Hagia Sophia and the domes of Sultanahmet seen from the park, with Bosphorus gulls overhead: where the circuit begins, before the flight to Cappadocia.

Multi-day tour

Istanbul and Cappadocia in eight days, with shared services

Eight days between Istanbul and Cappadocia on a scheduled departure with shared services: both classic tours of the volcanic region, the Bosphorus, Sultanahmet and a free day in the city, with the domestic flights included.

Scheduled departure · Private, tailor-made It can be booked either way: on the scheduled departure, sharing services with other passengers, or privately, with your own vehicle and guide. The quotation states which of the two has been priced.

  • Duration 8 days / 7 nights
  • Route Istanbul → Cappadocia 2 destinations
  • Quotation Quotation within 24 business hours (72 business hours for groups and MICE)
  • Recommended months April–June, September, October
  • Departure type Scheduled departure · Private, tailor-made
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Hagia Sophia and the domes of Sultanahmet seen from the park, with Bosphorus gulls overhead: where the circuit begins, before the flight to Cappadocia.

Overview

An eight-day, seven-night scheduled circuit that splits the trip between Istanbul and Cappadocia, with the domestic flights out and back included. Services are shared: the vehicle, the licensed English-speaking guide and the visits are shared with the other passengers on the same departure, while the arrival and departure transfers in Istanbul are provided privately.
Day 2 covers the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Bosphorus by boat and the Galata and Spice Market area before flying to Cappadocia. Days 3 and 4 run the region’s two classic tours: the green one, with the underground city of Kaymaklı, the Ihlara Valley and the Selime Monastery, and the red one, with Uçhisar, the Göreme Open Air Museum, Love Valley and Avanos. Day 5 returns to Istanbul, day 6 visits Sultanahmet with Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern, and day 7 is free or can be extended with an optional excursion.
The four nights in Istanbul and the three in Cappadocia are in 4-star category hotels.

Route: IstanbulCappadocia

  • Physical level: Moderate
  • Languages of the guided visits: Spanish, English

Highlights

  • Three nights in Cappadocia with both classic tours in full: the green one on day 3 and the red one on day 4.
  • Four nights in Istanbul split into two stays, one on arrival and three on the way back from Cappadocia.
  • Both domestic flights included, out and back, with the transfers at all four airports.
  • The Süleymaniye Mosque and the Bosphorus cruise on day 2, before flying inland.
  • Sultanahmet on foot on day 6, with Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern and their tickets included.
  • Three possible dawns for the balloon flight, which is optional and depends on the wind.
  • A free day in Istanbul, which can be extended with the Asian-side excursion or the old and modern Europe one.
  • Private transfers in Istanbul, wifi in the vehicle, mineral water and the accommodation tax included.

What is included and what is not

Included

  • 7 nights’ accommodation in listed hotels of 4-star category or similar, with daily breakfast: 4 nights in Istanbul and 3 in Cappadocia.
  • Domestic flights as per the itinerary: Istanbul – Cappadocia on day 2 and Cappadocia – Istanbul on day 5.
  • 2 dinners at the hotel in Cappadocia, on days 3 and 4.
  • Arrival and departure transfers: private service in Istanbul and shared service in Cappadocia.
  • Services of a licensed English-speaking guide on the visits stated in the itinerary.
  • Entrance tickets to the monuments mentioned: Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the underground city of Kaymaklı, the Ihlara Valley, the Selime Monastery, the Göreme Open Air Museum and Uçhisar Castle.
  • Transport by modern air-conditioned vehicle with wifi on board.
  • 0.5 litres of mineral water per person per day during the visits.
  • Accommodation tax.

Not included

  • International flights (home country – Istanbul – home country).
  • Lunches and all drinks.
  • Dinners, apart from the two at the hotel in Cappadocia stated as included.
  • Optional excursions: balloon flight at dawn in Cappadocia, Turkish Night and the free-day excursions.
  • Admission to Hagia Sophia, which on day 6 is seen from the outside only.
  • Admission to the Dark Church at the Göreme Open Air Museum, which is charged separately.
  • Excess baggage on the domestic flights: the allowance depends on the airline and the fare and is shown on the ticket.
  • Personal expenses (shopping, minibar, laundry, room service, etc.).
  • Tips for the guide, the driver and hotel and restaurant staff.
  • Visa fees and visa handling services, if required.
  • Travel insurance (recommended).
  • Any service not explicitly mentioned as included.

