8 Days Discover Turkey: Self-Launched Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale

Fly into Istanbul Airport (IST) and take the Havaist bus to Sultanahmet (roughly £4-5, 60-75 min) or the M11 metro plus tram if you're feeling brave with luggage. Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in Sultanahmet — the old city is where nearly everything on day 2 is within walking distance. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Hippodrome square and the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, then eat a cheap and excellent dinner (lentil soup, pide, kebabs) around Divan Yolu. Buy an Istanbulkart from a kiosk or machine at the airport/metro — it makes all public transport about half price.

🚌Havaist bus IST to Sultanahmet ~£4-5; Istanbulkart purchase ~£2

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel dorm/private in Sultanahmet (approx £18-24/night)

• →Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet
• →Evening walk around Hippodrome and Blue Mosque exterior
• →Dinner on Divan Yolu

Do the classic old-city circuit yourself at your own pace — all sites are within a 15-minute walk of each other. Start early at Hagia Sophia (book a timed ticket online; the upper gallery is worth the extra if it's open), then the Blue Mosque (free, dress modestly, avoid prayer times), then Topkapı Palace with the Harem (the Harem needs a separate ticket — buy the combined pass or a Museum Pass Istanbul if you plan on more sites). After lunch head down to the Grand Bazaar and get pleasantly lost. If you want context, a small-group old-city walking tour via GetYourGuide runs about £25-35; a licensed guide by the hour is roughly £20-30. Finish with sunset from the Galata Bridge or a ferry across to Kadıköy for dinner (ferry ~£1 with Istanbulkart).

🚌Tram and ferry with Istanbulkart ~£3

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Sultanahmet (approx £18-24/night)

• →Hagia Sophia entry (timed ticket)
• →Blue Mosque (free)
• →Topkapı Palace + Harem
• →Grand Bazaar
• →Optional small-group old-city walking tour
• →Bosphorus ferry to Kadıköy

Morning flight from Istanbul (IST or SAW) to Kayseri or Nevşehir — book Turkish Airlines, Pegasus or AJet a few weeks ahead and you'll pay £25-45 one way. From Kayseri take the Havas or local bus to Göreme (about £4-5, 60-75 min); Nevşehir airport is even closer. Drop bags at a cave guesthouse — Goreme has plenty of genuinely atmospheric cave rooms at backpacker prices. In the afternoon take a dolmuş or rent a scooter/bike, or join a half-day Red Tour small-group (about £30-35 via GetYourGuide/Klook). Must-sees: Göreme Open Air Museum (frescoed rock churches, ~£12 entry), Devrent (Imagination) Valley, Paşabağ (Monks) Valley and the Göreme panorama viewpoint. Sunset from the Göreme 'Love Valley' viewpoint is free and spectacular.

🚌Flight ~£25-45; Kayseri–Göreme bus ~£5; local dolmuş ~£2

🛏Cave guesthouse in Göreme, budget private or dorm (approx £18-25/night)

• →Domestic flight Istanbul to Kayseri/Nevşehir
• →Göreme Open Air Museum
• →Devrent Imagination Valley
• →Paşabağ Monks Valley
• →Göreme panorama sunset viewpoint

If the hot-air balloon is on your list, this is the day — book independently with a CAA-licensed operator (Butterfly, Royal, Voyager) well in advance; expect £150-190 for a standard flight, cheaper in winter and on weekdays. It's a splurge, so it isn't in the base budget. Otherwise, sleep in and hike. A self-guided loop through Rose Valley and Pigeon Valley is free and gorgeous — trails are marked, start from Göreme and take water. In the afternoon catch a dolmuş to Derinkuyu Underground City (or Kaymaklı) — entry ~£7 — and stop at Ortahisar village and its castle rock on the way back. The Green Tour small-group version covering all of this runs about £35-40 if you'd rather not navigate the buses.

