Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Greece and Turkey: Athens to Istanbul by Road, and Cappadocia
14 days from Athens to Cappadocia: the Acropolis, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Philippi and Kavala, across the border by road to Istanbul, then a flight to Cappadocia.
14 days · Athens to Cappadocia · up to 12 guests
Roussanou, home to a community of nuns, on its rock pillar at Meteora Photo: Jolovema, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DSC_0548_meteora_monastery_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Start and end
- Athens to Cappadocia
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Walking days of 3 to 6 km on marble, cobbles and dusty paths, with 150 to 300 rock-cut steps at each Meteora monastery and a steep climb into Thessaloniki's upper town. Six road days of 2.5 to 3.5 hours of driving, one of them with a border crossing. The underground city has low, narrow passages. Every hard part has a way to sit it out.
- Meals included
- 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,285 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Acropolis at the first 8 am slot, then the Parthenon frieze in the Acropolis Museum
- Delphi in the late afternoon, after the Athens day trippers have gone
- The Great Meteoron and Varlaam at opening, on their rock pillars
- The royal tombs of Aigai inside their burial mound at Vergina
- Philippi and Kavala on the way to the border, then across into Turkey by road
- Hagia Sophia and Topkapı at opening, and a ferry up the Bosphorus
- A flight to Cappadocia, two nights in a cave hotel and two chances at a sunrise balloon
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,285 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Athens
Athens International Airport to your hotel in central Athens
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Athens
Fly into Athens International Airport (ATH), about 35 km east of the centre, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive in.
Evening
Plan to land by about 3 pm so you are settled before the evening briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Our hotels in Athens are central, within walking distance of Plaka and the foot of the Acropolis, so if you arrive early you can walk out on your own to the Ancient Agora or simply sit with a coffee under the hill. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the two weeks ahead: the pace, the one long border day, what to wear in monasteries and mosques, and how the luggage moves. Then we walk to a local taverna for a welcome dinner of Greek small plates and grills.
Included
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Athens
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The Acropolis at opening, a free afternoon
Athens: the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and Plaka
- Breakfast
- Stay in Athens
We are at the Acropolis gate for the first timed entry slot at 8 am, before the cruise groups and the heat. Climb through the Propylaia to the Parthenon, finished in the 430s BC, and walk round to the Erechtheion and its porch of caryatids, with the whole city spread out to the sea below. Coming down, the Theatre of Dionysos sits on the south slope. Then we cross the road to the Acropolis Museum, where the original caryatids and the Parthenon frieze are shown in a glass gallery lined up with the temple itself.
Evening
Lunch is yours in Plaka or Anafiotika, the island-style lanes on the hill, and the afternoon is free: the National Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Agora, a nap through the heat, or a walk up Lycabettus Hill for sunset. Dinner tonight is your choice; your guide has a list.
Included
- The Acropolis with your guide at the first timed slot: the Propylaia, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion
- The Acropolis Museum with your guide
Optional experiences
- National Archaeological Museum (entry on you)
Easier option: Skip the museum and rest at the hotel; the Acropolis walk itself is about 1.5 km with steep marble steps.
More active option: Walk up Lycabettus Hill for sunset, about 30 minutes uphill from Kolonaki.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot on the Acropolis on polished marble and uneven rock. Shoes with grip and a hat matter.
Up to Delphi
Athens to Delphi by road, through Boeotia and past Arachova
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Delphi
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about two and a half hours north west, through the plains of Boeotia and up past Arachova into the mountains, to Delphi, on the slope of Mount Parnassus above a sea of olive trees running down to the Gulf of Corinth.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the village with that view. Most coach groups do Delphi as a day trip from Athens and are there from late morning to early afternoon, so we go into the site in the late afternoon, once they have left. The Sacred Way zigzags up past the treasuries of the city states to the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle spoke, and on to the theatre and the stadium at the top.
Evening
The UNESCO listed site closes in the early evening in summer and earlier in winter, so the hour is set by season. The evening is free in the village.
