Combination turkey and greece tours link two countries in one fourteen-day plan, running from Athens by ferry through the Aegean, across a sea crossing and by road into Turkey. Browse more tours in Greece to compare other routes.
This page covers the season, the day-by-day outline, the Athens days, each ferry and the sea crossing, the stops at Mykonos, Samos, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia and Istanbul, the long road and the flight, and the entry, money and packing points.
What are combination turkey and greece tours, and how does the route run?
Combination turkey and greece tours join the two countries in one fourteen-day plan. The route runs west to east. It visits Athens, Mykonos and Samos, crosses the sea to Kusadasi, then reaches Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia and Istanbul. The Aegean Sea is the link between the two halves.
The Aegean is an inlet of the Mediterranean that lies between the Balkans and Anatolia. Greek islands sit inside it, and Anatolia marks its eastern edge. That shared water is why combination turkey and greece tours need only one sea crossing.
Wikipedia adds that the islands eased contact between the people of the area, and between Europe and Asia. In the plan, that link is a ferry. Samos is the departure point on the Greek side. Kusadasi is the arrival port on the Turkish side.
Wikivoyage lists four Greek islands with ferry links to the Turkish mainland: Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Kos. It adds that these join the Greek ferry network, so a traveller can island-hop all the way from Piraeus. Combination turkey and greece tours use that chain from Athens to Samos.
Wikivoyage places the East Aegean Islands of Greece to the west of Aegean Turkey, within sight. Greece fills days one to six. The ferry falls on day seven, and Turkey fills the rest. No stop repeats, so combination turkey and greece tours never return to an earlier place.
This page follows combination turkey and greece tours in order. It covers the season and the fourteen days, then Athens, the ferries and the two islands. Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia and Istanbul come next, followed by entry, money and packing points and a set of questions.
Which season suits combination turkey and greece tours?
Late spring, early summer and September suit combination turkey and greece tours. Wikivoyage names late spring and early summer for Pamukkale, and autumn, with September in particular, for Cappadocia. Summers are hot and dry on the coasts, and the meltemi blows over the Aegean.
Summer is the crowded season. Wikivoyage says the resident population of Kusadasi doubles in summer with tourists and seasonal workers. It adds that Pamukkale is crowded in summer. Combination turkey and greece tours meet both places between days seven and nine.
Wikipedia gives the wind two local names: meltemi in Greek and meltem in Turkish. Wikivoyage says the bay of Pythagoreion shelters its port from the prevailing summer north winds. Three sailings of combination turkey and greece tours cross the Aegean, on days three, five and seven.
Wikivoyage puts summer daytime temperatures on the Aegean coast of Turkey at 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. At Ephesus, noon temperatures push toward 36 to 37 degrees, with little shade. Combination turkey and greece tours reach the coast on day seven and the ruins on day eight.
Wikipedia calls Cappadocia largely semi-arid, with sparse rainfall. Wikivoyage adds that spring in Cappadocia brings heavy downpours from the Kirkikindi thunderstorms. Wikivoyage calls the climate of Pamukkale subcontinental Mediterranean, so summers there can be fiercely hot. Combination turkey and greece tours reach Pamukkale on day eight and Cappadocia on day ten.
Winter is the weaker fit. Wikipedia describes Greek winters as wet, and Cappadocia winters as cold and snowy. For the plan, the stretch from late spring to September matches the windows that the Wikivoyage pages name.
What happens on each day of these combination turkey and greece tours?
These combination turkey and greece tours fill fourteen days in a fixed order. Athens takes the first two days, Mykonos and Samos follow, and the sea crossing comes on day seven. The Turkish part runs from day seven to day fourteen. Each day has one line below.
- Day 1: Land in Athens and spend the day as you wish.
- Day 2: Tour the ancient sites of Athens for a full day.
- Day 3: Take the morning ferry from Piraeus to Mykonos and arrive at the island port.
- Day 4: Stay on Mykonos with no fixed programme for the day.
- Day 5: Free time until the evening, then the night ferry to Samos.
- Day 6: Early arrival at the port of Samos, then a free day on the island.
- Day 7: Check in at the port of Samos and take the ferry to Kusadasi in Turkey.
- Day 8: A full-day tour of Ephesus, then the drive to Pamukkale.
- Day 9: A full-day tour of Pamukkale, then the night bus to Cappadocia.
- Day 10: Early arrival in Cappadocia, free time, then a full-day tour of north Cappadocia.
- Day 11: A full-day tour of south Cappadocia, then the drive to the airport and a flight to Istanbul.
- Day 12: A full-day city tour of Istanbul.
- Day 13: A full-day Bosphorus cruise with a Turkish night show.
- Day 14: The drive to the airport and the return flight.
Two days in Athens come first, then Mykonos and Samos each get a free day. Greece fills the first six days at a steady pace. In combination turkey and greece tours, days eight to thirteen each carry a full-day tour or cruise.
