8-Day Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour with Round-Trip Domestic Flights

On arrival at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), you will meet our airport representative at the designated meeting point. We will arrange your transfer by air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel in central Istanbul. Check-in follows your hotel’s check-in policy.

You have no scheduled sightseeing today. Depending on your arrival time, you can walk through Sultanahmet, find a nearby Turkish restaurant, visit a café, or rest after your journey. You may also explore independently along the Bosphorus.

An optional evening Bosphorus dinner cruise includes Turkish entertainment and views of the illuminated waterfront. It is arranged separately at an additional cost.

Allow approximately 2 hours for arrival assistance and your hotel transfer, depending on your confirmed arrival schedule and traffic. This estimate excludes free time and the optional cruise.

Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, you will meet your guide at approximately 8:30 AM for a full-day tour of Istanbul‘s Old City. You begin in Sultanahmet, where the day’s Byzantine and Ottoman monuments stand close to one another.

At Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, you will see its central dome, marble details, and Byzantine and Ottoman architectural elements. Built during Emperor Justinian I’s reign in the sixth century, it now functions as an active mosque. Your visit follows the designated tourist route and current access regulations.

You continue to the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), known for its six minarets, layered domes, and blue Iznik tiles. Your guide explains its architecture and religious role. Access to both mosques depends on prayer schedules and visitor regulations.

At the Hippodrome of Constantinople, you explore the former setting for chariot races, imperial ceremonies, and public gatherings. You see the Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpent Column, German Fountain, and Walled Obelisk, with explanations of the square’s role in Byzantine public life.

You have lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Topkapi Palace Museum, the Ottoman sultans’ former residence and administrative center. You walk through its courtyards, see historical collections, and look across the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. The Harem is a separate, optional visit if time and access permit, with an additional admission fee where applicable.

You finish at the Grand Bazaar, with free time to browse shops selling carpets, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, leather goods, and souvenirs. The palace is normally closed on Tuesdays, when a visit to the Basilica Cistern may be arranged instead. The bazaar is normally closed on Sundays and certain religious holidays; the program may be adjusted accordingly.

You return to your hotel at approximately 5:00 PM, leaving the evening free for dinner or independent exploration.

Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, you will be picked up at approximately 8:30 AM for a guided tour of the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.

You start at the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), where stalls sell spices, Turkish delight, dried fruit, teas, and nuts. Your guide explains the market’s Ottoman origins and its role in the city’s trade.

You then board a shared sightseeing boat for a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and separating Istanbul’s European and Asian shores. From the boat, you see Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, the Bosphorus Bridge, and Beylerbeyi Palace, along with Ottoman waterfront mansions, neighborhoods, and fortifications.

After the cruise, you cross from Europe to Asia by road over the Bosphorus Bridge, officially called the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. At Çamlıca Hill, you have time for photographs of the strait, historic peninsula, and city skyline.

Following lunch at a local restaurant, you visit Beylerbeyi Palace, a 19th-century Ottoman summer residence built during Sultan Abdülaziz’s reign. You explore its decorated interiors and waterfront gardens, subject to its opening schedule. The palace is normally closed on Mondays, when the program may be adjusted.

During the tour, you also see the Golden Horn and sections of the Byzantine City Walls. Your guide explains the harbor’s commercial role and the walls’ defensive purpose.

Your tour concludes at approximately 4:00 PM, followed by your hotel transfer. Allow approximately 8 hours in total, including the return transfer, depending on traffic. Your evening is free.

Overnight in Istanbul.

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul at approximately 3:50-4:00 AM and transferred to the airport. Your included domestic flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir generally departs between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM, depending on airline availability and your confirmed arrangements. An early breakfast box is subject to hotel arrangements; request it in advance.

On arrival, our local representative will meet you and arrange your transfer to Cappadocia, where you join your English-speaking guide for the North Cappadocia Tour.

You begin at Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley), where erosion has shaped volcanic rock into forms resembling animals and other figures. You have time for photographs while your guide explains how the formations developed.

At Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley), you walk among fairy chimneys, the tall rock formations topped with harder stone caps. Some have multiple caps, and your guide explains how hermits and religious communities used these formations.

You continue to Avanos, beside the Kızılırmak River, also called the Red River. At a pottery workshop, you watch artisans work with the region’s red clay and learn about the town’s pottery-making traditions.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you explore Zelve Open Air Museum. Its cave dwellings, rock-cut churches, tunnels, and communal spaces show how residents adapted the volcanic rock for everyday life.

Your final stop is a panoramic viewpoint near Uçhisar Castle, with views of valleys, fairy chimneys, and cave houses. This is an exterior viewpoint stop; admission to the castle interior is not part of the program.

