’Istanbul & Cappadocia – Turkey’s Historic Gems’ is an eight-day small-group tour that explores the cultural impact of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The itinerary includes guided walking tours of Istanbul to discover religious icons including the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia; Topkapi Palace, once the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, and the 6th century Basilica Cistern, the city’s ancient underground water store. This section of the tour ends with the option of a cruise through the Princes’ Islands archipelago in the Sea of Mamarra, with a final stop of the car-free isle of Büyük Ada.

Guests then fly to Cappadocia in Anatolia to explore the region’s famous volcanic landscape dotted with tufa rock spires, otherwise known as fairy chimneys, and distinctive subterranean settlements that are cut into the soft rock. Sights include an immense underground citadel, sculpted forts and cave dwellings, with guests spending three nights in a new rock-carved hotel, Yusuf Yiğitoğlul Mansion. 

As a Premier Collection tour, group numbers are limited to no more than 24 people, with accommodation in elegant four-star hotels, and internal flights rather than road transfers to reduce travel times.

Prices start from £2,169  per person (saving £240 in Newmarket Holidays’ Black Friday sale until 9 December) and include bed-and-breakfast accommodation, return flights from Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Heathrow, tours and transfers, with four departures in September and October 2025.

Hayley Morris, Head of Trade Sales and Partnerships said: "Our existing Turkey tours sell well and this new addition gives agents the opportunity to cater to the demand for immersive and premium small-group experiences. Cappadocia’s extraordinary landscape and Istanbul’s rich history make this an excellent addition to the Premier Collection."