Turkey: Cave Churches & Fairy Chimneys — Self-Launched
7 days · Turkey
G Adventures charges £485
No-markup version: ~£440 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 7-day budget route through western and central Turkey: Istanbul's mosques and bazaars, Ankara's Atatürk Mausoleum, the fairy chimneys and cave churches of Göreme, the Sufi heartland of Konya, and the Roman ruins and beaches of Antalya. Everything on the G Adventures ETIA itinerary done with your own bus and train tickets, hostel dorms and simple guesthouses, and self-booked day tours — at roughly half the group-tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Istanbul — Sultanahmet & Galata at your own pace
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet or Taksim (~£4-5, 60-90 min) rather than a taxi. Check into a hostel dorm in Sultanahmet (walkable to all the big sights) or a cheap private room in Beyoğlu. In the late afternoon do your own orientation walk: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque exterior, Gülhane Park, then cross Galata Bridge at sunset for the classic skyline view. Evening: eat balık ekmek (fish sandwich, ~£3) by Eminönü and drinks on a Beyoğlu rooftop — the group-tour 'first night out' done solo, and hostels here make it easy to find people to join you.
🚌Havaist airport bus to city centre (~£4-5); everything else on foot or tram (~£0.50/ride)
🛏Hostel dorm, Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu (£12-18/night)
- →Self-guided Sultanahmet orientation walk
- →Galata Bridge sunset & Beyoğlu evening
- →Optional: Istanbul walking tour + Bosphorus cruise booked via GetYourGuide (~£30-40 instead of the operator's $90 add-on)
Istanbul highlights, then bus to Ankara
Istanbul → Ankara
Get up early and hit the big-ticket sites under your own steam: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Blue Mosque (buy timed tickets direct or via Klook; combined spend roughly £35-40 depending on which interiors you do). Skip a paid guide by downloading a free audio guide. Grab lunch in the Grand Bazaar area, then head to the otogar for the bus to Ankara. Overnight buses run frequently (~7 hrs) and are the cheapest option; daytime buses leave every 30-60 mins from Esenler or AŞTİ. Arrive Ankara, check into a cheap Ulus or Kızılay guesthouse.
🚌Overnight or evening intercity bus Istanbul–Ankara (~£12-16, 7 hrs); tram/metro in Istanbul (~£1)
🛏Budget guesthouse/private room, Ankara Kızılay (£15-22/night)
- →Hagia Sophia (self-booked ticket)
- →Topkapı Palace (self-booked ticket)
- →Blue Mosque (free)
- →Grand Bazaar wander
Anıtkabir, Salt Lake stop & into Cappadocia
Ankara → Göreme
Start at Anıtkabir, Atatürk's hilltop mausoleum — free entry, superb views, and a short metro ride from Kızılay. Then take the bus toward Nevşehir/Göreme; most services stop at Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake) for photos, the surreal pink-white salt flat from the operator's itinerary. If your bus doesn't stop, ask the driver — many do. Arrive Göreme in the evening and check into a cave-style hostel or family pension; they're cheap in the shoulder season and staggeringly atmospheric. Eat a testi kebab (clay-pot kebab) and sort your balloon booking for tomorrow if you want it.
🚌Metro to Anıtkabir (~£0.70); bus Ankara–Göreme/Nevşehir (~£10-13, 5 hrs) with Salt Lake stop
🛏Cave hostel or family pension, Göreme (£12-20/night)
- →Anıtkabir, Atatürk's Mausoleum (free)
- →Tuz Gölü / Salt Lake photo stop
- →Evening wander in Göreme village
Cappadocia: balloon, Göreme Open Air Museum & valleys
Göreme / Cappadocia
Optional sunrise hot air balloon — book direct with a licensed operator (Butterfly, Royal, Voyager) or via GetYourGuide, roughly £130-160 pp; it's the single splurge worth budgeting for. Back for breakfast, then walk 15 minutes to the Göreme Open Air Museum (entry ~£10) to see the 1,000-year-old painted cave churches — exactly the site the group tour visits, but at your own pace with a free audio app. Afternoon: hike the Pigeon Valley or Red/Rose Valley trail yourself (well-marked, 2-4 hrs, free) or join a small-group valley trek from a local operator (~£25). Evening optional: whirling dervish ceremony in a caravanserai (~£20-25).
🚌Everything on foot or local dolmuş minibus (~£1-1.50)
🛏Cave hostel or family pension, Göreme (£12-20/night)
- →Sunrise hot air balloon (optional, book direct)
- →Göreme Open Air Museum cave churches
- →Self-guided Red/Rose Valley hike
- →Optional whirling dervish ceremony
Konya's Mevlana Museum, on to Antalya
Göreme → Konya → Antalya
Bus to Konya in the morning (~4 hrs, ~£8-10). Drop your bag at the otogar lockers or a café and walk to the Mevlana Museum and Rumi's tomb — free-ish entry (small fee) and one of Turkey's most quietly powerful sites. Grab lunch (Konya is famous for etli ekmek flatbread) and then take the afternoon bus or the Konya–Antalya train/bus onward (~5-6 hrs, ~£10-13). Arrive Antalya, check into a hostel in Kaleiçi (the old town), and do an evening orientation walk through Hadrian's Gate and the old harbour with a cheap dinner and beer.
🚌Bus Göreme–Konya (~£8-10); bus/train Konya–Antalya (~£10-13)
🛏Hostel in Kaleiçi old town, Antalya (£13-20/night)
- →Mevlana Museum & Rumi's tomb
- →Konya bazaar lunch stop
- →Kaleiçi old town evening walk
Termessos ruins & Antalya beach time
Antalya
Take the local bus or a shared minibus to the Termessos trailhead (~£2-3), then hike 45-60 minutes up to the ruined city perched on the mountain — one of Turkey's best-preserved ancient sites, with wild goats, pine forest and huge views. Entry is a few pounds. Coming down, head back to Antalya for an afternoon at Konyaaltı or Lara beach, a swim in the Mediterranean, and a cheap gözleme lunch. Evening: meyhane dinner and drinks in Kaleiçi with hostelmates — the 'big night out' finale without the group bill.
🚌Local bus/minibus to Termessos turn-off (~£2-3 each way)
🛏Hostel in Kaleiçi old town, Antalya (£13-20/night)
- →Termessos ancient city hike
- →Konyaaltı or Lara beach afternoon
- →Kaleiçi meyhane night out
Depart Antalya
Antalya
Breakfast, a last wander through the old harbour or the Antalya Museum if your flight is late (excellent Roman statuary, ~£8), then take the Antray tram or bus to the airport (~£1-2). If you're continuing, Antalya is a great launch point for the Lycian Way or a bus east to Kaş and Fethiye.
🚌Antray tram/bus to Antalya airport (~£1-2)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Antalya Museum visit
- →Old harbour farewell walk
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£440 | £485 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £45 per person (9%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£440
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: Cave Churches & Fairy Chimneys — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £440 per person for 7 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 £485 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £440 — a saving of roughly £45 (9%) per person.
How long is the Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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 budget, culture, backpacker 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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