1 week Turkey Trip in Istanbul and Cappadocia
- cjiao3141
- Oct 23, 2022
- 10 min read
Turkey is incredible place with most awe-inspiring cities. It has breathtaking architecture, delicious food, and some of the warmest, most genuinely hospitable people. If you only have a week and want to get most out of your time here, I hope this travel guide can help you plan your trip. It will tell you where to stay, which sights to see, and what food to eat.
I traveled solo there and enjoy the country so much that I will visit again to check out more places in the future.
Things to know before visit
Weather
Spring (March-May) is the best time to visit Istanbul, followed by Autumn (September-November). In spring time you can also see tulips. There is an international tulip festival.
JUNE-AUG: This is the busiest time of the year, The weather is hot and humid — up to 28°C/82°F.
SEPT-NOV: Autumn is a great time to visit and the weather is similar to spring but might have some rains.
DEC-FEB: December till February is low season in Istanbul. It’s the wettest and coldest time of the year
visa
Applying for an e-visa to Turkey is easy. I use their official website to get the e-visa. https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
Transportation
You can use Uber service in Istanbul. However they are majorly sourcing taxi.
If you travel within the city, I highly suggest you get an Istanbul card that you can use at metro, bus and tram. You can get the card from the machine in metro station. The machine is not that user friendly, but you need to use the get the card (50LR) and load the money on it. It is cash only, so you better get some cash before you enter the city.
How to get from airport to the city
There are three airports around Istanbul. If you arrive IST, the cheapest way is to take the HAVAIST shuttle (35TL). If you arrive in Sabiha Gökçen Airport, you can also take the HAVABUS to Taksim, then you can take metro or uber.
If you want the most convenient way, you can take the taxi or private shuttle. Some taxi is flat rate and some take meters, so it is up to them. The price can be 300-400TL.
Where to stay
Based on my experience, I suggest you stay in Sultanahmet and Taksim (Beyoğlu). The first one is in old city and is close to many mosque and historical attractions. The second one is close to galata tower and many good restaurants.
SIM Card
Based on my experience, the best way is to go to the city to get sim card, but you can get it at the airport (right after luggage)
There are three mobile operators in Turkey: Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom. All three operators offer a variety of prepaid SIM Card packages to choose from, some of them even have special SIM cards for tourists. I got the Vodafone and it is 50$ for 25G and unlimited text and call.
Travel Plan
Day | Plan |
1 | Arrive IST (late afternoon) , stay at Holiday Inn Old city |
2 | Visit Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet), Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace & Harem, Dolmabahce Palace |
3 | Fly to Capadocia, arrive late morning, go to Sultan carpet shop for photoshoot |
4 | Hot balloon ride (4-8am), Green tour |
5 | Sunrise flying dress photoshoot, Sunset horseback riding |
6 | Sunrise watching at hotel and fly back to Istanbul. Sunset cruise experience, check in airbnb near Galata tower |
7 | Early morning photoshoot, check out Grand and Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, try Turkey Hamam, check out rooftops, try local food |
8 | breakfast at Galata tower and fly back to NYC |
Day 2 (Istanbul)
Hagia Sophia is the most iconic structure in Istanbul. It was once regarded as the greatest church in Christendom and was at one point the largest church ever constructed until St Peter’s Basilica was built a thousand years later in Rome.
The Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet has many domes and six towering minarets. I suggest you show up early because later the line will be super long.
Basilica Cistern is Featured in Dan Brown’s Inferno and the James Bond film From Russia with Love, the Basilica Cistern is the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul. It can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters (2,800,000 cu ft) of water and contains 336 marble columns each measuring 9 meters (30 ft) high.
Topkapi Palace & Harem
Topkapi Palace was the court of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It’s the second most visited attraction in the city, after Hagia Sophia.
The whole area is covering 700,000 sq m (7.5 million sq ft), there’s much to see at Topkapi Palace.
