Jewels of Turkey & Egypt — Self-Launched: Istanbul to Cairo

Land at IST or SAW and take the Havaist airport bus or metro + Marmaray into Sultanahmet (~£3–5) rather than a private transfer. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu. Spend the late afternoon on a free orientation wander: Sultanahmet Square, the outer walls of the Blue Mosque, and a sunset çay on a rooftop. Sort out an Istanbulkart transit card (about £5 with credit) at the airport or any kiosk — you'll use it all week.

🚌Havaist airport bus or metro into the city (~£4)

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse, Sultanahmet/Beyoğlu (~£20/night, dorm or twin)

• →Sultanahmet Square walk
• →Istanbulkart transit card setup

Do the old-city cluster on foot, which beats any guided version for flexibility. Book a timed Hagia Sophia ticket online in advance (now paid entry for foreign visitors, ~£22) or use a small-group skip-the-line tour via GetYourGuide if you want context. Blue Mosque is free (cover shoulders/knees, avoid prayer times). Basilica Cistern ~£8. Wander the Hippodrome en route and finish in the Grand Bazaar — free to enter, and the best value is in the hans and back lanes rather than the main drag. Optional: a budget hammam (Çemberlitaş or a neighbourhood one, ~£20).

🚌On foot / tram (~£2)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Sultanahmet (~£20)

• →Hagia Sophia (timed ticket)
• →Blue Mosque
• →Basilica Cistern
• →Hippodrome
• →Grand Bazaar
• →Optional budget hammam

Morning at the Spice Bazaar (free), then the public Bosphorus commuter ferry from Eminönü to Anadolu Kavağı and back — a fraction of a tourist cruise price (~£3–4) and the same palaces, fortresses and yalıs from the water. Afternoon: pick up supplies, then take the overnight bus from Istanbul's Esenler otobüs terminal to Selçuk (about 10–11 hours, ~£22–28 with Pamukkale or Metro). Alternatively fly Istanbul–Izmir (~£25 on AJet/Pegasus) and bus 1 hour to Selçuk if you'd rather not lose a night.

🚌Eminönü ferry (~£4) + overnight intercity bus to Selçuk (~£25)

🛏Overnight bus (or budget guesthouse in Selçuk if flying, ~£18)

• →Spice Bazaar
• →Public Bosphorus ferry to Anadolu Kavağı
• →Overnight bus south

Base in Selçuk (cheaper and calmer than Kuşadası). Walk or take the local minibus to Ephesus' upper gate (~£1) and enter early — Ephesus entry is about £18 and can be bought at the gate or via Klook. Do the site self-guided with an audio guide app, then the short dolmuş up to Meryem Ana (House of the Virgin Mary, ~£7). On the way back, stop at the single remaining column of the Temple of Artemis and the basilica of St John. Evening in Selçuk's market — cheap pide and çay.

🚌Local dolmuş/minibus (~£4)

🛏Selçuk guesthouse (~£18)

• →Ancient Ephesus self-guided
• →House of the Virgin Mary
• →Temple of Artemis
• →Basilica of St John
• →Selçuk town evening

Take the morning train or bus from Selçuk to Denizli (train ~3 hrs, ~£4; bus ~£6), then the local dolmuş up to Pamukkale village. Entry to the terraces and Hierapolis is one ticket (~£15); walk barefoot down the white travertine pools and explore the Roman theatre, necropolis and agora on the plateau. Antique Pool (Cleopatra's Pool) is an optional extra ~£8. Overnight in Pamukkale village for a quiet, cheap night, or head back to Denizli for a bus onward that evening.

🚌Selçuk–Denizli train (~£4) + dolmuş (~£1)

🛏Pamukkale village pension (~£18)

• →Pamukkale travertine terraces
• →Hierapolis ancient city
• →Optional Antique Pool swim

Use the day for a slow start (a second walk on the terraces at sunrise is free before the crowds), then a daytime or evening bus Denizli → Nevşehir/Göreme (10–12 hrs, ~£25–30 via Süha or Nevşehir Seyahat). If the daytime bus doesn't appeal, spend a night in Denizli and take the overnight. Arrive in Göreme, check into a cave-style hostel or pension, and book your hot-air balloon spot and any day tours for the following days now — balloon slots fill up.

🚌Denizli–Göreme intercity bus (~£27)

🛏Göreme cave hostel/pension (~£20)

• →Sunrise on the terraces
• →Bus transfer to Cappadocia
• →Göreme village orientation

Do a DIY mix of walking and the cheap local dolmuş network. Morning at Göreme Open Air Museum (~£12, Dark Church extra ~£3), then walk the Love Valley trail to Uçhisar and Çavuşin (free, 2–3 hrs). Afternoon: local bus to Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı underground city (~£8 entry) — the same experience as the tour's 'Underground Cities' stop. Sunset from Göreme Panorama or Rose/Red Valley (free). If you want company and logistics sorted, a small-group Red or Green tour on GetYourGuide is ~£30–35 including lunch — comparable to what's included in the original.