🚌Dolmuş/minibus ~£5

🛏Cave guesthouse in Göreme (approx £18-25/night)

• →Optional hot-air balloon flight (book direct, ~£150-190)
• →Rose Valley and Pigeon Valley hike
• →Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı Underground City
• →Ortahisar village and castle
• →Avanos pottery workshops

Travel day — there's no direct flight from Cappadocia to Izmir, so either fly Kayseri to Izmir (usually via Istanbul, £45-70 and 4-6 hours door to door) or take the overnight bus Göreme/Kayseri to Izmir (about 12-13 hours, £18-25, comfortable enough with reclining seats) and arrive early morning. From Izmir's otogar, a local bus or dolmuş to Kuşadası takes about 1.5 hours and £4-6, or the train to Selçuk if you'd rather base yourself there. Check into a budget boutique hotel near Kuşadası's seafront or a guesthouse in Selçuk — Selçuk is quieter, cheaper and closer to Ephesus. Afternoon on Ladies Beach or wandering the Kaleiçi bazaar, and an evening meyhane dinner.

🚌Flight or overnight coach ~£20-60; Izmir–Kuşadası bus ~£5

🛏Budget boutique hotel in Kuşadası or guesthouse in Selçuk (approx £20-28/night)

• →Scenic domestic transfer Cappadocia to Izmir
• →Bus to Kuşadası or Selçuk
• →Evening in Kuşadası bazaar or Selçuk old town

Get to Ephesus early — gates open around 08:00 and by 10:00 the cruise crowds arrive. From Kuşadası take the dolmuş/minibus to Selçuk (~£2) then a short taxi or the Selçuk–Ephesus minibus; from Selçuk it's a 45-minute walk or a £2 dolmuş. Entry to Ephesus is about £20-25 depending on the season — buy online or at the gate and skip the touts. Walk the full route yourself: the Magnesia Gate, the Fountains of Trajan, the Temples of Hadrian and Domitian, Curetes Street, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the Terrace Houses (separate small supplement, absolutely worth it). Add the House of the Virgin Mary by taxi or dolmuş (~£8-12 round trip with a stop), and the Basilica of St John and Isa Bey Mosque in Selçuk. An audio guide is £5-8; a licensed guide at the gate runs £30-40 for a group. Finish with gözleme and çay in Selçuk and the storks on the aqueduct.

🚌Dolmuş/minibus and short taxi ~£10

🛏Budget boutique hotel in Kuşadası or guesthouse in Selçuk (approx £20-28/night)

• →Ephesus archaeological site (Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Curetes Street)
• →Terrace Houses
• →Fountains of Trajan and Temple of Hadrian
• →House of the Virgin Mary
• →Basilica of St John and Isa Bey Mosque, Selçuk

Pamukkale is about 3 hours from Kuşadası by bus — take an early local bus or dolmuş to Denizli (or the train from Selçuk to Denizli, roughly £5-7, a lovely ride) and then a dolmuş up to Pamukkale village. A small-group Pamukkale day tour from Kuşadası (GetYourGuide/Klook, about £35-45 including transport and lunch) is a genuinely good-value option if you don't want the early buses. At the site, walk up the white travertine terraces barefoot — the Cleopatra Antique Pool is a paid extra (~£10) and the hot spring water is wonderful after the climb. Explore Hierapolis: the huge theatre, the necropolis, the Temple of Apollo and the Roman baths. Entry ~£20-25. Bring a hat — the terraces are blinding in midday sun. Return to Kuşadası in the evening.

🚌Bus/train to Denizli and dolmuş ~£10-15, or small-group day tour ~£35-45

🛏Budget boutique hotel in Kuşadası or guesthouse in Selçuk (approx £20-28/night)

• →Pamukkale travertine terraces
• →Hierapolis ancient site and theatre
• →Necropolis and Temple of Apollo
• →Optional Cleopatra Antique Pool swim

Final morning: a last swim or a wander round Kuşadası's Güvercinada castle, then bus/dolmuş to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (about 1.5 hours, £5-7). Fly Izmir to Istanbul (IST or SAW) — £25-50 booked in advance, about 1h15 — and allow at least 4 hours between flights if you're connecting to an international departure. If you have time, the Havalıst or Havaş bus connects the airports directly. Alternatively, the Izmir–Istanbul overnight coach (£20-25, 9-10 hours) works if you're heading straight home on a night arrival.

🚌Bus to Izmir airport ~£6; flight Izmir–Istanbul ~£25-50

🛏None included (day of departure)

• →Güvercinada castle and Kuşadası seafront
• →Domestic flight Izmir to Istanbul
• →Airport transfer by Havaist/Havaş