Istanbul & Cappadocia: a road-trip across Turkey
I can definitely tell this was one of the best trips I have done, mostly for its unexpected and unplanned landscapes!
It’s a romantic, natural and savage land, with a lots of surprises and a very special culture.
If you are planning a longer trip to Istanbul and the land of Cappadocia, this article is the perfect plan for you, but you can also just go to one of these two destinations and read the article this way!
Let’s discover this trip together.
Read my brain:
✿ Really worth doing!
✎ Not worth it, unless you have time to spare!
Your perfect plan for a 1-week (or 10 days) trip in Istanbul & Cappadocia:
Who to go with:
Your partner! From my experience, this is not the usual place to party, but rather the romantic experience you won’t forget for your whole life!
How long:
If you have 10 days, you will live the full experience! Take 5 days off work: fly on Saturday, and come back the Sunday after. You will have the right time to enjoy every single bit of this journey.
Rent a car:
We rented a car from a local renting company called Cizgi. We had a good experience with them so I would strongly recommend it, and prices were lower than usual international companies.
Where to stay along the trip:
- Fly to Istanbul Airport & spend 4 days here
- Rent a car and drive to Ankara: spend 1 night here
- Drive to Goreme, in Cappadocia, and spend the last 4 days here
- Get your flight back from either Kayseri airport (or the airport of Nevsehir), (you can return your rented car here!).
Note: if you have already been to Istanbul before, then you can already skip to part 2!
Let’s begin!
ISTANBUL
Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, ancient Byzantium, is the largest city and principal seaport of Turkey. It was the capital of both the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
The old walled city of Istanbul stands on a triangular peninsula between Europe and Asia. Sometimes as a bridge, sometimes as a barrier, Istanbul for more than 2,500 years has stood between conflicting surges of religion, culture, and imperial power.
By long tradition, the waters washing the peninsula are called “the three seas”: they are the Golden Horn, the Bosporus, and the Sea of Marmara.
Istanbul's architecture spans from Byzantine monuments (built during Constantinople) to Turkish monuments (from when the Turks took over the city during the 600-years-lasting Ottoman dynasty),
If you wish to find my map pins and easily follow them, follow me on mapstr!
Day 1: Sultan Ahmet, Binbirdek, Alemdar neighborhoods
If you wish to find my map pins and easily follow them, follow me on mapstr!
✿ Visit the Basilica Cistern
This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. It was constructed using 336 columns, many of which were salvaged from ruined temples and feature fine carved capitals. Designed to service the Great Palace and surrounding buildings, it was able to store up to 80,000 cu metres of water delivered via 20km of aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea, but was closed when the Byzantine emperors relocated from the Great Palace. Forgotten by the city authorities sometime before the Conquest, it wasn't rediscovered until 1545, when scholar Petrus Gyllius was researching Byzantine antiquities in the city and was told by local residents that they were able to obtain water by lowering buckets into a dark space below their basement floors.
✿ Experience the Turkish Hamam Bath
When your visiting day is over, go and relax at a Turkish Hamam (Turkish Bath).
Choose your favorite between Kılıc Ali Pasa Hamam (Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı) (what I did not like about this one is that women & men are supposed to enter at different times in the day, this makes it very uncomfortable for your touring day if you are a mixed gender group!), Cemberlitas Hamami (this is the one we went to, men and women can access at the same time, but of course in different rooms!), Cagaloglu Hamami (suggested to us by a local, but I did not go so I can’t tell).
The experience was definitely a MUST-DO! I have done Hamam in my life before, but it was always limited to being a vapour room. The experience here is next level, they scrub you, massage you with oil and foam, and treat you with vapour and hot water: all in a beautiful stone temple-like room.
✿ Visit Aya Sofia (Haja Sofia)
This mosque was built by Emperor Justinian I in 537 CE and it’s been the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople until 1453.
Be careful! To enter the mosque you must respect some rules:
- Women should have their shoulders covered, pants or skirts covering at least until their knees, and a covered head (you can buy a veil close in the area [I shopped it here at Arasta Bazaar], it would be also a nice memory for you).
- Men should have their shoulders covered, as well as pants that cover the knees! And no sandals!
✎ (Not worth) Visit Topkapi Palace
The Topkapi palace complex has been the major residency of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign.