🚌Local dolmuş (~£5)

🛏Göreme cave hostel/pension (~£20)

• →Göreme Open Air Museum
• →Love Valley / Rose & Red Valley hike
• →Uçhisar & Çavuşin
• →Derinkuyu underground city
• →Sunset viewpoint

Pre-book a standard hot-air balloon flight directly with an operator (Royal, Butterfly or Voyager) or via GetYourGuide — roughly £150–180 in low season versus the tour's €250 add-on. Flights are weather-dependent, so build in a buffer day if the balloon matters to you. Afterwards, a pottery workshop in Avanos (~£10, and cheaper booked on the ground than through the tour) and Devrent/Pasabagi valleys by dolmuş. Late afternoon bus to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport and a cheap evening flight to Istanbul (~£25–35 on Pegasus/AJet), or the overnight bus (~£22, 11 hrs).

🚌Airport shuttle (~£4) + Kayseri–Istanbul flight (~£30)

🛏Istanbul hostel, Sultanahmet/Beyoğlu (~£20)

• →Hot-air balloon flight at sunrise
• →Avanos pottery workshop
• →Devrent Valley & Pasabagi
• →Flight to Istanbul

Cheap one-way flights Istanbul (SAW) to Cairo run £60–90 on Pegasus, AJet or Egyptair if booked a few weeks ahead. On arrival, get an e-visa in advance online (US$25, ~£20) or visa on arrival, buy a local SIM at the airport (~£8 for 10GB), and take the Cairo Airport shuttle bus or Uber to downtown (~£3–5). Skip the tour's 5-star hotel for a well-rated downtown hostel or budget hotel near Tahrir. Evening walk through Khan el-Khalili and a cheap koshari dinner (~£2).

🚌Istanbul–Cairo flight (~£75) + airport transfer (~£4)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/budget hotel near Tahrir (~£18)

• →Flight to Cairo
• →Visa & SIM setup
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
• →Koshari dinner

Get to Giza early by Uber (~£5) before the heat and coaches. Giza plateau ticket ~£12; going inside a pyramid (e.g. Khufu or the cheaper Menkaure) is extra ~£3–12. The Sphinx viewpoint is included in the plateau ticket. Afternoon back in Tahrir for the Egyptian Museum (~£12) — go with the free-ish audio guide or a small-group guide if you want the Tutankhamun context. Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza is now the headline institution — check opening status and swap in if your dates suit. Evening: felucca or a rooftop shisha in Zamalek.

🚌Uber to Giza and back (~£10)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/budget hotel (~£18)

• →Pyramids of Giza plateau
• →Sphinx
• →Egyptian Museum (or GEM)
• →Zamalek evening

Take the early Egyptair/Nile Air flight Cairo–Aswan (~£45–60 booked ahead; the overnight sleeper train at ~£50 is an alternative but costs more than flying for foreigners). Check into a guesthouse on Elephantine Island or in the Nubian village — cheaper and far more characterful than a cruise cabin. Afternoon boat to Philae Temple (~£8 entry plus ~£3 boat), then a Nubian village visit for tea and dinner (~£10 with a local guide arranged at your guesthouse). Aswan is where you buy your Luxor-bound cruise or, more cheaply, plan the river leg yourself.

🚌Cairo–Aswan flight (~£50) + local boats (~£5)

🛏Nubian guesthouse, Elephantine Island (~£15)

• →Flight to Aswan
• →Philae Temple
• →Nubian village visit

Optional early start for Abu Simbel (~£45–60 shared minibus with convoy, entry ~£12) — long but worth it. Midday, board a 3-night Aswan–Luxor Nile cruise if you want the tour's experience (book on the ground or via GetYourGuide/Klook in low season for ~£55–75/night full board, versus tour-included 4-star boats) — or take the far cheaper felucca option to Kom Ombo (~£25–35 for 1–2 nights with meals) plus a train onward. In the afternoon, Kom Ombo Temple (~£5) and on to Edfu for the night or on board.

🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (~£50) or cruise/felucca onward

🛏Nile cruise cabin (or felucca / Edfu guesthouse)

• →Optional Abu Simbel temples
• →Kom Ombo Temple
• →Board Nile cruise or felucca

Morning at Edfu Temple (~£5, horse carriage ~£3 each way — agree the price first). Sail or bus on to Luxor: afternoon visit to Karnak (~£12) and Valley of the Kings (~£15, plus Tutankhamun ~£10 if you want it) and Hatshepsut Temple (~£7) — a shared taxi or small-group West Bank tour from your hotel is ~£15–20 and covers all three efficiently. Optional: sunrise balloon over the West Bank (~£60–80, book locally for the best rate) or Luxor Temple lit up at night (~£7). Evening or late flight Luxor–Cairo (~£45–60) to connect to your international departure, or overnight train (~£25–35) if you've got a day to spare.

🚌Local transfers and West Bank taxi (~£20) + Luxor–Cairo flight (~£50)

🛏None (onward flight) or budget hotel near Luxor/Cairo airport (~£18)

• →Edfu Temple
• →Karnak Temple
• →Valley of the Kings
• →Hatshepsut Temple
• →Luxor Temple by night
• →Optional sunrise balloon