Fly to Nevşehir and check into a cave hotel — rooms carved directly into volcanic rock. Up before dawn for the hot air balloon: 60 minutes drifting over thousands of fairy chimneys as the sun rises, with other balloons glowing all around you. Hike the Rose Valley and Pigeon Valley in the afternoon. Then descend into Derinkuyu Underground City — an 8-level subterranean world carved by hand, 85 metres deep, once home to 20,000 people complete with churches, stables, wine cellars, and air shafts. One of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

Drive west to Pamukkale — arrive in late afternoon to walk the white travertine terraces barefoot as golden hour turns them pink and amber. The mineral-rich thermal water cascades down calcium shelves that look like frozen waterfalls of snow. At the top, Cleopatra's Pool: swim in warm 36°C thermal water surrounded by submerged Roman columns — marble pillars toppled by an ancient earthquake, now lying on the bottom as you float above them. Spend the night in Pamukkale village and return to the terraces at sunrise when the crowds are gone.

Drive south to the Aegean and Ölüdeniz — the Blue Lagoon, the most photographed beach in Turkey. Tandem paraglide from Babadağ Mountain (1,960m) for a 45-minute flight above the coast. Kayak the turquoise bays and swim off a gulet (traditional wooden yacht). Eat grilled sea bass and cold Efes on a harbour terrace as the sun drops into the Aegean. End your trip in Bodrum — the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, seafood mezesi, and a last swim in warm blue water.