Turkey Highlights — 12 Days

Morning at the Spice Bazaar for saffron, pistachios and Turkish delight, then a ferry to the Asian side. We climb to Çamlıca Mosque — the largest in Türkiye — for Dhuhr with a view over the whole city, and finish with çay and simit in Üsküdar.

A short morning flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir, then into the valleys. We check into a cave hotel in Göreme — rooms literally carved into the rock — and walk Pigeon Valley at golden hour before dinner with a local family.

A 4:30am pick-up, tea while the envelopes inflate, then lift-off as the sun breaks over the fairy chimneys — an hour drifting over Göreme's valleys. Back for breakfast, then the Göreme Open Air Museum's rock-cut churches and a pottery workshop in Avanos.

A gentle 4km walk along the Melendiz river in Ihlara Gorge, lunch at a riverside trout farm, then down eight levels into the Kaymaklı underground city — a Byzantine-era refuge carved 85 metres into the rock.

We stop in Konya for the Mevlâna Museum — Rumi's mausoleum, green-tiled and quietly overwhelming — with time for Dhuhr in the adjoining mosque complex. Then a scenic drive west to Pamukkale, arriving for dinner and an early night.

Up early for the white calcium terraces before the tour buses arrive — barefoot across the travertines, warm water to your ankles. We pair it with Hierapolis: a Roman theatre, the necropolis and Cleopatra's thermal pool for those who want a swim.

South to the Mediterranean. We wander Kaleiçi's old harbour inside Roman walls, walk through Hadrian's Gate, then cool off at the Düden waterfalls where the river drops straight into the sea. Seafood dinner on the marina.

Yours to spend: an optional boat trip along the coast to hidden bays, a traditional hammam, or simply the resort pool and a long lunch. Your leader will book whatever the group fancies — or you can do absolutely nothing.

A morning flight back to Istanbul, an afternoon for last-minute shopping at the Arasta Bazaar or a final Turkish coffee, then a farewell dinner where everyone swaps numbers, photos and plans for the next trip.

Breakfast, then a private transfer to Istanbul Airport timed to your flight. If you're extending to an Umrah+ add-on or a few extra nights, we'll hand you over to the same team — no re-explaining anything.

Most travellers — including UK, EU, US, Canadian, Australian, Malaysian and GCC passport holders — can enter Türkiye visa-free or with a fast online e-Visa. Once you book, we send you a personalised visa checklist and a reminder 8 weeks before departure.

Every restaurant on this trip is Muslim-owned, halal-certified, or verified by our Istanbul team. We never serve alcohol and no pork enters the kitchen. Seafood and vegetarian backups are pre-planned at every stop, and your guide carries a translated dietary card for you.

Yes — the itinerary is built around prayer times, not the other way round. We schedule mosque stops into every day (Süleymaniye, Çamlıca, and local mosques in each city), hold Friday prayer in Istanbul at a historic mosque, and build in flexibility for wudu and longer travel days.

Absolutely — around 60% of our travellers join solo and over half are women. You can room with another sister, request a female guide on our July sisters-only departure, and our groups are alcohol-free with a clear code of conduct.

Change your dates or destination free of charge up to 60 days before departure. Cancel 60+ days out and you keep everything except the $99 deposit; between 30 and 60 days we refund 50%; inside 30 days we refund what our suppliers return to us. Travel insurance is required and covers the rest.

Sixteen travellers maximum, twelve on average. You travel with one dedicated trip leader plus local guides in Cappadocia and Pamukkale, so you get both insider access and room to breathe.