Istanbul and Cappadocia is the classic first trip to Türkiye, and it is classic for a reason: one of the world's great cities followed by one of its strangest landscapes. The question is always how to split the time. Our answer, after many versions, is three and three. Fewer nights in Istanbul and you spend them queuing; fewer in Cappadocia and a single windy morning can cancel your balloon chance with no second try.
In Istanbul we base you in or near Sultanahmet, so Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace are all on foot. The guided days are timed to beat the queues: the Cistern at opening, Topkapi on a weekday morning, the Grand Bazaar after lunch when tour groups thin out. A Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü takes you past Dolmabahçe Palace, the Ortaköy mosque and the Rumeli fortress, and your free evening is best spent in Karaköy or across the water in Kadıköy for meze and fish.
Cappadocia is reached by a short domestic flight of about 80 minutes to Kayseri, followed by a one-hour drive to Göreme or Uçhisar. Cave hotels here are carved into the soft tuff rock, cool in summer and snug in winter. Two guided days cover the Göreme Open-Air Museum with its painted rock churches, the fairy chimneys at Paşabağ, the underground city at Derinkuyu, and a walk through the Ihlara Valley beside the river. The balloon ride is optional and priced separately because it depends on the wind; we book it for your first morning so there are two spare mornings if it is cancelled.
This trip suits couples, friends and older children who like history. Expect plenty of walking, much of it on cobbles and uneven paths, so bring proper shoes. Food is easy and largely halal: kebabs, pide, lentil soup and the slow-cooked testi kebab of Cappadocia, broken open in a clay pot at the table. Omar Siddiqui's tip: in October, pack a warm layer for the dawn balloon launch, when it can be close to freezing.
Highlights
- Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern with a historian guide
- Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar
- Bosphorus cruise past Dolmabahçe Palace and Rumeli fortress
- Three nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel
- Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ fairy chimneys and Derinkuyu underground city
- Ihlara Valley walk and the Selime cliff monastery
Day by day
Day 1Arrive in Istanbul, Sultanahmet evening
The direct flight from Dubai takes around four and a half to five hours. Your driver meets you at Istanbul airport for the drive into Sultanahmet, about 60 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. Check in, then take a short evening walk around the Hippodrome and the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, beautifully lit after sunset. We suggest dinner at a lokanta on Divanyolu, where you point at the dishes you want. Overnight Istanbul.
Day 2Hagia Sophia, the Cistern and the Blue Mosque
Meet your licensed guide at 8:45am and start at the Basilica Cistern before the queues, with its forest of columns and the Medusa heads. Continue to Hagia Sophia, nearly 1,500 years old, then the Blue Mosque with its 20,000 Iznik tiles, timed around prayer times. After lunch walk through the Hippodrome and the Arasta bazaar. Late afternoon is free for a hammam or a rooftop tea with views of the Sea of Marmara. Overnight Istanbul.
Day 3Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and Bosphorus cruise
Spend the morning with your guide at Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans, including the Treasury and the tiled Harem rooms. After lunch, explore the Grand Bazaar with its 4,000 shops, then walk downhill through the old trading lanes to the Spice Bazaar. At about 4pm board a two-hour Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü, passing Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy and the Rumeli fortress as the light softens. Evening free in Karaköy. Overnight Istanbul.
Day 4Fly to Kayseri, first look at Cappadocia
A morning transfer takes you to the airport for the short domestic flight to Kayseri, about 80 minutes. Your Cappadocia driver meets you for the one-hour drive across the plateau, with Mount Erciyes on the horizon, to your cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar. In the afternoon climb Uçhisar castle, the highest point in the region, then watch sunset from a ridge above Rose Valley as the rock turns pink. Overnight Cappadocia.
Day 5Balloon dawn and the Göreme valleys
If you have booked the optional balloon, pickup is around 5am for a flight of about an hour over the fairy chimneys, landing with a celebration drink. After breakfast your guide leads the north Cappadocia tour: the Göreme Open-Air Museum with its frescoed rock churches, Paşabağ's mushroom-shaped chimneys, Çavuşin village and lunch in Avanos, where a potter demonstrates the kick wheel. Afternoon free to rest in your cave room. Overnight Cappadocia.
