Turkey itinerary, day by day

From Istanbul to Cappadocia, then Pamukkale and the coast at Antalya: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 3, 7 or 14 days📍 4 stops☀️ Best time: April to June and September to October

Istanbul · Photo Rıdvan Batur / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Turkey in 3 days

2 stops · 12 things to do · ≈ 730 km

1Istanbul

Days 1-2

The only city standing on two continents, and the capital of two empires under the name Constantinople. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar sit within a short walk of one another.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, guided3h · from €40
A church from 537 that became a mosque, then a museum, then a mosque again, and the sixth-century cistern held up by 336 columns.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Bosphorus cruise2h · from €25
Two hours on the strait that divides Europe from Asia, past wooden waterfront houses and two Ottoman fortresses.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Blue Mosque · The Grand Bazaar · Balat district · Sultanahmet Square

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Cheers Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Georges Hotel Galata (€150 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Sultanahmet (€390 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Hidden Garden Restaurant Sultanahmet ↗ ★ 4.9 · 20413 reviews · €€
Garden 1897 Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 20256 reviews · €€
Las Tapas restaurant (türkish cuisine) ↗ ★ 4.9 · 9232 reviews · €€
Mivan Restaurant & Cafe ↗ ★ 4.9 · 8821 reviews · €€
The Ottomans Kitchen Cafe Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 8652 reviews

Photo Taha Yasir Yöney / Pexels

✈️ Flight · 1h15 · 730 km

2Cappadocia

Day 3

Volcanic rock eroded into cones and hollowed into houses, churches and whole underground cities. Around a hundred balloons go up at first light on a flying day.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hot air balloon at sunrise1h · from €180
An hour over the valleys as the light arrives. Wind cancels flights often, so book early in your stay and keep a spare morning.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The valleys by quad bike or on footHalf day · from €45
Half a day through Rose Valley and Love Valley, which no road reaches.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Love Valley and the fairy chimneys · The cave village of Uchisar · Sunset over Göreme · An underground city

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Kemal's Guest House (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Cappadocia Cave Suites (€160 a night) · Luxury: Museum Hotel (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Badem Restaurant ↗ ★ 5 · 602 reviews
King Rooftop Restaurant ↗ ★ 5 · 148 reviews
Zukra Pasta&Bliss ↗ ★ 4.9 · 742 reviews
Kebab World Cappadocia ↗ ★ 4.9 · 363 reviews
Oscar Steak House ↗ ★ 4.8 · 4009 reviews

Photo Sena / Pexels

Turkey in 7 days

4 stops · 23 things to do · ≈ 1 510 km

1Istanbul

Days 1-3

The only city standing on two continents, and the capital of two empires under the name Constantinople. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar sit within a short walk of one another.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, guided3h · from €40
A church from 537 that became a mosque, then a museum, then a mosque again, and the sixth-century cistern held up by 336 columns.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Bosphorus cruise2h · from €25
Two hours on the strait that divides Europe from Asia, past wooden waterfront houses and two Ottoman fortresses.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Blue Mosque · The Grand Bazaar · Balat district · Sultanahmet Square

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Cheers Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Georges Hotel Galata (€150 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Sultanahmet (€390 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Taha Yasir Yöney / Pexels

✈️ Flight · 1h15 · 730 km

2Cappadocia

Days 4-5

Volcanic rock eroded into cones and hollowed into houses, churches and whole underground cities. Around a hundred balloons go up at first light on a flying day.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hot air balloon at sunrise1h · from €180
An hour over the valleys as the light arrives. Wind cancels flights often, so book early in your stay and keep a spare morning.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The valleys by quad bike or on footHalf day · from €45
Half a day through Rose Valley and Love Valley, which no road reaches.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Love Valley and the fairy chimneys · The cave village of Uchisar · Sunset over Göreme · An underground city

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Kemal's Guest House (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Cappadocia Cave Suites (€160 a night) · Luxury: Museum Hotel (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Sena / Pexels

🚗 Car · 6h · 540 km

3Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Day 6

White travertine terraces laid down over millennia by hot calcium-rich springs, with the Roman spa city of Hierapolis on the ridge above them.

🎟️ Worth booking

The travertine pools and HierapolisHalf day · from €15
Barefoot up the white terraces, which is the rule, then the Roman theatre and necropolis of the spa town above.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Cleopatra's antique pool1h · from €12
A warm spring pool with fallen marble columns lying on the bottom since an earthquake brought them down.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Sunset on the terraces · The Hierapolis site · Pamukkale village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Venus Hotel (€28 a night) · Mid-range: Doga Thermal Spa (€110 a night) · Luxury: Richmond Pamukkale Thermal (€110 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Nil’s Food & Drinks ↗ ★ 5 · 157 reviews
Hiera Restaurant Coffee & Tea House ( Reservation Only ) 히에라 레스토랑 커피 & 티 하우스 ↗ ★ 4.9 · 2750 reviews
Oba Grill Time ↗ ★ 4.9 · 942 reviews
Almanyalının Yeri restorant pamukkale ↗ ★ 4.9 · 669 reviews
YAĞMUR PİDE & IZGARA ↗ ★ 4.9 · 384 reviews

Photo Sami Türk / Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 240 km

4Antalya and the coast

Day 7

The Ottoman old town of Kaleici inside its walls, Roman stonework still in the street plan, and beaches under the Taurus mountains.