Day by day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrival in Istanbul

    You are met at Istanbul Airport (IST) or at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and transferred to the hotel on a private basis. Together with the departure transfer, it is the only private transfer in the programme: in Cappadocia the transfers are provided on a shared basis, together with other passengers.
    The transfer time depends on the terminal and the hour: from IST, on the European shore, allow around forty-five minutes to an hour to the Taksim or Sultanahmet area without traffic; from SAW, on the Asian shore, the drive is longer because the Bosphorus has to be crossed.
    Check-in at the listed hotel in Istanbul and the rest of the day free. If the flight lands early, it is a good moment to walk around the hotel’s neighbourhood and get used to the city’s rhythm; the guided sightseeing starts on the morning of day 2.
    Dinner tonight is not included. The programme’s included dinners are those on days 3 and 4, at the hotel in Cappadocia. Overnight in Istanbul.
    Visits
    Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), private transfer to the hotel, rest of the day free
    Overnight in
    Istanbul

    The transfer is provided from either airport. It helps to state the flight number and arrival time in the file so the pick-up can be timed.

  2. Day 2

    Süleymaniye, the Bosphorus and Galata, then the flight to Cappadocia

    Breakfast and out with the guide. The day opens at the Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the great works of the architect Sinan, raised in the sixteenth century on one of the city’s hills: from its terrace the whole of the Golden Horn is in view. It is a working mosque, so the visit is arranged outside prayer times and you are asked to enter barefoot and with shoulders covered.
    Next, a cruise on the Bosphorus, the stretch of water that explains the city better than any map: you pass between wooden and stone palaces, waterfront mansions, the two Ottoman fortresses that narrow the channel and the bridges joining Europe to Asia.
    Back on land, the afternoon is walked around the Galata Tower area, İstiklal Street with its historic tram, the Galata Bridge, with the anglers along its railing, and the Spice Market at Eminönü.
    At the stated time, transfer to the airport and the domestic flight to Cappadocia, an hour and a quarter. You are met in the terminal and transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
    Visits
    Süleymaniye Mosque, Bosphorus cruise, Galata Tower area, İstiklal Street, Galata Bridge, Spice Market, flight to Cappadocia
    Meals
    Breakfast
    Overnight in
    Cappadocia

    Dinner tonight is not included and the arrival in Cappadocia depends on the flight time. In Istanbul, a short leg may be covered on foot or by public transport depending on traffic.

  3. Day 3

    Cappadocia, the green tour: Kaymaklı, the Ihlara Valley and Selime

    Before dawn, for anyone who has booked it, pick-up at the hotel for the balloon flight over the volcanic landscapes: it is an optional activity, arranged separately, and depends on the wind. Return at around eight, in time for breakfast.
    The guided day is the green tour, which covers the south of the region. It starts with a panoramic stop where the fairy chimneys can be taken in and continues at the underground city of Kaymaklı: a shelter carved into the tuff over centuries, with levels of tunnels, stables, cellars, kitchens and circular stone doors that were closed from the inside. It is walked through narrow, low-ceilinged passages, stooping in places; anyone who would rather not go in waits outside with the guide.
    Then the walk through the Ihlara Valley, a canyon opened by the Melendiz stream, with poplars, running water and painted rock-cut churches in its walls; you go down a long staircase and walk along the floor. The afternoon ends at the Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut complex in the region, and at Pigeon Valley.
    Dinner included at the hotel. In the evening the Turkish Night can be booked; it is optional.
    Visits
    Panoramic stop over the fairy chimneys, underground city of Kaymaklı, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Pigeon Valley
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner
    Overnight in
    Cappadocia

    Optional activities

    • Balloon flight at dawn (weather permitting)
    • Turkish Night in a typical cave venue, transfers included

    The underground city is not advisable for anyone with claustrophobia or reduced mobility. At the Ihlara Valley a long staircase is descended and climbed again and an earth path is walked; closed shoes.

  4. Day 4

    Cappadocia, the red tour: Uçhisar, Göreme, Love Valley and Avanos

    A second dawn is available for the balloon flight, for anyone who could not fly the day before. The guided day begins after breakfast.
    The red tour opens with the panoramic stop at Uçhisar, the highest point in the region: from the foot of the hollowed-out rock the valleys, the fairy chimneys and, on a clear day, Mount Erciyes all open out. Then the Göreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site: churches and refectories carved into the rock, with Byzantine frescoes in several chapels. They are visited by narrow stairways and photographing the paintings inside is not allowed; the Dark Church has a separate ticket and can be added.
    The route continues through Love Valley, with its rock columns lined up along the floor. After the lunch stop, which each passenger pays for themselves, comes Avanos, on the bank of the Kızılırmak, known for its pottery tradition: you watch the river’s red clay worked on the wheel and any purchase is voluntary. The last stop is Imagination Valley, with its fairy chimneys and the silhouettes erosion has left in the tuff.
    Dinner included at the hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
    Visits
    Uçhisar panoramic stop, Göreme Open Air Museum, Love Valley, Avanos (pottery tradition), Imagination Valley
    Meals
    Breakfast, dinner
    Overnight in
    Cappadocia

    Optional activities

    • Balloon flight at dawn (second chance)
    • Dark Church at the Göreme Open Air Museum (separate ticket)

    The lunch stop is made at a restaurant along the route and is not included. With three nights in the region, this itinerary leaves three possible dawns for the balloon: those of days 3, 4 and 5.

