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Planning to spend 4 days in Turkey? We received you lined! On this submit, I’d wish to share with you our 4-day itinerary for Turkey. Throughout 4 days in Turkey, we managed to go to Istanbul and Cappadocia. Whereas it doesn’t seems like a lot time, we have been truly in a position to see among the foremost landmarks in Istanbul and even get pleasure from a beautiful scorching air balloon journey!
Our itinerary is fairly tiring and be at liberty to repeat it in case you actually need to journey as a lot as potential, as a result of it includes one evening with out sleep. In any respect. Not even 2 hours of sleep (until you’re a type of folks, who can sleep effectively on the airplane). However let’s get straight to the itinerary:
4-day itinerary for Turkey: Istanbul and Cappadocia
Earlier than we begin with the itinerary, right here’s the transient overview of what we did in 4 days in Turkey:
Day 1: Arrive in Kayseri for Cappadocia (early morning). Day in Cappadocia. Keep at Cappadocia Cave Suites. Quad safari tour round Cappadocia (test availability right here)
Day 2: Early scorching air balloon journey (test availability and e book upfront), flight to Istanbul, keep at Boutique Saint Sophia
Day 3: Discover Istanbul – take a half-day tour of the town (e book right here) and a Bosphorus cruise (test availability)
Day 4: Breakfast in Istanbul, a visit to the markets and a flight again dwelling
Alright, let’s take a look at the itinerary in additional element!
Day 0 – Flying to Istanbul & Kayseri at evening. On the day 0 of our journey, we wakened, went to work after which went on to the airport to take the 23:55 flight from London to Istanbul with Pegasus airways. The flight from London to Istanbul takes roughly 4 hours. You possibly can test the costs for the flights on-line right here.
Day 1. Cappadocia & AMV tour
We determined to go to Cappadocia immediately and took a home flight from Istanbul to Kayseri (1.5 hours of flying). In Kayseri, we took our pre-booked shuttle (organized by our resort) and headed to our beautiful resort Cappadocia Cave Suites.
The rationale why we selected Cappadocia Cave Suites – fabulous Instagrammable terrace overlooking dawn and scorching air balloons in Cappadocia. If you’d like a photograph just like the one under – this resort is your finest wager. It’s undoubtedly one of the crucial Instagrammable locations in Cappadocia.
Cappadocia Cave Suites is commonly offered out, so it is smart to test its availability upfront. Examine it now!
In case, Cappadocia Cave Suites is totally booked, these are some good options:
Museum Lodge
Sultan Cave Suites
Rox Goreme
Since Cappadocia is getting incresingly widespread attributable to Instagram (effectively, to be sincere, Cappadocia is likely one of the most Instagrammable locations on the planet), I like to recommend reserving the inns at the very least 4-5 months upfront!
After arriving on the resort, we went for a late breakfast in one of many eating places in Goreme (One Means restaurant – that’s the identify) and received again to the resort to take a Quad Safari round 2 valleys of Cappadocia. I strongly advocate taking an AMV (quad bike) tour, because it’s one of the best ways to discover the valleys.
If that’s not your cup of tea, listed below are another wonderful excursions to soak up Cappadocia:
The very best of Cappadocia with lunch
Full-day personal tour of Cappadocia
After taking the quad bike tour, we went again to our room, modified and headed to the resort terrace to take some photographs of the sundown in Cappadocia. Afterwards, we went to the restaurant Seten for dinner – it was wonderful and I undoubtedly advocate you visiting this restaurant. Throughout the excessive season and the weekends, think about making a reservation, in any other case, the restaurant could be totally booked!
Day 2: Sizzling air balloon flight & going again to Istanbul
We wakened at 4:30 am to be picked up from the resort to go to the new air balloon journey. Our flight was severely spectacular – it was like a correct tour of various valleys and the balloon was contantly getting up and down. Nevertheless, we began flying too late when the solar has already risen, so we missed the wonderful pink gentle. Some corporations that provide low-cost costs have low ranking as a result of the balloon simply stays within the air at one spot and does nothing.
Contemplate taking a costlier flight bundle as effectively. We purchased the most cost effective one paying £130 per individual, nevertheless, we have been packed like sardines within the scorching air balloon basket. If you’d like some good photographs of you within the balloon – think about getting a bundle, the place there are solely 8-12 folks within the basket. For instance, this tour ensures small teams within the basket.