Included
- Drive from Athens to Delphi with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Delphi village
- The archaeological site of Delphi in the late afternoon: the Sacred Way, the Temple of Apollo, the theatre and the stadium
Easier option: Walk only as far as the Temple of Apollo and wait at the theatre seats, skipping the steep last climb to the stadium.
More active option: Carry on to the stadium, the highest point of the site, about 15 minutes more of steep path.
Free time: Evening free in Delphi village
Activity: The site climbs about 100 m on stone paths with little shade; we go in late in the day for cooler air and fewer people. Closing time is confirmed by season.
Delphi Museum, then north to Meteora
Delphi to Kalambaka by road, via Lamia
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kalambaka
- Drive about 3.5 h
We are at the Delphi Archaeological Museum when it opens, ahead of the day trippers, to see the bronze Charioteer, cast around 470 BC, the Sphinx of the Naxians and the finds from the sanctuary you walked yesterday. Then we head north, about three and a half hours of driving: down through the mountains to Lamia, across the plain of Thessaly with its cotton and wheat fields, and on to Kalambaka, the town below the rock towers of Meteora.
Afternoon
We break the drive with a sit-down lunch at a taverna on the way, so nobody eats in the van. As we come into Kalambaka the pillars rise straight out of the plain, some 300 m high.
Evening
After checking in we drive up to a viewpoint for sunset over the monasteries, then the evening is free in Kalambaka or the village of Kastraki, under the rocks.
Included
- The Delphi Archaeological Museum at opening with your guide
- Sit-down lunch on the drive north
- Sunset viewpoint over the Meteora rocks
Free time: Evening free in Kalambaka
Activity: The museum visit is about 1.5 hours; the rest of the day is a drive broken by lunch and short stops.
The monasteries of Meteora
Kalambaka and Kastraki, up to the Meteora monasteries
- Breakfast
- Stay in Kalambaka
Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, is a cluster of sandstone pillars where monks built monasteries from the 14th century on, once reached by ladders and nets. Six are still lived in and open to visitors.
Morning
We start early, at opening, at the Great Meteoron, the largest and highest, then walk the short stretch to Varlaam, with its frescoed church and the old winch tower, before the tour buses arrive mid-morning. Each monastery closes one day a week (the Great Meteoron on Tuesday, Varlaam on Friday, Roussanou on Wednesday), so departure dates are set to keep all three open today. After a break we visit Roussanou, home to a community of nuns, on its narrow pillar reached by a bridge.
Afternoon
Lunch is yours in Kastraki. The afternoon is free: rest at the hotel or walk one of the old monk paths between the rocks with your guide.
Included
- The Great Meteoron and Varlaam monasteries at opening with your guide
- Roussanou nunnery
- Monastery entry fees
Easier option: Visit two monasteries instead of three; the van takes you to each gate and the steps are the only climb.
More active option: In the afternoon, walk the old footpath from Kastraki up through the rocks to the Holy Trinity monastery, about 2 hours with a steady climb.
Free time: Afternoon free in Kalambaka
Activity: Each monastery has 150 to 300 steps cut in the rock. Women are asked to wear a skirt below the knee and men long trousers, shoulders covered; wraps are usually lent at the door.
The royal tombs of Aigai, then Thessaloniki
Kalambaka to Vergina (Aigai), then Thessaloniki
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Thessaloniki
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
We leave Meteora after breakfast and drive about two hours north over the Pindus foothills on the Egnatia motorway to Vergina, the site of Aigai (the museum closes on Tuesdays in winter, so departure dates keep this day off a Tuesday), the first capital of the Macedonian kings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The museum here is built inside the great burial mound itself: in the half-dark you walk past the facades of the royal tombs and the gold larnax thought to have held the bones of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in the village, it is about an hour on to Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, where we stay two nights.
Evening
Your guide takes you on a short walk along the waterfront promenade to the White Tower as the evening light comes across the Thermaic Gulf, and dinner is yours in the city.