  5. Day 5

    Cappadocia – Istanbul: return flight and free afternoon

    Breakfast at the hotel. Before dawn there is a third chance for the balloon flight if the domestic flight’s timing allows; it is optional and is confirmed each dawn on wind and visibility.
    Transfer to the Cappadocia airport — Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV), according to the ticket issued — and the return flight to Istanbul, an hour and a quarter. From Göreme, allow an hour to Kayseri and around forty minutes to Nevşehir, plus domestic check-in time. Luggage can be left in the hotel’s store room until the transfer.
    You are met at Istanbul airport and transferred to the hotel, where the circuit spends its last three nights. The rest of the day is free.
    It is a useful afternoon for what the guided day on day 6 does not cover: a neighbourhood market, a short ferry crossing between the two shores, the Karaköy waterfront, or simply a rest before the Sultanahmet day. Dinner is not included. Overnight in Istanbul.
    Visits
    Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV) airport, flight to Istanbul, free afternoon in the city
    Meals
    Breakfast
    Overnight in
    Istanbul

    Optional activities

    • Balloon flight at dawn (third chance, if the flight time allows)

    Kayseri and Nevşehir airports are assigned according to the flight schedules available on the date; the transfer is included from either of them. The Istanbul hotel for the second stay may not be the same as on day 1.

  6. Day 6

    Classic Istanbul: Sultanahmet, Topkapı, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar

    Breakfast and a guided day on foot through Sultanahmet, the district where the monuments of the three capitals the city has been are gathered together.
    It starts at the Roman Hippodrome, the long square that still holds the Egyptian obelisk of Thutmose III, the serpent column brought from Delphi and the German fountain. Then the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and an interior lined with İznik tiles; it is a working mosque, has no admission charge and closes to visitors during prayers. Hagia Sophia is seen from the outside: its admission is not included in this programme.
    Topkapı Palace takes up the central part of the day. It was the sultans’ residence for almost four centuries and is walked through successive courtyards, with the kitchens, the council chamber and the treasury. Afterwards, the Basilica Cistern, the sixth-century underground reservoir with its three hundred and thirty-six columns and the water at your feet.
    The day closes at the Grand Bazaar, with time to walk its covered streets. Lunch is not included. Overnight in Istanbul.
    Visits
    Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia (exterior), Topkapı Palace, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar
    Meals
    Breakfast
    Overnight in
    Istanbul

    Hagia Sophia is seen from the outside only in this programme; its admission is not included. Topkapı Palace closes one day a week and the harem has a separate ticket. To enter the Blue Mosque you are asked to remove your shoes and cover your shoulders.

  7. Day 7

    Free day in Istanbul or an optional excursion

    Breakfast and a free day. There are no scheduled guided visits, so the day is arranged to suit your client: shopping, museums the itinerary does not cover, a hamam, or a scheduled ferry crossing between the two shores.
    Anyone who would rather have a guided day can add one of the two optional excursions we run in the city. The first covers the Asian side: Çamlıca hill, with the highest view over the Bosphorus, the Beylerbeyi Palace on the shore, the coloured houses of Kuzguncuk, the Üsküdar district and the market and streets of Kadıköy. The second, old and modern Europe: the Balat quarter with its façades and its churches, the Pierre Loti hill above the Golden Horn, the Rahmi M. Koç Museum of industry and transport, the Karaköy waterfront and the Galataport seafront.
    Both are full-day and come with a licensed English-speaking guide. They are booked with the programme or in destination, through our local team, and are quoted separately. Lunch is not included in either. Overnight in Istanbul.
    Visits
    Free day. Option A: Çamlıca, Beylerbeyi, Kuzguncuk, Üsküdar, Kadıköy. Option B: Balat, Pierre Loti, Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Karaköy, Galataport
    Meals
    Breakfast
    Overnight in
    Istanbul

    Optional activities

    • Asian Istanbul, full day with a licensed guide (Çamlıca, Beylerbeyi, Kuzguncuk, Üsküdar, Kadıköy)
    • Old and modern Europe, full day with a licensed guide (Balat, Pierre Loti, Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Karaköy, Galataport)

    Both optional excursions are quoted separately and are not included in the programme. The Rahmi M. Koç Museum and Beylerbeyi Palace close one day a week; the route is adjusted to the calendar for the date.

