Self-Launched Turkey Loop: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus (Self-Launched)

Fly into Istanbul (IST or SAW) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet (roughly 90–120 TRY, ~£3) or the M11 metro + tram combo, which is cheaper still. Check into a Sultanahmet guesthouse or hostel — the old town is where all of tomorrow's sights are, so you avoid paying for transport. Spend the late afternoon walking the Hippodrome square and the waterfront at Eminonu, grabbing a balik ekmek (fish sandwich) from the boats and a Turkish coffee. Buy an Istanbulkart at any kiosk (~£2 card plus top-up) — it covers trams, metro, ferries and buses for the whole trip and gets you discounted fares.

🚌Havaist airport bus or M11 metro + tram (~£3); Istanbulkart ~£2

🛏Sultanahmet hostel/guesthouse, private or dorm room (~£20/night)

• →Airport bus/metro into Sultanahmet
• →Evening wander of the Hippodrome and Eminonu waterfront
• →Buy Istanbulkart transit card

Do the Old Town independently. Book a skip-the-line combo or individual e-tickets for Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace online in advance (Topkapi is closed Tuesdays; Hagia Sophia has separate prayer-time access rules). Walk five minutes between Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome — the whole cluster is on foot. Finish in the Grand Bazaar (closed Sundays), then head to the airport. Take a late-afternoon or evening Turkish Airlines or Pegasus flight IST/SAW → Kayseri (ASR) or Nevsehir (NAV), ~£25–45 booked 3–6 weeks ahead. From Kayseri take the Havas or Kamil Koc shuttle to Goreme (~£5–7, ~1 hr).

🚌Tram to airport (~£1); domestic flight Istanbul→Kayseri ~£35; Kayseri–Goreme shuttle ~£6

🛏Goreme cave-style guesthouse (~£22/night)

• →Hagia Sophia (timed entry ticket)
• →Topkapi Palace
• →Blue Mosque
• →Hippodrome
• →Grand Bazaar

Option A: pre-book an independent sunrise hot-air balloon flight direct with a Cappadocia operator or via GetYourGuide (~£130–170 depending on season — the single biggest optional cost, and the operator's version is priced on top too). Option B: skip the balloon and do the valleys on foot — the Rose and Red Valleys are a 20-minute walk from Goreme and free to hike, with Cavusin cave village and the Uchisar castle rock on the loop. In the afternoon take a dolmus (shared minibus, ~£1) to the Derinkuyu or Kaymakli underground city (~£1.50 entry) and to Pigeon Valley viewpoint. This replaces the operator's guided Red/Rose Valley day with a self-paced version of the same route.

🚌Local dolmus minibuses (~£4 total); valley hikes on foot

🛏Goreme cave-style guesthouse (~£22/night)

• →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£150)
• →Hike Rose/Red Valley and Cavusin
• →Uchisar castle viewpoint
• →Derinkuyu or Kaymakli underground city
• →Pigeon Valley sunset

Morning at the Goreme Open-Air Museum (~£8 entry, walkable or one dolmus stop from town) — go at opening to beat the tour buses. Then a dolmus to Devrent (Imagination) Valley and Pasabagi (Monks' Valley) for the fairy chimneys, plus a short walk through Avanos for the pottery workshops and a cheap Turkish lunch (testi kebab, ~£5). If you want the balloon-free version of the operator's itinerary, this covers the same stops. Evening: either a cheap flight Kayseri → Izmir (~£25–40) with a bus down to Selcuk, or the overnight bus Cappadocia → Izmir (~£18–22, 11–12 hrs) to save a hotel night. Base yourself in Selcuk rather than Kusadasi — it's cheaper and right next to Ephesus.

🚌Dolmus buses (~£4); flight Kayseri→Izmir ~£32 + Izmir–Selcuk bus ~£4, or overnight bus ~£20

🛏Selcuk guesthouse (~£22/night) or overnight bus

• →Goreme Open-Air Museum
• →Devrent Valley fairy chimneys
• →Pasabagi
• →Avanos pottery workshops
• →Turkish lunch in Avanos

Take the morning train or bus from Selcuk to Denizli (~£3–5, 3 hrs) then the dolmus up to Pamukkale village (~£1). Buy the combined Pamukkale + Hierapolis ticket at the gate (~£10–12) and walk the travertine terraces barefoot (shoes off, and note the designated walking paths to protect the pools). Antique Pool (Cleopatra's Sacred Pool) is an optional extra ~£8 if you want the swim among sunken columns. Explore the Hierapolis ruins and the theatre on the same ticket, then head back to Selcuk in the evening. Going independently means you can arrive at opening and dodge the midday coach crowds — the operator's day here is guided but hits the same sites.

🚌Selcuk–Denizli train/bus ~£4 each way; Denizli–Pamukkale dolmus ~£2 return

🛏Selcuk guesthouse (~£22/night)

• →Pamukkale travertine terraces
• →Hierapolis ancient city and theatre
• →Optional Antique Pool swim (~£8)
• →Red Springs viewpoint

Walk or take a 10-minute minibus to the Ephesus upper gate (~£1) and arrive at 08:00 opening (~£12 entry, or ~£22 with the terrace houses — worth it). Walk downhill through the Celsus Library and Great Theatre to the lower exit. From there a taxi or dolmus (~£3–5) takes you up to the House of the Virgin Mary (~£6 entry), then back into Selcuk for the single remaining column of the Temple of Artemis (free) and the Ephesus Museum if time allows (~£3). Evening: fly Izmir (ADB) → Istanbul (~£30–45 booked ahead) and stay near the tram line; if a flight is pricey, the Izmir–Istanbul overnight bus is ~£20.

🚌Selcuk minibus/taxi (~£5); Izmir airport train ~£2; flight Izmir→Istanbul ~£35

🛏Istanbul hostel/guesthouse near Sultanahmet or Karakoy (~£20/night)

• →Ancient Ephesus (upper gate entry)
• →Terrace Houses of Ephesus
• →House of the Virgin Mary
• →Temple of Artemis
• →Ephesus Museum (optional)

Use the morning for whatever you skipped: the Basilica Cistern (~£10), a Bosphorus ferry on the public vapur (~£1.50 each way, far cheaper than a tour boat), or a wander through Balat and Fener's backstreets for breakfast. Then take the Havaist bus or M11 metro back to the airport for your flight home. Leave 3 hours before an international departure — Istanbul traffic is real, but the metro/tram route is traffic-proof.

🚌Public ferry ~£3; airport bus/metro ~£3

🛏—

• →Basilica Cistern
• →Public Bosphorus ferry
• →Balat/Fener neighbourhood walk