Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Istanbul
Morning Arrival & check-in
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST). Take the metro or a taxi to the Sultanahmet district, the historic heart of the city. Check into your hotel and enjoy the views over the Sea of Marmara.
Afternoon Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque
Visit Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), a 1,500-year-old architectural masterpiece that served as a Byzantine cathedral, Ottoman mosque, and museum. Cross the square to admire the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed) with its 20,000 blue İznik tiles.
Evening Dinner in Sultanahmet
Dine at one of Sultanahmet's rooftop restaurants with views of illuminated Hagia Sophia. Try Turkish classics: assorted mezze, Adana kebab, lahmacun, and homemade baklava.
Day 2 Imperial Istanbul
Morning Topkapi Palace
Explore Topkapi Palace, home to Ottoman sultans for 400 years. Walk through its four courtyards, the 300-room Harem, the Imperial Treasury (Spoonmaker's Diamond, Topkapi Dagger) and enjoy spectacular views over the Bosphorus and Golden Horn.
Afternoon Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar
Get lost in the Grand Bazaar, one of the world's largest and oldest covered markets (4,000 shops since 1461). Then head down to the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) for its mountains of colorful spices, Turkish delight, teas, and dried fruits.
Evening Bosphorus cruise
Board a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus, the strait separating Europe from Asia. Admire Ottoman palaces, wooden yalı mansions, Rumeli Fortress, and the two illuminated bridges from the water.
Day 3 Modern Istanbul
Morning Galata & Istiklal district
Climb the Galata Tower for a 360° panorama over Istanbul. Then walk down Istiklal Avenue, a lively pedestrian street lined with shops, bookstores, and historic patisseries. End at Taksim Square, the heart of contemporary Istanbul.
Afternoon Dolmabahçe Palace
Visit Dolmabahçe Palace, the last residence of the Ottoman sultans, with its 600-meter Bosphorus-facing façade. Sumptuous interior: Baccarat crystal staircase, 4.5-ton chandelier gifted by Queen Victoria, gold-covered rooms, and painted ceilings.
Evening Meyhane dinner in Karaköy
End your Istanbul evenings at a meyhane (Turkish tavern) in the trendy Karaköy district. Order a table of shared mezze, grilled fish, and rakı, the Turkish anise drink mixed with water ('lion's milk').
Day 4 Flight to Cappadocia
Morning Flight Istanbul → Kayseri
Take an early morning flight to Kayseri (1h15). On arrival, a shuttle or rental car takes you to Göreme (1h), in the heart of Cappadocia. Check into a cave hotel carved from volcanic tuff.
Afternoon Göreme Open-Air Museum
Visit this exceptional UNESCO site: a complex of Byzantine rock-cut churches carved between the 10th and 12th centuries. The vividly colored frescoes (Dark Church, Apple Church, Snake Church) bear witness to monastic life in Cappadocia.
Evening Rooftop dinner in Göreme
Enjoy a rooftop dinner with views of illuminated fairy chimneys. Cappadocian cuisine is generous: testi kebab (stew cooked in a clay pot broken at your table), mantı (Turkish dumplings), and local Cappadocian valley wines.
Day 5 Cappadocia: sky & valleys
Morning Hot air balloon flight
Rise before dawn for a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia — one of the world's most iconic experiences. Float above fairy chimneys, sculpted valleys, and cave villages as the sun rises over this lunar landscape.
Afternoon Love Valley & Red Valley hike
Hike between Love Valley (famous for its giant phallic fairy chimneys) and Red Valley (Kızılçukur), where tuff walls turn red and orange depending on the light. A 6km trail connects both, passing vineyards, apricot orchards, and rock-cut chapels.
Evening Cave restaurant & local wine
Dine in a restaurant carved into the rock for a unique culinary experience. Pair your meal with a tasting of Cappadocian wines — the world's oldest wine region, with indigenous grape varieties cultivated for 4,000 years.
Day 6 Underground Cappadocia
Morning Derinkuyu underground city
Descend into the largest underground city in Cappadocia, carved 8 levels deep to 85 meters below ground. This labyrinth could shelter 20,000 people with its stables, kitchens, churches, ventilation shafts, and anti-invader traps.
Afternoon Ihlara Valley gorge
Hike through Ihlara Valley, a 16km-long, 100m-deep canyon carved by the Melendiz River. Follow the shaded trail along the river, dotted with a hundred rock-cut churches hiding Byzantine frescoes in the cliffs.
Evening Whirling dervishes ceremony
Attend a Sema ceremony in a restored ancient caravanserai. The Mevlevi whirling dervishes perform their Sufi mystical dance — an 800-year-old moving meditation inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage list.
Day 7 Last panoramas & departure
Morning Uçhisar Castle
Climb to the top of Uçhisar Castle, the highest point in Cappadocia. This rock pinnacle riddled with tunnels offers a 360° panorama over the valleys, fairy chimneys, and snow-capped Mount Erciyes in the distance.
Afternoon Avanos & pottery
Visit Avanos, the potters' town since Hittite times (4,000 years). Try your hand at the potter's wheel in a traditional workshop and take your creation home. Stroll lanes lined with craft shops and hand-painted ceramics.
Evening Transfer & departure
Take the shuttle to Kayseri Airport (1h) for your return flight. One last look at Cappadocia's lunar landscapes from the road.