  8. Day 8

    Departure from Istanbul

    Breakfast at the hotel and a private transfer to the airport for your return flight. The pick-up time is set against the confirmed international flight, allowing for check-in and for the city’s traffic, which lengthens any drive in the early morning and late afternoon.
    If the flight is in the afternoon, luggage can be left in the hotel’s store room and the morning is free for whatever is left over: the Spice Market if day 2 felt short, a coffee in the neighbourhood, or last purchases at the Grand Bazaar, which opens in the morning.
    End of our services at the airport. The circuit does not include the international flight or any additional night in the city; extra nights before or after can be quoted together with this programme, as can a transfer from the other airport should your client’s departing flight not leave from the one they arrived at. Our local team in Istanbul is reachable in Spanish and English throughout your passengers’ stay in Turkey, the morning of departure included, on the 24-hour number stated in the file.
    Visits
    Free morning depending on the flight time, private transfer to Istanbul airport (IST or SAW)
    Meals
    Breakfast

    The departure transfer is provided privately, like the arrival one. It helps to state the airport and the time of the international flight in the file.

Expected hotels

City Nights Category Hotel
Istanbul 4 4* Nippon Hotel Taksim · Elite World Hotel Taksim · Taksim Gönen Hotel · Ramada by Wyndham Hotel Taksim · Point Hotel · Ramada Grand Bazaar Laleli · Byzantium Hotel · 10 Karaköyor similar
Cappadocia 3 4* Suhan Hotel · Avrasya Hotel · Sinasos Hotel · Ramada by Wyndham Hotel Cappadocia · Crowne Plaza Cappadocia · DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos · Remus & Romulus Uçhisar · Temenni Evi · Yunak Evlerior similar

Hotels as listed or similar; the final confirmation is given in the quotation.

How the rate is calculated

Rate tailored to the season, the hotel category and the number of travellers. Request a quotation.

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Departures

Scheduled departure · Private, tailor-made

It can be booked either way: on the scheduled departure, sharing services with other passengers, or privately, with your own vehicle and guide. The quotation states which of the two has been priced.

The exact dates of each departure are confirmed in the quotation, together with hotel and domestic-flight availability.

Request a quotation

Operational notes

  • This is a scheduled circuit with shared services: the vehicle, the guide and the visits are shared with the other passengers on the same departure. The arrival and departure transfers in Istanbul, by contrast, are provided privately, and those in Cappadocia on a shared basis. The exact departure date is confirmed in the quotation.
  • The order of the visits may change according to opening hours, traffic and the day’s operation. The content of the programme stays the same. In Istanbul, a short leg may be covered on foot or by public transport depending on traffic.
  • Seats in the vehicle are not numbered and daily rotation is recommended. In high season a leg may be shared with another English-speaking group.
  • Both domestic flights are issued in economy class; the baggage allowance depends on the airline and the fare and is shown on the ticket. Kayseri (ASR) and Nevşehir (NAV) airports are assigned according to the available schedules, and the programme on days 2 and 5 follows the confirmed times.
  • Hagia Sophia is seen from the outside only and its admission is not included. Topkapı Palace closes one day a week and the harem has a separate ticket. The working mosques — Süleymaniye and the Blue Mosque — close to visitors during prayers and at Friday midday; you are asked to remove your shoes and cover your shoulders.
  • The underground city is visited through narrow, low-ceilinged tunnels with sections where you have to stoop; it is not advisable for anyone with claustrophobia or reduced mobility. When busy, the visit is organised in shifts.
  • At the Ihlara Valley a long staircase is descended and an earth path is walked beside the stream; at Göreme and in the valleys there are carved steps and short slopes, and in Sultanahmet you walk on cobbles. Moderate walking level; closed shoes throughout the circuit.
  • At the Göreme Open Air Museum photographing the frescoes inside the churches is not allowed, and the Dark Church has a separate ticket, which is not included. Museums and sites keep summer and winter opening hours.
  • The balloon flight is not part of the programme. It is confirmed each dawn on wind and visibility and the operator may cancel it at the last moment; with three nights in the region there are three possible dawns, that of day 5 subject to the flight time. Pick-up is before dawn and the return to the hotel at around eight.
  • The circuit includes explanatory stops at craft workshops in Cappadocia, standard on this route. The visit is informative and any purchase is entirely voluntary.
  • There are two stays in Istanbul, on day 1 and on days 5 to 7, and the hotel for the second may not be the same as for the first. The programme contracts 4-star category or similar in both cities.
  • Day 7 is free and carries no scheduled visits. The two optional excursions for that day are quoted separately and can be booked with the programme or in destination through our local team, which works in Spanish and English.
  • Between December and March it may snow in Cappadocia. Snow does not stop the visits, but it can delay a leg and close the Ihlara road for a few hours. Warm clothing is advisable for early mornings at any time of year.
  • During the religious holidays (Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, whose dates move with the lunar calendar) domestic flights and hotels fill up early and the monuments receive more local visitors.
  • A passport valid for at least six months beyond the return date, the electronic visa according to nationality and compliance with entry requirements are the traveller’s responsibility and depend on their nationality.