Included
- The Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai at Vergina with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Vergina
- Evening walk on the Thessaloniki waterfront to the White Tower
Free time: Evening free in Thessaloniki
Activity: An easy day on foot: about an hour inside the tomb museum and a flat waterfront walk.
Thessaloniki on foot and a meze dinner
Thessaloniki: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman city, then Ladadika
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is a city you walk through layer by layer. We start at the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda, a Roman building of around AD 300 that has been a church and a mosque, and walk to the Church of Saint Demetrios, the city's patron, among the early Christian and Byzantine monuments listed by UNESCO. From there we climb into Ano Poli, the upper town of wooden-balconied houses, to the old Byzantine walls and the view over the rooftops to the bay.
Afternoon
Back down, the Modiano and Kapani markets are the place for lunch on your own: koulouri, bougatsa, olives, fish. The afternoon is free for the Archaeological Museum, a little shopping, or a rest.
Evening
In the evening we sit down together to a meze dinner in Ladadika, the old warehouse quarter by the port.
Included
- Guided walk: the Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda, the Church of Saint Demetrios, Ano Poli and the Byzantine walls
- Meze dinner in Ladadika
Optional experiences
- Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (entry on you)
Easier option: Take a taxi with your guide up to Ano Poli and walk down rather than up.
More active option: Walk on from the walls to the Heptapyrgion fortress at the top of the old town.
Free time: Afternoon free in Thessaloniki
Activity: About 5 km on foot, with a steep climb to Ano Poli.
Philippi, Kavala and the road to Alexandroupoli
Thessaloniki to Philippi and Kavala, then Alexandroupoli
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Alexandroupoli
- Drive about 3.5 h
Today and tomorrow are the one pair of long road days on the trip, and we split the road from Thessaloniki to Istanbul in two so neither is a marathon. We drive about two hours east on the Egnatia motorway to Philippi, about 150 km, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016: the Roman forum, the theatre and the great basilicas of a city where Saint Paul preached, under a hill crowned by Byzantine walls. A few minutes on, Kavala sits on a headland above its harbour, with its Ottoman aqueduct and the old Panagia quarter climbing to a castle.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down seafood meal by the harbour. Then it is about 150 km and under two hours more on the motorway to Alexandroupoli, the last Greek city before the border, a relaxed port town on the Thracian Sea.
Evening
The evening is free on the seafront by the old lighthouse. What softens it: two drives of under two hours each, two sites and a long lunch between them.
Included
- The archaeological site of Philippi with your guide
- Walk through the old Panagia quarter of Kavala
- Sit-down lunch by Kavala harbour
Easier option: Stay at the forum level at Philippi and skip the climb up the theatre slope.
More active option: Climb to Kavala castle for the view over the harbour and the island of Thasos.
Free time: Evening free in Alexandroupoli
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at Philippi and in Kavala; the rest is road, broken into two drives of about two hours each.
Across the border to Istanbul
Alexandroupoli to the Kipoi and İpsala border crossing, then Istanbul
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Istanbul
- Drive about 3.5 h
This is the second of the one pair of long road days, and the border makes it the longer. Alexandroupoli to central Istanbul is about 265 km and about three and a half hours of driving, plus the border, which can take from half an hour to two hours depending on traffic and the day.
Morning
We leave after an early breakfast and reach the Kipoi crossing on the Evros river in about 40 minutes. You stay with your guide through the Greek exit and Turkish entry checks at the windows; have your passport ready. There is a vehicle and driver in Greece and in Turkey; whether one vehicle crosses the border is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Evening
What softens the day: a sit-down lunch of Tekirdağ köfte on the Marmara coast, a stretch stop, and a free evening with nothing planned. We reach Istanbul in the late afternoon.
Included
- Drive with your guide from Alexandroupoli to Istanbul via the Kipoi and İpsala crossing
- Help with the Greek exit and Turkish entry formalities
- Sit-down lunch in Tekirdağ
Free time: Evening free in Istanbul
Activity: The second long day in a row: about 3.5 hours of driving plus the border wait, with a lunch stop and a stretch stop. Turkey keeps the same clock as Greece in summer and is one hour ahead in winter.
