Highlights of Turkey: Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus & Cappadocia (Self-Launched)
11 days · Turkey
G Adventures charges £1,340
No-markup version: ~£663 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day self-launched loop of western and central Turkey hitting the same highlights as the G Adventures small-group Classic tour — Istanbul's Old City and street food, the Gallipoli battlefields, Troy, Ephesus, Konya and the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia — but booked yourself with hostels, guesthouses and Turkey's excellent intercity bus network plus one internal flight. You lose the group leader and private vehicle; you gain roughly £900 in savings, complete flexibility, and the option to linger in the places you love. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Istanbul — Old City orientation & street food
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet (approx. £2-3, 60-90 min) rather than a £25-35 taxi. Check into a hostel or small pension in Sultanahmet or Kadıköy. In the late afternoon walk the Old Town: Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Square and the exterior of the Blue Mosque. For dinner, do a DIY street-food crawl — simit (£0.60), balık ekmek (fish sandwich, ~£3) at Eminönü, and künefe or baklava for dessert.
🚌Havaist airport bus ~£2.50
🛏Hostel dorm or family-run pension, Sultanahmet or Kadıköy (£15-20/night)
- →Old City orientation walk (self-guided)
- →Hippodrome & Sultanahmet Square
- →Eminönü street-food crawl
Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern & a Turkish bath
Istanbul
Pre-book a Hagia Sophia entry ticket or join a small-group skip-the-line tour on GetYourGuide (£20-30) to get the history without the queue pain. Afterwards visit the Basilica Cistern (£20-25), the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Book a traditional hammam in the evening (Historic Çemberlitaş Hammam or a neighbourhood local bath, £20-40) — far cheaper booked direct than through an agent.
🚌Walking / tram ~£1 per ride (Istanbulkart)
🛏Hostel dorm or pension, Sultanahmet (£15-20)
- →Hagia Sophia
- →Basilica Cistern
- →Little Hagia Sophia Mosque
- →Grand Bazaar
- →Turkish hammam
Istanbul food tour: Karaköy, Taksim & ferry to Kadıköy
Istanbul
Join a small-group street-food walking tour of Karaköy and Taksim on GetYourGuide or Klook (£35-50) — the same territory the CEO covers, sampling baklava, Turkish coffee, börek and mezze. Alternatively self-guide it with a Karaköy breakfast crawl for under £12. In the afternoon take the public ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy on the Asian side (~£1.20 with Istanbulkart) and wander the market streets for dinner.
🚌Tram + public ferry ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm or pension, Sultanahmet or Kadıköy (£15-20)
- →Karaköy & Taksim food walking tour
- →Public ferry to Kadıköy
- →Kadıköy market wander
Free day — Topkapı Palace, Galata & Bosphorus
Istanbul
A flexible day. Options: Topkapı Palace (£12), Galata Tower (£8) and the surrounding Beyoğlu lanes, Dolmabahçe Palace (£20), or a cheap public Bosphorus ferry up toward Anadolu Kavağı (£2-3 return) for the best-value boat trip in the city. Book your bus to Çanakkale at the otogar or online tonight for tomorrow morning.
🚌Tram/ferry ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm or pension (£15-20)
- →Topkapı Palace or Dolmabahçe Palace
- →Galata Tower & Beyoğlu
- →Public Bosphorus ferry
Bus to Gallipoli battlefields & Çanakkale
Çanakkale
Take a morning intercity bus from Istanbul's Büyük Otogar to Eceabat/Çanakkale (~5-6 hrs, £12-16). From Eceabat, join a half-day Gallipoli guided tour (book direct with a local operator or via GetYourGuide, £22-30) covering ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair and the war cemeteries — this is the one place a local guide genuinely adds a lot. Cross the Dardanelles by car ferry (~£1) to Çanakkale for the night.
🚌Intercity bus ~£14 + Dardanelles ferry ~£1
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel, Çanakkale (£18-25)
- →Gallipoli battlefields guided tour
- →ANZAC Cove & Lone Pine
- →Dardanelles ferry crossing
- →Çanakkale waterfront
Troy, Ayvalık & on to Selçuk
Selçuk
Take a local dolmuş from Çanakkale to Troy (Truva) — roughly 45 min, ~£2 — and explore the ruins and the Trojan horse replica (£4 entry, audioguide £3). Continue by bus via Ayvalık (worth a stop for the old Greek houses and the Cöp(m)adam handicraft co-op, which you can visit independently and buy from directly). Take a late afternoon bus south to Selçuk (~4 hrs, £10-13).