Day 3 (Capadocia)
Mithra Cave Hotel Cappadocia
I stayed three days at this rooftop hotel. It has a beautiful rooftop with wonderful view.
https://www.mithracavehotel.com/
Sultan Carpet shop established in 1989 and has been serving with the best way to the customers who come from all over in the world and has been in the same place and the same name for 29 years. The shop has a back studio where you can get your photos or videos taken. The drone video is 40Eruo and if you only take photos by yourself, it is 20 Euro. You can make reservation using their number (905325772916) or thru their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sultan_carpets/
Day 4 (Capadocia)
Hot Balloon
After several researches, I selected Royal balloon company based on the safety, the pilot experience, take off and landing area etc. During high season, it is better to make research early. Also, sometimes the balloon won't fly due to weather reason, so it's better for y
ou to have three days in Cappadocia, so you can have time to reschedule.
There are 4 parts for the trip:
1. passengers will be picked-up from hotel on pre-informed pick-up time After welcomed by staff, check-in and payment procedure will be done at the reception.
2. pilots choose the best take-off site according to the wind directions, passengers may have their including Delicious Light Breakfast.
3. passengers will witness how the crew and the pilot unloads, assembles and inflates the balloon at the take-off site. Following an introduction to the safety factors of ballooning with pilot, your amazing experience will begin. The balloons will climb approximately 300 meters (1000 feet) during the flight. A panoramic and marvelous view will greet the passengers while drifting above the valleys and between rock formations.
4. In keeping with ballooning tradition, passengers are treated to a champagne ceremony upon landing by our crew. The passengers will receive a memento Gold Medal.
Cappadocia Tour
There are two types of trips and I selected the following airbnb experience:
The Cappadocia Green Tour is known as Ihlara Valley Tour. It covers the southern region of Cappadocia. By participating in the Cappadocia Green Tour, you can visit beautiful valleys and underground cities, and get detailed information about these places from the tour guides. Services included in the Cappadocia Green Tour price are hotel transfers, guiding services, entrance fees for the museums .On the day of the tour, you are picked up from your hotel at around 09:30 and taken to Göreme Esentepe.
The second stop is Kaymaklı Underground City, which belongs to the Hittite Civilization. It is Cappadocia's largest underground city. After having lunch in this small village on the banks of the Melendiz River, you will get detailed information from your guide by visiting Direkli, Batkın, Kırkdamaltı, Bahattin Samanlığı, Ala, Bezirhane and Karagedik churches and Selime Monastery in the village.
The Cappadocia Red Tour includes ancient rock-hewn churches, towering fairy chimneys, and karst caves dot the landscapes of Cappadocia, making for some unforgettable photo opportunities. This tour follows the ‘Red Route’, taking in the most-photographed sights of North Cappadocia. Marvel at the fairy chimneys of Love Valley and Monk Valley, visit Uchisar Castle and Imagination Valley, and explore the UNESCO-listed Goreme Open-Air Museum. Finally, visit the pottery-making town of Avanos and maybe even have a go on the potter’s wheel yourself.
Some of the sites include:
- Uçhisar Castle Panoramic View
- Love Valley
- Monks Valley
- Zelve Open Air Museum
- Devrent İmagination Valley
- Avanos Pottery Workshop
Day 5 (Capadocia)
sunrise photoshoot
I choose this airbnb experience. The Photographer and his assistant are super nice and professional. After the shoot I invited them back to hotel for breakfast.
They know special spots only locals know about. During this photography tour, we went to the valley together and chase the hot balloon. They pick me up around 6 o'clock by the sunrise. We went to love valley first. After that we went to Çavuşin. This package also include a drone video in the valley. The photographer took some reel videos from my phone too. He provide all the photos in 2 days and will edit 30 images of my selection.( max. 3 weeks)
sunset horseback riding
I use the following airbnb experience. It is about 25$ per person. You will meet the group at the local bus station in Göreme
The sunset Tour will take you through two valleys of Cappadocia. We started in Cavusin, ride at a slow pace on flat ground, then start going up Rose Valley. On top of Red Valley experienced a little bit of a thrill on narrow trails that only the horses can take us. It is a relaxed ride over all.
