Turkey 6 Nights 7 Days: Istanbul and Cappadocia, or Istanbul Alone?

Six nights in Turkey is best split four nights in Istanbul and two in Cappadocia, with one domestic flight each way; Istanbul only is the better choice in deep winter or if you dislike early starts. With our packages, a 6-day Istanbul and Cappadocia trip with flights and a Bosphorus cruise starts from $840 per person for five nights, and you add the sixth night in Istanbul. A ready-made 7-day, 6-night route that adds Konya, the Spirit of Turkey tour, starts from $2,100 per person.

This page compares the two set-ups night by night, shows which day of the week to start on, and lists what each version costs with our current prices. If you want Ephesus and Pamukkale in the same week, that is a different, faster trip, covered in our 7-day Turkey tour package guide.

Two ways to spend six nights

Most first-time visitors choose the first column, and for good reason: Cappadocia looks like nowhere else, and one week is enough for both places without rushing. The second column is not a compromise. Istanbul alone can fill six days, and you unpack once.

Plan A: Istanbul and Cappadocia, night by night

The order matters more than the exact sights. Start and end in Istanbul, and put Cappadocia in the middle.

1. Night 1, Istanbul. Arrive, private transfer, a walk along the Galata Bridge or in Sultanahmet.
2. Night 2, Istanbul. The old city with a guide: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern.
3. Night 3, Istanbul. Topkapı Palace in the morning, the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar in the afternoon.
4. Night 4, Cappadocia. Morning flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir, cave hotel, sunset over the valleys.
5. Night 5, Cappadocia. Sunrise balloon if it flies, then the Red Tour of the north valleys, from $80 per person with lunch.
6. Night 6, Istanbul. Spare balloon morning, the Green Tour with the Derinkuyu underground city or a free morning, then an evening flight back to Istanbul.
7. Day 7. A Bosphorus cruise if time allows, then the airport.

Why the last night in Istanbul? Domestic flights are short, but a delay on the day of your flight home is the one problem that costs real money. Sleeping in Istanbul removes it.

If the balloon is the main reason for your trip, move one Istanbul night to Cappadocia so you have three sunrises. Every flight needs same-morning permission from Turkey's civil aviation authority, so nobody can guarantee a flight on a given day; more mornings mean more chances. Our standard balloon flight starts from $199 per person.

Plan B: six nights in Istanbul only

Six nights in one hotel lets you see Istanbul properly, including the parts most short visits miss.

• Day 1: arrive and settle in.
• Day 2: the old city: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern.
• Day 3: Topkapı Palace and the Süleymaniye Mosque, ending at the Spice Bazaar.
• Day 4: the Bosphorus by boat, with the shore villages on both continents. Our full-day Bosphorus cruise and two continents tour starts from $88 per person.
• Day 5: a day trip. The Princes' Islands by ferry with lunch from $90 per person, or a private day in Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, from $100 per person.
• Day 6: Balat and Fener, then Galata and Karaköy, or the Asian side at Kadıköy.
• Day 7: shopping and departure.

Our 7-day Istanbul itinerary goes into each day in more detail, and Istanbul day trips lists other places within reach. If Istanbul is your whole trip, our sister site Get Istanbul Tours focuses on the city alone.

Plan C: Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia

There is a third option for travellers interested in Sufi history. Konya was the home of Rumi, and the Mevlana Museum holds his tomb. It lies on the way between the coast and Cappadocia, so a 7-day, 6-night route can include it without backtracking.

Our Spirit of Turkey tour covers Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia in 7 days from $2,100 per person. The trade-off is a road transfer between Konya and Cappadocia and less time in Istanbul. In return you see a part of Turkey most first-time visitors skip.

Which day of the week to start

A few fixed closing days decide the best start day for a one-week trip:

• Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Make sure your Topkapı day is not a Tuesday.
• The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. Plan shopping for another day.
• Friday midday prayers. Mosques close to visitors during prayer times, and the Friday noon prayer is the longest pause of the week. Visit the Blue Mosque or Süleymaniye in the morning or later in the afternoon on Fridays.
• Weekends are busier at the Bosphorus shore and on the Princes' Islands ferries.

For Plan A, a Thursday or Saturday arrival works well: it puts Topkapı and the Grand Bazaar on open days and Cappadocia in the middle of the week. For Plan B, start on any day and move the Topkapı and bazaar days around the closures.

What six nights cost with our packages

We do not sell a fixed six-night package for Istanbul and Cappadocia only; most guests take a five-night package and add a night in Istanbul. These are the closest options and their current prices.

Two notes on reading the table. Prices are per person and exclude international flights. And "from" prices depend on dates, hotel category and group size; your quote will show the exact figure. For daily spending on meals and tickets, see our Turkey trip cost guide.

When Istanbul only is the better choice

Cappadocia is the right call for most people, but not for everyone. Choose six nights in Istanbul when:

• You travel in December to February. Cappadocia is cold, often snowy and balloon flights are cancelled more often, while Istanbul's museums and restaurants run as usual. Read Turkey in winter before you decide.
• Walking or stairs are hard. Cappadocia's valleys and underground cities involve uneven ground and steep, low tunnels.
• You start or end a cruise in Istanbul. Six nights before or after a cruise is easier to fit around a ship.
• You have been to Cappadocia before and want the city in depth: the Asian side, the Bosphorus villages and the islands.

Choose Plan A in every other case, especially from April to June and September to November. Our best time to visit Turkey guide compares the months.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour Package: 6 Days with Flights & Cruise: from $840 per person.
• Spirit of Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Konya & Cappadocia in 7 Days: from $2,100 per person.
• Istanbul Tour Package 6 Days: Private Car Tour & Bosphorus Cruises: from $1,050 per person.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride: Standard Sunrise Flight & Transfers: from $199 per person.

For more on the two places, see the Istanbul and Cappadocia destination guides.

Frequently Asked Questions