Solo-ish Turkey: Self-Launched Istanbul to Selçuk
8 days · Turkey
G Adventures charges £1,250
No-markup version: ~£475 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly take on G Adventures' 8-day "Solo-ish Turkey" route: Istanbul's Ottoman landmarks and street-food scene, a domestic flight to Cappadocia for cave-town hostels, underground cities, pottery and gözleme cooking with a local family, then overnight coach across the Anatolian plateau via Konya's Mevlana Museum to Izmir and Selçuk for Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis and a village hike to the Aegean coast. Everything is bookable yourself: e-visa, museum passes, GetYourGuide day tours, budget domestic flights and Turkey's excellent intercity bus network. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Istanbul — Sultanahmet base + street food crawl
Istanbul
Fly into IST or SAW and take the M11 metro + Marmaray or Havabus shuttle (approx £2-5) to Sultanahmet, the old city. Check into a hostel or small budget hotel in Sultanahmet/Sirkeci. In the late afternoon do your own street-food crawl: simit from a cart, balık ekmek (fish sandwich) at Eminönü, lahmacun and künefe in the side streets, washed down with Turkish tea. Grab an Istanbulkart from a kiosk for all public transport. Apply for your Turkish e-visa online (around £35-45 depending on nationality) before you fly.
🚌Airport metro/Marmaray or Havabus shuttle ~£2-5; tram and ferry rides on Istanbulkart ~£1 each
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Sultanahmet (dorm ~£12-18 or private ~£30)
- →Self-guided street food crawl in Eminönü/Sultanahmet
- →Istanbulkart pickup
- →Sunset tea on the Galata Bridge
A perfect day in Istanbul — Topkapı, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern
Istanbul
Do the classic old-city circuit on foot. Book a timed Hagia Sophia entry (now a mosque — free to enter outside prayer times, or paid entry to the upper gallery area depending on current rules) and a Basilica Cistern ticket (approx £10-12) online to skip queues. Topkapı Palace ticket with Harem is around £30-35 direct from the official site or via GetYourGuide. Wander the Hippodrome and Blue Mosque courtyard, then finish at the Spice Bazaar (open daily; note Grand Bazaar is closed Sundays). A guided small-group old-city walking tour on GetYourGuide is a good value alternative at roughly £25-40 if you want context.
🚌All on foot + occasional tram ~£2
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Sultanahmet
- →Hagia Sophia visit
- →Topkapı Palace + Harem
- →Blue Mosque courtyard
- →Basilica Cistern
- →Spice Bazaar
Fly to Cappadocia — Göreme Open Air Museum, Avanos pottery & gözleme cooking
Göreme, Cappadocia
Book a morning domestic flight Istanbul (IST/SAW) to Kayseri or Nevşehir (Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus — often £25-45 one way if booked ahead). From Kayseri take the Havas/servis shuttle to Göreme (~£5-8, about 1 hour). Check into a cave hostel in Göreme. Afternoon: walk or dolmuş to Göreme Open Air Museum (entry ~£12) for the rock-cut churches, then a dolmuş to Avanos (~£1.50) for a pottery workshop at a family atelier (around £15-25, bookable via GetYourGuide or walk-in at Güray Museum area). Evening: join a gözleme cooking session — many Göreme guesthouses and small family kitchens run these for £15-25 including dinner; alternatively book via GetYourGuide.
🚌Domestic flight ~£25-45; Kayseri-Göreme shuttle ~£5-8; local dolmuş ~£1.50
🛏Cave hostel/guesthouse, Göreme (dorm ~£12-18, private ~£30-40)
- →Göreme Open Air Museum
- →Avanos pottery workshop
- →Gözleme cooking class with a local family
Cappadocia free day — balloon, Rose Valley hike or Turkish bath
Göreme, Cappadocia
Sunrise hot air balloon is the splurge of the trip — book via GetYourGuide or direct with operators like Royal or Butterfly; expect £130-190 per person, and book several days ahead (flights cancel in wind). Cheaper alternative: watch the balloons from Göreme's viewpoint or the rooftop of your hostel for free. Daytime: hike the Rose Valley/Red Valley loop (3-4 hours, self-guided, free) or rent a bike (~£10-15/day). Options include the Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city by dolmuş, or a traditional hammam in Ürgüp/Avanos (~£15-25, cheaper than hotel spas). Casual dinner on a terrace overlooking the valley.
