hello traveler!, In this post I want to share with you my perfect itinerary to spend 7-9 days in Turkey.
However, I would like before I start talking about this beautiful country, thank you for reading me. I hope you stick around and enjoy planning your trip to Turkey as much as I did, and that my posts can be of help for it.
I recommend you, what's more, start reading my Turkey Travel Guide, where you will find a bit of history, general information and some tips that I think can be of great help to plan your trip.
And without getting involved anymore, I'll leave you our itinerary of 7 Days around Turkey, after the next photo.
Sunrise in Love Valley, cappadocia
OUR ITINERARY OF 7 DAYS:
Note: our flight from Madrid to Istanbul was canceled, and although we finally managed to fly in the last of the afternoon, it also came out a couple of hours late, so we end up losing the connection to Cappadocia, and we had to spend the night at the Istanbul airport and take the next flight the next morning. However, the itinerary below is as we initially planned.
Day 1: arrive to istanbul and connection with Cappadocia. Night in Uchisar, cappadocia.
Day 2: early breakfast at the hotel and walk around Uchisar. it was quite windy, so the balloons didn't fly this day. Since we did not have much time in Cappadocia, we rented a car to be able to move better and take advantage of the hours here.. We took advantage of the fact that it was cloudy and windy and visited Goreme and his Open Air Museum. Shortly after our visit it started to rain., so we decided to go back to Uchisar and go have a few glasses of wine on the covered terrace of the restaurant Seki, which has lovely views of the chimneys. Then we went to dinner at the restaurant Petra Inn (that we loved), and soon to rest.
Day 3:we get up at 4:30 a.m. to call the hotel reception and check if the balloons were going to fly. They told us yes, and after preparing quickly we headed to Love Valley to see sunrise from there. We arrived the first and we loved being able to see the sky change color, as well as the balloons go up little by little until almost filling the horizon. Starting at 5:15 a.m. the place began to fill with more tourists, so we decided to go back to our hotel to continue enjoying the landscape full of balloons but calmer from the pool of our hotel. After the dip we get ready, we went to breakfast, we pack our bags and head to the airport to catch our flight to the next destination: Bodrum. Our flight was delayed and we arrived later than expected at the hotel in Bodrum. We were still pretty tired, so we decided to rest a bit and walk down to the city center. We took a walk around the port and ended up having dinner in a restaurant in the town center.
Day 4: we spent the day lounging and reading by the pool at our hotel, which had very nice panoramic views of Bodrum. in the evening night, we went back to the center to take a walk and have dinner.
Day 5:We had breakfast at the hotel and decided to go by car to spend the day at club beach of our accommodation, located on the coast of Bodrum. We liked it so much that we stayed until after lunch., swimming, reading and enjoying the sun. Then we decided to return to the hotel, stopping at different points along the coast.. Our favorites were the bar with incredible views of Cliff Bodrum (we are left with winning to return on another trip with more time to be able to enjoy your hotel and restaurant), Y Aspat Beach. On our last night we decided to stay at the hotel and have dinner on our terrace.
Day 6:early flight to istanbul. At the airport we took a taxi to the city center (make sure the counter is active when you ride), we checked in at the hotel, we went to eat something and went on a walking tour of the city. After 2-3 hours touring the city and visiting some of the mosques inside, we decided to enjoy the sunset from the restaurant's viewpoint Kinyas (next to the famous Seven Hills, but less popular). For dinner we went to the garden restaurant Garden 1897, who had recommended us. Night at the hotel in the sultan ahmed neighborhood.
Day 7: on our last full day in town, we decided to get up early to walk around some of the corners of the neighborhood that we liked the most, as well as to visit Suleymaniye Mosque and its surroundings (highly recommended). Before returning to the hotel to check-out, we decided to stop for a cold tea on the terrace-viewpoint of Kubbe-i Ask. back to the hotel, we got ready to leave and checked in at the new hotel in the Galata neighborhood (DeCamondo Galata, that we loved and to which I would return without thinking). In the afternoon we decided to take a walk through the center and the shopping streets of the neighborhood and we ended up watching the sunset, while we had a drink, from the terrace of hotel Georges.