🎟️ Worth booking

Kaleici old town, guided2h · from €20
Ottoman houses, the Roman harbour, and Hadrian's Gate, raised for the emperor's visit in the year 130.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Boat trip to the covesFull day · from €40
A day along the coast, stopping in inlets that open only from the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Düden waterfalls · The Roman harbour · Konyaalti beach · Hadrian's Gate

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hostel Kaleiçi (€32 a night) · Mid-range: Tuvana Hotel (€140 a night) · Luxury: Rixos Downtown Antalya (€170 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Adab-ı Balık Fish Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1122 reviews
Hare Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 531 reviews
Balıkçı Meyhanesi Kaleiçi ↗ ★ 4.8 · 4629 reviews · €€
Çömlekçi Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.8 · 2779 reviews
Sauvignon Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.8 · 2512 reviews

Photo Atlantic Ambience / Pexels

Turkey in 14 days

4 stops · 23 things to do · ≈ 2 200 km

1Istanbul

Days 1-4

The only city standing on two continents, and the capital of two empires under the name Constantinople. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar sit within a short walk of one another.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, guided3h · from €40
A church from 537 that became a mosque, then a museum, then a mosque again, and the sixth-century cistern held up by 336 columns.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Bosphorus cruise2h · from €25
Two hours on the strait that divides Europe from Asia, past wooden waterfront houses and two Ottoman fortresses.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Blue Mosque · The Grand Bazaar · Balat district · Sultanahmet Square

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Cheers Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Georges Hotel Galata (€150 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Sultanahmet (€390 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Taha Yasir Yöney / Pexels

✈️ Flight · 1h15 · 730 km

2Cappadocia

Days 5-7

Volcanic rock eroded into cones and hollowed into houses, churches and whole underground cities. Around a hundred balloons go up at first light on a flying day.

🎟️ Worth booking

Hot air balloon at sunrise1h · from €180
An hour over the valleys as the light arrives. Wind cancels flights often, so book early in your stay and keep a spare morning.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The valleys by quad bike or on footHalf day · from €45
Half a day through Rose Valley and Love Valley, which no road reaches.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Love Valley and the fairy chimneys · The cave village of Uchisar · Sunset over Göreme · An underground city

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Kemal's Guest House (€40 a night) · Mid-range: Cappadocia Cave Suites (€160 a night) · Luxury: Museum Hotel (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Sena / Pexels

🚗 Car · 6h · 540 km

3Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Days 8-9

White travertine terraces laid down over millennia by hot calcium-rich springs, with the Roman spa city of Hierapolis on the ridge above them.

🎟️ Worth booking

The travertine pools and HierapolisHalf day · from €15
Barefoot up the white terraces, which is the rule, then the Roman theatre and necropolis of the spa town above.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Cleopatra's antique pool1h · from €12
A warm spring pool with fallen marble columns lying on the bottom since an earthquake brought them down.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Sunset on the terraces · The Hierapolis site · Pamukkale village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Venus Hotel (€28 a night) · Mid-range: Doga Thermal Spa (€110 a night) · Luxury: Richmond Pamukkale Thermal (€110 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Sami Türk / Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 240 km

4Antalya and the coast

Days 10-13

The Ottoman old town of Kaleici inside its walls, Roman stonework still in the street plan, and beaches under the Taurus mountains.

🎟️ Worth booking

Kaleici old town, guided2h · from €20
Ottoman houses, the Roman harbour, and Hadrian's Gate, raised for the emperor's visit in the year 130.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Boat trip to the covesFull day · from €40
A day along the coast, stopping in inlets that open only from the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Düden waterfalls · The Roman harbour · Konyaalti beach · Hadrian's Gate

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hostel Kaleiçi (€32 a night) · Mid-range: Tuvana Hotel (€140 a night) · Luxury: Rixos Downtown Antalya (€170 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Atlantic Ambience / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Kebab and doner, in more forms than the two words suggest.
Meze: a spread of small plates, ordered for the whole table.
Pide and lahmacun: flatbreads, and the closest thing to a Turkish pizza.
Baklava and lokum, layered pastry and rose-scented cubes of sugar.
Cay and Turkish coffee, drunk all day and never in a hurry.

⚠️ What to avoid

Agree the price first, and be wary of strangers who are too helpful.
Haggle at the bazaar, and do it with a smile.
Cover shoulders and knees in mosques, and bring a scarf for the head.
Tea offered in a shop is a courtesy, not an obligation to buy.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Turkey guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Turkey, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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