Historical Turkey Tour: Troy, Ephesus and Cappadocia
Eight days overland through Turkey’s ancient world: the walls of Troy, the marble streets of Ephesus, the white terraces of Hierapolis and the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, ending in Istanbul’s old city.
8 Days / 7 Nights
5-Star & 4-Star
English Guide
GROUND PACKAGE
RM4,340
All ground transport & entrance fees
Ground package: flights not included
This is a ground handling package only: international flight tickets to and from Istanbul are not included. The whole route runs overland by coach, about 2,250 km from Istanbul down the Aegean coast, across Anatolia and back, so no domestic flights are needed either. Ask us and we will quote your flights separately.
Troy, Ephesus & Hierapolis
4-star in Canakkale & Bolu
Boat tour included
Fullboard, breakfast to dinner
What's included
Included
Professional licensed English-speaking guide
Not Included
International flight tickets to/from Istanbul
Tipping for guide & driver: USD5 per person per day
Price per pax, by group size
All rates in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), ground handling only, per person in twin/triple sharing.
| Group Size | Adult | Child (CWB) | Child (CNB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Pax | RM7,350 | RM6,680 | RM5,490 |
| 4 Pax | RM5,150 | RM4,630 | RM3,870 |
| 6 Pax | RM4,340 | RM3,870 | RM3,290 |
| 10 Pax | RM3,070 | RM2,700 | RM2,100 |
| 15 Pax | RM3,120 | RM2,790 | RM2,200 |
| 20 Pax+ | RM2,970 | RM2,700 | RM2,100 |
*From 15 pax the package includes a Surfink Holidays tour leader and a larger coach, which is why the 15 pax rate sits above the 10 pax rate. Rates are subject to availability upon confirmation of the booking.
Your 8-day itinerary
Arrival Istanbul, then Troy
Meet and greet with your local guide at the airport, then transfer to Troy for a photo stop at the Trojan Wooden Horse. Free time, then overnight in Canakkale.
Troy to Kusadasi: the Ancient City of Ephesus
After breakfast, drive to Kusadasi and visit the Ancient City of Ephesus. A downhill walk with your guide leads through the ruins of the Roman capital, past the Bouleuterion, the Temple of Domitian, the Hercules Gate, the Temple of Hadrian and the Celsus Library, finishing at the Great Theatre. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Kusadasi to Pamukkale: the Cotton Castle
Visit an outlet leather factory and centre, with free time to browse and a live fashion show. Then drive to Pamukkale and explore the Antique City of Hierapolis, where calcareous thermal springs spilling over the cliffs have built white terraces and basins known as the Cotton Castle. After dinner you can relax in an authentic thermal bath at the hotel.
Pamukkale to Cappadocia via Konya
A textile stop after breakfast, then the long drive east through Konya towards Cappadocia. On the way, visit the 13th century Tepesidelik Han Caravanserai, a resting house for traders and travellers on the old trade route. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
A full day among the fairy chimneys
Start at Love Valley with its rock formations, where your guide explains how the volcanic landscape and the fairy chimneys formed. Visit a carpet school, then Avanos, a town known for pottery, for a hands-on look at pottery making and carpet weaving. Continue to Cardak Underground City, then after lunch to Devrent Valley, where the chimneys take mushroom and animal shapes. Finish at Urgup and the Ortahisar rock-cut castle, looking out over old Greek houses built in the 1800s, with a stop at a pottery workshop. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Uchisar, the Salt Lake and Ataturk's mausoleum
See Uchisar Castle and visit a jewellery workshop and centre, then stop at the Salt Lake on the way to Ankara, capital of Turkey and the city of Ataturk. Visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk before continuing north to Bolu for the night.
Bolu to Istanbul: the old city
A Turkish Delight stop, then the Hippodrome, once a stadium for horse and chariot racing, and the Blue Mosque, famous for its six minarets. Photo stops at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a landmark of Byzantine and Ottoman history, and at Topkapi Palace, seat of the Ottoman sultans after the capital moved from Bursa to Istanbul, today a museum of kitchenware, porcelain, treasuries, royal antiques and holy relics. Overnight in Istanbul.
Bosphorus cruise, Pierre Loti Hill and departure
Cruise the Bosphorus by boat for the view between Asia and Europe, then visit Pierre Loti Hill in Eyup, where the hilltop tea house looks down the Golden Horn to Eminonu. Free time at the Spice Bazaar, then transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Meet and greet with your local guide at the airport, then transfer to Troy for a photo stop at the Trojan Wooden Horse. Free time, then overnight in Canakkale.
