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Planning to spend 4 days in Turkey? We obtained you coated! On this publish, I’d prefer 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 feels like a lot time, we have been truly capable of see a few of the important landmarks in Istanbul and even take pleasure in a beautiful sizzling air balloon journey!
Our itinerary is fairly tiring and be happy to repeat it should you actually wish to journey as a lot as attainable, as a result of it entails one evening with out sleep. In any respect. Not even 2 hours of sleep (except you’re a type of individuals, who can sleep properly on the aircraft). 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 (verify availability right here)
Day 2: Early sizzling air balloon journey (verify availability and e book upfront), flight to Istanbul, keep at Boutique Saint Sophia
Day 3: Discover Istanbul – take a half-day tour of town (e book right here) and a Bosphorus cruise (verify availability)
Day 4: Breakfast in Istanbul, a visit to the markets and a flight again residence
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 awoke, 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 may verify the costs for the flights on-line right here.
Day 1. Cappadocia & AMV tour
We determined to go to Cappadocia instantly 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 lodge) and headed to our beautiful lodge Cappadocia Cave Suites.
The explanation why we selected Cappadocia Cave Suites – fabulous Instagrammable terrace overlooking dawn and sizzling air balloons in Cappadocia. If you’d like a photograph just like the one beneath – this lodge is your finest wager. It’s positively some of the Instagrammable locations in Cappadocia.
Cappadocia Cave Suites is commonly bought out, so it is smart to verify its availability upfront. Verify it now!
In case, Cappadocia Cave Suites is absolutely booked, these are some good options:
Museum Lodge
Sultan Cave Suites
Rox Goreme
Since Cappadocia is getting incresingly widespread as a consequence of Instagram (properly, to be trustworthy, Cappadocia is without doubt one of the most Instagrammable locations on this planet), I like to recommend reserving the motels no less than 4-5 months upfront!
After arriving on the lodge, we went for a late breakfast in one of many eating places in Goreme (One Approach restaurant – that’s the identify) and obtained again to the lodge to take a Quad Safari round 2 valleys of Cappadocia. I strongly suggest taking an AMV (quad bike) tour, because it’s the easiest way to discover the valleys.
If that’s not your cup of tea, listed here are another wonderful excursions to soak up Cappadocia:
The most effective 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 lodge terrace to take some photographs of the sundown in Cappadocia. Afterwards, we went to the restaurant Seten for dinner – it was wonderful and I positively suggest you visiting this restaurant. Through the excessive season and the weekends, take into account making a reservation, in any other case, the restaurant may be absolutely booked!
Day 2: Sizzling air balloon flight & going again to Istanbul
We awoke at 4:30 am to be picked up from the lodge to go to the recent air balloon journey. Our flight was critically spectacular – it was like a correct tour of various valleys and the balloon was contantly getting up and down. Nonetheless, we began flying too late when the solar has already risen, so we missed the wonderful pink mild. 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 package deal as properly. We purchased the most affordable one paying £130 per individual, nevertheless, we have been packed like sardines within the sizzling air balloon basket. If you’d like some good images of you within the balloon – take into account getting a package deal, the place there are solely 8-12 individuals within the basket. For instance, this tour ensures small teams within the basket.
Alternatively, you may take a non-public sizzling air balloon tour! You may verify the value and availability right here >
If you wish to learn a bit extra about flying sizzling air balloons in Cappadocia, head to my information to flying how air balloons in Turkey >>>
After taking the recent air balloon journey, we returned to our lodge 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 practically 2 hours to get to our lodge. So it was already 8 pm, after we arrived at our lodge. We determined to go for some meals and the night stroll round Istanbul. Istanbul appears to be like wonderful at evening! The world we determined to discover was Taksim. We walked all the way in which to beautiful Galata tower after which went again to the lodge.
Learn my publish about essentially the most Instagrammable locations in Istanbul >>>
The place to remain in Istanbul
Istanbul has loads of totally different motels for any funds. The most effective-rated motels that we’d suggest is Boutique Saint Sophia (verify availability right here, because it sells out fairly quick).
In the event you’re on a funds, verify 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 liked each minute of it.
Day 3 in Turkey: Istanbul & 4 Seasons Lodge
In the event you haven’t been to Istanbul earlier than and want to study extra about this metropolis, I like to recommend taking a metropolis tour like this 6-hour small-group highlights tour of Istanbul.
In the event you’re on a funds, right here is a tremendous half-day sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
I additionally suggest taking a Bosphorus cruise should you’re in Istanbul on a heat and beautiful day and naturally, this wonderful night stroll and meals tour of town!
Within the morning, we went to Hagia Sofia (the queue wasn’t that huge, however nonetheless, we spent about half-hour there), so we determined to purchase the Istanbul move – this card normally 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 below reconstruction) and walked to the Topkapi Palace, the place we stepped the queue and efficiently obtained in! We additionally obtained inside essentially the most spectacular a part of the Topkapi palace – the Harem with its unimaginable tiles.
Afterwards we went to eat in certainly one of these touristy eating places close to the Topkapi palace – we tried the well-known Turkish pancake and had a Combined kebab. The restaurant was okay, however completely overpriced for Turkey! The identify of the restaurant is Han, by the way in which, so you may keep away from it should you choose.
After spending an hour within the lodge 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 lodge to Karakoy, the place we discovered the well-known fish stall of Turkish Tremendous Mario. The fish wrap we tried there was the perfect one we ever tried, so this place is unquestionably advisable to you – that is the tackle – Makaracilar Caddesi 3-45A.
We ended the day consuming Turkish Tea and consuming a few of 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 awoke a bit late, checked out from our lodge and went to have breakfast in one of many panoramic cafes with the normal Turkish breakfast – Saade Kahvati situated on the final flooring of the lodge Darussaade. The breakfast was 55 Turkish lira per individual – round 12 euros, nevertheless it was merely wonderful!
In a while, we went to the Basilica Cistern that was spectacular as properly 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.
So as to return to the lodge and choose up our luggage, we took Uber and it took us 1.5 hours to get from Balat to Sultanahmet due to Istanbul’s loopy visitors. To not danger our flight, we truly determined to take a prepare, metro and a taxi to the Sabiha airport (took us 1.5 hours in complete) – would have been greater than 2.5 hours by a shuttle bus or taxi!
That was just about it – we managed to see loads throughout these 4 days in Turkey and we might positively return to this wonderful nation once more. We preferred the hospitality and the friendliness of the individuals, in addition to tasty meals and nice public transport.
When you have any questions, be happy to DM me at @lizatripsget – I’d have the ability to assist!
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