Best time to travel

Recommended months: April, May, June, September, October

The circuit runs all year. April, May, September and October are the most comfortable months in both cities: in Istanbul you walk without the heat and in Cappadocia the mornings usually have little wind, which is what the balloon needs. Summer is hot in Istanbul and dry in Cappadocia, with visits concentrated early and late in the day. In winter the city is walked without queues and in Cappadocia it snows often; the snow-covered landscape is one of the country’s most sought-after sights, but the early mornings are very cold.

Frequently asked questions

How does it differ from the seven-day Istanbul and Cappadocia version?
In length and in departure type. This circuit runs eight days and seven nights, is scheduled and shares services with other passengers. The seven-day version is operated privately, with a vehicle and guide for your passengers only and the starting day you choose, and splits the nights differently: two in Cappadocia instead of three. They are two separate products and are quoted separately.

Is admission to Hagia Sophia included?
No. On day 6 Hagia Sophia is seen from the outside and its admission is not part of the programme. The tickets included that day are Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern; the Blue Mosque is a working place of worship and has no admission charge. If your client wants to go inside Hagia Sophia, it can be added in the quotation.

Which flights are included?
The two domestic flights on the itinerary: Istanbul – Cappadocia on day 2 and Cappadocia – Istanbul on day 5, an hour and a quarter each. International flights are not included and are booked by the agency. The transfers at all four airports are included.

How many chances are there for the balloon flight?
Three, at dawn on days 3, 4 and 5, the last of these if the domestic flight’s timing allows. It is an optional activity booked separately, operated by a licensed balloon company and confirmed each dawn on wind and visibility. It is best booked for the first, keeping the others in reserve.

Which meals are included?
Daily breakfast at the hotels and two dinners at the hotel in Cappadocia, on days 3 and 4. Lunches, the other dinners and all drinks are outside the programme; the lunch stop on day 4 is made at a restaurant along the route and each passenger pays their own.

Does the optional excursion on day 7 have to be booked?
No. Day 7 is free and the programme does not count it as a guided day. If your client wants a day with a guide, they can add the Asian-side excursion or the old and modern Europe one, both full-day; they are booked with the programme or in destination through our local team and are quoted separately.

What category are the hotels, and is it always the same one?
The programme contracts 4-star category or similar in both cities, with the foreseen hotels shown in the table on this page. In Istanbul there are two stays, on day 1 and on days 5 to 7, and the hotel for the second may not be the same as for the first; it is confirmed in the quotation.

Is the vehicle shared with other passengers?
Yes on the visits and on the Cappadocia transfers: this is a scheduled departure, seats are not numbered and in high season a leg may be shared with another English-speaking group. The arrival and departure transfers in Istanbul, by contrast, are provided privately. If you would rather have the whole circuit to yourselves, it is quoted privately.

Booking conditions

Deposit
30% of the total when the booking is confirmed. For bookings made 30 days or less before departure, the full amount at confirmation.
Balance
The remaining 70%, no later than 31 days before departure.
Payment methods
Bank transfer or credit card. Card payments carry a 3% surcharge; charges applied by the issuing bank are borne by the client.
Cancellations
More than 90 days before departure: handling fee only, plus penalties on services already issued · 89–61 days: 25% · 60–31 days: 50% · 30 days or less and no-show: 100%. Reductions in places follow the same scale. Refunds within 10–14 business days of written cancellation.

Read the full booking conditions

Credentials

Legal name
Colorido Tours Turkey Turizm Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
TÜRSAB licence
A-12116
Office
Istanbul
Operating scope
Turkey only. Egypt, Jordan and the Greek islands only as extensions of a Turkey itinerary.
Guides
Licensed guides in Spanish and English
24/7 emergency line during the trip
+90 544 533 53 55
Who handles your request
Your request is handled by our reservations team, and the same person follows the file from quotation through to operation on the ground.

How to verify us

Destinations on this route

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