Highlights of Turkey: Self-Launched 10-Day Loop from Istanbul

Fly into Istanbul (IST or SAW) and take the metro/Marmaray combo into Sultanahmet for around £2 — no need for the operator's hotel transfer. Check into a hostel or small pension in Sultanahmet or Sirkeci (dorms from £12, private rooms from £30). In the late afternoon walk the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque exterior and Gülhane Park, then head to the Grand Bazaar before it closes (Mon–Sat, roughly 09:00–19:00, free entry) and browse the lanes of lamps, leather and tea. Finish with a cheap dinner of pide or a balik ekmek (fish sandwich) by Eminönü and a rooftop tea with a Bosphorus view.

🚌Airport metro + Marmaray to Sultanahmet (~£2); everything else on foot or one tram ride (~£0.60)

🛏Hostel dorm or small pension in Sultanahmet/Sirkeci (~£12–30)

• →Self-guided walk: Hippodrome & Blue Mosque exterior
• →Grand Bazaar browsing
• →Eminönü ferry pier sunset

Buy your Topkapı Palace ticket online in advance (about £15 including the Harem — book direct via the official site or Klook to skip the queue) and get there at opening to beat the crowds. Then cross to Hagia Sophia (entry around £22 for foreign visitors, buy at the gate or online) and the Blue Mosque (free, dress modestly, avoid prayer times). After lunch, descend into the Basilica Cistern (~£7) and, if you have energy, book a short sunset Bosphorus cruise on GetYourGuide/Klook (about £10–15 for 90 minutes). Dinner in Kadıköy across the water if you want a more local, cheaper scene — hop the ferry (~£0.80) and eat at the market streets.

🚌Tram T1 and public ferry (~£3 total)

🛏Sultanahmet hostel/guesthouse (~£12–30)

• →Topkapı Palace self-guided visit
• →Hagia Sophia entry
• →Blue Mosque visit
• →Basilica Cistern
• →Optional sunset Bosphorus cruise (GetYourGuide ~£12)

Cover the long transfer and the Gallipoli visit in one day the smart way: take an early intercity bus from Istanbul's Esenler or Alibeyköy otogar to Eceabat/Çanakkale (about 5.5–6 hrs, £15–20, book on Biletall/obilet or at the otogar). From Eceabat, a half-day small-group Gallipoli tour with a local operator (TJ's Tours, Hassle Free or Crowded House, roughly £30–40 incl. lunch) covers ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair with the historical context you'd otherwise miss. Alternatively, self-drive isn't practical — the guided minibus is genuinely worth it here. Sleep in Çanakkale (dorms/hostels from £12, guesthouses £20–30) and eat a cheap iskender kebab by the waterfront.

🚌Intercity coach Istanbul–Eceabat/Çanakkale (~£17); local dolmuş to ferry/pier (~£1)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Çanakkale (~£12–30)

• →Intercity bus Istanbul–Çanakkale
• →Half-day Gallipoli battlefields tour (ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair)
• →Çanakkale waterfront evening

Start with the archaeological site of Troy just south of Çanakkale (about £10 entry, reachable by dolmuş from Çanakkale otogar, ~£2 — the wooden horse replica is the photo stop). Then take a bus south to Bergama (change at İzmir or take a direct Bergama service, roughly 3–4 hrs total, £10–12) and climb or take the cable car up to the Pergamum Acropolis (~£10 entry, cable car ~£2) to see the steep theatre, the Temple of Trajan and the library site. Continue by bus from Bergama/İzmir to Kuşadası in the late afternoon (about 3 hrs, ~£8). Stay in Kuşadası or the cheaper and more charming Selçuk (hostels from £12).

🚌Dolmuş + intercity coaches Çanakkale–Bergama–İzmir–Selçuk (~£22)

🛏Hostel or pansiyon in Selçuk/Kuşadası (~£12–25)

• →Troy archaeological site
• →Pergamum Acropolis and library site
• →Cable car to Pergamum

Be at Ephesus gates for the 08:00 opening (entry about £15, buy on Klook or at the gate; the Terrace Houses add-on ~£5 is worth it). Arrive on foot or by a 10-minute minibus from Selçuk. Download an audio guide or book a 2-hour small-group guided entry on GetYourGuide (~£25–30) if you want the history explained — otherwise the on-site signage is decent. In the afternoon, take a dolmuş to hilltop Şirince (about £1.50) for wine tasting and gözleme, and visit the small Ephesus Museum in Selçuk (£3) and the Basilica of St John / İsa Bey Mosque. Optional: the House of the Virgin Mary by taxi or tour (~£15). Dinner in Selçuk's market street.