One sea crossing joins the two countries. After it, Turkey splits into three regions. Wikivoyage places Kusadasi, Ephesus and Pamukkale in Aegean Turkey and Cappadocia in South Central Anatolia. It places Istanbul in the Marmara Region.
Two moves join the three regions: the night bus from Pamukkale to Cappadocia and the flight to Istanbul. They fall on days nine and eleven. Istanbul then holds the last days, so combination turkey and greece tours end in one city.
How do the Athens days work on combination turkey and greece tours?
Combination turkey and greece tours begin with two days in Athens. The first brings a landing, a ride into the city and a free day. The second is a full-day tour of the ancient sites. The ferry to Mykonos waits until day three.
Day one of combination turkey and greece tours starts at Athens International Airport. Wikipedia says Athens is one of five cities that have held the Summer Olympics more than once. Athens keeps UTC+2 time, and UTC+3 in summer. The plan leaves the evening open.
Wikivoyage warns that not every metro train reaches the airport. Those that do carry an airplane logo on the front. Metro trains start at half past five in the morning and stop at half past midnight. Friday and Saturday nights run until about 02:00. Buses, unlike the metro, run all night.
A free first day on combination turkey and greece tours can stay close to the room. Wikivoyage places sights within walking distance of Syntagma Square, which takes its name from the Greek constitution. It lists Plaka, Monastiraki, Kolonaki and Omonia as the districts around that square.
Day two stays in Central Athens. Wikivoyage calls it the active heart of the city and places the ancient sites and the museums there. The city linked its classical ruins by a network of pedestrian streets for the Olympic Games, Wikivoyage adds. A full-day tour can move between stops on foot.
Wikivoyage describes a mostly car-free archaeological walk. It starts on Vasilisis Amalias Street and passes the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis, the Herodion Theatre and Thiseio. The line then follows Ermou Street and ends in the Kerameikos area. Day two of combination turkey and greece tours covers sites along and near this line.
What do the Acropolis and the ancient sites add to combination turkey and greece tours?
The Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and the Olympian Zeus temple give combination turkey and greece tours their ancient Greek chapter. The rock holds temples, the Agora was a meeting place, and the Zeus temple is a colossal ruin in Athens.
Wikipedia describes a Mycenaean well on the rock, reached by stairs, that gave drinking water in a siege. Greece holds other acropoleis, since the word is a general term. In ancient times the Athenian rock also went by the name Cecropia, after the legendary king Cecrops. Combination turkey and greece tours reach the one that carries the Parthenon.
Mnesicles started the Propylaea, the monumental gate at the western end, in 437 BC. It was built partly upon an older gate of the tyrant Peisistratus, Wikipedia states. South of the gate stands the small Ionic Temple of Athena Nike, finished between 421 and 409 BC.
The Erechtheion was built on very uneven ground, so its plan is complex. Its east entrance has six Ionic columns. A second porch rests on large female figures called caryatids. This temple shows what the Acropolis holds beyond the Parthenon on combination turkey and greece tours.
The Ancient Agora was a working market. Wikipedia says women ran inns there and sold fruit, clothes, pottery and perfume in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Marble-workers kept workshops in and around it, and the sculptor Phidias worked there. Alcamenes, a colleague of Phidias, made the bronze cult statues of Hephaestus and Athena for the temple of Hephaestus there.
Wikipedia says Hadrian dedicated the Olympian Zeus temple in the second century AD. A walled precinct paved in marble surrounded it. The sons of a tyrant began it in the sixth century BC to outdo two temples of their day. Those temples, on Samos and at Ephesus, sit on the route of combination turkey and greece tours.
How does the ferry from Piraeus to Mykonos work on combination turkey and greece tours?
Day three of combination turkey and greece tours is a morning ferry from Piraeus to Mykonos. The ship leaves from the main harbour of Athens. Wikivoyage reports daily ferry and catamaran links from Mykonos to Piraeus and also to Rafina.
Combination turkey and greece tours leave from a port that Wikivoyage calls the ancient port of Athens. Domestic ships reach all the Aegean islands except the Sporades. Isles that require a connection include smaller Cyclades and Dodecanese ones. International destinations, apart from cruise ships, include Cyprus and the Middle East.
High-speed boats to Mykonos leave from gate E7, while the conventional ferries use gate E1, as Wikivoyage Mykonos lists them. The Piraeus page of Wikivoyage urges an early look at the gate number, because the port is large. So the gate for combination turkey and greece tours depends on the type of ferry.
Wikivoyage Mykonos says booking ahead matters from mid-July to late August and around Greek holidays. It points to 15 August, when thousands of pilgrims travel to Tinos, a port of call for Mykonos ferries. It adds that Greek visitors fill Mykonos around the weekend of Pentecost, in late spring or early summer.