On top of Red Valley we will take a break. The horses will rest a bit, you can take in the stunning scenery. Afterwards we saw the sunset on a grass platform, took some photos and got back down to Cavusin.
local restaurant
ROOFTOP BAR & TERRACE at Sultan Cave Hotel
Meihua Chinese Restaurant
La Vida A la Carte
Testi kebab, also known as ‘Pottery kebab’ and ‘Terracotta kebab’, is the traditional dish of Cappadocia cooked slowly in special clay pots sealed with dough. Along with the main ingredients like lamb meat, onion, tomatoes, and garlic, the clay pot is also filled with eggplant, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Day 6 (Istanbul)
Sunset cruise
I use the following airbnb experience:
We cruised the scenic Bosphorus and its beautiful sites.
During the trip we saw palaces, bridges and the bay. They provided snacks and wine. The guide shared some information about many sites.
Check out some local food after the cruise
Photoshoot
I choose this airbnb experience:
We started in the touristic center of Istanbul blue mosque and Hagia Sophia area. Blue mosque is 500+ years old ottoman mosque and Hagia Sophia is 1000+ years old byzantion church later ottoman mosque and now a museum. The we went to Seven Hills hotel rooftop to get a cup of tea and shoot more photos. The last place Ortaköy is famous with its view where you can capture the mosque the bridge the Bosphorus and the pigeons.
Ortaköy Mosque is a mosque situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. It was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid I and its construction was completed around 1854 or 1856.
Day 7 (Istanbul)
Photoshoot at Rooftop Galata https://rooftopgalata.com/
At here you will get the chance to take that iconic photo or videos with the flying dress and flying birds. It would be 90$ for professional shooting (with a free rental dress). If you not rent dress it would be 75$. If you take photo by your phone, it would be 20$. The 90$ package, you will take photo from the swing, with Galata tower background, and the carpet with birds.
Another studio good for photos:
Taht İstanbul
Dolmabahce Palace is the largest palace in Turkey. It served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 till 1922. Spread out over an area covering 11.1 acres, it contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, and 6 baths (hamam).
Galata Tower is an iconic landmark and the focal point of many photographs featuring the Bosphorus Strait and Beyoglu. Built in 1348, it served as a watchtower, a prison, and a naval depot, and stood for centuries as the tallest structure in Istanbul. You can buy ticket to get on top of the tower too.
\Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets. It consists of 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops selling everything from lamps, carpets, jewelry, leather goods, ceramics, and souvenirs.
Both the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar are within walking distance from Sultanahmet Square.
Visit Ağa hamamı for a super relaxed bath. I got the second package in which you get scrubbing, foam bath and oil massage (about 59 USD), You can make appointment here:
Turkosh Bath
Turkish Baths:
1) Galatasaray Hamamı
2) Cağaloğlu Hamamı
3) Çukurcuma Hamamı,
4) Süleymaniye Hamamı,
5) Çemberlitaş hamamı,
6) Hürrem Sultan Hamamı,
7) Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam
8) Ağa Hamamı
What to eat
Manti (Turkish Ravioli)
lamb/beef stuffed dumplings covered in a yoghurt and spice-laden sauce
Meze
There are typically beans, salads, spreads, seafood such as fried calamari and stuffed mussels and cheeses. Generally, meze is served at the beginning of a meal accompanied by either soft drinks, wine or Turkish raki,
Kumpir
Turkish baked potato with fluffy insides are whipped up with butter and cheese
Menemen
This is more like messy scrambled eggs cooked with oil, tomato, peppers and spices.
Baklava
This rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo, is filled with chopped nuts such as walnuts and is then sweetened and essentially held together by syrup or honey.
Iskender Kebap
This is a famous meat foods of north western Turkey and is known as the ‘the king of Turkish kebabs’. You need to try döner kebab as it is made from finely cut grilled lamb covered with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread.
