Wonders of Turkey with Gulet — Self-Launched Route

Fly into IST or SAW and take the Havaist airport bus or Metro/Marmaray into Sultanahmet (≈£2–4) rather than a £30 transfer. Settle into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu. Spend the late afternoon on an orientation wander: Hippodrome, the outer courtyards of the Blue Mosque, and a sunset walk across Galata Bridge with a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) for dinner.

🚌Havaist bus or Metro from airport (~£2–4)

🛏Hostel dorm or simple guesthouse, Sultanahmet/Beyoğlu (~£15–22pp)

• →Orientation walk: Hippodrome & Blue Mosque exterior
• →Galata Bridge sunset & street food

Do the fully-guided Old City day yourself with a combined ticket or Istanbul Museum Pass (≈£45–55 for the pass; individual entries ~£25 for Hagia Sophia, free for Blue Mosque). Morning: Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Afternoon: tram to Dolmabahçe Palace (separate ~£25 ticket, book a timed slot online in peak season). Optional late-afternoon Bosphorus public ferry (≈£1.50–3 one way on the Şehir Hatları line) instead of a £40 private cruise — arguably better. Download a GetYourGuide self-guided audio tour of Sultanahmet (~£5) if you want commentary.

🚌Tram + public ferry (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm or simple guesthouse (~£15–22pp)

• →Hagia Sophia (self-guided, ~£25)
• →Blue Mosque (free)
• →Dolmabahçe Palace (~£25)
• →Public Bosphorus ferry (~£3)

Overnight coach from Istanbul's Esenler or Alibeyköy otogar to Çanakkale (~7 hrs, £15–20, Metro Turizm/Pamukkale Turizm). Drop bags at a hotel near the ferry pier. In the afternoon take the local minibus/dolmuş to the Gallipoli peninsula (or a Çanakkale-based half-day battlefield tour, ~£30–40 via GetYourGuide including ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, The Nek and Johnston's Jolly). Alternatively hire a bike or join the cheap ferry-and-shuttle combo. Evening back in Çanakkale for a seafood dinner on the promenade.

🚌Overnight intercity coach Istanbul–Çanakkale (~£18) + local dolmuş (~£4)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Çanakkale centre (~£18–25pp)

• →Gallipoli battlefields: ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly
• →Trenches and tunnels walk

Morning dolmuş to Troy (~30 min, £2–3). Entry to the archaeological site plus the excellent Troy Museum is covered by a combined ticket (~£20, and the Museum Pass Türkiye covers it). Two hours on site is plenty with the audio guide. Optionally stop at Behramkale/Assos on the way if you have your own wheels — otherwise head back and take an afternoon coach south to Kuşadası (~5–6 hrs via İzmir, £12–18). Base yourself near the seafront for two nights.

🚌Dolmuş to Troy (~£3) + coach Çanakkale–Kuşadası (~£15)

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Kuşadası (~£15–22pp)

• →Ancient Troy archaeological site
• →Troy Museum
• →Kuşadası seafront evening

Take the dolmuş to Selçuk (~£2) and walk or shuttle to Ephesus (entry ~£30 — covered by Museum Pass). Arrive at 08:00 opening to dodge crowds; the Library of Celsus, amphitheatre and Terrace Houses are the highlights. Then the Ephesus Archaeology Museum in Selçuk (~£5, or free with pass), the single remaining column of the Temple of Artemis, and an afternoon minibus up to the hill village of Şirince for fruit-wine tasting (~£6–10 for a tasting flight) and lunch. Skip the carpet-village sales stop — buy directly from a weaver's co-op in Selçuk if you want a rug.

🚌Dolmuş/minibus Kuşadası–Selçuk–Şirince (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Kuşadası (~£15–22pp)

• →Ephesus ancient city (~£30)
• →Library of Celsus & Great Theatre
• →Ephesus Archaeology Museum (~£5)
• →Temple of Artemis site
• →Şirince wine tasting (~£8)

Morning coach Kuşadası–Fethiye (~4.5 hrs, £12–15). Book a 3-night Fethiye–Göcek gulet cruise in advance — small operators like Alarga, Harmonia or via GetYourGuide/Klook sell shared-cabin berths at ~£180–260pp for 3 nights full board in shoulder season (much cheaper than a private charter). Board around midday; the boat typically sails to Turunç or Tarzan Bay for the first swim and snorkel stop, then anchors off Tersane Island where you can swim ashore to Byzantine-era shipyard ruins. Dinner on board.

