine church built by Emperor Justinian over the apostle's tomb.
- 30 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Elite World Hotel Kusadasi.
Day 6 Aphrodisias Artistry & Pamukkale Wonders
- Aphrodisias: one of the most completely excavated ancient cities in Turkey — the stadium, the Tetrapylon gateway, and the 2nd-century sculpture school.
- Laodicea: one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, actively being excavated.
- Pamukkale travertines: white calcium terraces formed by mineral-rich hot springs — bathing permitted in designated pools.
- Hierapolis: the Roman spa city above the springs — a 15,000-seat theatre and the largest ancient necropolis in Asia Minor.
- 280 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Hierapark Hotel.
Day 7 Catalhoyuk Prehistory & Konya Mysticism
- Çatalhöyük: a 9,000-year-old Neolithic settlement and UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of the earliest proto-cities, with residents entering through roof holes.
- Konya: the spiritual home of Rumi and the Mevlevi Sufi order (the Whirling Dervishes).
- Mevlana Museum: the tekke where Rumi lived and is buried — the most-visited museum in Turkey, preserving his sarcophagus and manuscripts.
- 390 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Bayir Diamond Hotel Konya.
Day 8 Cappadocia'S Underground Marvels
- Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı underground city: carved up to 10 storeys into the volcanic tuff — a fully self-contained refuge with stables, wine cellars, and churches for up to 20,000 people.
- Uçhisar: the highest natural rock fortress in Cappadocia — panoramic views across the valleys towards Mount Erciyes (3,916 m).
- Ortahisar: a quieter rock fortress village with cave dwellings still in use within living memory.
- Traditional carpet weaving demonstration — a craft practised in Cappadocia for over 2,000 years.
- 220 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: MDC Cave Hotel Cappadocia.
Day 9 Cappadocia'S Hidden Valleys
- Optional sunrise hot air balloon: 1 hour over the fairy chimneys at dawn — 180–280 EUR per person, not included in tour price.
- Göreme Open Air Museum: 10th–13th century cave churches with intact Byzantine frescoes — the Dark Church, the Snake Church, and the Apple Church.
- Paşabağ (Monks Valley): mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys with 5th-century hermit monks' cells carved into the caps.
- Zelve Open Air Museum: an entire troglodyte community of cave dwellings abandoned in 1952 — three valleys of rock-carved homes, mills, and chapels.
- Avanos pottery workshops beside the Kızılırmak River — red clay ceramics made here for 4,000 years.
- 40 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: MDC Cave Hotel Cappadocia.
Day 10 Gaziantep Cultural Heritage
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum: the world's largest Roman mosaic collection — the 2,200-year-old Gypsy Girl mosaic and the Poseidon and Oceanus panels.
- Gaziantep Castle: a Roman-Byzantine-Mamluk fortress above the bazaar district.
- Traditional bazaars and baklava workshops — Gaziantep pistachio baklava holds UNESCO Geographical Indication status.
- 390 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada By Wyndham Gaziantep.
Day 11 Mount Nemrut Grandeur & Urfa Journey
- Mount Nemrut (2,150 m): the 1st-century BCE royal sanctuary of King Antiochus I — colossal 8–9 metre stone statues of gods and kings, now toppled across the summit.
- Cendere Bridge: a Roman bridge built in 200 CE, still carrying vehicles across the river after 1,800 years.
- Arsameia: the summer capital of Commagene — rock reliefs showing Antiochus shaking hands with Hercules and a tunnel toward the royal tomb.
- 290 km to Şanlıurfa | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Elruha Hotel Urfa.
Day 12 Gobekli And Karahan Tepe Origins & Harran Legacy
- Göbekli Tepe: a full half-day at the world's oldest known monumental complex — built 12,000 years ago by hunter-gatherers, with carved T-shaped limestone pillars up to 5.5 metres tall.
- Karahan Tepe: 35 km from Göbekli Tepe, excavated since 2019 — a sister site with human busts and phallus-shaped pillars carved directly from bedrock, still in active excavation.
- Harran: the ancient city where Abraham settled before Canaan — traditional beehive mud-brick houses and the site of the first Islamic university.
