Türkiye's classic loop: through Istanbul to Cappadocia for the fairy chimneys, cave hotels and balloons at dawn; the overnight bus to the white travertines of Pamukkale and the ruins of Hierapolis; the train to Selçuk for Ephesus; then a flight from Izmir to Istanbul for Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Bosphorus ferries.
Why it matters
Ephesus is the best-preserved Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean, the Göreme Open-Air Museum keeps Byzantine frescoes in cave chapels, and in Istanbul's Old City Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar are all within a short walk.
Stop by stop
How the 10 days split across the 4 stops, and what each one costs on the ground for two.
The village at the heart of Cappadocia (Göreme, Kapadokya), among the valleys of fairy chimneys and rock-cut churches. Hot-air balloons lift off at sunrise when the wind allows; the Göreme Open-Air Museum keeps Byzantine frescoes in cave chapels; and the Rose, Red and Love valleys are easy walks. Most visitors sleep in a cave hotel. Fly to Nevşehir or Kayseri from Istanbul (about 1 h 20), or take the overnight bus.
Don't miss: Hot-air balloon flight at sunrise · Watching the balloons from a rooftop.
How long: 3 days, which is the recommended stay.
Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV), 40 km
3 days for two from ₹31,163 · ₹68,088 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The "cotton castle": a hillside of white travertine terraces and warm mineral pools above the village of Pamukkale, crowned by the Roman spa city of Hierapolis, its theatre and necropolis, and Cleopatra's antique pool, where you swim over fallen columns. Walk the terraces barefoot (shoes are not allowed). One night is enough; reach it through Denizli, by bus or train from Izmir and Selçuk or by flight from Istanbul.
Don't miss: Barefoot walk up the travertines · Hierapolis Roman theatre.
How long: 1 day, which is the recommended stay.
Denizli Çardak Airport (DNZ), 65 km
1 day for two from ₹10,925 · ₹17,092 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
A small, friendly town (Selçuk) 3 km from Ephesus (Efes), the best-preserved Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean: the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, Marble Street and the Terrace Houses with their mosaics. Also here: the one remaining column of the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St John, the Ephesus Museum and the House of the Virgin Mary on the hill. Trains run to Izmir and its airport, and to Denizli for Pamukkale.
Don't miss: Library of Celsus · Great Theatre of Ephesus.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB), 60 km
2 days for two from ₹21,458 · ₹38,112 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Turkey's great city, on both banks of the Bosphorus, and where nearly every flight from India lands. Sultanahmet (the Old City) holds Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar within a short walk; across the Golden Horn, Galata and Beyoğlu have the tower, İstiklal Avenue and the rooftop bars, and public ferries cross to Kadıköy in Asia for the price of a metro ride. Indian restaurants are in Sultanahmet and around Taksim, and vegetarian meze and lentil soup are everywhere.
Don't miss: Hagia Sophia · Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome.
How long: 4 days, which is the recommended stay.
Istanbul Airport (IST), 50 km
4 days for two from ₹46,122 · ₹97,400 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
What it costs
from ₹1,10,789 a person
The whole 10-day trip as the planner prices it in April, for two sharing at budget stays: flights from India and back, travel between the stops, stays, food, getting around, entry fees and the planner's buffer.
The visa for an Indian passport, about ₹4,300 a person, is on top.
When to go
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April to June and September to October suit every stop; balloons fly only on calm mornings and are often grounded from December to February, and July and August reach 35-40 °C at the ruins
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 30 days, about ₹4,300
If you hold a valid US, UK, Irish or Schengen visa or residence permit, apply online for the Turkish e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr (single entry, up to 30 days, about US$44.5: US$43 plus a US$1.5 processing fee); use only the official site. Otherwise apply for a sticker tourist visa through the Turkish consulate's visa centre (VFS Global) at least 3-4 weeks before you fly.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Make it yours
Opens in the planner with all 4 stops, suggested days and your home city pre-filled, in April. Swap anything.
·Indian passports need a sticker visa from the Turkish consulate's visa centre, so start a month ahead; holders of a valid US, UK, Irish or Schengen visa or residence permit can use the e-Visa instead
·Book the balloon for your first morning in Göreme, so a cancelled flight can move to the next
·Göreme to Pamukkale is an overnight bus to Denizli and a dolmuş, about 10.5 hours
·Walk the travertines barefoot (shoes are not allowed), and enter Ephesus at the upper gate at opening, before the cruise groups
·Mosques close to visitors for about 90 minutes at each prayer; an Istanbulkart covers trams, metro and the public ferries