✿ Visit The Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque)
The outdoor courtyard, the biggest of all Ottoman mosques’, perfectly matches the size of the Blueİznik-tiles-covered interiors, numbering in the tens of thousands, giving it the nickname of the Blue Mosque.
✿ Have a Turkish lunch!
Some quick lunch places that have been suggested to me in the area: Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta (making local meatballs) and Hafiz Mustafa (making local rice pudding).
✿ Dinner in the area!
Some suggested restaurants (which I haven’t tried myself though!):
Giritli
Balikci Sabahattin
Matbah
Pudding shop
Day 2: Go east to the Asian Istanbul
Istanbul is the only megalopolis in the world that straddles two continents. Europe and Asia are separated by the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea.
I could clearly see the difference in culture and environment when I went in the Asian shore of Istanbul
✿ Kadikoy
Some suggested places (I haven't gone personally though!): lunch at Ciya Sofrasi, Baklava at Bilgeoglu, a drink at Karga Bar.
✿ Stroll through Kadikoy Market
Get around this spot.
It’s an open-air market where you can really flavour the Asian culture and the local Turkish culture. I believe the main street was Güneşli Bahçe Sok.
✎ Visit the neighbourhood of Guzguncuk
✎ Drive on the Sehitker Koprusu bridge & watch the sunset
Especially at sunset time, you will have a beautiful view of the Bosphorus strait and you will instantly feel launched into the future.
✎ Have dinner in Bebek neighbourhood
This is where most restaurants and bars are, it’s very local Turkish people usually hang out! Head there and find your favourite restaurant. Mine was Ulus29, definitely high priced but worth the view and food quality! I think it was the highest quality food I ate in turkey overall (but I am italian so it doesn’t count…!).
Day 3: Go west to Gran Bazaar & the beyond!
✿ Shop at the Gran Bazaar
Allocate some time here, you will need it! The market is very very large and is built in sections, you can pass from fashion to carpets, from decor to jewellery...
I found most of the fashion stores selling too “fake imitations”, but at the end of my visit, I was finally brought (by local sellers) to their hidden showroom. This is something that happened also years ago when I visited the Bazar for the first time, that I ended up in a huge hidden showroom and did most of my shopping there. This year, I discovered “Royals”. You will find their main store within the Bazaar, then you can ask any seller inside to bring you to their showroom. Here they sell higher quality pieces, and the imitations are quite good (of course they are still imitations!).
✿ Have lunch at Carsi Kebap
No kidding, this was the BEST Turkish food I had whilst we were in Istanbul (maybe in all of Turkey!).
You can find it here.
Run by a small family, this lunch spot is inside the Bazaar in one of the many corners of this immense labyrinth. They serve just grilled meat with delicious Bulgur tomatoes rice and veggies. This is the most common plate you can find in Turkey, so I have tasted it in more than 10 places, though, this stayed in my heart and I strongly recommend you to head there if you want to eat very decent Turkish food, which I can assure you is hard-to-impossible to find... at least to my (or Italians’...) tastes!
✿ Buy some spices at the Spice Egyptian Market
My opinion is that the stands inside this market are very touristy...but as soon as you step out of the covered market, you will see also stands along the exit/entry street and I found these spices more natural and less mass market-like. You choose your favs, there are so many, and they are all sooo cheap!
✿ Visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque
This was my favourite Mosque out of all because it’s not a tourist at all & therefore you can admire the beauty of it and see how locals really pray in their mosque.
✎ Visit the Fatih Mosque
This is worth it only for the view you have of the city!
✎ Visit Chora Church
With medieval frescos and mosaics.
✎ Stroll around the Fener neighbourhood
It was one of the neighbourhoods of Istanbul’s Greek population, known as Phanariotes.
✎ Stroll around the Samatya neighbourhood
Samatya, meaning “sandy place,” will not be found on most maps, since its modern name is Mustafapasa. Similar to Fener in terms of history and beauty, this is a favourite spot for Turkish film directors.
✎ Stroll around the Balat neighbourhood
And have a drink at the Start Alcove Coffee (Cumbali Kahve) cafè!
