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Immerse your family in Turkey’s captivating scenery on a 14-day tour of the country’s top highlights. Start this epic adventure on Istanbul’s lively streets and finish it on a private gulet on the breathtaking sea of the Mediterranean.
Istanbul / Antalya
10:00
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Marmaris, Fethiye, Antalya
The 14-day tour will let you explore Turkey’s incredible attractions from every dimension. Start on land as you tour Turkey’s most visited city, Istanbul, before taking to the skies in the magical Cappadocia. Later on, enjoy a peaceful cruise coupled with stops at idyllic towns for the rest of your tour.
Strengthen that family bond on a perfect trip designed for families.
Arrive at an airport in Istanbul and enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in Istanbul for the night.
Overnight at Istanbul
Kick-off your Turkish escapade with an exploration of Istanbul’s top attractions. Start at the spectacular 15th century Topkapi Palace, the sultans’ residence for around 300 years. Here, visitors experience the extravagant lifestyle that the Ottoman sultans enjoyed for centuries. Enjoy a stunning view of the Golden Horn and marvel at the palace’s stunning architectural style as you explore the lush and shadowy royal gardens before exploring its lavish inner rooms filled with excellent collections and stylish decorations.
Toe to toe with your private guide and family, proceed to the Blue Mosque, known for its iconic six minarets and blue Iznik tiles. The mosque has a dazzling interior decorated by 20,000 breathtaking blue tiles and illuminated by 260 colorful windows. On the same street and opposite the Blue mosque is another incredible treasure from the city’s glory days; the Hagia Sophia.
At the time of its completion in the 6th century, the Hagia Sophia was the grandest church in Christendom. After the fall of Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque on Sultan Mehmet II’s order. Today, the structure is a stunning hybrid of a mosque and a giant cathedral, boasting incredible decorations from its Christian and Muslim inhabitants. Some will argue it is the most beautiful religious building in Turkey and the world, and they’re probably right.
Last but not least will be the largest and oldest market in Turkey, the Grand Bazaar. Here, you have the opportunity to shop for some of the finest wares from all over the country. You can find cheap and impressive souvenirs to remind you of your magnificent adventure in Istanbul.
Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B
Start the day with a tour of the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, where your family will enjoy impressive displays of modern Turkish modern art and an expansive collection of 11,500 books written in Turkish and foreign languages. At the time of its opening in 2004, it was the first modern and contemporary art museum in Turkey (depending on the ages of children, we can replace the visit with Maritime Museum or Tophane on request).
Proceed to the Bosphorus for a nice and relaxing two-hour cruise of a private yacht. Along the way, enjoy a different view of Istanbul’s spectacular skyline and architectural marvels. Lining both the Asian and European sides are magnificent palaces, fortresses, iconic mosques, and restored Ottoman villas. If you’re lucky, you can even watch dolphins swimming in the clear waters of the straight.
In the afternoon, proceed to the affluent district of Nisantasi for an elegant shopping and dining experience before finishing your day at the heart of the city in the Pera District.
Spend the night in Istanbul.
Overnight at Istanbul | Meals: B
Early morning flight from Istanbul to Nevsehir or Kayseri, and drive to Cappadocia. This scenic region boasts of one of the most unique landscapes on earth and is dotted with stunning pinnacles called fairy chimneys, rock castles, caves, and breathtaking valleys. Immediately start exploring the extraordinary landscape at the Goreme Open Air Museum, famed for its rock-cut churches decorated by impressive frescoes painted over 900 years ago.
Proceed to Pasabag Valley, where you will witness the largest concentration of fairy chimneys in Turkey. The thousands of rock pillars in the valley create striking scenery that makes for a fantastic photo spot. As you explore the rock forest, watch out for intriguing cave homes crafted into the fairy chimneys thousands of years ago by medieval monks.
Overnight at Cappadocia | Meals: B, L
At sunrise, embark on a breathtaking hot-air balloon flight across Cappadocia to enjoy spectacular views of valleys, fairy chimneys, vineyards, and monasteries washed in the orange light of the early morning sun.
