5-Day Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour Package (Group)

1. Welcome at IST arrivals

   Your driver holds a TurkeyVia sign at the arrivals exit, after passport control and baggage claim.

2. Ride into the city

   Time here: about 1 hour

   Expect around an hour from the airport to the old city, more at peak times on weekdays.

   Tip: Landing at Sabiha Gökçen or outside the planned time? Private airport transfers can be booked through our airport transfers page.

3. Central 3★ hotel in Istanbul

   Three nights in a double room with breakfast included.

4. 1

   First evening at leisure

   Keep it light tonight: tomorrow is a full day of walking in the old city.

Air-conditioned vehicle with driver

Overnight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

1. 1

   Hippodrome

   Besides the better-known Egyptian obelisk, look for the Walled Obelisk and the German Fountain, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II.

2. 2

   Blue Mosque

   Six minarets and cascading domes outside, blue İznik tiles and stained-glass windows inside. Entry is free outside prayer times.

   Tip: Women need a headscarf, and everyone needs clothing that covers knees and shoulders.

3. 3

   Hagia Sophia upper gallery (ticket not included)

   From the gallery you look down into the vast domed interior and see mosaic portraits of Byzantine emperors and empresses. Foreign visitors buy a separate ticket for this route.

4. Lunch included

   Lunch at a local restaurant with the group; tell us about dietary needs when booking.

5. 4

   Topkapı Palace (ticket not included)

   Walk through the palace courtyards and pavilions on the point where the Bosphorus meets the Golden Horn, including the Harem.

   Tip: Closed on Tuesdays.

6. 5

   Grand Bazaar

   Wander the vaulted lanes of one of the world's oldest covered markets, with carpets, lamps, leather and gold under one roof.

   Tip: Closed on Sundays.

7. 6

   Jewelry workshop (about 30–45 min)

   During the Grand Bazaar visit the group stops at a jewelry workshop to see its designs; no obligation to buy, and the guide may shorten the stop if time is tight.

Air-conditioned vehicle shared with the group; much of the day on foot

Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

1. Group transfer to the boat

   The group travels together with sightseeing transport to the departure pier.

2. 1

   Bosphorus cruise with your guide

   A seat on a public boat is included; your licensed guide rides along to explain the sights on each shore.

   Tip: The open deck can be windy even in summer, so bring a light layer.

3. 2

   Dolmabahçe and Çırağan palaces

   Two 19th-century Ottoman palaces on the European shore, one now a museum and the other a hotel.

4. 3

   Bebek and Arnavutköy

   Former villages with rows of wooden waterfront houses, known as yalı, and cafés along the shore.

5. 4

   Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden's Tower

   On the Asian shore, look for the white Beylerbeyi summer palace below the first bridge and, off Üsküdar, the small tower on its islet.

6. 5

   Rest of the day at leisure

   Popular independent choices include a public ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian side or an evening around the Galata Tower.

Seat on a public Bosphorus boat; group transport to the pier

Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

1. Istanbul hotel pickup

   A driver takes you from the hotel lobby to the airport for the early domestic flight. Pack a small day bag to keep with you on the tour.

2. Early flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir

   Economy seat with checked bag as per the fare, roughly an hour and a half in the air. Landing at Kayseri on a clear day, look for the volcanic cone of Mount Erciyes south of the city.

3. 1

   Devrent (Imagination) Valley

   Time here: about 30 min

   No churches or caves here, only pinkish tuff worn into forms that people read as a camel, a seal or a praying figure. A short, level photo stop.

4. 2

   Paşabağ (Monks Valley)

   Time here: about 45 min

   Chimneys with two and three caps stand close together; one of them holds a chapel and hermit cell linked to St Simeon. Your ticket here also covers Zelve.

5. 3

   Avanos pottery workshop

   Time here: 30–45 min

   A potter shapes red Kızılırmak river clay on a foot-driven kick wheel, a craft with roots in the Hittite period. Pieces are for sale, with no obligation to buy.

6. Buffet lunch in Avanos

   Open buffet at a local restaurant with hot dishes, salads and desserts. Drinks are paid separately.

7. 4

   Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min)

   Weavers demonstrate the Turkish double knot and show how silk is reeled from cocoons and dyed with plants, over a glass of tea. Carpets are on sale; no obligation to buy.

8. 5

   Zelve Open-Air Museum

   Time here: about 1 hr

   Three valleys of cave houses, chapels and a small rock-cut mosque, lived in until the 1950s, when erosion pushed families to nearby Aktepe.

   Tip: Paths are uneven and partly stepped.

9. Check-in at your cave hotel

   Drop-off at your Cappadocia hotel after the tour; the evening is yours.

Istanbul hotel-to-airport transfer, domestic flight, shared air-conditioned minibus with a licensed guide

Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Cappadocia — Celestial Cave Hotel or similar

1. 1

   Göreme panorama

   Time here: about 15 min

   A short stop above Göreme for a last overview of the valleys around the town.

2. 2

   Kaymaklı Underground City

   Time here: about 1 hour

   Four levels can be visited, linked by sloping tunnels, with stables, storerooms and a small church.

   Tip: Low, narrow tunnels; not suitable if you are claustrophobic.

3. 3

   Ihlara Valley walk

   Time here: about 1.5 hours

   A riverside trail at the bottom of a canyon up to 150 m deep, passing rock-cut churches painted in both local Cappadocian and Byzantine styles.

4. Lunch by the river in Belisırma

   Included riverside lunch; drinks are extra.

5. 4

   Selime Monastery

   Time here: about 45 min

   A huge monastery cut into the cliff, with a church, kitchen and living quarters; included without an extra ticket.

6. 5

   Onyx workshop (about 30–45 min)

   Watch onyx being cut and polished into decorative pieces; no obligation to buy.

7. 6

   Leather workshop (about 30–45 min)

   See how locally made leather clothing is finished; no obligation to buy.

8. Transfer to Cappadocia airport

   Group departure transfers are planned for flights leaving around 20:00.

9. Evening flight to Istanbul

   Economy flight back to Istanbul, where the package ends at the airport. A private ride to your hotel can be booked on our airport transfers page.

Shared air-conditioned minibus, airport transfer and domestic flight

Meals: Breakfast, lunch