Wikivoyage Mykonos ties cancelled crossings to strong wind and rough seas, mainly on the irregular winter sailings. It calls weather cancellations rare in summer. It also calls the Cyclades notoriously choppy, a point for any traveller who is prone to seasickness.
Combination turkey and greece tours sail on day three in the morning. Wikipedia says the meltemi peaks in the afternoon and tempers the fierce heat of summer. It adds that the wind can rise in clear skies with no notice, a hazard for sailors. The name probably comes from the Italian words for bad weather.
What does Mykonos add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Combination turkey and greece tours open their island chapter with Mykonos, in the Cyclades. Wikipedia counts 10,704 residents in its latest census, and it files the island under the South Aegean region. Its capital and port, Chora, sits on the west coast, where the sea leg of day three ends.
Wikivoyage says Mykonos is home to an artists’ colony, with galleries that show original works. Shops in town close for a break from 14:00 to 17:00, it notes. Tourist shops stay open late into the evening. Plan any browsing around that gap. Combination turkey and greece tours reach this island by sea on day three.
On Ayia Kyriaki Square in Chora stands the Municipal Library, housed in a mansion built in the eighteenth century. Wikipedia says it keeps over 8,000 volumes, plus photographs, documents, Cycladic coins and old seals. A quiet hour indoors suits the pace of combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikipedia ties the abundance of churches to an old duty. A church had to stand on an islander’s land before the house went up. Panagia Paraportiani was begun in the fifteenth century and finished in the seventeenth. Wikivoyage places it in Kastro, the oldest part of Mykonos Town.
Three matching wells called Tria Pigadia stand in a row at the centre of Chora. Wikipedia dates them to the eighteenth century and says their purpose was the town’s water supply. At five to six metres, the wells are shallow, since they were dug into sand.
Wikivoyage says Mykonos is easy to explore independently, with no real need to book excursions. It adds that the town bans cars and keeps parking on its outskirts. A day on foot therefore suits the pace of combination turkey and greece tours.
How does the free Mykonos day fit combination turkey and greece tours?
The free Mykonos day on combination turkey and greece tours has three parts. A beach comes first, then the town, then the sea front at dusk. Wikivoyage says the south-side beaches are sheltered from the prevailing northern wind, so the morning starts there.
Ornos lies 3 kilometres south of the town. Wikivoyage says its sandy beach slopes gently into the sea, and the coast road takes about 30 minutes on foot. Platys Gialos is 6 kilometres away, with a bus ride of about 15 minutes. Both suit the beach morning of combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage warns that the north-facing beaches of Ftelia and Korfos suit windsurfing but not swimming or sunbathing. For a day of rest, pick the south coast. The same page says boat services between the southern beaches can be cancelled in strong wind. Buses from the town reach Ornos and Platys Gialos as a backup.
Wikivoyage lists the Archaeological Museum as the one museum on the island that is open in every month. The others open from April until October. Its vases, grave statues and urns come from Rheneia, the burial island of Delos. Its hours are 09:00 until 16:00, closed on Tuesday. Plan the afternoon of combination turkey and greece tours around it.
Little Venice stands at the far west end of town, a flight of stairs below the windmills. Wikivoyage describes old houses there with balconies above the water. Wikipedia adds Camel Rock, an offshore rock near the windmills. Its name comes from a camel sitting in shallow water. Both fit a walk on combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage lists night buses that leave every hour for two southern beach areas. It names a drink at a Little Venice bar or cafe, with the sunset in view, as a favourite activity. Taxis are hard to find in the evening, it adds. Day five starts with a free morning, so the evening can run late.
How does the night ferry from Mykonos to Samos work on combination turkey and greece tours?
The night ferry on day five carries combination turkey and greece tours from the Cyclades to the east Aegean. Wikivoyage lists a daily overnight ferry that links Mykonos with Samos. The boat reaches Samos in the early morning of day six, after a night at sea.
Wikivoyage files Mykonos under the Cyclades and Samos under the East Aegean Islands. It describes Greek ferries as spokes running out from Piraeus, with fewer boats between island groups than inside one. A direct night line between two groups is a useful link for combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage describes the same line from the other end. It lists an overnight ferry that leaves Samos at 22:30. The boat reaches Piraeus nine hours later, calling at Ikaria and Mykonos. The plan of combination turkey and greece tours rides one stretch of that longer line.
Samos has three ports, Wikivoyage says: Vathi, also called Samos, plus Karlovassi and Pythagorion. It says the overnight ferry serves Karlovassi and Vathy. The dawn arrival of combination turkey and greece tours is at one of those two harbours. In Vathi, domestic ferries tie up at a dock on the harbour’s west side.
Wikivoyage calls ferries about the one thing in Greece that leave on time, so be prompt. Each departure port, it adds, posts the sailing lists at its ticket offices. Check the ticket and the notices early on day five of combination turkey and greece tours. Keep the late afternoon free.