Alternatively, you possibly can take a non-public scorching air balloon tour! You possibly can test the value and availability right here >
If you wish to learn a bit extra about flying scorching air balloons in Cappadocia, head to my information to flying how air balloons in Turkey >>>
After taking the new air balloon journey, we returned to our resort and slept for a few hours earlier than truly beginning packing and getting a shuttle again to the Kayseri airport.
We flew to Sabiha Airport in Istanbul and it took us almost 2 hours to get to our resort. So it was already 8 pm, once we arrived at our resort. We determined to go for some meals and the night stroll round Istanbul. Istanbul seems to be wonderful at evening! The realm we determined to discover was Taksim. We walked all the way in which to beautiful Galata tower after which went again to the resort.
Learn my submit about essentially the most Instagrammable locations in Istanbul >>>
The place to remain in Istanbul
Istanbul has loads of totally different inns for any price range. Among the finest-rated inns that we might advocate is Boutique Saint Sophia (test availability right here, because it sells out fairly quick).
Should you’re on a price range, test La Maison Story Lodge out.
If you wish to deal with your self, 4 Seasons Sultanahmet is completely wonderful. We stayed there 5 years in the past (when it was £250 an evening and never £850) and cherished each minute of it.
Day 3 in Turkey: Istanbul & 4 Seasons Lodge
Should you haven’t been to Istanbul earlier than and wish to study extra about this metropolis, I like to recommend taking a metropolis tour like this 6-hour small-group highlights tour of Istanbul.
Should you’re on a price range, right here is a tremendous half-day sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
I additionally advocate taking a Bosphorus cruise in case you’re in Istanbul on a heat and beautiful day and naturally, this wonderful night stroll and meals tour of the town!
Within the morning, we went to Hagia Sofia (the queue wasn’t that massive, however nonetheless, we spent about half-hour there), so we determined to purchase the Istanbul move – this card often offers you entry to essentially the most museums in Istanbul (and you’ll skip the queues too).
Later, we went to the Blue Mosque, that, unluckily, was closed for visits (it was underneath reconstruction) and walked to the Topkapi Palace, the place we stepped the queue and efficiently received in! We additionally received inside essentially the most spectacular a part of the Topkapi palace – the Harem with its unimaginable tiles.
Afterwards we went to eat in one in all these touristy eating places close to the Topkapi palace – we tried the well-known Turkish pancake and had a Blended kebab. The restaurant was okay, however completely overpriced for Turkey! The identify of the restaurant is Han, by the way in which, so you possibly can keep away from it in case you desire.
After spending an hour within the resort and stress-free for some time, we determined to go on stroll across the embankment of Bosphorus and watch the sundown from there. We walked all the way in which from our resort to Karakoy, the place we discovered the well-known fish stall of Turkish Tremendous Mario. The fish wrap we tried there was the very best one we ever tried, so this place is certainly really helpful to you – that is the handle – Makaracilar Caddesi 3-45A.
We ended the day consuming Turkish Tea and consuming among the most well-known Turkish delight, ice-cream and pahlava within the well-known Turkish chain Hafiz Mustafa.
Day 4. Istanbul + flying again to London
On the day 4 in Turkey, we wakened a bit late, checked out from our resort and went to have breakfast in one of many panoramic cafes with the normal Turkish breakfast – Saade Kahvati situated on the final ground of the resort Darussaade. The breakfast was 55 Turkish lira per individual – round 12 euros, however it was merely wonderful!
Afterward, we went to the Basilica Cistern that was spectacular as effectively and went contained in the Hagia Eirene church situated in entrance of the Topkapi palace. From there, we walked all the way in which to the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar and acquired some fairly wonderful Turkish delight there.
We nonetheless had a while earlier than our flight at 9:30 pm, so we walked all the way in which to Balat – a really vibrant hipster district of Istanbul that appears like Lisbon or Porto in Portugal.
With a purpose to return to the resort and decide up our luggage, we took Uber and it took us 1.5 hours to get from Balat to Sultanahmet due to Istanbul’s loopy site visitors. To not threat our flight, we truly determined to take a practice, metro and a taxi to the Sabiha airport (took us 1.5 hours in whole) – would have been greater than 2.5 hours by a shuttle bus or taxi!
That was just about it – we managed to see quite a bit throughout these 4 days in Turkey and we might undoubtedly return to this wonderful nation once more. We appreciated the hospitality and the friendliness of the folks, in addition to tasty meals and nice public transport.
If in case you have any questions, be at liberty to DM me at @lizatripsget – I’d have the ability to assist!
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