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Turkey · Cities & culture · 8 days

Istanbul and Cappadocia

The city on two continents and the fairy chimneys in one week: this route is the reason most people travel to Turkey for the first time, and it works entirely without a car.

The route, day by day

  1. Day 1 to 3

    Istanbul: Sultanahmet, the Bosphorus and Kadıköy

    You land at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen and the first thing you buy is an Istanbulkart, which lets you use the metro, tram and ferry for a few rappen per ride. The first day belongs to Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia early in the morning, the Blue Mosque, the cistern, and in the afternoon Topkapı Palace, for which you buy the ticket online. On the second day go to the Spice Bazaar instead of the Grand Bazaar, then take the scheduled ferry from Eminönü up the Bosphorus to Sarıyer and come back via Beyoğlu and İstiklal Street. The third day starts with the ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian side, where between the fish market, cafés and bookshops you see how Istanbulites actually live. Three nights, because two are too few and four would eat into the Cappadocia buffer. Sleep in Beyoğlu or Karaköy, mid-range around CHF 80 (about EUR 86) per night, central and lively in the evening. On to Cappadocia: domestic flight to Kayseri, 80 minutes, then a 75 kilometre shuttle to Göreme, or the night bus from Esenler, ten hours.

    Tours at this stop: Hagia Sophia and Topkapı with a guide ↗Bosphorus boat trip ↗Kadıköy street food tour ↗

    Open the Istanbul travel guide →

  2. Day 4 to 7

    Cappadocia: Balloon, Valleys and Underground Cities

    Four nights in Göreme or Uçhisar, in a mid-range cave hotel with a breakfast terrace from which you watch the balloons in the morning. Book the balloon flight for the first morning so you have three back-up dates in case the wind cancels it, which in spring happens to every third flight. The rest of the day belongs to the Göreme Open Air Museum and the sunset on the rock of Uçhisar. On the second day you hike through the Rose Valley and Love Valley, free and almost deserted if you set off before nine. For the third day rent a scooter or book the southern tour with Derinkuyu and the Ihlara Valley, the green canyon with more than a hundred rock churches. The fourth day is left for Avanos and the potter's wheel, or simply for the terrace. Food: testi kebab once, after that gözleme from the stand. Return journey: shuttle to Kayseri or Nevşehir, one hour, flight to Istanbul and connection to Switzerland, or night bus back to Istanbul.

    Tours at this stop: Sunrise balloon flight ↗Southern tour: Ihlara Valley and Derinkuyu ↗Scooter rental in Göreme ↗

    Open the Cappadocia travel guide →

  3. Day 8

    Istanbul: Last Morning and Flight Home

    If you took the night bus back, you arrive in Istanbul at around seven in the morning and have half a day before the evening flight leaves. Leave your luggage at the storage at the Esenler bus terminal or in a locker at the airport, which saves a hotel check-in. Take the metro to Eminönü and have breakfast where you had no time the first time round: menemen and simit on the Golden Horn, then a last çay on the Galata Bridge among the anglers. If you fly in the afternoon you can still manage the Süleymaniye complex, the quieter and more beautiful mosque above the Horn, or an hour in the Spice Bazaar for the presents: pistachios, lokum, sumac, tea from Rize. If you come back on the domestic flight, book the connection straight through and see Istanbul only from the transit area, which is perfectly fine. Return journey: metro M11 or Havaist bus to Istanbul Airport, 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic, flight to Zurich a good three hours.

    Tours at this stop: Turkish breakfast on the Golden Horn ↗

    Open the Istanbul travel guide →

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What the route costs

Rough total per person for the whole route, mid-range, travelling as a pair. Flights and hotels vary by season; details are on the destination pages.

  • Getting there 342 EUR
  • Accommodation 321 EUR
  • Food 278 EUR
  • Local mobility 182 EUR
1,124 EUR
Total per person · 8 days

Money & payment: You pay in Turkish lira (TRY). The exchange rate moves a lot, which is why all prices here are given in francs and euros. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; you need cash for the dolmuş, markets and tips.

Tips for the route

The reverse order is better if your return flight leaves early in the morning: start in Cappadocia and end the trip in Istanbul, then you spend the last night near the airport and have the balloon buffer at the start. The downside: after the fairy chimneys, Sultanahmet feels loud and crowded. That is why most people prefer the direction described here.

Flight or night bus: booked early, the domestic flight from Istanbul to Kayseri costs CHF 40 to 80 (about EUR 43 to 86) and takes 80 minutes, plus an hour to the airport and an hour's shuttle to Göreme. The night bus from Esenler leaves at around 9 pm, costs CHF 20 to 30 and stops right in Göreme in the morning. The buses are comfortable, but ten hours remain ten hours.

Book the balloon flight directly with the operator or through your hotel, not with the first result on the internet, and ask for the date of the balloon's last inspection. CHF 200 (about EUR 214) is the honest price in season; in November or February you pay 130. If the flight is cancelled because of wind, you get your money back or a new date, which is why you stay four nights.

Tickets for Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Göreme Open Air Museum have risen sharply in recent years; for foreigners they are 25 to 30 euros each. A museum pass is only worth it if you visit five or more sites. Hagia Sophia: tourists enter the gallery through a separate entrance, and the prayer level is reserved for worshippers.

Low season here means November to March: Istanbul then has 5 to 12 degrees and rain, and Cappadocia often has snow on the fairy chimneys, which is wonderful. Hotels cost half, Sultanahmet is empty. On the other hand, balloon flights are cancelled more often and the valleys are muddy. April, May, October and November are the best compromise.

Frequently asked questions about Istanbul and Cappadocia

Are eight days enough for Istanbul and Cappadocia?

Yes, if you keep to the three plus four split and fly or take the night bus between the two. With ten days you have time in Istanbul for the Princes' Islands and in Cappadocia for Hattuşa or Konya. Fewer than seven days is hardly worth it because of the flight times.

When is the best time to travel?

April to June and September to November. Istanbul then has 15 to 25 degrees, and Cappadocia has stable balloon conditions and green valleys. High summer is muggy in Istanbul and, at 35 degrees, too hot for hiking in Cappadocia. Winter is cheap and beautiful, but comes with the balloon risk.

Do I need a hire car?

No. In Istanbul a car would be a mistake; metro, tram and ferry take you everywhere. In Cappadocia scooters, day tours and the hotel shuttle are enough. Only if you want to continue from Cappadocia to Konya or the coast does it make sense to rent a car from Kayseri.

What does the week cost per person?

Around CHF 1,050 (about EUR 1,120) per person travelling as a couple in mid-range: flight 320, seven hotel nights 300, food 260, domestic flight or bus, Istanbulkart, shuttles and entrance fees 170. The balloon flight adds 130 to 200 francs and is the single biggest item of the whole trip.

Is the route safe and easy to organise?

Istanbul and Cappadocia are the best organised tourist destinations in Turkey. The usual big-city rules apply: carry valuables at the front, use taxis with a meter or via app, politely ignore shoe shiners and carpet dealers. Hotels in Göreme organise the shuttle, balloon and tours for you, so you hardly need to book anything yourself.

Is there a shorter or longer version?

Shorter: five days with two nights in Istanbul and two in Cappadocia, flying in and out via Kayseri, only sensible in stable weather. Longer: twelve days with Ankara and Hattuşa in between, or with three beach days in Antalya at the end, which you reach from Kayseri in a one-hour flight.

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