Wikivoyage names weather, strikes and mechanical breakdowns as causes of delay, and it advises a flexible plan with a backup. Ferries also fill around the national holiday on 15 August. Day six is a free day on Samos, so a late landing barely touches the plan.
What does Samos add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Samos adds a mountainous Greek island in the eastern Aegean to combination turkey and greece tours. Wikipedia files it under the North Aegean region as its own regional unit. Its area is about 477 square kilometres, a size that suits one free day.
Wikivoyage calls Samos a popular stopping-off point between the two countries, on the route from Athens to Izmir. Its highest peak, Kerkis, reaches 1,434 metres, says Wikipedia. The range continues on the Turkish mainland. So combination turkey and greece tours cross the sea but meet the same mountains again.
Muscat wine is made from the island’s vineyards, says Wikipedia, and vines fill a large share of the land. Wikivoyage names wine as the main product of Samos and says the Muscat is exported across the world. Combination turkey and greece tours therefore meet a wine island.
Wikipedia names Pythagoras, the mathematician, among the people born on Samos. Karlovasi, the second town, has 7,300 people. The capital town of Samos was once called Vathy, and islanders still use that name, says Wikivoyage. Maps and road signs say Samos.
Pythagoreion marks the ancient town of Samos, on the south-east coast. UNESCO lists it with the Heraion, says Wikipedia, for the cultural, military and economic weight of Samos in early Greece. A museum in the modern centre shows more than 3,000 objects. Combination turkey and greece tours meet a World Heritage Site here.
The Heraion was a large sanctuary of Hera, 6 kilometres south-west. Wikipedia gives its Great Temple a floor of 108.6 by 55.2 metres, among the largest of any Greek temple. In Byzantine times the site was a quarry, which left the foundations and one column shaft. For combination turkey and greece tours it is the last ancient site in Greece.
How does the free Samos day fit combination turkey and greece tours?
Day six is the free Samos day on combination turkey and greece tours, and it follows the night ferry. The plan has room for one visit in the morning, a beach in the afternoon and a calm evening. Wikivoyage lists Tuesday as a closing day for archaeological sites and museums.
Vathy suits the morning, as Wikivoyage says the town is easy to explore on foot. Its museum holds finds from the Heraion, including a kouros statue 5.5 metres tall, the largest surviving in Greece. A marble lion over 2 metres high stands near the waterfront. Combination turkey and greece tours fit both stops into a short walk.
Pythagoreion is the other choice for the morning. Wikivoyage says its archaeological sites can be explored on foot or by bike. The ancient mole there, built in the sixth century BC, was the first technical port in the Mediterranean. That work still forms the western end of the quay. So combination turkey and greece tours walk on very old stone.
Combination turkey and greece tours reach the Tunnel of Eupalinos on foot from Pythagoreion in 10 to 15 minutes. Wikipedia gives its length as 1,036 metres through Mount Kastro. Built in the sixth century BC, it carried water to the ancient capital for about eleven hundred years. Portions are open to the public.
For the afternoon, Wikivoyage lists Potokaki, 2 kilometres west of Pythagoreion, with 3 kilometres of sand and pebbles. Psili Ammos, on the south-east coast, has very fine sand and shallow water sheltered from the winds. The sea is clear but cold until late spring, so combination turkey and greece tours suit a short swim.
Wikivoyage says places for a drink along the Samos seafront get very busy in the evenings. It adds that the seafront has restaurants with Greek dishes and the main square has open-air cafes. Day seven starts with breakfast and a port check-in, so combination turkey and greece tours call for a calm evening.
How does the sea crossing from Samos to Kusadasi work on combination turkey and greece tours?
The sea crossing from Samos to Kusadasi moves combination turkey and greece tours from Greece into Turkey on day seven. Wikivoyage describes a daily foot-passenger ferry on this route, with no cars carried. The morning starts with breakfast, then check-in at the Samos port.
Wikivoyage gives the Vathy service as April to October and the Pythagoreion service as late spring to mid-October. Its Turkey page links the Greek islands near the coast by fast ferry and marks certain routes as seasonal. This ties combination turkey and greece tours to the warm months.
Wikivoyage names three ports on Samos: Vathy, Karlovasi and Pythagoreion. Vathy has two docks, 3 kilometres apart, about 30 minutes on foot. Domestic ferries use the dock on the west of the harbour. Boats to and from Turkey use Vathy Port on the east side, which holds the customs controls.
The crossing is also a border crossing. Customs controls on the Greek side sit at the eastern dock, says Wikivoyage. On arrival, Turkey applies its own entry rules, which its Wikivoyage page lists by passport. The last section of this page covers them for combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage describes Kusadasi as a beach resort in the central Aegean region of Turkey. Its big growth began when northern European cities came within non-stop flying distance. Today the town sprawls over 25 kilometres of coastline. Ancient sights are scarce in the town itself, though Ephesus lies close and comes next.