🚌Minibus Selçuk–Ephesus (~£1); dolmuş to Şirince (~£1.50)

🛏Selçuk hostel/pansiyon (~£12–25)

• →Ephesus ancient city + Terrace Houses
• →Şirince village
• →Ephesus Museum
• →Basilica of St John (optional)

Take a morning bus from Selçuk/İzmir to Denizli (about 3–3.5 hrs, £10–12), then the local dolmuş up to Pamukkale village (£1.50). Buy the combined Pamukkale + Hierapolis ticket (~£22 on Klook; a separate Cleopatra's Pool ticket is ~£7). Walk the white travertines barefoot (go early or late to avoid the midday crush), then explore the Roman ruins of Hierapolis including the theatre and necropolis. Stay overnight in Pamukkale village (pansiyons from £15 with breakfast) so you can see the terraces at sunset — this is the single biggest upgrade over the coach-tour schedule. Whirling Dervish ceremonies run in the region some evenings (~£15–25) — ask your guesthouse to book.

🚌Intercity coach Selçuk–Denizli (~£11) + dolmuş (~£1.50)

🛏Pamukkale village pansiyon with breakfast (~£15–25)

• →Pamukkale travertines
• →Hierapolis ruins
• →Optional Cleopatra's Pool
• →Optional Whirling Dervish ceremony

Bus from Denizli to Konya (about 6 hrs, £15–18) — an early start is needed. In Konya visit the Mevlana Museum (free or a small fee, allow 1.5 hrs; modest dress) and the nearby Selimiye mosque, then grab lunch of Konya's famous etli ekmek. On the road to Cappadocia, ask the bus driver to drop you at Sultanhani to see the 13th-century Silk Road caravanserai (~£2 entry) and pick up the next Konya–Nevşehir/Aksaray service — or simply see it on a Konya–Göreme bus that stops nearby. Arrive Göreme in the evening; cave hostels and guesthouses start around £15–20 for a dorm and £30+ for a cave room.

🚌Intercity coaches Denizli–Konya–Göreme (~£22)

🛏Göreme cave hostel or guesthouse (~£15–35)

• →Mevlana Museum, Konya
• →Selimiye Mosque
• →Sultanhani Caravanserai stop
• →Evening in Göreme village

If you want the balloon flight, book it yourself on GetYourGuide or Klook well in advance (about £150–190 for standard, more for premium baskets) — it's the priciest add-on but the one many travellers rate top of the trip. Otherwise, hire a scooter or join a small-group Green Tour (~£30–35) covering Kaymaklı underground city, Ihlara Valley and Uçhisar. Independently: the Göreme Open-Air Museum (~£8), a self-guided walk through Love Valley and Pigeon Valley, and Uçhisar Castle (~£5). Do the Red/Rose Valley sunset hike on foot, then a hammam or a cheap local pide dinner in Göreme. Note that the operator's folklore night (~£55 with drinks) is easily replaced by a meyhane evening for £20.

🚌Scooter hire (~£20) or dolmuş/local minibus (~£5)

🛏Göreme cave hostel/guesthouse (~£15–35)

• →Optional hot air balloon (self-booked)
• →Göreme Open-Air Museum
• →Love Valley & Pigeon Valley walks
• →Kaymaklı Underground City
• →Uçhisar Castle
• →Sunset in Red Valley

Skip the 11-hour bus day that reviewers complain about: fly Nevşehir or Kayseri to Istanbul from around £30–45 one-way (Turkish Airlines/Pegasus/Anadolujet; book early for the cheapest fares). A morning airport shuttle from Göreme costs ~£5–8. If you want Ankara, take an early bus Göreme–Ankara (~4.5 hrs, £8) to see the Atatürk Mausoleum (free) and then the high-speed train Ankara–Istanbul (~4 hrs, £12–15) or a cheap flight. Back in Istanbul, stay a second time in Sultanahmet or cross to Beyoğlu for a different vibe; spend the evening on İstiklal Caddesi and eat at a Karaköy lokantası.

🚌Göreme airport shuttle (~£6) + one-way domestic flight (~£35)

🛏Istanbul hostel/guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu (~£15–35)

• →Domestic flight to Istanbul (or Ankara stop with Anıtkabir)
• →İstiklal Caddesi evening walk
• →Karaköy food streets

Last morning: the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü (free) for Turkish delight and saffron, a simit and çay breakfast for under £2, and a final ferry across to Kadıköy for the market if time allows. If you're flying out later, book a cheap airport bus (Havaist ~£3) or use the metro/Marmaray (~£2) rather than a taxi. Pick up any last souvenirs on the way — prices in the bazaar are negotiable, usually 20–30% off the first quote.

🚌Metro/Marmaray or Havaist bus to the airport (~£2–3)

🛏Departure day

• →Spice Bazaar
• →Kadıköy market (optional)
• →Ferry crossing