Small Group by Design
We cap every departure at 15 travellers — not as a selling point, but as a philosophy. Smaller numbers mean better access, quieter moments, and a guide who actually knows your name.
Turkey Uncovered: Culture, Coastlines & Cappadocia
Fourteen days through layers of empire, faith and landscape — from Byzantine domes to volcanic valleys and turquoise coves.
Duration: 14 Days
Group: Max 15
Style: Small Group
Route: Istanbul → Kayseri
From:
$1,475 pp
Specialist travel since 2001Small group — max 15Led by expert local guidesTrusted by 10,000+ travellers
Why This Tour
What sets this journey apart
Balanced, Not Rushed
The itinerary breathes. You won't be herded between fourteen sites in an afternoon. We build in free time, second cups of tea, and the space to sit with what you've just seen.
Genuine Cultural Depth
We go beyond the famous. Alongside the great monuments, you'll spend time in working bazaars, family-run workshops, and neighbourhoods that most tours simply drive past.
Route
Your route across Turkey
1
Istanbul 1-3
Byzantine domes, Ottoman spice markets & the Bosphorus
2
Bursa 4
First Ottoman capital, silk bazaars & ancient baths
3
Ephesus & Aegean Coast 5-6
Troy, Pergamon & the Library of Celsus
4
Pamukkale & Bodrum 7–9
5
Konya 10
Rumi's mausoleum & the Whirling Dervishes
6
Cappadocia 11-14
Fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches & sunrise balloon flights
At a Glance
Tour snapshot
Duration
14 days, 13 nights
Destinations
Istanbul · Bursa · Ephesus & Aegean Coast · Pamukkale & Bodrum · Konya · Cappadocia
Accommodation
Carefully selected 4-star hotels & one cave hotel in Cappadocia
The Experience
What this journey feels like
Turkey has a particular quality that other countries don't quite replicate: the sensation that you are standing inside history rather than looking at it. The Hagia Sophia is not a ruin — it is a living space that has been church, mosque, and museum across fifteen continuous centuries. The bazaars of Istanbul are not staged for tourists — they are working economies, as they have been for five hundred years.
This journey is built around that quality. The itinerary moves from the layered intensity of Istanbul — where East and West have been negotiating with each other since Constantine — westward along the Aegean coast, where Greece and Rome and Byzantium left their marks on the same stones, and then east into Cappadocia, where the landscape itself becomes surreal: volcanic chimneys, underground cities, and frescoed cave churches carved by early Christian communities hiding from the world above.
““Turkey doesn't ask you to admire it from a distance. It pulls you in.””
Serkan Eser, MP
Day by Day
Your 14-day itinerary
Turkey
Days 1–14
First glimpse of the city that straddles two continents
Arrive at Istanbul Airport and transfer to your hotel in Sultanahmet — the ancient heart of the city, steps from the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. This evening, meet your guide and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner overlooking the Bosphorus.
Fifteen centuries of continuous history, on foot
Begin inside the Hagia Sophia — built in 537 AD, it has been a church, a mosque, and a museum, and it remains one of the most astonishing interiors on earth. Continue to the Blue Mosque, the ancient Hippodrome, and the eerie Basilica Cistern. This afternoon, the Grand Bazaar is yours to explore at your own pace.
Like what you see so far?
Check departure dates and reserve your place with a $354 deposit.
What’s Covered
Included & not included
Included
- 13 nights accommodation (4-star throughout, cave hotel in Cappadocia)
- Breakfast daily and 4 included dinners
- Expert English-speaking guide throughout
- All ground transport by private coach
- Bosphorus boat cruise (Day 3)
- Gulet coast trip, Bodrum (Day 9)
- All entrance fees to listed sites
- Airport transfers on first and last day
- ATOL-protected booking
Not Included
- International flights
- Travel insurance (required — we can recommend providers)
- Optional experiences (balloon flight, etc.)
- Personal spending and gratuities
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Single room supplement (available on request)
Book Your Place
Dates & prices
All departures are based on the tour details shown above. Prices are per person based on twin/double room share.
2026 Departures
2027 Departures
A deposit of $354 secures your place. Full payment due before departure according to your confirmation terms. Single room supplement available on request. Prices include land content as specified; flights not included.
Traveller Reviews
What our guests say
4.9
700+ five-star reviews
““I have travelled with many companies over the years and True Blue Tour stands apart. The guide's knowledge of Turkey was extraordinary — not just the history, but the politics, the food, the people. I came home feeling like I actually understood the country.””
Margaret H. Edinburgh, Scotland · October 2025““We were nervous about a group tour — we had always done things independently. We needn't have been. Twelve people turned out to be exactly the right number: enough to feel sociable, small enough to feel personal. We would not hesitate to travel with True Blue again.””
David & Carolyn P. Toronto, Canada · May 2025““The itinerary was beautifully paced. We saw a lot, but I never felt rushed. Cappadocia was everything people say it is, but it was the smaller moments — a tea house in Bursa, a conversation with a carpet weaver in the bazaar — that I remember most.””
Sarah W. Melbourne, Australia · September 2025Enrich Your Journey
Optional experiences
Hot Air Balloon over Cappadocia
Sunrise flight over the fairy chimneys — 60 to 90 minutes drifting above one of the world's most dramatic landscapes. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, entirely optional.
From €220 per personTurkish Bath (Hamam)
A traditional Ottoman hammam experience in Istanbul — full scrub, foam massage, and the particular pleasure of doing nothing in very hot marble rooms. A genuine ritual, not a tourist trap.
From €55 per personWhirling Dervish Ceremony, Konya
Attend an authentic sema ceremony in Konya — the Sufi ritual of whirling as a form of meditation and devotion to Rumi. Deeply moving, utterly unlike anything else.
Included when availableCommon Questions
Frequently asked questions
Yes — a significant number of our guests travel solo. We offer a single room supplement if you prefer your own room, or we can match you with another solo traveller of the same gender to share. Solo travellers are always welcomed warmly into the group.
This is a moderate-pace tour. You should be comfortable walking for 2–3 hours on cobbled surfaces or uneven ground (archaeological sites). There is no strenuous hiking. If you have specific mobility concerns, please contact us — we can advise honestly on suitability.
No — flights are not included in the tour price. This allows flexibility in your departure city. We can arrange flights on request, or recommend an independent flight search. Transfers from Istanbul Airport on Day 1 and to Kayseri Airport on Day 14 are included.
In the rare event that a departure has fewer than 6 confirmed guests four weeks before departure, we will offer you a full refund, a transfer to another date, or a small group private departure option at a supplement.
Absolutely. This fixed itinerary can be adapted as a private departure for couples, families, or groups of friends — with your own dates, pace adjustments, and extensions. Contact our team to discuss a bespoke version.
A £500 deposit secures your place. Full balance is due 90 days before departure. Cancellation more than 90 days before departure: deposit forfeited. 60–89 days: 50% of total cost. Under 60 days: 100%. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance.
True Blue Tour · Turkey
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Join one of our journeys, or speak to us about a tailor-made version — your dates, your pace.
