Turkey: Istanbul, Ephesus, and Cappadocia

Arrive in Istanbul at any time. Settle into your hotel in the Old City, the historic heart of it all. The evening is free to get your bearings; a walk through the Sultanahmet Square reveals the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, both dramatically lit after dark.

The route pushes west from Istanbul, a 260km overland drive to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The afternoon is spent on a guided walk through the battlefields, a quiet and moving landscape of memorials. The tour covers ANZAC Cove, the war cemeteries, and the Lone Pine memorial, tracing the history of the costly WWI campaign.

From Gallipoli, a short ferry crosses the Dardanelles Strait to the harbour town of Çanakkale. It’s a busy port with a thriving student population, and the waterfront promenade is the place to be as evening falls.

From Çanakkale, it's a short drive to the archaeological site of Troy, a city once thought to be pure myth. A walk through the excavated layers reveals nine different cities built on top of one another over millennia. The route continues south to the coastal town of Ayvalık, with a stop at a handicraft cooperative where local women create products from recycled materials.

The day ends further south in Selçuk, a small town that serves as the primary base for exploring the ruins of Ephesus.

The morning is dedicated to Ephesus, one of the most complete classical metropolises in Europe. A walk through the sprawling ruins covers the grand theatre and the iconic, two-story facade of the Library of Celsus. Nearby are the scant remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Back in Selçuk, a local restaurant demonstrates how to prepare pide, a savoury flatbread, followed by lunch. The afternoon involves a transfer to İzmir, Turkey's third-largest city, for a walk through the old Kemeralti bazaar before boarding an overnight train bound for Konya.

The train pulls into Konya in the morning. After breakfast at a local restaurant, the first stop is the Mevlana Museum, the former lodge of the whirling dervishes and mausoleum of the Sufi mystic Rumi. It offers a window into this unique Islamic sect.

From Konya, a 233km overland journey cuts across the Anatolian plains, arriving in the Cappadocia region. The landscape shifts dramatically to honeycombed hills and volcanic rock formations. Check into the hotel and find a nearby viewpoint to watch the sunset stain the rock valleys.

A full day exploring Cappadocia's surreal terrain begins with a 4km hike through valleys filled with a forest of 'fairy chimneys'—tall, conical rock formations. The path winds past viewpoints and cave dwellings carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Later, descend into the Kaymakli underground city, a subterranean complex of tunnels, storerooms, and ventilation shafts built for defense centuries ago.

The afternoon is free for individual exploration. For dinner, head to the village of Çavuşin to share a home-cooked meal with a local family, a direct look into rural Cappadocian life.

An early breakfast precedes the transfer to the airport for a flight back to Istanbul. The short flight trades the wind-sculpted landscapes of Cappadocia for the urban energy of the Bosphorus. The rest of the day is free. Use the time for last-minute sightseeing, hunting for souvenirs in the Grand Bazaar, or simply relaxing at a cafe before a final Turkish dinner.

The trip concludes after breakfast in Istanbul. There are no planned activities, leaving the day free for departure at any time. Onward travel arrangements can be made from the city's main airport.