Turkey
Turkey & Greece in Style: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens & Santorini (12 Days)
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens, Santorini
- Three nights in Istanbul with early access to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace
- A private Bosphorus cruise between two continents, with the Ottoman palaces from the water
- Sunrise hot air balloon over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, followed by a cave-terrace breakfast
- Göreme Open-Air Museum's frescoed cave churches and an eight-level underground city
- The Acropolis and Parthenon with an archaeologist guide, plus the Acropolis Museum
- Cape Sounion at sunset, the Temple of Poseidon above the Aegean
- Three caldera nights in Oia with a private catamaran cruise to the volcanic hot springs
- Akrotiri's Bronze Age excavation and a Santorini assyrtiko tasting with the winemaker
* Please note: USD per person, double occupancy. Custom designed personal tour, prices vary with season, hotels and inclusions, and every itinerary can be adjusted to your wishes.
Overview
Two countries, one seamless journey. Istanbul and Athens sit ninety minutes apart by air, and pairing them gives you the two great Mediterranean civilizations in a single trip: Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul, the surreal volcanic valleys of Cappadocia, the Acropolis in the morning light, and three unhurried nights above the Santorini caldera.
This is a fully private, tailor-made itinerary. You travel with your own licensed local guides and drivers in each country, stay in hotels our team has inspected in person, and skip the ticket lines at every major site. Nothing is shared, nothing is on a fixed group schedule, and the pace is built around you rather than a coach timetable.
We designed the routing to waste as little of your vacation as possible. You fly overnight from the US into Istanbul, work eastward to Cappadocia for the balloons, connect back through Istanbul to Athens, and finish on the water in Oia, from where you can fly home via Athens with a short morning connection.
A travel experience like no other
This sample itinerary was created by our experts and is meant to inspire your trip. It is ready to be customized to suit your interests, tastes and budget, departing whenever you choose.
- Day 1
Istanbul, Arrive Istanbul
- Private meet and greet at Istanbul Airport
- Transfer to your Sultanahmet hotel
- Evening at leisure, welcome briefing with your guide
- Day 2
Istanbul, Imperial Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque before the cruise groups arrive
- Topkapi Palace, the Harem and the Imperial Treasury
- The Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern
- Grand Bazaar with a guide who knows the honest dealers
- Day 3
Istanbul, Bosphorus & Two Continents
- Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque at Eminönü
- Private Bosphorus cruise past the Ottoman palaces and yalis
- Dolmabahçe Palace and the Ortaköy waterfront
- Afternoon on the Asian side: Kadıköy market and Çamlıca views
- Day 4
Cappadocia, Fly to Cappadocia & the Northern Valleys
- Morning flight Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir
- Devrent Valley and the Pasabag fairy chimneys
- Avanos pottery atelier on the Red River
- Red Valley panorama and check-in to your cave hotel
- Day 5
Cappadocia, Balloons at Dawn & the Göreme Churches
- Optional sunrise hot air balloon flight with hotel pickup
- Göreme Open-Air Museum, UNESCO-listed cave churches
- Kaymaklı Underground City, eight levels deep
- Uçhisar Castle panorama and a Cappadocian wine tasting
- Day 6
Athens, Kayseri to Istanbul to Athens
- Morning at leisure in Cappadocia, hike the Pigeon Valley rim
- Midday flight Kayseri to Istanbul, connect to Athens
- Private transfer from Athens Airport to Syntagma
- Evening walk through Plaka, dinner with an Acropolis view
- Day 7
Athens, The Acropolis & Classical Athens
- Acropolis, Parthenon and Erechtheion at opening with an archaeologist
- The Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon frieze gallery
- Ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaestus and Hadrian's Arch
- Central Market lunch and the Monastiraki lanes
- Day 8
Athens, Cape Sounion & the Attic Coast
- Morning free, or an optional day trip to Delphi
- Drive the Athenian Riviera along the Saronic Gulf
- Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion for sunset
- Seafood dinner in a harbor taverna at Vouliagmeni
- Day 9
Santorini, Fly to Santorini & Oia
- Morning flight Athens to Santorini, forty-five minutes
- Private transfer along the caldera rim to Oia
- Check in to your cave suite with a private plunge pool
- Sunset from the Byzantine castle ruins of Oia
- Day 10
Santorini, Caldera Cruise & Volcanic Hot Springs
- Private catamaran charter from Ammoudi Bay
- Swim at the Red Beach and the White Beach
- Nea Kameni volcano crater walk and the sulfur hot springs
- Onboard lunch and sunset return across the caldera
- Day 11
Santorini, Akrotiri, Assyrtiko & Oia at Leisure
- Akrotiri, the Bronze Age town buried by the eruption
- Ancient Thera on the Mesa Vouno ridge
- Assyrtiko tasting with a winemaker at a caldera-view estate
- Free afternoon, farewell dinner in Ammoudi Bay
- Day 12
Santorini, Departure
- Breakfast on your caldera terrace
- Private transfer to Santorini Airport
- Connect via Athens for your flight home
- Optional extension to Mykonos, Crete or the Turkish coast
Private Tour Rates
Pricing by party size
Private tour · Per-person rates in the deluxe hotel category for the April–October season, based on two sharing a room. Peak-season Santorini caldera suites, single supplements and ultra-luxe hotel upgrades are quoted on request.
Prices are indicative and vary with season, hotel category and inclusions. Request a quote for your exact dates.
Award-winning excellence
25+ years designing private, high-end journeys · 97% guest satisfaction · 24/7 support while you travel
Speak to our Turkey Destination Experts at +1 (646) 207-5500
12 days from $6,950 USD per person