Sultanahmet at opening
Istanbul: Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar
- Breakfast
- Stay in Istanbul
We walk out early into Sultanahmet, the old heart of Constantinople and part of the UNESCO listed historic areas of Istanbul. First Hagia Sophia, built under Justinian in the 530s, a church for nine centuries, then a mosque, a museum and now a mosque again; visitors enter the upper galleries by a separate paid route and the visit pauses at prayer times, so we go at opening. Across the square, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and painted tiles, and the Hippodrome, where the chariot races ran, with its Egyptian obelisk. Below ground, the Basilica Cistern, a 6th-century reservoir of 336 columns, is cool and quiet.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own we walk through the vaulted lanes of the Grand Bazaar with your guide, with no commission shops and no carpet demonstrations.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free.
Included
- Hagia Sophia at opening, with the gallery entry
- The Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome
- The Basilica Cistern
- Guided walk through the Grand Bazaar (no shopping stops)
Optional experiences
- A Turkish bath (hamam), price shown at booking
Easier option: Rest at the hotel after the Cistern and skip the bazaar walk.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Mosques ask everyone to cover shoulders and knees and women to cover their hair; carry a light scarf. About 5 km on foot.
Topkapı Palace and the Bosphorus by ferry
Istanbul: Topkapı, Eminönü and a ferry up the Bosphorus
- Breakfast
- Stay in Istanbul
- By ferry
We are at Topkapı Palace when it opens, the home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, to walk its courtyards, kiosks and treasury, and the Harem, before the queues build.
Afternoon
Then we walk down to Eminönü, past the Spice Bazaar with its sacks of pepper, sumac and Turkish delight, for a fish sandwich or a plate of kebab by the water (lunch is yours). In the afternoon we take a public ferry up the Bosphorus, the strait between Europe and Asia, past the Dolmabahçe Palace, the wooden waterfront mansions, the Rumeli fortress and the bridges, and come back by the same boat or by road.
Evening
The evening is free, and the Süleymaniye Mosque on its hill is a short walk from the bazaar if you want the view over the Golden Horn at dusk.
Included
- Topkapı Palace and the Harem at opening with your guide
- Walk through the Spice Bazaar and Eminönü
- Public ferry up the Bosphorus and back
Optional experiences
- A whirling dervish ceremony in the evening, price shown at booking
Easier option: Sit out the palace's far courtyards in the café and join the group at the ferry.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Topkapı closes on Tuesdays, so departure dates are set to avoid it; about 6 km on foot.
Fly to Cappadocia
Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir by flight, then Göreme
- Breakfast
- Stay in Göreme
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
We fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia this morning, from whichever of Istanbul's two airports (IST or SAW) has the better flight, a flight of about an hour and twenty minutes to Kayseri or Nevşehir, instead of the long bus ride many tours use. Seats are booked for you as part of the trip. From the airport it is under an hour by road to Göreme, a village of houses built into and around the soft volcanic rock.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own we visit the Göreme Open Air Museum, a valley of rock-cut churches and monasteries painted with frescoes from the 10th to the 12th centuries, part of the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, listed by UNESCO in 1985. Late in the afternoon your guide walks you into the Rose or Red Valley as the tuff turns pink in the low sun.
Evening
Tonight you sleep in a cave hotel, booked as standard on this trip.
Included
- Flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir with checked luggage
- Göreme Open Air Museum with your guide
- Sunset walk in the Rose or Red Valley
- Cave hotel nights in Cappadocia
Easier option: Watch sunset from the valley rim viewpoint, reached by van, instead of walking in.
Activity: The sunset walk is about 3 km on dusty, uneven paths with short climbs.
