Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus — Self-Launched
7 days · Turkey
G Adventures charges £2,299
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-traveller, self-launched version of G Adventures' 7-day Istanbul–Cappadocia–Ephesus trip. You cover the same ground — the old city and Grand Bazaar, the Kaymakli underground city, fairy-chimney hikes and e-biking in Cappadocia, a gözleme cooking class and the ruins of Ephesus with the House of the Virgin Mary — but with hostels, guesthouses and a cave pension instead of premium hotels, overnight/long-distance buses and a cheap domestic flight instead of a private vehicle, and self-booked walking tours and day trips instead of a CEO. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights. Distances are big, so expect a couple of long travel days; the reward is Turkey on a fraction of the tour price.
Day-by-day
Istanbul: Arrive in the city where Asia meets Europe
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet or Taksim (about £3-4, roughly 60-90 mins), or the metro to the old city for slightly less. Check into a hostel or small family hotel in Sultanahmet so you're walking distance from the big sights. Take a slow evening wander around Sultanahmet Square to see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia lit up, grab a cheap dinner of balik ekmek (fish sandwich) or a pide, and plan tomorrow.
🚌Havaist airport bus ~£3-4 (60-90 mins); walking
🛏Hostel or family-run hotel in Sultanahmet (dorm £12-16, private twin £30-40)
- →Airport bus to Sultanahmet
- →Evening orientation walk of Sultanahmet Square
- →Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque illuminated at night
Istanbul: Old city on foot and the Grand Bazaar
Istanbul
Do the old city under your own steam or with a free/cheap walking tour (tip-based tours run daily from Sultanahmet, budget £5-10 tip). Cover the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern (entry around £20-25 — buy on the official site or via GetYourGuide to skip queues). Lunch on street food: simit, döner, and a stop at one of the historic bakeries near Karaköy for sweets. Spend the afternoon getting pleasantly lost in the Grand Bazaar, then walk down to the Spice Bazaar and the Galata Bridge for sunset.
🚌Tram T1 ~£0.50 per ride; walking
🛏Hostel or family-run hotel in Sultanahmet
- →Tip-based old city walking tour
- →Basilica Cistern entry
- →Blue Mosque and Hippodrome
- →Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar
- →Street food crawl (simit, döner, Turkish delight)
Istanbul to Cappadocia: Kaymakli Underground City
Göreme / Cappadocia
Early morning flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir (Pegasus/Turkish, around £25-40 one-way if booked ahead), then a shuttle bus or dolmuş to Göreme (about £5-8). Check into a simple cave or stone guesthouse — there are plenty of budget cave pensions in Göreme for far less than the tour's cave hotel. In the afternoon take a dolmuş to Kaymakli to explore the underground city tunnels and storerooms (entry roughly £8-10), then return to Göreme for dinner.
🚌Flight ~£25-40; airport shuttle ~£5-8; dolmuş to Kaymakli ~£1-2
🛏Budget cave or stone guesthouse in Göreme (dorm £10-14, private room £25-35)
- →Domestic flight Istanbul–Kayseri/Nevşehir
- →Kaymakli Underground City
- →Cave guesthouse check-in in Göreme
Cappadocia: Fairy chimneys on foot or by e-bike
Göreme / Zelve / Uçhisar
Spend the day in the valleys. Walk the Meskender (Rose) Valley and Red Valley trails on your own — the paths are well used and signed — or rent an e-bike or scooter in Göreme for about £15-20 for the day. See the rock-cut churches at the Göreme Open Air Museum (entry ~£12), climb up to Uçhisar Castle for the panorama (~£7), and wander the Zelve ruins. Optional splurge: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight (£120-180, book through a local operator or GetYourGuide — not budget, but this is the place for it). In the evening eat at a family restaurant or join a local home dinner experience in one of the villages for a proper cultural exchange.
🚌Walking, e-bike hire ~£15-20, dolmuş £1-2
🛏Budget cave or stone guesthouse in Göreme
- →Self-guided Rose and Red Valley hike
- →E-bike or scooter rental
- →Göreme Open Air Museum
- →Uçhisar Castle climb
- →Optional hot-air balloon flight
- →Village home-cooked dinner
Göreme to Şirince: Market food and gözleme class
Şirince / Selçuk
Long travel day: take a bus or shuttle to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport and fly to Izmir (about £30-45), then the IZBAN train or bus to Selçuk (roughly £1-2). Base yourself in Selçuk or the hill village of Şirince (dolmuş from Selçuk, ~£0.50). Once you've dropped your bags, visit the local market and join a gözleme cooking class or workshop — small operators in Şirince and Selçuk run these for around £20-30, or ask your guesthouse to arrange a home kitchen session. Eat the results for dinner.
🚌Flight ~£30-45; IZBAN/bus to Selçuk ~£1-2; dolmuş ~£0.50
🛏Guesthouse in Selçuk or Şirince (dorm £10-14, private room £25-35)
- →Flight Izmir and train to Selçuk
- →Şirince village orientation walk
- →Local market visit
- →Gözleme cooking class
Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary and St John's Basilica
Selçuk / Şirince
Get to Ephesus early (it's a 20-30 min walk or short taxi from Selçuk, or take the dolmuş; entry around £18-20, buy via GetYourGuide or the official site). Walk the site through to the northern gate via the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre, and see the remains of the Temple of Artemis nearby. Afterwards, take a taxi or the combined dolmuş to the House of the Virgin Mary on Bulbul Dağı (entry ~£8) and drink from the spring, then visit St John's Basilica in Selçuk (entry ~£7). If you want context, a small-group guided Ephesus tour with hotel pickup runs £25-40 on GetYourGuide. Farewell dinner in Şirince with local wine.
🚌Dolmuş/taxi to Ephesus ~£1-5; taxi to Virgin Mary house ~£3-6
🛏Guesthouse in Selçuk or Şirince
- →Ephesus archaeological site
- →Temple of Artemis
- →House of the Virgin Mary
- →St John's Basilica
- →Farewell dinner in Şirince
Şirince: Trip ends / onward travel
Selçuk / Izmir
Check out and depart. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is about an hour away — take the IZBAN train from Selçuk (roughly £1.50) or a shared shuttle. If you have time, one last morning at the Şirince market or a swim at Pamucak beach before you go. Extra nights here are cheap if you want to slow down.
🚌IZBAN train Selçuk–Izmir airport ~£1.50; bus
🛏None (departure day)
- →Şirince market
- →Optional Pamucak beach stop
- →Transfer to Izmir airport or onward bus
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £2,299 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,879 per person (82%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
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: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 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 £2,299 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £1,879 (82%) 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 adventure, culture, 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?
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