After the landing, a transfer takes you to the hotel. Wikivoyage says dolmus, shared minibuses, serve the coast strip. Taxis wait near the sea port and the bus station, and a genuine taxi plate starts with 09 T. Combination turkey and greece tours keep these tips for free hours.
What does Ephesus add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Ephesus adds a Greek story on Turkish soil. Wikipedia says its legendary founder, Androklos, was a prince of Athens. It quotes the oracle of Delphi: a fish and a boar will point the way. On day eight, combination turkey and greece tours walk his city.
The official museum page for the site calls Ephesus a key player in East-West trade. Then the harbour silted up, and Wikivoyage says the city spent five centuries dredging and cutting channels. On combination turkey and greece tours, the higher ground looks over fields to a sea out of sight.
Arcadiane, or Harbour Street, runs west from the Great Theatre for 500 metres. Emperor Arcadius turned it into an avenue meant to impress arrivals, says Wikivoyage. On the theatre’s central flagstone a speaking voice carries clearly, and two metres away the effect is gone. A traveller on combination turkey and greece tours can test this.
A son built the Library of Celsus as a tomb for his father, a Roman consul. Wikipedia adds that its facade uses false perspective, a Greek technique, to look larger. Four statues stand for wisdom, knowledge, intelligence and excellence, though they are not the originals. This facade is the picture of Ephesus on combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage says the water of the Fountain of Trajan served for washing and drinking. It also drove mills, among them a sawmill for marble. In the Commercial Market, columns still mark a temple to Serapis, an Egyptian god. The page says the dedication points to trade between Ephesus and the Nile.
Wikipedia says Pausanias rated the Temple of Artemis the biggest building of the ancient world. Scarcely a trace of it remains. According to the official page for the site, one ticket opens both the ancient city and the Ephesus Experience Museum. It lists an audio guide service. Then combination turkey and greece tours drive to Pamukkale.
What does Pamukkale add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Pamukkale adds a hillside that hot water built. Wikipedia says the slope is visible from Denizli, 20 km away across the valley. Spring water loses carbon dioxide at the surface and leaves mineral behind, which hardens into travertine. On day nine, combination turkey and greece tours spend the full day here.
The drive from Ephesus ends in the valley of the River Menderes. Wikipedia says Hierapolis sat on the principal road linking Iconium with Ephesus, which helped trade with the Aegean region. Combination turkey and greece tours then reach Pamukkale, a ten-minute drive from a motorway junction.
Hierapolis means holy city, and it stands above the terraces. Wikipedia says a Phrygian temple to Cybele stood here, probably in the seventh century BC. The Temple of Apollo and the Ploutonion were built on a seismic fault, revered as the Gateway of Hades. Apollo’s temple at Delphi in Greece also stands on geologically active ground.
Wikipedia says the main street ran about 1,500 metres beside the terrace cliff, with an arcade on each side. A monumental gate with towers closed each end. The theatre was probably built under Hadrian, and its facade, 91 metres long, still stands in full. Combination turkey and greece tours cross a Hellenistic street grid.
Care for the terraces shapes the visit. Wikipedia says UNESCO and local authorities regulate the water flow and periodically close sections to let the terraces regenerate. Wikivoyage says one cascade, from the museum to Town Gate, serves as the access route. A traveller on combination turkey and greece tours walks it barefoot.
Hierapolis was a healing centre, and Wikipedia says the Roman town grew to 100,000 inhabitants. At Karahayit, 4 km north, a trace of iron gives the travertine a rust colour, says Wikivoyage. The page places the Archaeology Museum inside the Roman bath house. After the visit, the overnight bus of combination turkey and greece tours leaves for Cappadocia.
How does the long road from Pamukkale to Cappadocia work on combination turkey and greece tours?
Combination turkey and greece tours cross from the Aegean to central Turkey by overnight bus. Wikivoyage lists the intercity bus journey from Pamukkale to Goreme, the main tourist base of Cappadocia, at 10 hours. An evening start brings the arrival early on day ten, after a full day at Pamukkale.
Wikivoyage places Pamukkale in Aegean Turkey and Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, a region of tree-poor steppe. It calls Turkey a huge country where mountains slow the highways and railways. The long-distance bus network is very good, with air-conditioned buses and reserved seats. That network carries the overnight leg of combination turkey and greece tours.
Buses carry a driver and a number of assistants, says Wikivoyage. Drinks and a small bite are offered during the ride. The bus stops about every two and a half hours at a well-stocked road restaurant. So the night on combination turkey and greece tours has regular breaks.
Seat comfort differs between buses. Wikivoyage says more comfortable buses offer seats in a two plus one pattern per row. Standard seats are narrower than economy seats on a plane. The page rates a 48-seat bus above a 15-seat minibus for comfort, so ask the provider which type runs.