🚌Coach Kuşadası–Fethiye (~£13)

🛏Shared twin/double cabin on a gulet, full board (~£65–85pp/night incl. meals)

• →Swim & snorkel at Turunç/Tarzan Bay
• →Tersane Island ruins
• →Sunset on deck

Classic gulet day: breakfast at anchor, then sail to Hamam Bay where you can actually swim in the sunken Roman baths (free, from the boat). Continue to Sarsala Bay for lunch and an optional 45-minute hike up to the ruins of the ancient Lycian settlement above the bay. Afternoon stop at Bedri Rahmi Bay to see the fish mural painted on the rock by the Turkish artist. All meals included on board.

🚌Gulet (included in cruise price)

🛏Shared gulet cabin, full board (~£65–85pp/night incl. meals)

• →Swim at Hamam Bay Roman baths
• →Sarsala Bay Lycian ruins hike
• →Bedri Rahmi Bay rock painting

Morning spent island-hopping past the Yassıca and Göcek islands with snorkelling stops; final swim at Red Island (Kızılada) before the boat returns to Fethiye harbour mid-afternoon. Disembark, check into a guesthouse near the marina or in Fethiye old town. Evening at the Fethiye fish market — pick your fish and have it grilled at a surrounding restaurant for a modest cover charge (~£10–14 total).

🚌Gulet (included) + walk

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Fethiye (~£18–25pp)

• →Yassıca Islands snorkelling
• →Red Island final swim
• →Fethiye fish market dinner

Long coach day: Fethiye–Denizli (~3.5–4 hrs, £10–14), then dolmuş up to Pamukkale village (~£1.50). Check in, then walk barefoot up the white travertine terraces (combined Pamukkale + Hierapolis ticket ~£25; the Antique Pools with sunken Roman columns cost extra ~£8 to swim). Spend the afternoon in the Hierapolis ruins — theatre, necropolis, Cleopatra's pool area. Stay for sunset over the terraces, which is when the day-trippers leave.

🚌Coach Fethiye–Denizli (~£12) + dolmuş (~£2)

🛏Guesthouse/pension in Pamukkale village (~£15–22pp)

• →Pamukkale travertine terraces (~£25 combined ticket)
• →Hierapolis ancient city
• →Optional Antique Pool swim (~£8)

Morning dolmuş to Denizli, then coach east. Break the journey at Sultanhanı to see the 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai on the Silk Road (~£4 entry, a 10-minute walk from the highway stop). Continue to Konya (~1.5 hrs) for the Mevlana Museum (free) and lunch, then an evening coach Konya–Göreme/Nevşehir (~3.5 hrs, £12–16). Check into a cave hostel or pension in Göreme. Optional whirling-dervish sema ceremony in Cappadocia in the evening (~£15–25).

🚌Dolmuş + coaches Denizli–Sultanhanı–Konya–Göreme (~£20 total)

🛏Cave hostel dorm or family pension, Göreme (~£15–25pp)

• →Sultanhanı Caravanserai (~£4)
• →Mevlana Museum, Konya (free)
• →Optional sema ceremony (~£20)

Optional hot-air balloon at sunrise (~£180–220 booked direct with Royal, Butterfly or Voyager — the single best-value splurge on the trip; book 2–3 days ahead and dress warm). Then Göreme Open Air Museum (~£15) for the painted rock-cut churches, a walk through the fairy chimneys of Love Valley or Rose Valley (free, 2–3 hrs), and an afternoon to Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city (~£8). Dinner in Göreme village.

🚌Local dolmuş + walking (~£4)

🛏Cave hostel dorm or family pension, Göreme (~£15–25pp)

• →Optional hot-air balloon (~£200)
• →Göreme Open Air Museum (~£15)
• →Love/Rose Valley fairy chimney hike
• →Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı underground city (~£8)

Morning bus Göreme–Ankara (~4.5 hrs, £13–16) or the night bus if you'd rather save a night. Visit Anıtkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum (free, allow 1.5–2 hrs, dress respectfully). Then take the high-speed YHT train Ankara–Istanbul (~4.5 hrs, £12–18 booked on TCDD) or the overnight bus (£15–20) into Istanbul. If you'd rather skip Ankara, fly Kayseri/Nevşehir–Istanbul instead (~£30–55 on Pegasus/AJet).

🚌Bus Göreme–Ankara (~£15) + high-speed train Ankara–Istanbul (~£15)

🛏Hostel dorm, Istanbul (~£15–22pp)

• →Anıtkabir mausoleum, Ankara (free)

Slow final morning: Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar, a walk through the Fener/Balat backstreets, or a Turkish breakfast in Beyoğlu (~£6–8). Optional traditional hammam (Kılıç Ali Paşa or Çemberlitaş, ~£25–45). Transfer to the airport by Metro/Havaist for your flight home.

🚌Metro/Havaist to airport (~£3)

🛏—

• →Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar
• →Balat/Fener walk
• →Optional hammam (~£30)