Turkey Beauty: Self-Launched Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale & Cappadocia
8 days · Turkey
Fez Travel charges £900
No-markup version: ~£460 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day version of Fez Travel's "Turkey Beauty" loop: Istanbul's Ottoman and Byzantine highlights, Ephesus and Kuşadası, the white travertines of Pamukkale and Hierapolis, then the moonscapes of Cappadocia — done independently using domestic flights, intercity coaches and Turkey's excellent budget guesthouses. Fully bookable yourself via GetYourGuide/Klook day tours or direct hotel and bus bookings, with hot-air ballooning, hammams and Whirling Dervish shows as optional add-ons. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and assume shared dorm or budget double rooms, local buses/metro and self-arranged day tours.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Istanbul — Sultanahmet orientation
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet (about 90 minutes, ~£5) or the M11 metro + Marmaray combo (~£2.50). Check into a Sultanahmet hostel or guesthouse in the £15-25 range. Spend the afternoon wandering the Hippodrome, the exterior of the Blue Mosque and the little streets around Arasta Bazaar. In the evening, walk to the Eminönü/Galata Bridge area for a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) and a sunset ferry ride on the Bosphorus if you want an early taste of the water.
🚌Havaist airport bus (~£5) or M11 metro + Marmaray (~£2.50); Istanbulkart for local transport
🛏Sultanahmet hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm £12-15, private double £20-25)
- →Self-guided walk of the Hippodrome and Sultanahmet square
- →Sunset Bosphorus commuter ferry from Eminönü (~£1)
- →Balık ekmek and street food dinner under Galata Bridge
Istanbul classics — Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar
Istanbul
Do the big-hitters on your own schedule to avoid the group-tour 7am starts. Get to the Blue Mosque at opening (free), then cross to Hagia Sophia (book a timed ticket online in advance, around £22-25; the upper galleries come with a separate ticket). Browse the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum in the former Ibrahim Pasha Palace (~£6) and finish with the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. If you'd rather have context, a GetYourGuide half-day old-city walking tour runs from about £25-35 — otherwise a good audio guide or guidebook is enough.
🚌Tram T1 across the old city, Istanbulkart ~£2 for the day
🛏Sultanahmet hostel or budget guesthouse (£20-25)
- →Blue Mosque (free)
- →Hagia Sophia timed-entry ticket (~£22-25)
- →Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (~£6)
- →Self-guided Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar wander
Istanbul to Kuşadası via Ephesus
Kuşadası / Selçuk
Skip the tour's short Istanbul-Izmir flight and take it yourself — Pegasus or AJet Istanbul (SAW) to Izmir Adnan Menderes from about £25-40 if booked ahead; from Izmir Havalimanı the İZBAN train + local bus gets you to Selçuk for around £3. Alternatively a direct overnight or daytime intercity coach Istanbul-Kuşadası/Selçuk runs roughly £18-25 and takes 9-11 hours. Base yourself in Selçuk or Kuşadası (hostels £12-18). This afternoon, walk the Ephesus site independently (entry ~£18) and the nearby Temple of Artemis ruins (free), then the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selçuk (~£5).
🚌Pegasus/AJet flight Istanbul SAW–Izmir (~£25-40) + İZBAN + local bus (~£3); or intercity coach Istanbul–Selçuk (~£20)
🛏Selçuk or Kuşadası hostel/guesthouse (£12-18)
- →Self-guided Ephesus ancient city (entry ~£18)
- →Temple of Artemis site (free)
- →Ephesus Archaeological Museum Selçuk (~£5)
- →Optional GetYourGuide Ephesus guided day tour from Kuşadası (~£35-45) if you want the stories
Kuşadası to Pamukkale — travertines and Hierapolis
Pamukkale
Take a local bus or dolmuş from Selçuk/Kuşadası to Denizli (about 3-3.5 hours, £8-12), then a dolmuş up to Pamukkale village (£1). Drop your bag at a village guesthouse (£15-20) and walk the white travertines barefoot (combined Pamukkale + Hierapolis ticket ~£18). Explore the Hierapolis ruins and the theatre, and soak in the antique Cleopatra's Pool if you fancy it (~£8 extra). Later afternoon, ask your guesthouse about the Whirling Dervish ceremony in the village (small fee, usually £10-15) — cheaper and more intimate than the tour version in Cappadocia.