Seats follow the number on the ticket, and custom seats women beside women and couples together, says Wikivoyage. The page adds that passengers are sometimes moved to another bus halfway, even on direct tickets. Ask the provider whether the bus on combination turkey and greece tours runs direct.
Overland travellers from the west reach Cappadocia through Nevsehir, the regional hub. There, says Wikivoyage, they change to a minibus, a dolmus, that links the towns every 30 to 60 minutes. A through ticket to Goreme probably still means that change. Check how the last stretch to Goreme runs on combination turkey and greece tours.
What do the valleys and rock churches of Cappadocia add to combination turkey and greece tours?
The valleys and rock churches add a landscape that people carved by hand into soft stone. Wikivoyage says ash from two volcanoes packed down into tuff, which rain and wind then shaped. On days ten and eleven, combination turkey and greece tours walk through this stone country.
Ash from the volcanoes Erciyes and Hasan blanketed the area, says Wikivoyage. The ash welded into a deep layer of tuff. This soft rock survives only in a dry climate or under a cap of harder stone. Combination turkey and greece tours reach such a place.
On combination turkey and greece tours, the shapes follow an order that Wikivoyage describes. New forms appear where tuff meets the rim of a plateau, and rain and wind cut domes, cones and columns. The oldest shrink to garden-ornament size at the bottom. A cap of harder rock twists a column into a fairy chimney.
Cave houses at Goreme had mangers cut from the rock, and floor ovens that doubled as heating, says Wikipedia. Wikivoyage counts dozens of churches above and below ground. The early ones are plain, and richly painted walls appear from the ninth century. So combination turkey and greece tours enter a region of rock churches.
The Goreme Open Air Museum lies 1 km east of Goreme, on a loop trail. Wikivoyage calls the churches tiny and advises a visit between tour groups. It holds more than 30 rock-cut churches and chapels. Wikivoyage says a round takes two to three hours.
The Dark Church had no windows at first, and the darkness kept its frescoes, says Wikivoyage. Tokali Church stands 50 m outside the main compound. Rose Valley, 2 km north of Goreme, holds Cross Church, Columned Church and Grape Church. Ask which of these a day on combination turkey and greece tours reaches.
How do the north and south tours of Cappadocia fit combination turkey and greece tours?
The plan splits Cappadocia into a north day and a south day. Wikivoyage places Avanos and Cavusin north of Goreme, and the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu south of Nevsehir. Combination turkey and greece tours give each half a full day, on days ten and eleven.
Avanos lies 18 km north of Goreme, and Wikivoyage calls pottery its major industry. Just south of it, the hoodoo landscape starts at Pasabag valley. Cavusin, 5 km north of Goreme, has more rock dwellings. Fairy chimneys stand at its north end. A cave church for St John the Baptist stands at its south end.
Wikivoyage says a castle here is a large pinnacle carved into dwellings, such as those at Uchisar. Balloons rise at sunrise around Goreme, says Wikipedia. Wikivoyage adds that an overcast sky turns the rocks grey. A north day on combination turkey and greece tours needs a bright sky.
Derinkuyu takes its name, deep well, from shafts that once supplied water to the city and the town above it. More than 600 tunnel entrances are known. Entrances also lie under private houses in that town. Wikivoyage lists it among full-day tour stops, which suits the south day of combination turkey and greece tours.
Large rolling stone doors closed the city from inside, and each floor shut on its own. Its main shaft never lines up the openings of two levels, says Wikipedia. The layout looks engineered to move air. A 55-metre shaft appears to have served as a well. Stairs lead to a church on the lowest level.
Wikipedia places Ihlara Valley in the southwest of Cappadocia, near Guzelyurt. The canyon runs for 15 km and drops as deep as 150 m, with around 50 rock-hewn churches. The Melendiz River cut the canyon in prehistoric times, says Wikipedia. Ask whether the south day of combination turkey and greece tours reaches it.
How does the flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul work on combination turkey and greece tours?
On day eleven the drive from Cappadocia ends at an airport, and a domestic flight reaches Istanbul. Wikivoyage gives 90 minutes for the flights from Istanbul to Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport. So combination turkey and greece tours cover the long leg back to the northwest in the air.
Wikivoyage names two airports for Cappadocia. Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport lies 30 km north of Nevsehir town, and Kayseri Erkilet Airport lies 70 km east of Goreme. Wikipedia calls the first one the primary airport of the region. Your ticket on combination turkey and greece tours names the airport.
Wikipedia places Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport in the northwest of Nevsehir, in the Gulsehir area, at 940 metres above sea level. Wikivoyage calls it small but adequate, with car hire. In summer, it says, flights from both Istanbul airports run every couple of hours.
