4-Day Türkiye Tour: Pamukkale, Ephesus and Cappadocia

• The Travertines

  You walk the terraces of Pamukkale barefoot, on the wet stone itself.

  On UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1988, as one of Türkiye’s two mixed sites.

• Hierapolis

  Behind the terraces is Hierapolis: a theatre, the baths, and a main street about a kilometre long.

  Founded by Eumenes II of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC.

• The Antique Pool

  Inside the site, Cleopatra’s Pool is a thermal pool that lies over fallen Roman columns.

  The swim is your choice on the day, and its ticket is bought at the pool.

• Laodicea

  A short drive away is Laodicea, with two theatres and the largest stadium in Anatolia.

  Its church is one of the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation.

Flight Istanbul to Denizli, 1 h 10 minRoad 280 km in all, 200 km of it after PamukkaleNight Kuşadası

• Kuşadası Bay

  A first stop at Gazi Beğendi Park, for the view over the bay.

• The House of the Virgin Mary

  The House of the Virgin Mary stands on Bülbül Dağı, the hill above Ephesus, and is held sacred by Christians and Muslims alike.

  It lies 9 km from Selçuk. A service is held there every year on 15 August.

• Ephesus

  Entered from the upper gate, Ephesus is a walk of about 1.2 km, downhill past the Library of Celsus to the Great Theatre.

  Open from 8 am. The upper ticket office closes at 6 pm, an hour before the lower one.

• The Temple of Artemis

  One column marks the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

  The column was assembled in 1973 from the drums of several. The temple itself probably had 127 columns.

Road 110 km from Kuşadası to İzmir Airport, by way of the sitesFlight İzmir to Kayseri, direct, 1 h 25 minNight Cappadocia

• The Balloon, if You Choose It

  The balloon flight is optional and the weather decides each morning.

  The aviation authority sets the morning flights between half an hour before sunrise and 11 am.

  You have two mornings in Cappadocia, so a cancelled flight has a second chance.

• Keşlik, Taşkınpaşa and Sobesos

  A monastery cut into the rock, a medieval medrese, then the mosaic floors of an ancient town.

• Kaymaklı Underground City

  In Kaymaklı the passages are low, narrow and sloping, and the rooms gather around the ventilation shafts.

  Four floors have been unearthed. Part of the Göreme World Heritage site, listed in 1985.

• Pigeon Valley

  The day ends at the viewpoint over Pigeon Valley.

Road 90 km, a loop from your hotelNight Cappadocia

• The Three Beauties

  Three fairy chimneys standing together on the road into Ürgüp.

  Fairy chimneys are pinnacles of volcanic rock sculpted by erosion, in UNESCO’s own description.

• Göreme Open-Air Museum

  At Göreme Open-Air Museum the churches are cut into the rock, and their walls are painted with scenes from the Bible.

  Open to visitors since 1967. The Dark Church inside has its own ticket.

• Ortahisar and Uçhisar

  Two rock castles, Ortahisar and Uçhisar, each seen from its viewpoint.

• Avanos and Devrent Valley

  Avanos is the pottery town on the Kızılırmak. Devrent Valley is where the rocks take the shapes of animals.

Road 50 km between the sites, 70 km to Kayseri AirportFlight Kayseri to Istanbul, 1 h 30 minNight Istanbul