Sightseeing concludes at approximately 4:00 PM, followed by a transfer to your cave hotel for check-in. Allow approximately 12.5 hours for the day’s transfers, flight, and sightseeing, depending on confirmed transport schedules. Your evening is free.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

You may begin with an optional sunrise hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia. It is not included, is arranged separately and paid locally, and requires advance reservation. The flight is not guaranteed: it depends on suitable weather, official approval, and availability. Children under 5 are not permitted.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up at approximately 9:30 AM for the South Cappadocia Tour.

You start in Red Valley and continue through neighboring Rose Valley on an approximately 5 km guided hike. Along the route, you see red and pink volcanic rock, cave dwellings, and rock-cut churches. Your guide explains the effects of erosion and how early Christian communities used the caves for homes and worship.

At Çavuşin Village, you see stone houses, cave dwellings, and the remains of structures cut into the cliffs. You learn about the settlement’s religious and residential past before having lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you visit Pigeon Valley, where pigeon houses are carved into the volcanic cliffs. Your guide explains how residents collected pigeon droppings to fertilize vineyards and crops.

You then explore either Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, depending on the day’s operating arrangements. You follow interconnected corridors through chambers, storage areas, and ventilation shafts while learning how these spaces provided shelter during periods of danger. Expect stairs, narrow passages, and uneven surfaces; comfortable walking shoes and suitable mobility are recommended.

You return to your hotel at approximately 4:00 PM. Your evening is free, with the option of a separately arranged Whirling Dervish performance or Turkish Night Show with Dinner at an additional cost. The scheduled duration excludes the optional balloon flight and evening activities.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, you check out of your cave hotel in Cappadocia. You will be picked up at approximately 9:30 AM for the Green Cappadocia Tour.

You begin at Esentepe Viewpoint, with a panorama over Göreme and the surrounding valleys. You have time to photograph fairy chimneys, stone houses, volcanic ridges, and distant mountains.

At Derinkuyu Underground City, you explore selected accessible sections of a multi-level settlement built as a refuge. Your guide explains its ventilation shafts, food stores, living quarters, communal spaces, and defensive passages. You will encounter stairs, narrow passages, and uneven surfaces.

You continue to Ihlara Valley for an approximately 4 km guided canyon walk beside the Melendiz River. Along the valley floor, you see rock walls, riverside vegetation, and rock-cut churches while learning about the Christian communities that settled here.

You stop for lunch in Belisırma Village, beside the river, before visiting Selime Monastery. You explore churches, chambers, passages, and communal areas carved into volcanic rock, with explanations of the complex’s medieval religious role.

A final photo stop near Yaprakhisar gives you views of volcanic cliffs and unusual rock formations.

After sightseeing, you will be transferred to Kayseri Airport (ASR) or Nevşehir Airport (NAV) for your included evening domestic flight to Istanbul. Flight timing depends on airline availability and the day’s transfer requirements. On arrival at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen Airport, our representative will meet you and arrange your hotel transfer.

Allow approximately 13 hours for sightseeing, airport transfers, and the flight, depending on confirmed transport schedules. You check in to your Istanbul hotel after arrival.

Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, you have a full free day in Istanbul, with no scheduled activities. You can explore neighborhoods, revisit a favorite landmark, shop for souvenirs, or spend time at a café overlooking the Bosphorus.

Alternatively, you may reserve one of three optional guided day trips at an additional cost:

• Bursa: You visit the first major Ottoman capital. Possible highlights include the Grand Mosque, historical Ottoman neighborhoods, silk markets, and mountain surroundings.
• Troy: You explore remains of successive ancient settlements and learn about the archaeological site, Homer’s Iliad, and the story of the Trojan War.
• Gallipoli Peninsula: You visit World War I memorials and remembrance sites associated with the 1915 campaign, including ANZAC Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery.

These excursions are not included. Advance reservations are recommended, and departures depend on availability. Troy and Gallipoli trips generally involve early departures and late returns to Istanbul. Optional excursion time is not included in this free day’s scheduled duration.

Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel in Istanbul, you may have time for shopping or a walk nearby, depending on your international flight schedule.

You must check out by your hotel’s designated check-out time, generally between 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon.

We will arrange your transfer to Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) according to your confirmed departure flight details. Allow approximately 2 hours for the transfer, depending on your confirmed transport schedule and traffic; this excludes free time and your international flight.

International flights to and from Turkey are not included and are not offered as a paid add-on. You must arrange and purchase these flights independently. Your tour services end on arrival at the airport.