After breakfast, drive to Kusadasi and visit the Ancient City of Ephesus. A downhill walk with your guide leads through the ruins of the Roman capital, past the Bouleuterion, the Temple of Domitian, the Hercules Gate, the Temple of Hadrian and the Celsus Library, finishing at the Great Theatre. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Visit an outlet leather factory and centre, with free time to browse and a live fashion show. Then drive to Pamukkale and explore the Antique City of Hierapolis, where calcareous thermal springs spilling over the cliffs have built white terraces and basins known as the Cotton Castle. After dinner you can relax in an authentic thermal bath at the hotel.
A textile stop after breakfast, then the long drive east through Konya towards Cappadocia. On the way, visit the 13th century Tepesidelik Han Caravanserai, a resting house for traders and travellers on the old trade route. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Start at Love Valley with its rock formations, where your guide explains how the volcanic landscape and the fairy chimneys formed. Visit a carpet school, then Avanos, a town known for pottery, for a hands-on look at pottery making and carpet weaving. Continue to Cardak Underground City, then after lunch to Devrent Valley, where the chimneys take mushroom and animal shapes. Finish at Urgup and the Ortahisar rock-cut castle, looking out over old Greek houses built in the 1800s, with a stop at a pottery workshop. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
See Uchisar Castle and visit a jewellery workshop and centre, then stop at the Salt Lake on the way to Ankara, capital of Turkey and the city of Ataturk. Visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk before continuing north to Bolu for the night.
A Turkish Delight stop, then the Hippodrome, once a stadium for horse and chariot racing, and the Blue Mosque, famous for its six minarets. Photo stops at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a landmark of Byzantine and Ottoman history, and at Topkapi Palace, seat of the Ottoman sultans after the capital moved from Bursa to Istanbul, today a museum of kitchenware, porcelain, treasuries, royal antiques and holy relics. Overnight in Istanbul.
Cruise the Bosphorus by boat for the view between Asia and Europe, then visit Pierre Loti Hill in Eyup, where the hilltop tea house looks down the Golden Horn to Eminonu. Free time at the Spice Bazaar, then transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Accommodation
Iris Hotel Spa Canakkale
1 night fullboard after the Troy visit, twin/triple sharing.
Ramada Suites & Hotel
1 night fullboard on the Aegean coast after Ephesus.
Colossae Thermal Spa
1 night fullboard, with a thermal bath at the hotel after dinner.
Dinler Hotel Cappadocia
2 nights fullboard in the fairy chimney region.
Ramada Hendek Hotel
1 night fullboard, breaking the drive back towards Istanbul.
Ramada Plaza Tekstilkent
Your final night, fullboard, before the Bosphorus cruise and departure.
Transportation by group size
Mercedes Sprinter / VW Crafter
Isuzu Novo
Mercedes Travego & Man Fortuna
Sights on this trip
Trojan Wooden Horse, Troy
Celsus Library, Ephesus
Antique City of Hierapolis
Fairy chimneys, Cappadocia
Mausoleum of Ataturk, Ankara
Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Frequently asked questions
No. This is a ground handling package, so international flight tickets are excluded. No domestic flights are needed either, because the whole route is overland by coach. Tell us your departure city and dates and we can quote flights for you separately.
From 15 pax the package includes a Surfink Holidays tour leader travelling with your group, and the group moves up to a larger coach. Both add cost, which is why that tier sits slightly above the 10 pax rate before dropping again at 20 pax and above.
Around 2,250 km in total over six transfer days: 285 km from Istanbul to Troy on arrival day, 405 km to Kusadasi, 195 km to Pamukkale, 615 km through Konya to Cappadocia, 485 km through Ankara to Bolu, and 265 km back to Istanbul. Day five in Cappadocia is the only full day without a long transfer.
CWB is a child with a bed, CNB is a child without a bed. Both rates assume the child shares a room with two adults. Tell us your children’s ages when you enquire and we will confirm which rate applies.
It is not part of this package, but we can arrange it as a paid add-on subject to availability. Flights are weather dependent and take off around sunrise, so the morning of day five, your full day in Cappadocia, is the slot to aim for. Ask us for the current price when you book.
The route includes a leather outlet with a live fashion show on the way to Pamukkale, a textile stop after Pamukkale, a carpet school and pottery workshop in Cappadocia, a jewellery centre near Uchisar, and a Turkish Delight stop in Istanbul. They are part of the standard itinerary and show genuine local crafts, and you browse at your own pace.
Ready to explore Turkey's ancient sites?
Group sizes from 2 to 20+ pax, send us your travel month and we’ll come back with a firm quote.
