Pointed fairy chimney rocks in Cappadocia, with a striped hot-air balloon rising beside them in the morning sky

7 Days

Turkey: Istanbul & Cappadocia

Istanbul • Bosphorus cruise • Cappadocia • sunrise balloon views.

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The holiday

What to expect

Two very different sides of Turkey in a week. In Istanbul you walk through Byzantine and Ottoman history at Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, bargain in the bazaars and cruise the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia. A short flight then takes you to Cappadocia, with its fairy chimneys, cave churches and underground cities, and the sight of dozens of balloons drifting over the valleys at sunrise.

It suits couples, families with older children and groups of friends who like to explore on foot. The sunrise balloon flight is optional and depends on the weather, so we plan it for your first Cappadocia morning to leave a spare one. We can add Pamukkale and Ephesus, or a few days on the coast at Antalya. Turkish cooking has plenty of vegetarian dishes, from lentil soup to meze, and there are Indian restaurants in central Istanbul.

Turkey

Itinerary

Day by day

A suggested plan. Days can be added, dropped or swapped around your dates and interests.

Day
1
Arrive in Istanbul
Land in Istanbul and transfer to your hotel. In the evening, walk around Sultanahmet Square as the mosques are lit up.
Day
2
Old City tour
Visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, then the Hippodrome and the courtyards and treasury of Topkapi Palace. The mosques close to visitors during prayer times, and shoulders, knees and, for women, hair must be covered.
Day
3
Bosphorus cruise and the bazaars
Cruise the Bosphorus past waterfront palaces and wooden mansions, with Asia on one side and Europe on the other. Then explore the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar, and walk up to the Galata Tower.
Day
4
Fly to Cappadocia
Take the flight of about an hour and a quarter to Kayseri or Nevşehir and transfer to your hotel in the valleys. In the late afternoon, see Uçhisar Castle and the sunset over Pigeon Valley.
Day
5
Sunrise balloons and the Göreme valleys
Rise before dawn for an optional hot-air balloon flight, or watch the balloons lift off from a viewpoint. Later, visit the rock-cut churches of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ and a pottery workshop in Avanos.
Day
6
Underground city and Ihlara Valley, fly to Istanbul
Go down into the underground city of Derinkuyu, then walk along the river in the Ihlara Valley and see Selime Monastery. Take an evening flight back to Istanbul.
Day
7
Depart from Istanbul
Free time for last-minute Turkish delight and tea before your transfer to Istanbul Airport.

What's included

4 nights in Istanbul and 2 nights in Cappadocia, in hotels with daily breakfast
Airport transfers in Istanbul and Cappadocia
Domestic flights between Istanbul and Cappadocia
Guided Istanbul Old City tour and a Bosphorus cruise
Guided Cappadocia tours with the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Derinkuyu and the Ihlara Valley
Turkey visa assistance