All Around Turkey Tour with Blue Cruise: 17 Days in a Group

The essence

An all around Turkey tour with a blue cruise covers the whole country in seventeen days and comes back to where it began. First, you spend two days in Istanbul. Then the group drives by Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus to Fethiye. Next, a week on a gulet takes you along the Lycian coast to Kekova and back. After that, Saklıkent and Pamukkale lead inland to Cappadocia, and finally you return to Istanbul.

Highlights

Two days in Istanbul at the start
Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus
A full week on a gulet out of Fethiye
Pamukkale and Saklıkent Gorge
Two days in Cappadocia before Istanbul

Program

17 stops, at your own pace Open the route in Google Maps

Day 1

Istanbul

Arrival, a transfer to the hotel, and an evening walk with the group.
Day 2

Istanbul old city

A guided day in the old city.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 3

Gallipoli and Anzac Cove

The drive to the Gallipoli peninsula.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 4

Troy and Pergamon

Troy, then the acropolis of Pergamon.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 5

Ephesus to Fethiye

Ephesus, then the drive to Fethiye.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 6

Fethiye to Ölüdeniz on the all around Turkey tour

Board the gulet and sail to the waters off Ölüdeniz.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 7

St. Nicholas Island to Kaş

St. Nicholas Island, then Kaş.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 8

Kekova and Simena

The sunken ruins and Simena castle.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 9

Demre and Turtle Bay

Demre, then a sheltered bay.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 10

Kekova to Firnaz Bay

Back west to Firnaz Bay.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 11

Butterfly Valley and St. Nicholas Island

Butterfly Valley, then St. Nicholas Island.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 12

Samanlık Bay to Fethiye

A last swim, then Fethiye.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 13

Saklıkent to Pamukkale

Saklıkent Gorge, then Pamukkale.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 14

Pamukkale to Cappadocia

The travertines, then the road to Cappadocia.
Day 15

Cappadocia and Göreme

A guided day with the Göreme Open-Air Museum.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 16

Underground city and Salt Lake

An underground city, then Salt Lake.
Opening hours & dress code
Day 17

Istanbul

Back to Istanbul, where the trip ends.

In depth

Seventeen days, one loop: from Istanbul down the Aegean, a week at sea on the Lycian coast, then inland to Pamukkale and Cappadocia and back. An all around Turkey tour with a blue cruise fits the whole country into one trip.

Istanbul to Ephesus

First, you spend two days in Istanbul. Istanbul was the capital of the Eastern Roman and then the Ottoman Empire, and its historic areas are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The group drives to Gallipoli, and on to Troy and Pergamon. On the fifth day, you visit Ephesus before reaching Fethiye.

A Week at Sea on the All Around Turkey Tour

Next, you board a gulet in Fethiye for six nights. The cruise passes Ölüdeniz and St. Nicholas Island on the way to Kaş and Kekova, where sunken settlements lie around Kekova Island. It stops near Demre and turns back west by Firnaz Bay and Butterfly Valley. The route is the same as our Fethiye Kekova blue cruise.

From our guides

Our suggestion Save phone storage for the cruise week: the coves and the ruins of Kekova fill a camera roll fast.

Pamukkale, Cappadocia and Home

Then the group heads inland. On the thirteenth day, you walk into Saklıkent Gorge and drive on to Pamukkale. After the terraces, you travel to Cappadocia for a guided day at the Göreme Open-Air Museum and a visit to an underground city. You return to Istanbul on the seventeenth day.

This is a small-group trip: a guide and tour bus on land, and a cabin on a shared gulet with no guide on board. For a private version of the route, ask us about our private tours and gulet charters.

Would you like to see all of Turkey in one trip? Give us the length of your trip, and we will balance the city days, the week at sea and the time inland.