✎ Watch the Sufi whirling Dervishes:
La sema (cerimonia) dei dervisci rotanti Beautifully converted from an old hamam, Hodjapasha Cultural Center is a dance theater not to be missed. Attend the Whirling Dervish ceremony called Sema OR Sirkeci Station, (former station of the Orient Express) TBD
Day 4: Go north & then... travel to Ankara!
Surprise: the Burj Al Babas ghost town…
✎ Cross the Galata Bridge
Across the bridge, you will find the neighbourhoods of Karakoy and Kabatas.
This area is where restaurants, bars, shops and the Turkish life develops the most. Check out and stroll around all the streets starting from the Galata Tower.
Whilst crossing the bridge, you can also try the fresh fish sandwiches they serve on the bridge!
✎ Have breakfast at Privato Café
✎ Shop in Turkish Vintage shops
Here is a list I collected, which is all in this area: Grandma Vintage, By Retro Vintage Istanbul, Mozk Vintage, Sentetik, Sezar Pasabahce (Blue Devil Eye).
✎ Enjoy some green in the Ermigan Park
The enchanting Emirgan Park (Emirgan Korusu), located on the slope of a hill on the European shore of the Bosphorus in the district of the same name, is best known for its tulips and three small pavilions.
When the Tulip Festival is celebrated in April, the entire park blooms in countless different colours.
All tulips are grown here. There are also numerous spruce, cypress, fir, willow and linden trees.
✿ Tiksam Istiklal Caddesi - street
Start driving towards Ankara!
Surprise on the way: The Burj Al Babas castles, the ghost town!
✿ Stop by the Burj Al Babas to get astonished!
The Burj Al Babas is an abandoned ghost town in Turkey filled with Disney-like castles. Construction of the luxury community began in 2014. When Turkey's economy fell, the project halted. Today, 587 castles remain empty and you can enjoy this unbelievable atmosphere.
This was definitely a memory I will keep forever, it was not planned at all, but it made our road trip more special!
Arrive in ANKARA
✿ Walk around Ankara's Old Town and the Ankara Castle
You can take a stroll in the Old town: I think this is the only worth part to visit in Ankara, at least I only did this cause I did not find anything else inspiring enough!
Drink local Turkish tea :)
Visit the Ankara Castle!
Stroll in the street market of Koyunpazari.
✿ Spend the night at Divan Cukurhan Hotel
I considered it the most interesting accommodation in Ankara with its exclusive atmosphere of the ottoman-style architecture. It’s also very close to the Old Town area of Ankara.
CAPPADOCIA
Day 5: Travel to Goreme
Surprise: The salty lake of Tuz Golu
✿ Stop by the Tuz Golu salt lake
This was our second surprise, and also one of the most interesting experiences in Turkey!
We had no idea how much the region had to offer, almost more than the tourist-focused areas!
The lake is formed by two streams however it has no outlet, which increases the saline content in the water.
During winter part of the salt is dissolved in the freshwater that is introduced to the lake by precipitation and surface runoff (to 324% salinity). During the summer the lake dries up exposing an average of 30 cm thick salt layer in August.
The lake is like remarkable because of its vibrant pink colour, which only occurs at certain times of the year, during summer specifically!
Why does this happen? When a sizable amount of the water is sucked out of the lake due to evaporation, it raises the salt level and kills off a large portion of the plankton that eat the colour-changing algae in the lake. The algae's population grows and causes the water to change to its bright red colour. These algae are also responsible for putting the "pink" in the pink flamingos in the lake.
✿ Visit the Selima Cathedral
As it’s a bit far from Goreme, it makes sense you visit it on the way to Goreme during the last part of this road trip!
It is the largest and most elaborate cave complex in Cappadocia, sculpted on a cliff overlooking the valley.
It’s very beautiful to see and visit, and it’s a nice way to introduce yourself to the Cappadocia cave landscape.
✿ Visit Ihlara Vadisi (Valley)
Ihlara Canyon is 52 km. away from Underground City. Approximately 45 minutes later, you will be at the entrance of Ihlara Valley. Ihlara Valley was formed by the volcanic actions of Mt. Hasan, next to Ihlara Valley. Afterwards, the Melendiz River eroded the valley for millions of years besides the layers cracked and fell down. Eventually, 80 meters- a deep canyon was composed. The whole Valley is 14 km. length. In the past, generally, Christians lived in several parts of the Valley; also they carved churches and painted them. You will hike about 3,5 km. Hiking will last 1 hour and 15m.