Balloons, an underground city and a valley walk
Cappadocia: Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu, Uçhisar and Paşabağ
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Göreme
Morning
If you have booked the balloon flight, you are collected before dawn and fly over the valleys at sunrise, weather permitting; if not, your guide takes you to a viewpoint to watch the launch, which is half the spectacle. The civil aviation authority decides each morning whether balloons may fly, so tomorrow is the backup morning, though a flight is not guaranteed on either. After breakfast we go down into the underground city of Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu, carved several levels deep with stables, chapels and rolling stone doors.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a family-run restaurant, with dishes such as testi kebab, slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot. In the afternoon we see the rock castle of Uçhisar and the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ, then the late afternoon is free.
Evening
We meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Sunrise balloon launch from a viewpoint (if you are not flying)
- Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city with your guide
- Lunch at a family-run restaurant
- Uçhisar castle and Paşabağ
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Hot air balloon flight at sunrise, about CAD 300 to 450, price confirmed before you book; nobody is asked to buy it on the trip
Easier option: Skip the underground city: the passages are low and narrow. Wait in the village café with a tea.
More active option: Walk from Göreme to Uçhisar through Pigeon Valley, about 4 km with a climb at the end, instead of the drive.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: The underground city has low ceilings, steep steps and tight passages; not suitable if you dislike enclosed spaces.
Leave from Cappadocia
Göreme to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
This morning is the balloon backup: if your flight was cancelled yesterday for weather, the operator rebooks you for today when they can. Otherwise, sleep in, or walk up to a viewpoint above Göreme for the last light on the chimneys. After breakfast we drive you to Kayseri airport, about an hour away, or Nevşehir airport, about 40 minutes, for a domestic flight back to Istanbul (IST or SAW, so check which one your flight home leaves from), where most international flights connect. Your guide sees the group to the airport and checks your onward flights before saying goodbye. Book a Cappadocia to Istanbul flight leaving after about 11 am, and leave at least three hours in Istanbul before an international departure; we can add the domestic flight for you or extra nights in Istanbul on request.
Included
- Drop-off at Kayseri or Nevşehir airport
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book your flight from Cappadocia after about 11 am, and connect in Istanbul with at least three hours to spare.
- Athens2 nights
- Delphi1 night
- Kalambaka2 nights
- Thessaloniki2 nights
- Alexandroupoli1 night
- Istanbul3 nights
- Göreme2 nights
- Cappadociaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn are the sweet spot. July and August pass 35 C in Athens and on the Thessaly plain, so we start early and rest at midday; winter brings shorter site hours and snow in Cappadocia, where balloons cancel more often. Balloon flights depend on the wind every morning and are not guaranteed on either of our two Cappadocia mornings.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Greece and Turkey in one trip, with the land between them, not just two capitals and a flight
- History lovers: classical, Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman sites in order
- People who prefer two nights in most places and a guide who stays all the way
- Solo travellers happy to share or pay a fair single supplement
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: Meteora's monasteries have rock-cut stairs and the Acropolis is polished marble
- Anyone who wants islands and beaches; this is the mainland and the cities
- Travellers who dislike long road days; days 8 and 9 are back to back, about 3.5 hours of driving each, and day 9 adds the border
- Those uneasy in enclosed spaces, unless you skip the underground city
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
13 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Athens2 nights
- Delphi1 night
- Kalambaka2 nights
- Thessaloniki2 nights
- Alexandroupoli1 night
- Istanbul3 nights
- Göreme2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 13 nights: 2 in Athens, 1 in Delphi, 2 in Kalambaka below Meteora, 2 in Thessaloniki, 1 in Alexandroupoli, 3 in Istanbul, 2 in a cave hotel in Göreme
- Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Athens International Airport (ATH) and drop-off at Kayseri or Nevşehir airport
- An air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group in Greece and in Turkey; we confirm at your final itinerary whether one vehicle crosses the border
- Domestic flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir with a checked bag
- Public ferry up the Bosphorus
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from Athens to Cappadocia
- Local licensed guides where a site requires one
Activities