🚌On foot, dolmuş ~£1.50-3, optional bike rental ~£10-15
🛏Cave hostel/guesthouse, Göreme
- →Sunrise balloon flight (optional, £130-190) or free viewpoint
- →Rose Valley self-guided hike
- →Optional Turkish bath ~£15-25
Kaymaklı Underground City, Konya's Mevlana Museum, overnight to Izmir
Cappadocia → Konya → Izmir
Morning dolmuş or local bus to Kaymaklı Underground City (entry ~£6-8) — go early to beat the coaches. Then take a bus from Nevşehir or Göreme otogar to Konya (about 3.5-4 hours, ~£8-12 with Süha or Kamil Koç). In Konya, store bags at the otogar or a café and walk to the Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum of Rumi (free entry), plus the nearby Selimiye mosque and bazaar. Evening: take an overnight coach Konya to Izmir (about 9-10 hours, ~£15-22) — reclining seats, book a window on the top deck. Alternatively, fly Konya-Izmir for ~£25-40 if you'd rather sleep in a bed.
🚌Dolmuş/bus to Kaymaklı ~£2; Nevşehir-Konya bus ~£8-12; Konya-Izmir overnight coach ~£15-22
🛏Overnight intercity coach (or budget hotel in Izmir if flying)
- →Kaymaklı Underground City
- →Mevlana Museum & Rumi's mausoleum
- →Konya bazaar wander
Izmir waterfront breakfast, Agora and Kemeraltı, then Selçuk
Izmir → Selçuk
Arrive Izmir in the morning and head for Kordon (the Corniche) for a proper Turkish breakfast — beyaz peynir, olives, menemen, endless tea, roughly £6-9. Walk the Agora of Smyrna ruins (~£3) and lose an hour in the Kemeraltı bazaar for cheap coffee and produce. Then take the İZBAN commuter train from Alsancak or Basmane to Selçuk (~£1.50, about 1h15) or the regional train from Basmane. Check into a guesthouse in Selçuk town, a 5-minute walk from the basilica and 15 minutes from Ephesus' lower gate. Evening: cheap pide or köfte at a local lokanta (~£6-8).
🚌İZBAN train Izmir-Selçuk ~£1.50; local tram ~£1
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Selçuk (~£15-25)
- →Kordon waterfront breakfast
- →Agora of Smyrna
- →Kemeraltı Bazaar
Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, Ahmetbeyli village hike & fruit wine
Selçuk
Get to Ephesus for opening (08:00) — buy the ticket direct or on GetYourGuide (~£20-25, audio guide ~£5 and worth it), and enter via the Upper Gate so you descend the Curetes Street towards the Library of Celsus. Walk 15 minutes to the single remaining column of the Temple of Artemis (free). Optional: St John's Basilica (~£3), Isa Bey Mosque (free), or a dolmuş to Şirince village for fruit wine tasting (~£1.50 each way, tastings £3-5). Afternoon: self-guided hike from Çile down to Ahmetbeyli/Pamucak beach on the coast (2-3 hours, well-marked, bring water) and swim. Farewell dinner back in Selçuk with local fruit wine (~£10-12).
🚌Dolmuş to Ephesus/Şirince ~£1.50 each way; on foot for the hike
🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Selçuk
- →Ephesus ancient ruins with audio guide
- →Temple of Artemis
- →Çile–Ahmetbeyli coastal hike
- →Optional Şirince village & fruit wine tasting
Depart — Selçuk to Izmir airport (or back to Istanbul)
Selçuk
Breakfast at your guesthouse, a last wander past the basilica, then the airport run. Cheapest: İZBAN/train to Izmir Basmane plus metro to Fahrettin Altay and the İzmir Adnan Menderes airport connection (~£2-3 total, about 1h30). Easier: pre-booked shared shuttle or taxi from Selçuk (~£15-25 shared, ~£45-55 private). If your flight home is from Istanbul, take the Izmir-IST domestic hop (~£25-45) or the direct Selçuk-Istanbul overnight bus (~£20-25, 9-10 hours).
🚌Train/metro to Izmir airport ~£2-3, or shared shuttle ~£15-25
🛏—
- →Last Turkish breakfast in Selçuk
- →Optional St John's Basilica visit before departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£475 | £1,250 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £775 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£475
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Solo-ish Turkey: Self-Launched Istanbul to Selçuk cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £475 per person for 8 days in Turkey. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £475 — a saving of roughly £775 (62%) per person.
How long is the Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Turkey.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, foodie trip through Turkey, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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