🚌Local bus Selçuk/Denizli (~£8-12) + dolmuş to Pamukkale (~£1)
🛏Pamukkale village guesthouse (£15-20)
- →Pamukkale travertines and Hierapolis (combined ticket ~£18)
- →Antique Cleopatra's Pool swim (optional ~£8)
- →Village Whirling Dervish ceremony (optional ~£10-15)
Pamukkale to Konya and on to Cappadocia
Konya / Göreme
Travel day done local-style. Early dolmuş/bus to Denizli, then the train or coach towards Konya (Denizli-Konya is roughly 5-6 hours by bus, £12-16). Stop a few hours in Konya to see the Mevlana Museum (free) and the Selimiye mosque, with time for a Konya etli ekmek lunch (£3). Then continue by evening bus or the Konya-Kayseri/Nevşehir route to Göreme (about 5-6 hours, £12-15); buses arrive late but most Göreme hostels take late check-ins. You'll miss the Sultanhani Caravansary guided stop, but the Seljuk caravanserai sits right on the Aksaray road if you want to hop off — it's free and easily visited by local bus.
🚌Dolmuş + intercity coach Denizli/Konya + Konya–Göreme overnight coach (~£25-30 total)
🛏Göreme cave hostel/hostel (dorm £12-15, private double £20-25)
- →Mevlana Museum and Konya old town (free entry)
- →Optional Seljuk Sultanhani Caravansary roadside stop (free)
- →Göreme village evening stroll among the fairy chimneys
Cappadocia — Göreme Open Air Museum, underground city and valleys
Göreme
A self-launched Cappadocia day. Start early with a self-guided walk from Göreme to the Göreme Open Air Museum (entry ~£12; the Dark Church extra ~£3), then loop through Love Valley or Rose Valley on foot (free — a 4-6 hour hike with a picnic). In the afternoon, take a local dolmuş to either Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city (~£4 entry, £1.50 transport). Book any hot-air balloon flight the night before through your hostel or GetYourGuide — sunrise flights run £150-220; if that's over budget, the cheaper alternative is a 45-minute balloon over Pamukkale earlier in the trip or hiking to the viewpoint at sunrise to watch the balloons rise (free).
🚌Dolmuş within Cappadocia (~£1.50-3), everything else on foot
🛏Göreme cave hostel (£20-25)
- →Göreme Open Air Museum (~£12)
- →Love Valley / Rose Valley self-guided hike (free)
- →Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city (~£4 entry)
- →Optional sunrise Cappadocia hot-air balloon (£150-220)
Cappadocia to Istanbul — via Ankara (or a cheap flight)
Istanbul
Two choices: the original tour's route is Göreme to Ankara (coach ~5 hours, £10-12) to visit Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum (free entry), then the fast YHT train Ankara-Istanbul (~4.5 hours, £10-15 if booked on TCDD ahead). Or the quicker budget option is a Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) to Istanbul flight with Pegasus/AJet from ~£25-35, plus a £5 shuttle or dolmuş to the airport. Whichever you take, arrive back in Istanbul in the evening and check into a Karaköy or Beyoğlu hostel for a final-night dinner — meyhane food and a walk down İstiklal Caddesi.
🚌Göreme–Ankara coach (~£11) + Ankara–Istanbul YHT train (~£12); or flight Kayseri/Nevşehir–Istanbul (~£25-35)
🛏Karaköy or Beyoğlu hostel/guesthouse (£20-25)
- →Anıtkabir mausoleum in Ankara (free) — optional
- →Karaköy/Beyoğlu evening food walk
- →Optional Turkish hammam (Kılıç Ali Paşa, ~£25-30) for a final-night treat
Istanbul — last morning and departure
Istanbul
A slow morning: coffee in Karaköy, a final simit, and a last wander down to the Galata Bridge or the Süleymaniye Mosque (free, and one of the best views in the city). If you flew into IST, allow 3 hours before your flight for the Havaist bus; from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) the Havabus shuttle is ~£4 and takes around 1.5 hours. Domestic transport and SIM card are easy to arrange on arrival — a Turkcell/Vodafone tourist SIM costs about £10-15 for the trip.
🚌Havaist bus to IST (~£5) or Havabus to SAW (~£4)
🛏Departure day
- →Süleymaniye Mosque and Galata Tower exterior walk (free)
- →Karaköy coffee and simit breakfast
- →Last-minute bazaar shopping
Self-launched vs. Fez Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Fez Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£460 | £900 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £440 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Fez Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£460
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 Turkey Beauty: Self-Launched Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale & Cappadocia cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £460 per person for 8 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 Fez Travel?+
Yes — Fez Travel charges around £900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £460 — a saving of roughly £440 (49%) per person.
How long is the Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, adventure, hiking 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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