Before you go

Sultanahmet

Open
The square is open at all times; each monument has its own hours

Closed
Topkapı Palace on Tuesdays; mosques at prayer times, Friday until after the noon prayer

Dress
For mosques: shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women, shoes off

Entry
No ticket needed to walk; most monuments need a ticket
Gallipoli

Entry
Open park; some museums ticketed

Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Pergamon

Entry
Separate tickets for the acropolis, the Asclepieion and the Red Basilica
Ephesus

Open
Open every day

Closed
Open every day

Dress
Comfortable shoes and sun protection; modest clothing for the House of the Virgin Mary

Entry
Ticket required; the Terrace Houses need an extra ticket; the ticket includes the Ephesus Experience Museum

Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Ölüdeniz

Open
Beach open at all times; the lagoon nature park has its own hours

Closed
Paragliding depends on daily weather

Entry
Ticketed; we arrange your entry to the Blue Lagoon nature park
Kaş

Open
Town open at all times; no ticket needed for the ancient sites in town

Closed
Ferries and boats depend on the weather

Entry
No ticket needed in town; Kastellorizo ferry needs a ticket and Schengen entry
Kekova

Open
Boat trips in season; villages open at all times

Closed
Boats depend on wind and sea

Entry
Boat ticket; no swimming or diving over the sunken city
Myra and the Church of St. Nicholas

Entry
Separate tickets for the church, the ancient city and the Andriake museum
Bays of Kaş and Kekova

Hours: your guide confirms them locally.
Butterfly Valley

Entry
We arrange the boat; overnight stays at the camp on request
Fethiye

Hours: your guide confirms them locally.
Saklıkent Gorge

Entry
Ticketed national park
Göreme Open-Air Museum

Entry
Museum ticket; the Dark Church needs an extra ticket
Salt Lake (Tuz Gölü)

Entry
No ticket needed

Hours can change on religious holidays. Your guide confirms them the day before.

What’s included

Included

A professional tour guide on the land days
Ten nights in hotels and six nights on a shared gulet
A tour bus with air conditioning
Entrance fees on the land days
Wi-Fi on the bus, in hotels and on the gulet
Paddleboards, snorkeling gear and drinking water on the gulet
Meals as listed in the program
A 10 GB eSIM for one traveler in your group, our gift, valid for 30 days (data only)

Not included

Meals not listed in the program
Drinks
Entrance fees during the cruise
Optional activities, such as a balloon flight, a Turkish bath, paragliding or diving
Travel insurance
Tips

From your guide

What to wear

Comfortable shoes for the sites, clothes that cover shoulders and knees for mosques, swimwear for the cruise, and a warm layer for Cappadocia.

Best time

Late spring and early autumn, for mild days inland and warm water on the coast.

Photos

Save phone storage for the cruise week. The coves and Kekova's ruins fill a camera roll fast.

Practical

Updated: October 25, 2026

Starts: Day 1, on arrival. The trip starts when you arrive in Istanbul.
Ends: Istanbul
Meeting point: Istanbul airport, with a transfer to the hotel
Walking: Moderate: long walks at the sites and in Saklıkent Gorge.
Accessibility: Tell us your needs before you book. The sites have uneven ground, and the gulet has steps.
Cancellation: In strong wind, the captain may change the order of the cruise stops.

Frequently asked questions

Is the all around Turkey tour private?

No. The land days and the cruise are shared with a small group, with a cabin on a gulet. For a private version of the whole trip, we plan the route with our private tours and a gulet charter.

How many nights are on the gulet on the all around Turkey tour?

Six nights on the gulet and ten in hotels.

Is there a guide on the all around Turkey tour cruise?

Only on the land days. On the gulet between Fethiye and Kekova, the captain and crew run the cruise.

Can a solo traveler join?

Yes. Solo guests can share a room on the land days and a cabin on the gulet, or pay extra for their own.

What is the all around Turkey tour route?

Istanbul, Gallipoli and Ephesus, then a week on a gulet, then Pamukkale and Cappadocia.

How long is the all around Turkey tour?

17 days and 16 nights. It starts with your arrival in Istanbul and ends in Istanbul.

What is your cancellation policy?

You share the boat with other guests, but you book with us, so our usual terms apply, as on all our trips: we agree the cancellation terms with you by email before you book, and you find them in writing in your booking confirmation. The deposit is non-refundable.