2 Weeks in Turkey: Four 14 and 15-Day Routes Compared

Two weeks in Turkey is enough for five to seven regions: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale and the Mediterranean coast, with room for Gallipoli and Troy or a three-night Blue Cruise. Our 14 and 15-day tours start at $1,807 per person on a group departure with domestic flights and 13 hotel nights. A private 15-day version with a mid-range hotel, lunches on tour days and every entry ticket is from $3,980 per person. The most popular two-week loop is the 15-day Turkey tour from Istanbul at $2,298 per person: three guided days in Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus, then the Antalya coast, and back to Istanbul by air.

This page compares the four ways we build a two-week trip, shows a full day-by-day plan, and explains the flights, buses and free days. It also sets out what the price includes and what you will still pay on the spot.

What two weeks in Turkey actually covers

Turkey is large. Istanbul, Cappadocia, the Aegean and the Mediterranean are each a long day's drive apart, so every two-week route we run uses at least two domestic flights. Fourteen days gives you time to see each region properly instead of rushing through it.

A one-week tour usually gives Istanbul two days, Cappadocia two and Ephesus with Pamukkale two, with a flight almost every second day. Two weeks keeps those stops and adds:

• A third day in Cappadocia, so you can see the Red, Yellow and Green valley routes instead of picking two.
• The Mediterranean coast around Antalya, with the old town of Kaleiçi, the ancient theatres at Aspendos and Perge, and a boat day.
• Gallipoli and Troy, on the drive between Istanbul and the Aegean, if your route runs by road down the west coast.
• A Blue Cruise on a gulet between Fethiye and Olympos, on routes that swap a hotel stay for three nights on board.
• Free days, which matter more than people expect on a trip this long (see below).

If you only have 10 days, our 10-day Turkey itinerary shows what to cut. For one week, see our 7-day Turkey itinerary.

Four ways to shape the 14 or 15 days

Each of our two-week routes puts the regions in a different order and moves between them differently. The table compares four of them, using the prices and inclusions on each tour page.

All four are group tours: you join a licensed guide and other travellers on the guided days, and transfers run on a schedule. The 15-day route with three days in Cappadocia avoids long bus rides because it flies every leg. The Gallipoli route is the one to choose if the Anzac battlefields matter to you, because it starts with them on day one.

A sample day by day: the 15-day loop

This is the outline of our 15-day Turkey tour from Istanbul, which suits a first visit because it gives the most guided time and the fewest road days.

The price includes 14 breakfasts and 8 lunches. Dinners are not included, which is normal on a tour this long: you choose where to eat in the evening.

How you move between regions

The domestic legs decide how tiring two weeks feels. Here are the timings from our own itineraries:

• Istanbul to Cappadocia by air. The scheduled flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Morning departures can mean a 04:00 hotel pickup, so check the time when you book. Flights land at Kayseri or Nevşehir, depending on availability.
• Cappadocia to Izmir or Antalya by air. These flights may be direct or routed through Istanbul, depending on seats on your date. Our team meets you at the exit.
• Antalya to Istanbul by air. About 1 hour 15 minutes in the air.
• Antalya to Pamukkale by intercity bus. About 3 hours on a scheduled long-distance coach. The transfers to and from the bus stations are included.
• Kuşadası to Pamukkale by road. About two and a half hours each way, which is why most routes stay two nights near Ephesus and visit Pamukkale as a full day trip.
• Ephesus to Çanakkale for Troy. An evening intercity bus on the classic 14-day loop, which saves a hotel night but makes for a long evening.

Domestic tickets on our routes include 15 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of cabin baggage per person. If you travel with more, pack for the domestic limit or pay the airline's excess fee.

Free days: why a two-week tour needs them

Free days look like wasted money on paper. On a 14-day trip they are what keep you going. Most of our routes put a free day in Istanbul after the long-haul flight, so jet lag does not spoil your first guided day. They also leave one or two free days on the coast in the middle of the trip.

Use them as you like. In Istanbul, a public ferry along the Bosphorus or across to Kadıköy costs very little and needs no guide. In Antalya, a free day can mean the beach, a walk through Kaleiçi or a short trip to the Düden Waterfalls. If you want something organised, ask us before you travel and we will suggest day tours that fit.

Group departure or private tour: what changes

All the routes in the table above are group departures. On the guided days you share a licensed guide and a vehicle with other travellers, and the pickup times are fixed. That is why the prices start below $2,000 for two weeks.

A private two-week tour costs more because the guide, car and driver are yours alone. Our private Best of Turkey tour, 15 days, from $3,980 per person, includes:

• 14 nights in a mid-range hotel from our list, with breakfast. You can choose another hotel and pay only the difference.
• Lunch on each tour day, a private Old City tour and a private car tour in Istanbul.
• A Bosphorus lunch cruise and a Turkish hammam with a spa session.
• Two Cappadocia tours and dinner with a Turkish Night Show.
• Antalya's old town, a boat trip with lunch and free beach days.
• Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and Pamukkale with Hierapolis.
• All domestic flights and entry tickets.

Private also means you can change the order, add a night or skip a stop. For a fully custom plan, see our tailor-made Turkey tour page.

What the price covers and what it does not

Here is what the two-week group routes have in common, taken from their inclusion lists:

• Included: hotel nights with breakfast, the domestic flights in the itinerary, airport, hotel and tour transfers, licensed English-speaking guides on the guided days, the entrance fees listed in the itinerary, and the lunches marked in the programme.
• Not included: your international flight to Istanbul, dinners and meals not listed, drinks with lunch, personal spending, optional activities, and the hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia.
• Small extras to budget for: the Cleopatra Antique Pool at Pamukkale charges its own entrance fee, separate from the Hierapolis ticket.

The balloon flight is the biggest optional cost on any Turkey trip. It depends on the weather, and flights are cancelled when the wind is too strong, so treat it as a possibility rather than a fixed part of the plan. For current price ranges, see our Cappadocia hot air balloon price update and the wider Cappadocia tour prices page.

When to plan two weeks in Turkey

Spring (April to early June) and autumn (September to October) are the best seasons for a route that mixes sightseeing and coast. The weather is comfortable for walking around Ephesus and Pamukkale, where there is little shade, and the Mediterranean is warm enough to swim from late spring into autumn.

July and August are the hottest and busiest months. The coast is at its best then, but the ancient sites are hard work in the middle of the day, so our itineraries start early. In winter, Cappadocia can see snow, and the coast is quiet. Blue Cruise departures follow the sailing season, so check dates before you pick that route. Our best time to visit Turkey guide goes month by month, and Turkey in winter covers the off-season.

Tours that cover this

• 15-Day Turkey Tour from Istanbul: Cappadocia, Ephesus and Antalya: from $2,298 per person.
• 14-Day Turkey Tour Package from Istanbul with 2 Domestic Flights: from $1,807 per person.
• 15-Day Turkey Tour Package: Istanbul, Ephesus, Blue Cruise, Cappadocia: from $2,482 per person.
• Best of Turkey Tour Package, 15 Days, private, with flights and the Antalya coast: from $3,980 per person.

For every multi-day option, browse our multi-day trips or start from the Türkiye destination guide.

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