After landing at Istanbul Airport (IST), make your way to your accommodation in Karaköy or Sultanahmet (Old City).
Evening: Take a stroll around Sultanahmet Square to witness the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia lit up at night.The Triple Threat: In actuality, the present building is the third church to be erected here. Emperor Justinian I ordered it, and it was finished in 537 AD.Architectural Wonder: It was the world’s biggest cathedral for almost a millennium. Architects from the $6^{th}$ century used lightweight bricks from Rhodes to create its enormous dome, which seems to float.The Conversion: Sultan Mehmed II turned it into a mosque following the fall of Constantinople in 1443. He added the four minarets and covered the Christian mosaics with plaster, which actually helped keep them intact.
Morning: The Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, which includes the Harem.
Afternoon: Explore the Hippodrome and descend into the Basilica Cistern.
Evening: A sunset Bosphorus cruise (a nice, inexpensive choice are the public ferries from Eminönü).
Morning: Explore the fragrant Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar.
Afternoon: For 360-degree views, ascend Galata Tower and cross the Galata Bridge.
Late evening: Fly to Izmir (ADB) from Istanbul (IST or SAW). Take a one-hour drive or shuttle to Selçuk.
Spend the entire day exploring the Ephesus Archaeological Site, paying particular attention to the Terrace Houses and the Library of Celsus.
In the afternoon, pay a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders.
Stay: Spend the night at Şirince, a local mountain village, or Selçuk.
Option A: Travel to Antalya by bus or car for six hours, arriving in Pamukkale’s white travertine terraces and the Hierapolis ruins about midday.
Option B: If you want more beach time, skip Pamukkale and take a direct morning bus to Antalya.
Morning: Enter Hadrian’s Gate and proceed through the Old Town’s cobblestone streets.
The Lower Düden Waterfalls, where the river empties into the sea, or the Antalya Museum, which has some of the best Roman statues, are two options for the afternoon.
Day Trip: See the Perge ruins and the Aspendos Theater, the world’s best-preserved Roman theater.
In the evening, unwind in the Old Harbor or Konyaaltı Beach.
Morning: Fly directly to Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) from Antalya (AYT).
In the afternoon, get a room in a cave hotel in Göreme or Ürgüp. See rock-cut churches at the Göreme Open-Air Museum.
Hot Air Balloon Flight at Sunrise (reservations must be made in advance).
Day: Visit Pasabag (Monks Valley) and Devrent (Imagination) Valley to witness the recognizable “fairy chimneys.”
Late afternoon: Sunset at the region’s highest point, Uçhisar Castle.
Morning: Go down into the amazing underground networks that early Christians used, known as Derinkuyu Underground City or Kaymaklı.
Hike via Ihlara Valley or Love Valley in the afternoon.
Evening: Take a plane back to Istanbul for your domestic flight.