🚌Dolmuş ~£2 + intercity bus ~£12
🛏Family-run pension in Selçuk (£18-25)
- →Ancient Troy ruins
- →Ayvalık old town & Cöp(m)adam handicraft co-op
- →Selçuk evening stroll
Ephesus, pide lunch & overnight bus toward Cappadocia
Selçuk
Hit Ephesus at opening time (08:00) to beat the crowds — entry ~£13, or join a small-group guided tour on GetYourGuide (£20-30) for the context. Walk to the Temple of Artemis (free) and the Isa Bey Mosque. Lunch on pide at a local ocakbaşı (£4-6) — Selçuk is famous for it. In the evening take the local bus to İzmir (~1 hr, £2) for a wander through the Kemeraltı bazaar, then board an overnight bus to Konya or Göreme (~10-11 hrs, £18-25) — the honest backpacker equivalent of the operator's overnight train.
🚌Bus to İzmir ~£2 + overnight bus ~£22
🛏Overnight intercity bus
- →Ephesus
- →Temple of Artemis
- →Pide lunch
- →Kemeraltı bazaar, İzmir
Konya's Mevlana Museum & arrival in Cappadocia
Göreme
Break the journey in Konya: breakfast at a local fırın, then visit the Mevlana Museum (£3) and, if timing works, the Whirling Dervish sema ceremony (free at the cultural centre or ~£10 at a venue). Continue by bus to Göreme or Ürgüp (2.5-3 hrs, £8-10). Check into a cave-style guesthouse, then climb to a viewpoint for sunset over the valleys with a çay in hand.
🚌Bus to Göreme ~£9
🛏Cave-style guesthouse in Göreme (£20-28)
- →Mevlana Museum, Konya
- →Sunset viewpoint over Cappadocia
- →Optional Whirling Dervish ceremony
Cappadocia: fairy chimneys, Kaymaklı & family dinner
Göreme
If you want the balloon, book it direct with a licensed operator (Butterfly, Royal or Voyager) at £130-170 — book ahead, it's the single biggest line item. Either way, hike the Rose Valley and Love Valley fairy chimneys on the marked trails (free), then take a local dolmuş to Kaymaklı underground city (£3 entry). In the evening book a home-cooked dinner experience through Airbnb Experiences or a local guesthouse (£15-25) for the family-table cultural exchange the tour includes.
🚌Dolmuş ~£2
🛏Cave-style guesthouse in Göreme (£20-28)
- →Optional hot air balloon flight
- →Rose & Love Valley hike
- →Kaymaklı underground city
- →Home-cooked dinner with a local family
Fly Cappadocia → Istanbul, free afternoon
Istanbul
Book a cheap domestic flight from Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) to Istanbul (IST or SAW) — Pegasus/Turkish Airlines, usually £25-45 if booked a few weeks out. Use the airport bus or Havaist to get back into the city. Spend the afternoon on whatever you skipped on Day 4 — Balat's colourful streets, the Süleymaniye Mosque, or a last baklava run in Karaköy.
🚌Domestic flight ~£35 + airport bus ~£2.50
🛏Hostel dorm or pension (£15-20)
- →Balat & Fener neighbourhoods
- →Süleymaniye Mosque
- →Last-night meyhane dinner
Depart Istanbul
Istanbul
Depending on your flight time, fit in one last breakfast of menemen and simit, then take the Havaist bus back to IST or SAW. If you've got hours to spare, leave bags at the hostel and visit the Archaeological Museum (£10) near Topkapı.
🚌Havaist airport bus ~£2.50
- →Final Turkish breakfast
- →Optional Archaeological Museum
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£663 | £1,340 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £677 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£663
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Turkey: Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus & Cappadocia (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £663 per person for 11 days in Turkey. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,340 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £663 — a saving of roughly £677 (51%) per person.
How long is the Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Turkey.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through Turkey, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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