Turkey Family Tour Packages: Routes by Age, a Van for Six, Prices

A family tour of Turkey works best as eight to ten days split between Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Antalya coast, with a private van and driver. With us, packages start from $1,150 per person for five days in Istanbul and Cappadocia, from $1,980 per person for eight days in Istanbul and Antalya, and a private Mercedes Vito with driver for up to six guests costs from $299 per group for eight hours in Istanbul. Foreign children aged 8 and under enter state museums free with their passport.

This page plans a family trip around the children, not around the sights: what works at which age, why a private van is the single best upgrade for a family of five or six, and how the costs add up.

What a family trip costs with us

Our package prices are per person; vehicles and boats are per group. The table shows both, using our real from-prices. The "family of four" column simply multiplies the adult from-price, so ask us for the exact quote with your children's ages.

The per-group lines are where families save. A van day for six costs the same as a van day for two.

Plan by your children's ages

Turkey suits families well, but a trip that works for a teenager can wear out a four-year-old. These are the patterns we see.

Under 5

Keep it to two bases, Istanbul and the coast, and skip the long internal transfers. Mornings for sights, afternoons for naps and the hotel pool. Strollers are hard work on the cobbles and slopes of the old city and in the valleys of Cappadocia, so bring a carrier as well. Ask for child seats when you book any private vehicle, so the driver brings the right size.

Ages 6 to 11

This is the easiest age for Turkey. Children of this age love the underground cities, camel rides and boat days, and they can manage a full morning of walking. Three bases work: Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast. Build in one free afternoon every two or three days.

Teenagers

Teens tend to enjoy the active side: quad bikes in Cappadocia, an adventure day out of Istanbul, swimming from a boat in Antalya. They also cope better with early starts and longer days. Give them some say in the plan; a teenager who chose the ATV ride will put up with the museum the next day.

Why a private van for six changes the trip

For families of five or six, the vehicle matters more than the hotel. A standard Istanbul taxi seats four passengers, so a family of six often needs two cars, two drivers and two fares, and you can get separated in traffic.

Our Istanbul private driver tour uses a Mercedes Vito for up to six guests, from $299 per group for eight hours. That is about $50 per person for a family of six, for a whole day with a driver who waits at every stop. The van carries the stroller, the snacks, the change of clothes and the shopping. Children can sleep between stops.

Our Istanbul private car with driver page explains how a driver day is planned. Add a licensed guide for the old city: our private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide starts from $199 per group for a day. For arrival, a private airport transfer means the van is waiting when you come out of customs with tired children.

A 9-day family route that works

This route replaces long drives with short domestic flights and leaves the beach for the end, which is the part children remember best.

Our Istanbul family tour packages page covers the Istanbul days in more depth, and our tailor-made Turkey tour service builds the full route around your dates.

Istanbul with children

Istanbul is huge, but the parts that matter to families are compact. The old city sights sit within walking distance of each other in Sultanahmet, and the van shortens the rest.

The water is what children like most. A private family yacht on the Bosphorus, from $525 per hour for six to 32 guests, gives them space to move around, and works well when grandparents or cousins join. For a full day out, the Princes Islands tour with ferry and lunch starts from $90 per person; motor traffic on the islands is restricted, which parents appreciate.

Younger children usually enjoy Miniaturk, a park of scale models of Turkish landmarks. Our Istanbul tours for kids page lists family day tours that work in practice.

Cappadocia with children

Cappadocia looks like a storybook to most children, and it delivers. The underground city at Kaymaklı is the favourite: tunnels, ventilation shafts and stone doors that rolled across passages. Some passages are low and narrow, so very small children may need carrying.

Animal rides are easy wins. A camel ride among the fairy chimneys starts from $85 per person, and a horseback ride through the valleys from $90 per person, both about an hour.

Hot air balloons need more care. Balloon operators set their own minimum age and height rules for children, and every flight depends on the civil aviation authority approving the weather that morning. Check the rules for your children before you book, and never build a family trip around one sunrise. Watching the balloons from a hotel terrace is free and often just as exciting for small children. See our Cappadocia destination guide for the main villages.

The coast with children

Antalya is the easiest Turkish coast for families: a large airport, many family hotels, sandy and pebble beaches, and day trips that do not need long drives. The Antalya old city and Düden waterfalls boat trip starts from $90 per person and combines the old harbour, a boat ride and the waterfalls dropping into the sea. Our Antalya destination guide covers where to stay.

Summer is hot on this coast, so plan outdoor sights for the morning and leave the middle of the day for the pool. Families with younger children often prefer June or September, when it is warm enough to swim but easier in the afternoon. Our best time to visit Turkey guide goes month by month.

Money rules every family should know

• Free entry for young children. At museums and archaeological sites run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, foreign children aged 8 and under enter free. Bring their passports to the ticket desk.
• Per-group beats per-person. Vans, private guides for the day and yachts are priced per group. The bigger your family, the better the value.
• Fewer flights. Each domestic flight adds a morning of packing and waiting. Two bases plus the coast is the sweet spot for most families.
• Book the van for travel days. The transfer days, airport to hotel and back, are where tired children struggle most.

Families travelling from Pakistan can also read our Turkey family tour packages from Pakistan page, which covers the visa side.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour Package: 5 Days with Flights and Cave Hotel from $1,150 per person
• Istanbul and Antalya Tour Package: 8 Days from $1,980 per person
• Istanbul Private Driver Tour: Mercedes Vito for 8 Hours, 1 to 6 Guests from $299 per group
• Bosphorus Yacht Rental for Families and Friends: 6 to 32 Guests from $525 per hour

Frequently Asked Questions