(Day 8): since our trip started with cancellations and we lost a lot of time, we decided to change the flights back and stay in Turkey a little longer. We started early to visit the galata tower before the streets began to fill, and then we stop to have breakfast the famous San Sebastian cake with chocolate in Viennese Coffee. When we finished, we took a taxi to the neighborhood of Skin, in search of its colorful streets and small cafes. We finished the afternoon visiting the Grand Bazar and strolling through Karakoy, where we decided to stop to try the delicious Künef in Beyzade. To see the sunset we decided to take a taxi to Ortakoy, however the weather got worse and because of the clouds it was not going to be possible to see it. So we decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood, going through the Ortakoy Mosque, and we ended up having dinner lahmacun in a small turkish restaurant before going back to the hotel.
(Day 9): flight back to Spain in the morning.
Our terrace in Argos Cappadocia
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON EACH OF THE DESTINATIONS VISITED:
cappadocia (days 1-2)
– There are two airports near Cappadocia, Kayseri and Nevsehir. Of the two, Nevşehir is a bit closer to Göreme, but any of them is well connected and at a similar distance from Cappadocia.
– Cappadocia is famous for its fascinating scenery, dominated by caves and “fairy chimneys”. You can see them from above if you decide to get on one of the hot air balloons, or exploring these landscapes on foot and up close. For this you can visit: Goreme Open Air Museum Y Zelve Open Air Museum. Us, from there, we made a quick stop at Pigeon Valley and Panoramic Viewpoint, then in love valley.
– The hot air balloons they fly all year (about 250 days on average), but the weather may prevent them from going out some mornings, and unfortunately this was our luck the first morning. Pricing starts at 190 Euros o 180USD, and they usually leave after 4:30 am.
– Although there are many organized excursions that you can sign up for (both online and from the reception of your accommodation), I recommend you rent a coach to be able to explore the surroundings completely at your own pace. We rent ours in our same hotel when we arrive, with the option of leaving it at the airport for a small fee.
Note: If you plan to drive around Cappadocia, you will need a GPS or a phone with GPS. While some of the places you'll want to visit are easily accessible, there are others more hidden that are not found on the usual tourist route.
– If you decide to choose one organized excursion you can choose between: the tour rojo (Uchisar, Goreme Open Air museum, Monks Valley, Deviant Valley, Love Valley) and the tour verde (Derinkuyu underground city, Ihlara Valley, Selime monastery, Pigeon Valley). Both lasting approximately 7 a 9 hours.
– As for the accommodation in Cappadocia, I recommend looking for accommodation within Göreme (in the case of not having a car) he is the most Uchisar, Urgap u Ortahisar (if you have means of transport). You can see a detailed map of Cappadocia here.
further, In my opinion, I think the most authentic thing in Cappadocia is to stay in a cave hotel. While there are many amazing options, we stayed in Uchisar. And most of the time in Argus Cappadocia. Accommodation totally recommended for its location, bedrooms, service, restaurant and its hot water pool!
Our first night we should have spent in Petra Inn Cappadocia, but when we missed the flight we only arrived in the morning. However, the owner of this beautiful family hotel is a charm, and gave us a room to rest for a while and shower. Breakfast on the panorama terrace of your restaurant totally recommended, we liked it so much that we returned that same day for dinner.
– Some of the restaurants where you can eat in Cappadocia:
– If you are looking for a nice place to coast in Turkey, that offers excellent restaurants, good selection of accommodation and variety of leisure, Bodrum will not disappoint you.
– The high season in Turkey it extends from May to September, similar to other European destinations. However, we visit Bodrum during high season (June) and we didn't find it too busy. The daytime temperature was about 33 degrees Celsius and we had clear skies and sunny days.
– Do not miss: walk through its charming streets (especially at sunset), visit Bodrum Castle and learn about the history of the area, enjoy seafood and fresh fish in any of its restaurants near the port, lose yourself in its downtown shops where you will find everything.
– As for the accommodation and Bodrum, we decided to stay in The Marmara Bodrum, a bit out of town but great facilities, good connection (you can take a walk to the center or take a taxi at a very good price) and beautiful views of the coast. The rooms are spacious and we really enjoyed our terrace and the common spaces, as well as breakfast. further, includes daily entrance to the Beach Club The flame of Bodrum, we loved it!