Day 6Derinkuyu underground city and Ihlara Valley
Today's guided tour heads south. Descend through eight levels of the Derinkuyu underground city, which once sheltered thousands of people. Drive about an hour to the Ihlara Valley for a gentle 4 km walk beside the river, with lunch at a riverside restaurant at Belisırma. Finish at the Selime monastery, cut into a cliff. Back at the hotel by 6pm, then enjoy a farewell dinner of testi kebab, cracked open at your table. Overnight Cappadocia.
Day 7Fly home to Dubai via Istanbul
If the balloon was cancelled earlier in the week, this morning is your final chance before breakfast. Your driver then takes you back to Kayseri airport for the domestic flight to Istanbul and your connecting flight home. Total travel time back to Dubai is usually eight to nine hours including the connection, and your checked bags are tagged through, so you do not collect them in Istanbul.
Hotels by tier
Choose the tier in the price box; the difference is priced per adult for the whole stay.
Named hotels or similar of the same standard if one is full; we tell you before you pay the balance.
What is included
Included
- Return flights from Dubai to Istanbul, Economy, 30 kg baggage
- Domestic flights Istanbul to Kayseri and Kayseri to Istanbul
- 6 nights with daily breakfast: 3 in Istanbul, 3 in a Cappadocia cave hotel
- Private airport transfers in Istanbul and Kayseri
- Full-day guided Old City tour with Hagia Sophia, Cistern and Blue Mosque
- Half-day guided Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar tour with entry tickets
- Two-hour Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü
- Two guided Cappadocia day tours with lunch and entry fees
- Testi kebab dinner on the last night in Cappadocia
- 24/7 Dubai support line throughout the trip
Not included
- Türkiye visa or e-visa fee, where your nationality needs one
- Optional hot-air balloon flight, from AED 950 per person
- Lunches on Istanbul days and dinners other than the testi kebab night
- Hotel accommodation tax, paid locally where charged
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Travel insurance
Departures and prices
Price per adult, twin share, standard hotels. Seats are held with our airline and hotel partners.
| Dates | Departure | Seats left | Per adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 20 Nov to Thu 26 Nov 2026 | Flexible | 9 | AED 4,350 | |
| Sat 21 Nov to Fri 27 Nov 2026 | Group, with tour leader | 2 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 27 Nov to Thu 3 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 9 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 4 Dec to Thu 10 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 7 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 11 Dec to Thu 17 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 18 Dec to Thu 24 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 5,220 | |
| Sat 19 Dec to Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Group, with tour leader | 5 | AED 5,010 | |
| Fri 25 Dec to Thu 31 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 5,220 | |
| Fri 1 Jan to Thu 7 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 9 | AED 5,220 | |
| Fri 8 Jan to Thu 14 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 15 Jan to Thu 21 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Sat 16 Jan to Fri 22 Jan 2027 | Group, with tour leader | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 22 Jan to Thu 28 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 6 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 29 Jan to Thu 4 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 5 Feb to Thu 11 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 | |
| Fri 12 Feb to Thu 18 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,350 |
Tour leader, Georgia and Türkiye groups
Where it is
Questions about this holiday
When is the best time for Istanbul and Cappadocia?
Do UAE residents need a visa for Türkiye?
What happens if the balloon flight is cancelled?
Is the food halal?
Is the trip suitable for children?
Can I extend in Istanbul at the end?
Travellers on this holiday
Great itinerary, and the internal flight to Kayseri saved us a very long bus ride. Dinner on the Istanbul evening tour was late, nearly ten o'clock, which was hard going with two jet-lagged teenagers. Otherwise smooth, and the underground city at Derinkuyu was a big hit with them.
The hot air balloon was cancelled once for wind, and Omar had it rebooked for the next dawn before we had finished breakfast. Floating over Love Valley with a hundred other balloons was the best hour of our honeymoon. Istanbul was lovely too, especially the fish sandwiches by Galata Bridge.
Six nights split between Sultanahmet and Göreme was ideal. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque came with a guide who knew how to dodge the crowds, and the Bosphorus boat was at golden hour. In Cappadocia our cave room had a terrace over the valley, and Omar booked the balloon for the first morning so there was a backup day.
Lebanese couple, both architects, so we wanted time rather than a rush. Omar built in a free afternoon in Balat and a second, slower visit to the Grand Bazaar. The pottery workshop in Avanos was a lovely surprise. Deposit and two instalments, everything clear on the invoice.
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