- Şanlıurfa: the Archaeological Museum (housing the world's oldest life-sized human statue), Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, and Balıklıgöl — the sacred pool associated with Abraham.
- 180 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Elruha Hotel Urfa.
Day 13 Spiritual Heritage Of Mardin
- Deyrulzafaran Monastery: one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries in the world, founded in the 4th century CE by Syriac Christians.
- Mardin old city: honey-coloured limestone architecture on a hillside above the Mesopotamian plains — Kasimiye Madrasa, the Great Mosque, and the bazaar district.
- 190 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Mardin.
Day 14 Legends Of The East: Zerzavan Castle To Van
- Zerzevan Castle: a Roman military garrison with an extraordinary underground Temple of Mithras — a mystery cult popular among Roman soldiers.
- Drive through the eastern Anatolian highlands to Lake Van — the largest lake in Turkey, at 1,640 metres altitude and with water too alkaline to drink.
- 420 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada by Wyndham Van.
Day 15 Lake Van'S Jewel: Akdamar Island & Urartian Fortress
- Akdamar Island: ferry crossing to the 10th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross — its exterior bas-reliefs depicting Adam and Eve, Jonah, and David are among the finest medieval stonework in Turkey.
- Çavuştepe Fortress: a magnificently preserved Urartian citadel from the 8th century BCE, overlooking the Van plain.
- 90 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada by Wyndham Van.
Day 16 Van Castles, Museums & Cultural Treasures
- Van Castle: an Urartian fortress built in the 9th century BCE on a 1.5 km long rock above the lake — cuneiform inscriptions of King Sarduri still visible.
- Van Museum: the finest collection of Urartian gold jewellery and bronzework in Turkey.
- Ayanis Castle and the Temple of Haldi, and a traditional kilim weaving workshop.
- 80 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada by Wyndham Van.
Day 17 Palatial Splendor & Majestic Mountains: Dogubayazit To Kars
- Ishak Pasha Palace: a semi-ruined 18th-century Ottoman palace at 1,990 metres altitude — Mount Ararat (5,137 m) visible directly behind it.
- Drive across the eastern Anatolian plateau — volcanic highlands, Kurdish villages, and vast horizons.
- ~360 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: Katerina Palace Hotel, Kars.
Day 18 Ancient Capital Of Ani & Seljuk Splendors Of Erzurum
- Ani: the abandoned medieval Armenian capital on the Turkish-Armenian border — the Cathedral of Ani, the Church of the Redeemer, the Church of St. Gregory, and the remains of palace walls.
- Erzurum: the Çifte Minareli Medrese (Twin Minaret Seminary) built in 1253, the Great Mosque, and the Yakutiye Medrese with its Mongolian-period stonework.
- 200 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada by Wyndham Erzurum.
Day 19 Journey To The Black Sea: Sumela Monastery & Trabzon
- Drive through the Pontic Alps — the narrow mountain road descends from 2,000 metres to the Black Sea coast through dense forest.
- Sümela Monastery: a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in 386 CE, carved into a cliff face at 1,200 metres altitude — abandoned in 1923 and now a museum.
- Trabzon: the Church of St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia of Trabzon) — a 13th-century Byzantine church with well-preserved frescoes, now a museum.
- 300 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Trabzon.
Day 20 Ottoman Aesthetics & Royal Tombs Of Amasya
- Amasya: the rock-cut tombs of the Pontic kings (3rd–1st century BCE) carved high into the cliff above the river — illuminated at night.
- Ottoman mansions (yalıboyu evleri) lining the Yeşilırmak River — some of the finest Ottoman domestic architecture surviving in Turkey.
- 260 km | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 4-Star Büyük Amasya Oteli.
Day 21 Hittite Heartland: Hattusha & Yazilikaya
- Hattusha: the Hittite imperial capital (UNESCO World Heritage Site) — the Lion Gate, the Royal Gate, the Great Temple, and the Sphinx Gate with its underground passage.
- Yazılıkaya: the Hittite rock sanctuary 2 km from Hattusha — two open-air chambers carved with processions of Hittite gods in relief.
- 260 km to Ankara | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Radisson Blu Hotel Ankara.
