8 Days Heart of Turkey — Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Istanbul (IST or Sabiha Gökçen). From IST, take the M11 metro to Gayrettepe then the M2 metro to Vezneciler, or the HAVAIST bus to Sultanahmet (around £3-5); from Sabiha Gökçen, the Havabus to Kadıköy plus ferry across the Bosphorus works well and is cheaper than a taxi. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Sirkeci — you're a short walk from every major sight. Spend the late afternoon walking the Hippodrome Square and the outside of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia to get your bearings. Pick up an Istanbulkart from any kiosk (about £1.50 deposit, then top up) — it covers tram, metro and ferries at a discount.

🚌M11 + M2 metro or HAVAIST airport bus ~£4

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Sultanahmet/Sirkeci (£20 dorm or £32 private)

• →Airport transfer by metro/bus
• →Evening orientation walk: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque exterior, Hagia Sophia exterior

Do the old city on foot and via the T1 tram. Book a skip-the-line Topkapı Palace ticket online (around £22 including the Harem — the Harem is the best bit and often sells out separately) and go at 09:00 opening to beat the crowds. Walk five minutes to the Blue Mosque (free, but closed to visitors during the five daily prayers — dress modestly and carry a scarf) and cross the Hippodrome. Afternoon: free entry to the Grand Bazaar — go in via the Nuruosmaniye gate and haggle; a Turkish coffee in the bazaar's older han courtyards is the classic stop. Consider a GetYourGuide small-group old-city walking tour (£15-20) if you want the historical context, but it's genuinely optional here since signage is excellent.

🚌T1 tram and walking ~£2

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Sultanahmet/Sirkeci

• →Topkapı Palace + Harem ticket (~£22)
• →Blue Mosque visit (free)
• →Hippodrome Square
• →Grand Bazaar browse

Morning at the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü — arrive by 09:00 before the tour groups. Then do the Bosphorus on the public ferry rather than a private cruise: the municipal Şehir Hatları 'Short Circle' or the Anadolu Kavağı line from Eminönü costs about £1-2 with an Istanbulkart and gives you the same skyline, palaces and bridges. Alternatively take the cheap commuter ferry to Kadıköy for lunch on the Asian side, ticking off both continents. In the late afternoon walk across the Galata Bridge for the fish sandwich stalls, then head to Esenler or Alibeyköy coach station for the overnight bus to Selçuk or Kuşadası (Pamukkale or Kamil Koç, roughly 10-11 hours, £20-28 booked on obilet.com or the operator app). Overnight on the bus saves a night's accommodation and mirrors the operator's own long transfer day.

🚌Ferries ~£3; overnight coach Istanbul–Selçuk ~£24

🛏Overnight intercity coach

• →Spice Bazaar
• →Public Bosphorus ferry
• →Galata Bridge walk
• →Kadıköy Asian-side stroll

Arrive early morning in Selçuk and drop your bag at a pension near the bus station or in Kuşadası. Take the local dolmuş (minibus) from Selçuk otogar to Ephesus' upper gate (about £1, 10 minutes) — enter at the top gate and walk downhill through the Magnesian Gate, the Harbour Street/Arcadian Way, the Roman Baths, Temple of Hadrian, Celsus Library and the Great Theatre. Buy your Ephesus ticket online (~£18-20) and consider the optional Terrace Houses add-on (~£6) which is the highlight for many. Combine with the House of the Virgin Mary via a shared taxi or a local tour shuttle (£5-8) a few km up the hill. Evening: Selçuk's Basilica of St John and Isa Bey Mosque are cheap/ free and nearly empty at sunset. If you want a guide, GetYourGuide runs shared Ephesus day tours from Selçuk for £25-35 including transport — cheaper than any private option.

