Istanbul and Antalya Holiday 2027: How to Split a Week

For a one-week holiday in 2027, the split that works for most people is three nights in Istanbul and four in Antalya, joined by a short domestic flight, with the city first and the beach at the end. You can build it yourself from day tours, or book it as one trip: our Istanbul and Antalya tour package for 8 days with flight and Suluada starts from $1,980 per person with hotels, the domestic flight, airport transfers and guided days. This page covers how to divide the nights, a sample plan, the flight between the two, the best months, and what the guided parts cost.

How to split seven nights

There is no single right answer, but the choice is mostly about how much beach time you want.

• Three nights Istanbul, four nights Antalya. The standard split. Two full days in Istanbul cover the old city and the Bosphorus. Four nights on the coast give you one day of Roman ruins, one boat day and two slow days at the hotel.
• Four nights Istanbul, three nights Antalya. Better for first-time visitors who care more about the city. You add the palaces, a neighbourhood like Balat or Kadıköy, or the Princes' Islands, and keep a short beach break.
• Two nights Istanbul, five nights Antalya. For a beach holiday with a city taster. Istanbul is rushed, but you still see Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.

Whatever the split, the travel day between the two costs most of half a day: hotel to airport, the flight, and the transfer on the other side. Count it as a half day, not a full day of sightseeing.

A sample week: three nights in Istanbul, four in Antalya

Our 8-day package follows almost the same shape: Istanbul's old city with a guide, a Bosphorus dinner cruise and a day with a private car and driver, then Antalya's old town and waterfalls, a boat day to Suluada and a free day.

Getting between Istanbul and Antalya

Fly. By road it is about 680 km from Sultanahmet to Kaleiçi, or eight to nine hours of driving, which takes a whole day out of a week.

Flights run all year. According to the Antalya Airport route list on Wikipedia, Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul Airport (IST), while AJet and Pegasus fly from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. Check which Istanbul airport your ticket uses: IST is on the European side north of the city, SAW on the Asian side, and the drive from the old city to each is different. Domestic flights arrive at Antalya Airport's Domestic Terminal, about 13 km north-east of the city centre.

Use an open-jaw ticket if you can. Fly into Istanbul and home from Antalya, or the other way round. Antalya has direct international flights to many European cities, especially in summer, and it saves you the flight back to Istanbul at the end. Our Antalya airport transfer guide gives drive times from AYT to Lara, Belek, Side and Kemer, and our Istanbul airport private transfer page covers arrival in Istanbul.

Istanbul first or the beach first

Most people do Istanbul first, and there are good reasons.

• Energy. Istanbul is a walking city with long days on your feet. Do it while you are fresh, then rest on the coast.
• The end of the trip. Finishing on the beach means you go home relaxed rather than tired.
• Flights home. If you fly home from Antalya, you avoid a last-day transfer across Istanbul.

The beach first makes sense in one case: early or late in the season, when the coast is cooler and a few warm days are what you came for, or if your cheapest international flight lands in Antalya.

When to go in 2027: Istanbul and Antalya side by side

The two cities have different climates. Istanbul is milder and wetter. Antalya is hotter and very dry in summer. The averages below are from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), long-term records for each city.

Rainy days are rounded. The best months for this combination are May, June, September and early October. Both cities are warm, the sea in Antalya is good for swimming, and Istanbul is not yet at its summer peak. July and August work, but expect strong heat in Antalya and busy sights in Istanbul. From November to March the beach part loses its point, though Antalya stays mild enough for ruins and walks.

The Istanbul days and what they cost

With two full days in the city, spend one on the old city and one on the Bosphorus side.

• Day one, the old city. Our private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide starts from $199 per group per day, which is good value for a family or two couples. For a guided small-group day with tickets and lunch, our Istanbul old city small-group tour starts from $199 per person.
• Day two, the Bosphorus. A Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up starts from $75 per person, or take a whole day with a driver: our Istanbul private driver tour in a Mercedes Vito runs for 8 hours from $299 per group.
• Arrival. Our private Istanbul airport transfer starts from $60 per group.

Our 3-day Istanbul itinerary and things to do in Istanbul pages go into the city in more detail. If you want more Istanbul-only options, our sister site Get Istanbul Tours specialises in the city.

The Antalya days and what they cost

Four nights on the coast give you room for two outings and two free days.

• Old town and waterfalls. The Antalya city tour with Kaleiçi, Düden Waterfalls and a boat trip starts from $90 per person with lunch.
• Roman sites. The Perge, Aspendos and Side day tour with lunch starts from $81 per person.
• A boat day. The Suluada island boat tour from Adrasan starts from $50 per person with lunch on board.

For a couple doing all three, the Antalya tours add up to $442 for two people before drinks and any site fees not included. See our Antalya day trips and things to do in Antalya pages for the other choices, and our 3-day Antalya itinerary for a day-by-day order. Travelling with children? Our 5-day Antalya plan for families is paced for them.

Packages that combine both

If you would rather not book each piece, these packages join the two cities with the domestic flight included:

• Two days. Our Istanbul and Antalya 2-day tour by air starts from $845 per person: a guided old city day, an evening flight, then Perge, Aspendos, the Kurşunlu waterfall and Kaleiçi before flying back to Istanbul. It is a sightseeing trip, not a beach holiday.
• Four days. The Istanbul and Antalya tour package for 4 days with flights starts from $1,455 per person, with the same Antalya day and an extra night in Istanbul.
• Eight days. The 8-day package with flight and Suluada from $1,980 per person is the full city-and-coast week, as a private tour, with 4 to 5 star hotels and breakfast.
• With Cappadocia. The Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya tour for 7 days with flights starts from $2,375 per person.

Antalya is not the only beach that pairs well with Istanbul. Our Istanbul and Bodrum holiday page covers the Aegean alternative, and the Istanbul and Fethiye holiday page the Lycian coast further west. For a longer trip with a tour and a beach week, see our Turkey tour and beach holiday guide, or the wider Mediterranean Turkey region.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Antalya Tour Package: 8 Days with Flight and Suluada: from $1,980 per person.
• Istanbul and Antalya Tour Package: 4 Days with Flights: from $1,455 per person.
• Istanbul and Antalya in 48 Hours: 2-Day Tour with Flights: from $845 per person.
• Istanbul, Antalya and Cappadocia Tour: 3 Days with Flights: from $1,315 per person.

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