9D7N Turkiye Tour by AirAsia X with Cappadocia

Cappadocia, in the middle of Türkiye, looks unlike anywhere else. Soft volcanic rock has worn into cones, towers and "fairy chimneys", and people carved homes, churches and whole underground cities into it. At Uchisar, a single rock peak full of rooms stands over the valley like a castle. In the far west, the hot springs of Pamukkale have built white terraces down the side of a hill.

This tour links both with Istanbul and Bursa. You see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia on Day 2, then the Atatürk Mausoleum in Ankara and, from April to November, the white shores of Lake Tuz, the salt lake. From December to March, that stop is Mount Erciyes instead. Day 4 is all Cappadocia: the Göreme, Pigeon and Devrent valleys, Uchisar and an underground city. Then come the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Pamukkale and Hierapolis, the old mosques of Bursa and a private Bosphorus cruise.

This is a long coach tour with some long drives and several shopping stops. You fly AirAsia X from KLIA to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen and stay in 4-star hotels with most meals included. A tour leader and a local guide take care of the travel.

Quick facts

• Duration: 9 days 7 nights
• Route: Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale and Bursa
• Package type: group tour on fixed departure dates, with a tour leader and a local guide
• Group size: minimum 20 travellers
• Flights: included. AirAsia X economy class from KLIA to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen
• Hotels: 4-star hotels, 2 nights in Istanbul, 1 in Ankara, 2 in Cappadocia, 1 in Pamukkale and 1 in Bursa
• Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners

Highlights

• The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome in Istanbul
• Cappadocia's rock valleys, Uchisar Castle and an underground city
• Pamukkale's white terraces and the ruins of Hierapolis, entry included
• The Mevlana Museum in Konya
• Bursa's Ulu Camii, Green Mosque and the Ottoman village of Cumalıkızık
• A private Bosphorus cruise between Europe and Asia

Itinerary

Day 1: Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul

Meet at KLIA for your AirAsia X flight to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Transfer to the hotel for dinner.

Meals: dinner. Overnight: Istanbul.

Day 2: Istanbul to Ankara

On April departures, start at Emirgan Park for the Tulip Festival, with two large ponds and millions of tulips in many colours.

Take photos at the First Courtyard of Topkapi Palace, the Ottoman sultans' palace above the Sea of Marmara, finished around 1465 under Sultan Mehmed II (Al-Fatih). Visit Hagia Sophia, built as a church, turned into a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople, made a museum in the Atatürk era and now a mosque again. Walk across the Hippodrome, once the chariot-racing ground of Byzantine Constantinople, to the Blue Mosque, finished in 1616, with six minarets and hand-painted blue tiles. Drive to Ankara.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Ankara.

Day 3: Ankara to Cappadocia

Visit Hacı Bayram Square, with the Hacı Bayram Mosque and the ruins of the Roman Temple of Augustus beside it. Then go to the Atatürk Mausoleum (Anıtkabir), the complex that holds the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with exhibits on his life and the War of Independence.

From April to November, stop at Lake Tuz, the salt lake, the second largest lake in Türkiye. From December to March, the tour visits Mount Erciyes instead. Continue to Cappadocia.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Cappadocia.

Day 4: Cappadocia

Take in the views over the Göreme, Pigeon and Devrent valleys, with their unusual rock formations. Visit Uchisar Castle, a rock peak that people have lived in and defended since the 12th century, with homes carved into the stone. Go down into an underground city, where people once hid from attackers.

Watch Turkish carpets being woven by hand at a carpet factory, see stones being worked at the Turquoise and Onyx Handmade Store, and visit the Avanos Pottery and Art Centre.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Cappadocia.

Day 5: Cappadocia to Konya and Pamukkale

Stop at an ancient caravanserai, an inn for merchants on the Silk Road more than 700 years ago. In Konya, visit the Mevlana Museum, the tomb of the Sufi poet Rumi, to learn how Sufism shaped Islam in Türkiye. It is the home of the Whirling Dervishes and has a collection of Ottoman objects. Drive on to Pamukkale.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Pamukkale.

Day 6: Pamukkale to Bursa

Walk through the ancient city of Hierapolis, where you can still see the Frontinus Gate, the Great Baths, the theatre, the Temple of Apollo and the Antique Pool, also called Cleopatra's Pool, still filled by warm spring water. Then walk on the Cotton Castle (Pamukkale), white terraces of hot-spring pools formed naturally on the hillside, where you can soak your feet in the warm water. Shop at a cotton textile factory outlet, then drive to Bursa.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Bursa.

Day 7: Bursa to Istanbul

Visit Ulu Camii, the Grand Mosque of Bursa, built in 1399, and Koza Han, a silk market trading since 1491. See the Green Mosque, built for Sultan Mehmed I from 1412, and the Green Tomb, where he was buried in 1421. Stop at a Turkish delight and oil shop, then walk through Cumalıkızık, an Ottoman village from the early days of the empire, around 1300.

Back in Istanbul, visit the Spice Bazaar, trading spices and Turkish sweets since 1660.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Istanbul.

Day 8: Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur

Shop at a leather outlet, then at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, begun in 1455, with more than 4,000 shops. Take a private Bosphorus cruise past sights on the European and Asian shores: Rumeli Fortress, built in 1452 for the conquest of Constantinople; Anadolu Fortress, built in the 1390s; Dolmabahçe Palace, built in 1856; and the Ortaköy Mosque by the water.

Transfer to the airport for your evening flight home.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Day 9: Arrive in Kuala Lumpur

Arrive at KLIA in the morning.

What's included

• Return economy class flights on AirAsia X between KLIA and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, including fuel surcharge and airport taxes
• 7 nights in 4-star hotels, including city taxes
• Meals as listed in the itinerary
• Entry to Hierapolis and the underground city
• Private boat for the Bosphorus cruise
• Air-conditioned tour coach
• Tour leader and professional local guide
• Tips for the tour guide and coach driver

Not included

• Entry to the Topkapi Palace Museum (the tour stops at the First Courtyard only)
• Optional activities such as hot air balloon flights, jeep safari, Whirling Dervish ceremony, paragliding and cultural dance shows
• Travel insurance
• Surcharges during festive seasons, peak periods and school holidays
• Hotel extras such as snacks, mini bar, laundry and porter service
• Meals, drinks and entry tickets not listed in the itinerary
• Excess baggage charges

Good to know

• Optional activities such as the Cappadocia hot air balloon must be booked through ZFB Travel or the appointed ground operator. Buying them from anyone else during the trip carries a penalty of USD 50 per person per activity.
• Bring shoes you can take off easily for the mosque visits, and for walking on the Pamukkale terraces, where shoes are not allowed.
• Türkiye is five hours behind Malaysia.

FAQ

Do Malaysians need a visa for Türkiye?

No. Malaysian passport holders can visit Türkiye for a short holiday without a visa.

Is the hot air balloon ride included?

No. It is an optional activity at extra cost and must be booked through ZFB Travel or the appointed ground operator.

Which mosques does the tour visit?

The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Hacı Bayram Mosque in Ankara, and Ulu Camii and the Green Mosque in Bursa.

How is this different from the Turkish Airlines Türkiye tour?

The route is the same. The Turkish Airlines version flies direct to Istanbul Airport and always stops at the salt lake on Day 3.

Will the tour go ahead on my date?

This group tour needs a minimum of 20 travellers to depart.