After the flight, proceed to the expansive Kaymakli Underground City, once a haven for persecuted Christians in medieval times. Descend the four impressive levels open to the public, exploring the stables, schools, storage rooms, living quarters, churches, wine presses, and ventilation shafts that made life possible in the underground town.
Overnight at Cappadocia | Meals: B, L
Take an early morning flight to the port city of Izmir for a tour of the ancient ruins of Ephesus, which was once the capital of Roman Asia and the second-largest city in the ancient world. Here, you will explore the awe-inspiring ruins of one of the wonders of the ancient world; the Temple of Artemis.
The site is also home to the Great Theatre and the Celsus Library. This theatre was the largest in ancient Rome and could accommodate up to 24,000 spectators eager to witness the valiant gladiator battles, sporting competitions, and art performances. Today, Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches for about 8 square kilometers.
Spend the day walking the cobblestone streets of this magnificent city, followed by a visit to the House of Virgin Mary.
Overnight at Sirince | Meals: B, L
You will spend the next 7 days cruising turquoise waters and exploring the seaside towns and ancient ruins.
C/out after early morning breakfast and a couple of hours of swimming in the clear blue waters. private transfer to Marmaris for a 7-day gulet cruise of the sea.
Upon embarkation, enjoy your welcome cocktails while the crew sets the sails off to Ekincik. Disembark for a hike, and trek through a glorious landscape. Along the way, dip into therapeutic natural hot springs, explore the ruins of Caunus and swim in the fresh, clear waters of Lake Koycegiz. Return to the gulet in Semisce Cove for dinner on the sea.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
Early morning sail to Fethiye, which houses the impressive ruins of Lycia. After a delicious breakfast, enjoy snorkeling in the calm waters of the Aga Limani Cove while surrounded by beautiful coral. After you’ve had enough of the waters, head to land for a three-hour scenic hike through Lydia. Here, explore magnificent ruins rich in Roman and Byzantine history before proceeding to the Batik Hamam (where it is believed that Cleopatra took a bath).
Return to the yacht for lunch and sail for Gocek Lagoon.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
In the morning, the yacht slowly sails towards Gemiler Island. After an easy hike to the shore, spend a few hours exploring this treasure cove of Byzantine-era ruins. Visit the ruins of a monastery, a temple, and a basilica decorated with mosaics. After a delicious lunch, swim in the secluded bay and resume your hiking expedition along the coast for three hours before meeting the Soguksu Cove vessel for some more swimming and snorkeling.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
Sail into the Burguncuk cove and spend some time exploring Lycian and Byzantine ruins by the coast. Proceed to Kalkan through the Seven Capes and drive to the traditional mountain village of Bezirgan for a delicious local lunch. From there, explore the ruins of Xanthos, and proceed to the vast Patara beach. Your yacht will be waiting at the Firnazlar Cove.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
Sail to the beautiful seaside town of Kas, dominated by charming whitewashed houses and beautiful bougainvillea blossoms. Spend half a day here and after lunch, proceed to the underwater ruins of Aparlae and explore with your snorkel. Climb up the cliffs of nearby Kekova for a breathtaking view of the sunset before returning to your yacht for dinner in Skyrock Bay.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
After a sumptuous breakfast, start your day with a swim in the calm waters of the bay. Sail to Myra and explore the hillside tombs, and continue to Ulupinar for a delicious lunch with a glass of local wine. Spend the afternoon visiting Olympos, Chimaera, and relaxing on a white sandy beach under the warm sun.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
More swimming and beach time and spend your last night on the gulet.
Overnight on board | Meals: B, L, D
Disembark the yacht and continue to the next destination (if any) or transfer to Antalya for a domestic flight to Istanbul. From Istanbul, transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
Meals: B
Absolutely! At the time of the booking, we will advise the best available route and once we have a better idea of your travel type, we can also discuss other alternatives for sure.