🚌Dolmuş to Ephesus ~£2; shared taxi to Virgin Mary's House ~£6

🛏Pension in Selçuk or Kuşadası (£18-24 dorm, £30 private)

• →Ephesus archaeological site (~£19)
• →Terrace Houses add-on (~£6)
• →House of the Virgin Mary (~£4 entry)
• →Basilica of St John

Take the morning train from Selçuk to Denizli (TCDD regional services, about 3.5 hours, £4-7) or a dolmuş/coach to Denizli otogar, then the local Pamukkale dolmuş (about £1, 20 minutes) up to the village at the foot of the travertines. Buy your Hierapolis + travertine ticket at the gate or online (~£18). Walk the white terraces barefoot (shoes are not allowed on the travertines — bring a bag), then explore Hierapolis: the necropolis, the Great Baths, Frontinus Street, the theatre and the Martyrion of St Philip. Cleopatra's Pool costs a separate ~£8-10 if you want to swim among the submerged columns — the Antique Pool is a nice splurge but skippable. Overnight in Pamukkale village (basic guesthouses are cheap and let you catch the terraces at sunrise with no crowds) or return to Denizli.

🚌Train Selçuk–Denizli ~£6; local dolmuş ~£2

🛏Pamukkale village guesthouse (£18-25) or Denizli budget hotel (£22)

• →Hierapolis + Pamukkale travertines (~£18)
• →Cleopatra's Antique Pool (optional ~£9)

This is the itinerary's big transit day — the operator shortens it with a domestic flight, but you can replicate it cheaply. Option A (fastest): bus Denizli to Kayseri or Nevşehir (Metro/Süha, roughly 9-11 hours overnight, £22-30) then the local Nevşehir–Göreme dolmuş (£1.50). Option B: bus Denizli to İzmir or Konya and connect onward, or grab a cheap domestic flight (Pegasus/Turkish, £30-50 if booked early) from Denizli Çardak to Kayseri. Either way, aim to arrive in Göreme by late afternoon — check into a cave-style hostel or pension (Göreme has plenty of carved-rock dorms from £18-25 and private cave rooms from £35). Evening: sunset from Göreme's Sunset Point, a 10-minute walk uphill behind the village, then dinner in a local pide house.

🚌Overnight coach Denizli–Nevşehir ~£26; dolmuş to Göreme ~£2

🛏Cave hostel/pension in Göreme (£22 dorm, £38 private cave room)

• →Sunset Point Göreme
• →Village wander

Optional sunrise hot-air balloon: book direct with a licensed operator (Royal, Butterfly or Voyager) or via GetYourGuide — expect £130-160 for a standard flight, and be aware this alone can cost more than a whole day of the rest of the trip; the free alternative is watching the balloons rise from Love Valley or Sunset Point at 05:30. Then self-launch the sightseeing: hire a scooter or e-bike (£15-20/day) or use the local dolmuş network. Walk the Red Valley and Rose Valley trails from Çavuşin (marked paths, 2-3 hours), poke into the rock-cut churches of the Göreme Open Air Museum (~£12, or the free Zelve/Çavuşin churches nearby), stop at Çavuşin old Greek village, then take the dolmuş to Ozkonak or Kaymaklı underground city (~£6 entry) and finish at Pigeon Valley and Ortahisar Castle for sunset. A GetYourGuide small-group Green Tour covering much of this runs £30-40 including lunch if you'd rather be driven.

🚌Dolmuş hops ~£4; optional scooter hire £18

🛏Cave hostel/pension in Göreme

• →Red & Rose Valley hike (free)
• →Göreme Open Air Museum (~£12)
• →Çavuşin village and rock churches
• →Ozkonak/Kaymaklı underground city (~£6)
• →Pigeon Valley & Ortahisar Castle
• →Optional hot-air balloon (£130-160, extra)

Morning dolmuş from Göreme to Nevşehir or Kayseri, then either a cheap domestic flight to Istanbul (£30-50, 1h20, book 4-6 weeks ahead) or the overnight/day coach back (£25-30, 10-12 hours). Flights are usually worth it on the last day if you have an international connection — allow at least 4 hours between landing and your onward flight. If you have time before departure, the Nevşehir or Kayseri otogar cafés are a good spot for a final çay and gözleme. Trip ends at Istanbul Airport.

🚌Dolmuş to Nevşehir/Kayseri ~£3; domestic flight to Istanbul ~£40

🛏None (departure day)

• →Transfer to airport
• →Optional last-minute bazaar shopping at Istanbul Airport