Kayseri Erkilet Airport is a military airbase and public airport, 5 km north of Kayseri, says Wikipedia. It adds that the airport serves as a hub for travellers heading to Cappadocia. Wikivoyage gives 80 minutes for the flight from Istanbul. It says tours of Cappadocia land here, with direct transfers.
Istanbul has two airports, on different continents, says Wikivoyage. Istanbul Airport is on the Europe side, 30 km northwest of the city. Sabiha Gokcen is on the Asia side, 30 km east of the centre. Combination turkey and greece tours land at one of them.
Wikivoyage mentions airport buses to the city centre at regional airports, which wait, within reason, for incoming flights. For Istanbul it advises the official taxi rank at both airports and a running meter. Each airline sets its own baggage limits, so check the ticket before the flight of combination turkey and greece tours.
What do the old city sights of Istanbul add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Day twelve of combination turkey and greece tours is a full-day city tour of Istanbul. Wikipedia says Greek colonists founded the city as Byzantium in the seventh century BC. Wikivoyage places the bulk of the ancient monuments around Sultanahmet Square, so the day stays compact.
Wikipedia dates the reestablishment of the city as Constantinople to 330 AD. For nearly 16 centuries after that, it served as the capital of four empires. They were the Roman, Eastern Roman, Latin and Ottoman empires. Combination turkey and greece tours walk through the centre of that long story.
The Basilica Cistern lies 150 metres south-west of Hagia Sophia, says Wikipedia. The name comes from the Stoa Basilica, the large public square above it. Fifty-two stone steps lead down to 336 marble columns in 12 rows. At that distance, the cistern fits a walking day on combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikipedia says the majority of the columns appear to be recycled from older buildings. Medusa heads form the bases of two columns in the north-west corner, and their origin is unknown. A recent restoration, Wikipedia adds, uncovered the original Byzantine brick floor beneath old concrete.
Across the Golden Horn rises the Galata Tower, which Wikivoyage names as the crown of the Galata district. The Genoese built it as a watchtower in the fourteenth century. It stands 62.59 metres tall, and its eighth floor is an observation terrace. Wikipedia calls it a landmark of the Beyoglu district.
Wikipedia names Isidore of Miletus as the architect of the present Hagia Sophia. Topkapi Palace has four main courtyards and the harem. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs it as a museum. The core of the Grand Bazaar began as a covered market for textiles and jewels. Check each official page before combination turkey and greece tours reach Istanbul.
What do the Bosphorus cruise and the last day add to combination turkey and greece tours?
Day thirteen of combination turkey and greece tours is a full-day Bosphorus cruise. Wikipedia says the strait divides Turkey by separating Asia Minor from Thrace. The boat therefore sails between the European shore and the Asian shore of one city.
Wikipedia says the Greek name Bosporos was read as cattle passage. It ties that reading to the myth of Io, who became a cow and crossed the strait. So combination turkey and greece tours meet a Greek name on a Turkish waterway.
Wikipedia says the Dardanelles carry the route on from the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean. The cruise on combination turkey and greece tours therefore sits on a waterway that reaches the Aegean. Wikipedia lists Bebek, Emirgan and Sariyer on the European shore, and Uskudar, Kandilli and Beykoz on the Asian shore.
On the classic Bosphorus cruise, says Wikivoyage, the public ferry sails from Eminonu to Anadolu Kavagi. That ferry has no audio commentary. At the village, a paved footpath climbs to Yoros Castle, last in use in the nineteenth century. Ask the provider what the cruise includes on board.
A Turkish night show closes day thirteen of combination turkey and greece tours. Wikivoyage describes the meyhane as a tavern that began in Ottoman times, with belly dancing at certain venues. It lists Beyoglu for cafes and bars with live music.
Day fourteen ends the trip with a road transfer to the airport and the return flight. Wikivoyage places Istanbul Airport 30 kilometres north-west of the city and Sabiha Gokcen 30 kilometres east. It calls two hours before a flight at Sabiha Gokcen cutting it very close. Luggage allowances differ by airline, so the plan keeps a spare buffer.
Which entry rules, money points and packing points matter on combination turkey and greece tours?
Combination turkey and greece tours leave the Schengen Area on day seven, when the ferry sails from Samos to Kusadasi. Wikipedia says that area shares land borders with Turkey, which is not a member. A passport check and a new currency follow.
Wikipedia says every Schengen state controls the external borders of the area under common rules, including sea frontiers. The sea route from Samos to Kusadasi crosses such a border. Have the passport at hand at the port, because combination turkey and greece tours need it there.
Visa rules for Turkey depend on the passport, so check the official e-visa page for your passport. Wikivoyage says a passport must be valid for 60 days beyond the maximum stay. The visa-free rule covers tourism and commerce, not work or study. Do this check before combination turkey and greece tours begin.