Balik Ekmek
This is my favorite street food. It is a fresh fish sandwich
Breakfast:
1. Namlı Gurme (Karaköy) you can try Menemen (Omelette with tomato), honey and milkbutter(Bal kaymak)
2. Privato Cafe (Galata area – Organic Breakfast - Try the Walnut Jam)
3. Forno in Balat area
4. Van Kahvaltı Evi (Cihangir)
5. Küff Yeldeğirmeni (Kadıköy)
6. Seven Hills Restaurant ( rooftop with a good view in Sultanahmet)
7. Doğacıyız Gurme in Cihangir (Antioch Cuisine)
Coffee Break:
1. Pera Bakery in Beyoğlu
2. Pâtisserie de Pera in Pera Palas hotel
3. Kronotrop in Cihangir (Best 3rd wave coffee)
4. Beta Yeni Han in Eminönü
Lunch/Dinner:
1. Grace Rooftop Restaurant (Sultanahmet)
2. Hacı Abdullah (Taksim)
3. Garden 1897 in Sultanahmet area
4. Çiya (Located in Kadıköy, Asian side of Istanbul)
5. For sea food Akın Balık in Karaköy
6. Old Ottoman Cafe in Sultanahmet
7. Hamdi Restaurant in Eminönü
8. Galeyan Istanbul in Sultanahmet
9. Köşkeroğlu (Karaköy)
10. Leb-i Derya (Taksim - Fish restaurant)
11. Midyeci Ahmet (Beşiktaş) For the good street food, Kokoreç, Mussel rice etc.
12. Karadeniz Dönercisi (Beşiktaş)
13. Zübeyir Ocakbaşı (Taksim)
14. Münhasır (Taksim)
15. For all kind of Turkish soups Karaköy Çorba Evi (also vegan/vegeterian)
16. Zencefil
17. Helvetia (Taksim - best vegeterian food)
18. Mahatma vegeterian in Kadıköy.
19. Muutto Galataport in Karaköy.
20. Veganistanbul at Galata area for vegan option.
21. Lokanta Kru ( in Nişantaşi)
22. MSA Mutfağı (a Restorant of a famous Culinary School)
Before leaving Turkey, you should try lahmacun, iskender, kokoreç, pide, içli köfte, tantuni, gözleme, mantı.
Fine Dining:
1. Yeni Lokanta (new Turkish cuisine)
2. Aheste (in Beyoglu)
3. Mikla (in Beyoglu)
4. Neolokal in Bankalar Caddesi
5. Feriye (with a Bosphorus view)
Dessert:
1. One of the best Baklava store is Karaköy Güllüoğlu. You can choose different desserts there as well.
2. Hafız Mustafa, other than baklava you should taste tavuk göğsü (chicken breast pudding), kazandibi, muhallebi and trileçe.
Shopping:
1. Street near Spice Bazaar or Mercan Street at Eminönü for spice, towel, Turkish delights etc. Şarkhan and Kürkçühan are for shopping.
2. Spice Bazaar for various spices and teas
Drinks:
1. For the Turkish Coffee Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi is the best for packed coffee (Near the spice bazaar).
2. Mandabatmaz in Taksim to drink a good Turkish coffee
3. For wine: Hazzo Pulo Restaurant ve Şarap Evi in Taksim area.
4. Famous Turkish beverage with alcohol is called Rakı: Kumkapı or Çiçek Pasajı/
5. Nevizade is the best for alcholic drinks.
Local Nightlife
1. Karaköy Barlar Sokağı
2. Taksim Nevizade
3. Kadıköy Barlar Sokağı
On Friday & Saturday Evenings
1. 360 Istanbul, a rooftop located in Taksim area with a great Istanbul view, restaurant and after 22.30 turns into a club.
2. Monkey’s Bar (rooftop bar with a good cocktails and view)
You can also include these local spots on your itinerary:
1. Balat area
2. Seven Hills hotel in Sultanahmet has a very nice rooftop with an amazing Hagia Sophia view, you can go there for food or coffee as well.
3. Barnathan Apartmanı in Galata
4. Moda and Bahariye in Kadıköy
5. Mimar Sinan Cafe rooftop at Süleymaniye Mosque area, (for the amazing view).
6. Ortaköy and Arnavutköy and Bebek (Bosphorus seaside)
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