استانبول و کاپادوکیا از آلماتی: مسیرهای ۵ تا ۱۰ روزه و قیمت‌ها

An Istanbul and Cappadocia tour from Almaty works best as five to ten days in Türkiye, and with us the packages start from $872 per person for five days, from $1,048 per person for eight days and from $1,410 per person for ten days with Pamukkale and Ephesus added. All three include hotels, transfers and the domestic flights inside Türkiye. You book the flight from Almaty yourself, and Kazakh citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The most popular starting point is our 5-day Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package with flights and the Bosphorus.

This page is written for travellers from Almaty and the rest of Kazakhstan. It covers the direct flights, the entry rules, the five routes we suggest from five to ten days, and the practical points that matter when you arrive. All prices are in US dollars, the currency our tours are sold in.

Five routes from five to ten days

The prices are per person and depend on dates, hotel category and group size. Hotels and inclusions differ from package to package, so a longer trip is not always the more expensive one. Compare the inclusions, not only the number of days. For a premium version with a cave hotel and more included, our Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package for 10 days starts from $2,499 per person.

Flights from Almaty to Türkiye

Almaty has direct flights to several Turkish cities, which gives you more choice than a simple return to Istanbul. According to the airport's published airline list:

• Istanbul: Air Astana and Turkish Airlines fly to Istanbul, and Pegasus flies to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. AJet lists a new Almaty–Sabiha Gökçen route starting on 5 January 2027.
• Antalya: Air Astana flies Almaty–Antalya, and Air Astana adds Bodrum in season. FlyArystan has a seasonal route to Gazipaşa near Alanya.
• Izmir: SunExpress flies Almaty–Izmir, the airport for Ephesus and Kuşadası.
• Ankara: AJet flies Almaty–Ankara. Göreme is about 300 km by road from Ankara, roughly three to three and a half hours by car.

There is no direct flight from Almaty to Kayseri or Nevşehir, the two Cappadocia airports, so the usual way is to fly to Istanbul and take a domestic flight of about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. That domestic flight is included in our packages.

The straight-line distance from Almaty to Istanbul is roughly 3,900 km. Check the current schedules with the airline, because frequencies change between the summer and winter seasons.

Time difference. Kazakhstan has used a single time zone, UTC+5, since 1 March 2024, and Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year. Istanbul is two hours behind Almaty in every month, so the jet lag is mild.

Using two airports: an open-jaw trip

The direct flights to Izmir and Antalya make an open-jaw ticket worth considering: fly from Almaty into Istanbul and home from Izmir or Antalya, or the other way round. You avoid going back to Istanbul at the end and save a domestic flight.

• Istanbul in, Izmir out. Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus, finishing near Izmir. This matches the classic 7- to 10-day route.
• Istanbul in, Antalya out. Istanbul and Cappadocia, then a few days on the Mediterranean coast. Our Cappadocia tour from Antalya page explains the link between the two.
• Ankara in, Istanbul out. Start with Cappadocia by road from Ankara and finish in Istanbul. See our Cappadocia tour from Ankara page for the drive.

Tell us your arrival and departure airports when you book, and we can adjust a package to start or end where your flights do.

Entry rules for Kazakh passports

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holders of ordinary Kazakh passports are exempt from a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. For all foreigners, the passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the length of the stay, and the ministry recommends six months' validity on arrival.

A few points that come up with families:

• Children need their own passport.
• Domestic flights in Türkiye need the same passport. Keep it in your hand luggage.

What each route looks like

Five days: Istanbul and Cappadocia. This is the classic first trip. Two or three days in Istanbul for the Old City and the Bosphorus, then a flight to Cappadocia for the fairy chimney valleys and a sunrise balloon. With only one night in Cappadocia, there is one balloon morning, so book the balloon for that morning and accept that the weather may cancel it.

Six to eight days: the same two places, slower. Extra days go to Istanbul's Asian side, the Princes' Islands or a second night in Cappadocia. Two nights in Cappadocia give you a backup morning for the balloon and time for both main day tours, the Cappadocia Red Tour and the Cappadocia Green Tour.

Seven to ten days: add Pamukkale and Ephesus. After Cappadocia, the route continues west to the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale and the Roman city of Ephesus. On a 10-day trip you have time for all four without long days on the road. Our Turkey itinerary for 7 days shows how the days fit together.

For travellers who want more nights in Cappadocia and fewer in Istanbul, the Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package page compares the shorter and longer versions.

The balloon, and other extras to budget for

Our packages list the Cappadocia balloon as an optional extra, so plan for it separately:

• Balloon flight: from $111 per person for a shared basket with hotel pickup, and from $199 per person for our standard sunrise flight with transfers. Every flight depends on permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on the morning, so no flight can be promised in advance.
• Balloon watching: from $27 per person, if you prefer to stay on the ground.
• Entrance tickets where a package does not include them. On the ministry's current list, the Göreme Open-Air Museum costs €20 for foreign visitors, Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı underground cities €13 each, and Zelve and Paşabağ €12 on one ticket. Most of these rise on 1 April 2027.
• Evening shows, such as a Turkish night show with dinner in Cappadocia from $59 per person.

Our Cappadocia tour prices page lists every option, and the Turkey trip cost guide puts flights, hotels and food together.

Language, money and practical points

Guides. Our tours are led by licensed guides, usually in English. Many travellers from Kazakhstan prefer Russian, and a Russian-speaking guide can be arranged on request, subject to availability. See our page on the Russian-speaking guide in Istanbul. A guide who speaks Kazakh can also be requested, but very few work in Türkiye, so ask early.

Money. The currency is the Turkish lira, and prices in museums are set in euros and charged in lira. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Do not count on changing tenge in Türkiye: US dollars and euros are the easiest cash to bring. Our tours are priced and paid in US dollars.

Food. Türkiye is a Muslim-majority country, and the meat in ordinary restaurants is halal. Turkish cooking will feel familiar in places, with grilled lamb, rice pilaf, yoghurt and flatbread, and it is not spicy unless you ask.

Weather. Cappadocia is high and cold in winter. Nevşehir's average daytime high in January is about 4°C and its average night-time low is below freezing, according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service's 1991-2020 averages. Istanbul is milder but wet in winter. From May to October, both are comfortable for sightseeing.

When to go from Almaty

• April to June: spring flowers in Cappadocia, mild days in Istanbul, and green valleys. A popular time for families before the summer heat.
• July and August: the busiest months. Hot in the afternoons, so start sightseeing early. Book hotels and the balloon well ahead.
• September and October: warm, settled weather and fewer families. Our favourite months for the longer routes with Pamukkale and Ephesus.
• November to March: quieter and cheaper, with snow on the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. Balloon cancellations are more frequent, so plan two nights there.

Kazakh school holidays and Nauryz in March both bring more travellers from Kazakhstan, so book early if your dates fall then.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 5 days with flights and the Bosphorus: from $872 per person.
• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 8 days with domestic flights: from $1,048 per person.
• Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour, 10 days with flights: from $1,410 per person.
• Cappadocia hot air balloon ride, standard sunrise flight: from $199 per person, to add to any package.

For other combinations, browse our Turkey tours and the Cappadocia destination guide.

Frequently Asked Questions