- Athens: the Acropolis at the first timed slot and the Acropolis Museum
- Delphi: the archaeological site and the Delphi Museum
- Meteora: the Great Meteoron, Varlaam and Roussanou, and a sunset viewpoint
- Vergina: the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai
- Thessaloniki: guided walk of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman city
- Philippi and Kavala old town
- Istanbul: Hagia Sophia with the gallery entry, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, Topkapı Palace and the Harem, the Spice Bazaar
- Cappadocia: the Göreme Open Air Museum, a sunset valley walk, Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu underground city, Uçhisar and Paşabağ, a balloon launch from a viewpoint
Meals
- 13 breakfasts
- 6 sit-down lunches, on days 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 13
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Athens, a meze dinner in Thessaloniki and a farewell dinner in Cappadocia
Not included
- International flights to Athens and home from Istanbul
- The domestic flight from Cappadocia back to Istanbul on day 14 (we can add it)
- Turkish visa or e-Visa fees, where your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and local guides
- Optional activities: the balloon flight, a Turkish bath, a whirling dervish ceremony, the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
- Extra nights before day 1 or after day 14
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,285 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Thirteen nights in central hotels, including two in a Cappadocia cave hotel, 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 3 dinners, a vehicle and driver in Greece and in Turkey, the flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia, the Bosphorus ferry, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every site entry in the day plan. The balloon flight is optional and not included.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, the same group from Athens to Cappadocia with the same guide, so everyone hears the guide on the Acropolis and fits around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group the whole way, from the Athens arrivals hall to the Cappadocia airport, including across the border. Where a site requires a local licensed guide, one joins for that visit.
How does the border crossing from Greece to Turkey work?
We cross by road at Kipoi and İpsala, about 40 minutes from Alexandroupoli, with your guide beside you through the Greek exit and Turkish entry checks. Expect half an hour to two hours. There is a vehicle and driver in Greece and in Turkey; we confirm at your final itinerary whether one vehicle crosses the border or we change at the crossing.
How long are the drives?
Most road days are 2.5 to 3.5 hours, broken by a sit-down lunch. Days 8 and 9 are the one pair of long days back to back: about 320 km with Philippi and Kavala between two drives, then about 265 km and three and a half hours to Istanbul plus the border wait. We fly to Cappadocia instead of driving.
Why only two nights in Cappadocia?
Fourteen days do not hold three Cappadocia nights without cutting Thessaloniki or Istanbul to one night. Two nights give you two sunrise mornings, so a balloon flight cancelled for weather on the first can be tried again on the second, plus a full day of valleys and an underground city.
Is the balloon flight included?
No. It is an optional extra, about CAD 300 to 450 with the price confirmed before you book, and nobody asks you to buy it on the trip. If you do not fly, your guide takes you to a viewpoint to watch the launch at sunrise. Flights are cleared each morning by the aviation authority and are not guaranteed on either morning.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect 3 to 6 km on foot on touring days, steep marble on the Acropolis, 150 to 300 rock-cut steps at each Meteora monastery and a climb into Thessaloniki's upper town. Every hard day has an easier option, such as two monasteries instead of three or a taxi up the hill.
Is it good for solo travellers?
Yes. Solo travellers pay the same trip price and can take a room of their own for a supplement from CAD 1,285, shown before you book; ask us about sharing with another solo guest. You join the same group meals and walks as everyone else.
Do I need visas for Greece and Turkey?
For Greece, Canadian and US passports need no visa for up to 90 days in the Schengen area. For Turkey, Canadian and US ordinary passports are visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days under current Turkish rules; other passports may need an e-Visa from evisa.gov.tr. We confirm the rule for your passport at booking.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October. Days are warm, the sites are calmer than in summer and balloons fly on most mornings. July and August are hot on the Greek plains and crowded in Istanbul; winter shortens site hours and brings snow to Cappadocia.
How does booking work, and can we go on our own dates?
Pick a small-group date and request to book; we confirm within 24 hours and take no payment until then. Prefer your own dates? The private style is your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 13,610 per person. For independent travel without a guide, ask us for a quote.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
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