We just returned from our 12 day tour with two teen daughters that included Istanbul, Cappadocia and Kas. We are season travelers (this was our 26th country), and we all agreed that this was one of the best int’l travel experiences we’ve ever had. Working with Ismael was a great experience beginning to end – he planned the perfect trip for us, he was very communicative and flexible throughout the whole process, and when things went wrong (they always do) he was immediately available to help adjust our plans. The tour guides he chose for us were first rate, the quality of the private shuttles, boats, drivers, etc… far exceeded our expectations. And Turkey was everything we’d hoped for and more. This was the first time we’ve ever used a travel agent to help us plan a trip, but it will not be the last. I couldn’t recommend Made in Turkey more highly.
This was to be a family trip to be remembered! So, we did TONS of emailing back and forth with Ismail before our trip. Ismail!!!…. the most patient, gracious, accommodating and knowledgeable person ever! We cannot say enough about our experience with everything that was arranged and recommended for our 13 day trip. Everything was first class from the hotels in Istambul and Cappadocia, the tours of the city, ballon ride, the transfers, drivers, restaurants, amazing guides, and our fabulous time in the Gulet sailing on the Coast of Turkiye! We were spoilt rotten by the crew with the service and level of comfort and safety. We would not hesitate to recommend Ismail and Made in Turkey Tours to plan the PERFECT holiday for you. We will never forget our time in Turkiye and we definitely plan to come back!
My wife and I travelled to Turkey in late March/early April on a trip organized and customized for us by “Made in Turkey Tours” (MTT). We had a number of ground rules involving a more luxurious trip than is commonly booked. Ismail organized the trip and at every step, he strived to implement our requests. All of his responses were quick, professional, and helpful. We handled our own arrangements in Istanbul, and the tour started with pickup in Istanbul. The conditions were imperfect due to lockdowns starting and ending during the trip. Despite that every contact, pickup, etc. was on time or early, and all accommodations met or exceeded our expectations. The car, driver and guide were excellent.
Our itinerary was Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, and after a break on a gulet, Fethiye, then back to Istanbul. We had a full-time guide named Fathi who was excellent. Fathi had an encyclopedic knowledge of Turkish history and culture. Since there have been dozens of major civilizations in Asia Minor over the years, he knew a lot. Equally important Fathi was able to communicate his excitement over the subject. He was also adept at gauging how tired we might be at times, and how events – like the snowstorm in Cappadocia – changed the itinerary on the fly.
Cappadocia is of course one of the great sights to see in the world, and we saw as much as we could despite the snow and fog storm that lead to a balloon flight cancellation. We were able to see the Dervishes in an 800-year-old caravanserai. There were at most 30 others in the audience in a venue that could have seated hundreds. There are good things and bad things about travelling in the pandemic. We also met and had dinner with Ismail in Cappadocia.
A note on the itinerary – we chose to go to Konya rather than Pamukkalle since we’ve seen unusual rock formations before and it’s not our thing. We also chose to limit the driving time to a maximum of about four hours a day, which the route through Konya facilitated. Konya is itself an interesting city. Travel is about both past and present, and the drive (by accident) through the large and rapidly expanding industrial areas of Konya was a sight in itself. By taking the route through Konya we were able to visit the prehistoric city of Catalhoyuk – arguably the second oldest city in the world. We also visited the caravanserai at Sultanani as one of our rest stops along the way.
We enjoyed Antalya which has major Roman and Greek sights, but it’s basically a beach resort, and when in a beach town, you should go to a beach resort. It must be said that Antalya does have an attractive “old town” which might have been fun to stay in in non-pandemic times. One of the three choices Ismail gave us was the Rixos resort in Antalya. This resort was >90% (by our estimate) inhabited by Russians and predominantly young Russian families. This provided it’s own window on travel and life around the world. The food at the all-inclusive buffets was surprisingly good and authentic as much as we can judge authenticity. Since the Russians (as an Istanbul guide said) “deny the pandemic” the Rixos was fairly busy. There is a long beach and cliff walk in front of the hotel linking much of Antalya.
When you pay in advance there’s always trepidation about what will result. In the case of MTT, everything promised was delivered and everything was very good or excellent. A set of refunds for the balloon rides and a hotel misunderstanding were promptly processed and sent to us.