The euro replaced the drachma in Greece, and the cents there are called lepta. Turkey uses the Turkish lira, written TL. Wikivoyage says euros are accepted where visitors gather, though certain attractions take only liras. It advises changing leftover lira before leaving the country. Money on combination turkey and greece tours therefore changes at the border.
Wikivoyage says Ephesus offers little shade, and UV light passes through cloud, so a sun hat helps in any weather. It describes a dazzling white light from the terraces of Pamukkale, where the pools are shin deep. It describes Cappadocia with chilly nights. A hat, sunglasses, swim shorts and a warm layer fit combination turkey and greece tours.
Footwear comes off before every mosque, says Wikivoyage Turkey. Covered shoulders and legs are the rule, and it applies to shrines unless the site is officially a museum. Wikivoyage Greece says churches there enforce their code lightly in high summer, because of the visitor numbers. Both countries use 230 volts with Schuko and Europlug sockets.
What else do travellers ask about combination turkey and greece tours?
Five questions remain after the route, the stops and the entry rules. They cover the strait off Samos, the white terraces, two languages, a free evening and the emergency number. Together they round off combination turkey and greece tours.
How narrow is the sea off Samos, and does the clock change?
Wikipedia calls the water off Samos the Mycale Strait and gives a second name, the Samos Strait. The gap measures just 1.6 kilometres across where the two shores come closest. No other Aegean island has a shorter sea gap to Turkey.
Wikipedia says the strait is named for Mount Mycale, which stands on the Turkish mainland. Wikivoyage agrees on the narrow width, at under 2 kilometres, and names the Dilek Peninsula as the Turkish shore. Combination turkey and greece tours leave this island on day seven.
On Wikipedia, the Samos time zone is UTC+2, with UTC+3 added for summer clocks. Kusadasi sits on UTC+3. In Greek summer time the two clocks match, so combination turkey and greece tours keep one watch time. In winter, Turkey runs one hour ahead.
Why are the terraces of Pamukkale white?
Wikivoyage explains the colour in three steps. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water and makes it slightly acidic. That water dissolves limestone. Hot springs rich in the gas flow through limestone, reach the surface and release it. The limestone then settles again, which builds the terraces visited on day nine of combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikipedia adds a distance. The spring water runs 320 metres to the top of the terraces and leaves calcium carbonate behind. Wikipedia describes the surface as shimmering, snow-white limestone. Wikivoyage calls it glistening white.
Colour changes when the minerals change. At Karahayit, 4 kilometres north of Pamukkale, Wikivoyage says a trace of iron makes the travertine rusty. It also says the rock is named after the Tivoli district of Rome. Combination turkey and greece tours see the white version.
How are Greek and Turkish words said, and which ones help?
The Wikivoyage Greek phrasebook says Greeks do not expect a visitor to speak more than a couple of words. It writes efharisto, thank you, as ef-hah-rees-TOH. A short list is enough on combination turkey and greece tours.
The Greek phrasebook adds one sign tip: the Greek question mark looks like a semicolon. The Turkish phrasebook says the spelling is phonetic, so each word is said as written. It gives merhaba, hello, as mehr hah bah.
Turkish writes the sh sound with an s that has a cedilla, as in tesekkur ederim, thank you. Istanbul opens with a dotted capital I and is said ees-tan-bul. The phrasebook pairs yok, there is none, with an upward move of the chin and eyebrows. Greek gives way to Turkish on day seven of combination turkey and greece tours.
What can a traveller do on a free evening in Mykonos Town, Goreme or Istanbul?
On combination turkey and greece tours, the windmills of Mykonos Town are the popular sunset place, says Wikivoyage. Wikivoyage lists a midday shop break from 14:00 to 17:00, and tourist shops open late. A maritime museum opens daily from 18:00 to 21:00, after an afternoon break.
In Goreme, Wikivoyage lists a Turkish bath open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. It names testi kebap as the town dish, cooked in a clay pot that is broken open. The dish takes an hour, so ask the restaurant early.
In Istanbul, Wikivoyage suggests the ferry from Eminonu to Uskudar for late afternoon and early evening. Fewer ferries run in the evening, so check the way back. Beyoglu has live music in its cafes and bars, a fit for combination turkey and greece tours.
Which emergency numbers work in Greece and Turkey?
Wikivoyage Greece lists 112 as the emergency number. Three more lines follow: police on 100, emergency medical services on 166 and the fire department on 199. Save these numbers on day one, before the border crossing of combination turkey and greece tours.
Wikivoyage Turkey lists 112 too. Per that page, a phone without a SIM card can still dial 112, and the call reaches every emergency service. So two pages agree on one number for both halves of combination turkey and greece tours.
The Turkey page also names a fallback for a rare phone exchange where 112 does not work yet. It lists 112 for an ambulance, 110 for fire, 155 for police and 156 for the gendarme. The gendarme is a military-styled unit for rural safety, and 177 reports forest fires.