Day 22 Capital Heritage & Return To Istanbul
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations: the finest collection of Hittite, Phrygian, and Bronze Age artefacts in the world — housed in a 15th-century Ottoman bazaar.
- Anıtkabir: the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic — one of the most significant architectural monuments in modern Turkey.
- 460 km to Istanbul | Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Overnight: 5-Star Holiday Inn Istanbul City.
Day 23 Istanbul / Departure
- Breakfast and transfer to Istanbul Airport for your international flight.
- Meals: Breakfast.
Discover These Ancient Sites
Want to learn more about the world's oldest known temples before your trip? Explore our dedicated guides:
Optional Activities
| Activity | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cappadocia Price varies by season and operator. Book through us for the best experience. | 180 – 280 EUR | 1 hour |
| Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Cappadocia | $50 USD | 1.5 hours |
2026 Departure Dates
April 3–25
May 1–23
May 29 – June 20
September 4–26
October 2–24
What's Included
- 22 nights hotel accommodation
- Private licensed tour guide
- Fast track museum pass to all sites in Turkey
- Meals: 22 breakfast, 20 dinner
- All entrance fees
- All transportation in latest model private tour van
Price Excludes
- — Beverages with meals
- — Gratuities for guide and driver
- — Hot air balloon in Cappadocia
- — Any private expenses
Cancellation Policy
60+
Days before
Full Refund
100% returned
30–60
Days before
50% Refund
Half returned
0–30
Days before
Credit Only
No cash refund
We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation and curtailment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time of year for this tour?
April–June and September–October are ideal. The 23-day route crosses multiple climate zones — the Aegean coast, the Anatolian plateau, Eastern Turkey, and the Black Sea. Spring and autumn give comfortable temperatures across all of them. Eastern Turkey summers (July–August) are very hot, particularly around Urfa and Gaziantep. November–March is feasible but cooler in the east and mountains.
Do you recommend a Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul?
Yes — but we recommend a morning or afternoon cruise, not a dinner cruise. The daytime Bosphorus cruise gives you full visibility of both the European and Asian shores, Dolmabahce Palace, the Ottoman fortresses, and the two suspension bridges. Dinner cruises prioritise entertainment over scenery. The daytime experience is far more rewarding.
Is the hot air balloon included?
The hot air balloon is not included in the tour price — it is listed in the excludes. It costs approximately 180–280 EUR per person depending on the season and operator. We arrange it through trusted operators on request. The sunrise flight over Cappadocia is one of the most memorable experiences in Turkey.
How much time is spent at Gobeklii Tepe?
A full half-day — typically 3 to 4 hours on site, covering both Gobeklii Tepe and Karahan Tepe where access permits. Your guide has deep expertise in the Neolithic archaeology of the region and will give a thorough on-site explanation.
How much driving is involved?
This is a comprehensive tour and some days involve 3–5 hours of driving, particularly through Eastern Turkey. The vehicle is a late-model, air-conditioned private van. Long driving days are balanced with site-intensive days, and several drives pass through spectacular scenery — the Aegean coast, the Pontic Alps, and the road around Lake Van.
Can the tour be shortened or modified?
Yes. The 23-day route can be adapted — we can remove regions, combine with the Best of Turkey or Treasures of Ancient Turkey tours, or add extra nights at specific stops. Contact us and we'll build an itinerary that fits your timeframe.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Full refund if you cancel 60 or more days before departure. 50% refund if you cancel 30–60 days before. Credit only for cancellations under 30 days. We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation.
What Our Travellers Say
"We enjoyed every minute of our tour with Fazli. The small size of our group was ideal, and everything was scheduled with our comfort and interests in mind."
— jmcintosh2014
"From the moment we booked the tour, Fazli communicated with us about our arrival flight and interests. Upon arrival in Turkey he was waiting at the airport and everything that followed was smooth, personal, and professionally arranged."
— Nancy Villicana
"If you like culture, food, history, and archaeology, or any combination of these, this is the tour for you. Fazli is an excellent guide, patient, knowledgeable."
— ninabees
Reviews sourced from TripAdvisor. Read all reviews →