– We rent a car upon arrival at the airport to be able to move freely, and on one of our excursions we stopped for a drink at Allium Bodrum Resort & Spa. The hotel and restaurant are amazing, with beautiful views of the coast and well-kept and private common areas. We would love to come back to Bodrum sometime to stay here!!
– From most towns on the Bodrum Peninsula, you can take a dolmus (public minibus) to Bodrum city center.
– Some of the restaurants where to eat in bodrum:
Courtyard Bistro – it is somewhat hidden and offers a romantic setting
Annalivia – a popular Turkish restaurant offering fantastic views of the bay
Memedof Fish Restaurant – is one of the best restaurants in Bodrum and offers some of the best seafood in town
Views of Bodrum from our hotel pool
istanbul(days 6-7)
– With a poblation of 15 millions of inhabitants, Istanbul is the largest city in Europe. You will probably spend most of your time on the European side of the city, but if you stay enough days I recommend you take a bosphorus cruise or a ferry, to visit the Asian side.
– As for the transport in the city and Istanbul: the subway, the bus and the tram run all over the city. To take any of these forms of transportation, you'll need a Istanbul map. This card can be easily purchased at the airport machines or at any station.
Taxis and Uber are also the options that we use the most to move around the city, as the prices were very affordable. Nevertheless, I recommend you to be careful with taxis and check the meter (because sometimes they already have it working before entering or they don't activate it during the journey).
Ferries are also a fast and fun way to get around. It may be the most convenient way to cross the Bosphorus. The main ferry stations are Karaköy, Besiktas, Kabataş y Eminönü.
– what to see / you can't miss: Galata Tower, Spice Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Suleymaniye Camii, Ortakoy Mosque, Dolmabahce Palace, Skin, Istiklal Street, Taksim Square, Flower Passage.
– As for the accommodation In Estambul, the city is divided into 39 districts: 25 on the European side and 14 from the asian side. how can you imagine, choosing a hotel can be overwhelming as there are so many different neighborhoods and hotel options.
We decided to stay the first night in Hotel Poet, a small but comfortable hotel, well located and clean, in the neighborhood Sultanahmet. This neighborhood is located on the European side, and is the main tourist area of Istanbul, as it houses Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, among others. Sultanahmet is also very close to the Grand Bazaar. This allowed us to do a walking tour on our first day, and revisit the places that we liked the most later.
The rest of the nights we stayed in DeCamondo Galata, in the neighborhood Galata, which belongs to the district of Beyoglu. This district is located on the European side and east of the river, and is known for being a trendy area full of cobblestone streets, excellent cafes, pubs and shops, as well as boutique hotels.
Regarding the hotel, it is very new and bright, with comfortable beds, a cafeteria on the ground floor, well located and lovely staff. In addition, the terrace on the top floor has good views and cocktails.
-Some of the restaurants Y terraces where to eat and drink in istanbul:
Hafiz Mustafa – One of the most famous pastry shops. Order a delicious baklava or any other dessert with a cup of Turkish coffee.
Beyzade Kunefe – one of the best places to try kunefe. Delicious and great variety.
Karakoy Gulluoglu – typical Baklava pastry, with great variety and good prices. Pistachio baklava and Turkish tea recommended.
Seven Hills Restaurant in Sultanahmet – Panoramic view of the entire city. It is one of the most popular terraces and is usually always full.
By Kinyas – very close to the previous, but less known. The views are amazing from here too.
Soho House Istanbul – occupies the 19th century Corpi Palace. Rooftop and garden views are a must. Great place for dinner and cocktails.
Dragon Princess – located in Kadikoy (asian side of town). Known for a great Turkish breakfast.
Garden 1897 – the restaurant of this hotel is located in its garden. We went for dinner and we loved their typical dishes and the atmosphere.
Colored houses in the Balat neighborhood, istanbul
Do you want to see more photos of the places we visited on our trip to Turkey? Visit my IG account @travelmapamundiblog, and gossip the extra information that I share in my posts and stories about all my trips.
And if you have any questions you can contact me by email or privately on IG 🙂