✿ Have a drink at Belisirma Village
This village was built from the top to the bottom of the Ihlara Valley. That creates a scene full of cute little stone houses scattered to the slopes of Ihlara Valley. Even if the houses look very tiny from a distance, each house reaches a big cave system in thunder ground carved into the natural volcanic tuff. The houses are reaching the bottom of the valley where you can find many restaurants established right by the water.
✿ Visit the underground city of Derinkuyu
Next to it, also Keymakly underground city (but we loved Derinkuyu more!), the two cities were once connected by miles of tunnels.
Derinkuyu was large enough to shelter 20,000 people along with their food stores and livestock.
✿ Find your favourite Cave Hotel to spend your nights in Cappadocia in Goreme.
Göreme is a town in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey and it’s the most connected to all the activities to do in the area.
Here is where you want to find your accommodation.
We spent our nights at the Shoestring Cave Hotel. It was very romantic, we took a suite room which had all the comforts (hot tub, beautiful cave bathrooms etc…), the only problem was the lack of a window!
✿ Have dinner at Dibek
Dibek restaurant was originally a stable, it’s a 475-year-old building.
This was the most typical restaurant in Cappadocia, both for its location seating on floor cushions and its recipes.
Definitely to try: homemade mantı (Turkish ravioli) , Kurufasulye (dried white beans), kayısı tatlısı (stuffed apricots) for dessert.
Order a Testi kebabı (pottery kebab), an Anatolian speciality cooked in a sealed clay pot for at least four hours – when served, the pot is cracked open with a hammer at the table.
Day 6: Goreme, Hot Air Ballons and the National Park
✿ Wake up but keep dreaming of a Hot Air Balloon!
I strongly suggest you book this way in advance, prices go up like crazy if you book it last minute!
The service is very comfortable, they will pick you up at your hotel and bring you back there. You will have to be up at 5 am, but I assure you it’s a life experience!
You will enjoy a 60-90 minutes of beautiful views of the Cappadocia valleys all painted with these hot air balloons flying over the sky!
At the end, they offer you a glass of champagne in the valley!
This is the official site.
✎ Stroll through Goreme
Here you can find local shops, like the Carpet shop Galerie Ikman, very unique and instagrammable.
Visit the Cave churches of Tokali Church ( Church Of The Buckle) & Elmalı Kilise ( Appel Church ).
✿ Visit the Open Air Museum of the Goreme National Park
The Open Air Museum is a complex of churches cut into volcanic rock during the Middle Ages & decorated with frescoes.
In particular, visit the Karanlik Kilise ( Dark Church ).
The ticket costs around 7.50€ and you can directly take it there!
✿ Visit the close-by city of Urgup
Ürgüp's Greek population was evicted in 1923. Now, more than 90 years later, these remnants of another era have found a new lease of life as some of Cappadocia's most luxurious boutique hotels.
Ürgüp is the rural retreat for those who don't fancy being too rural, with its bustling, modern downtown area a direct foil to the old village back lanes still clinging to the hillside rim.
✿ Visit the Uçhisar Castle
You can have dinner right by it at the Lil’a Restaurant, a Museum restaurant making Turkish cuisine, along with those special, almost forgotten traditional tastes of Anatolia and Cappadocia.
Day 7: The Valleys
✿ Drive to the Love Valley
Named for its phallic rock formations,
✿ Continue to the Basabag (Monks) Valley
✿ See the Zelve Open Air Museum (Zelve Açık Hava Müzesi)
✿ See the Devrent Imaginary Valley
✎ DO NOT go to the Pigeon Valley, it was not worth at all!
✿ Ride a horse in Cappadocia (Which means indeed Land of Beautiful Horses) in the Rose Valley
This was one of the most beautiful experiences in Cappadocia as you manage to really feel at one with the Valley landscape and enjoy the panorama!
You can book this activity in advance online to save money, otherwise whichever hotel you are in definitely organizes it for you!
✿ Have dinner at Seten
With its view and atmosphere it’s also the perfect location for a drink!
Order Yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leaves) and ciçek dolması (stuffed pumpkin blossoms). Homemade wine is pressed in the centuries-old cave cellar. Live music and cocktails are available at the rooftop-terrace bar.
