Turkey Honeymoon Package from India: 6 or 8 Days, Visa and Veg Food

A Turkey honeymoon from India works best over 6 to 8 days in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Our 6-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package with flights and a cave hotel starts from $2,023 per person, and the 8-day version from $2,400 per person, so $4,046 or $4,800 for the two of you before international flights. A budget 6-day route starts from $840 per person. Turkish Airlines flies nonstop to Istanbul from Delhi and Mumbai in about six hours. Indian passport holders need a visa, and the type you can get depends on whether you already hold a US, UK, Schengen or Irish visa. This page covers the visa, the route, vegetarian food, the balloon and what a couple really spends.

Visa for Indian passport holders

This is the first thing to sort out, because it decides how early you must start.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holders of ordinary Indian passports need a visa to enter Türkiye. There are two routes:

1. e-Visa, if you already hold a qualifying visa. If you have a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the USA, the UK or Ireland, you may apply online at the official portal, evisa.gov.tr, for a single-entry e-Visa valid for one month, as long as you meet the conditions shown during the application. Use only the official site. Agency sites charge more for the same document.
2. Sticker visa, if you do not. Most newly married couples apply for a regular visa through the Turkish embassy or consulates in India. Start at least six to eight weeks before travel. Wedding season is also peak application season, and you will need documents such as your bookings and bank statements.

There is no visa on arrival for Indian citizens. If one of you has a qualifying US or UK visa and the other does not, plan for the slower route for both. For the rules for other passports, see our Turkey visa requirements update.

Flights from India and the time difference

Turkish Airlines flies nonstop from Istanbul Airport to Delhi and Mumbai. The airline puts the average flight time at about six hours. From other Indian cities you connect, either in Delhi or Mumbai or through a Gulf hub such as Dubai or Doha.

Turkey is two and a half hours behind India all year, so the jet lag is mild. Check your landing time when you book: a daytime arrival gives you a first evening in the city instead of a lost day. We meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel by private car.

The domestic flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, to Kayseri or Nevşehir. On our packages this flight is included.

A 6-day and an 8-day honeymoon plan

Both plans start and end in Istanbul and spend two nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel. The 8-day plan gives you slower mornings and a free day.

Two nights in Cappadocia matter. Balloons fly only at sunrise and only when the civil aviation authority allows it that morning. A second morning is your backup.

If you have ten days, add Antalya or Pamukkale, or combine Turkey with Dubai on our Turkey and Dubai 10-day package from $2,900 per person. Remember that Dubai needs its own visa.

Vegetarian and Jain food in Turkey

Indian couples ask about food more than anything else. The short answer: vegetarians eat well in Turkey, and Jain diets need planning.

Easy vegetarian choices. Lentil soup (mercimek çorbası), the long Turkish breakfast with cheese, olives, tomatoes, eggs, honey and bread, gözleme flatbread with spinach or cheese, cheese pide, menemen (eggs with tomatoes and peppers), and the zeytinyağlı dishes, vegetables slow-cooked in olive oil and served cold. Baklava, künefe and rice pudding are all vegetarian.

Watch for meat stock. Some soups, rice and bulgur pilaf are made with meat or chicken stock. Say etsiz (without meat) and ask your guide to check with the kitchen.

Indian food. Istanbul has Indian restaurants in Sultanahmet, Taksim and other central districts, so you can have dal and roti on the second evening if you need it. In Cappadocia the choice is much smaller.

Jain food. Food without onion, garlic or root vegetables is not part of Turkish cooking. Tell us when you book. Indian restaurants in Istanbul can sometimes cook to order if they are told in advance, and many hotels can prepare plain rice, vegetables and salad.

For a guided tasting, see our Istanbul vegetarian food tour and the tips on our Istanbul tours for Indian travellers page.

The balloon ride: prices and what to expect

The sunrise balloon over Cappadocia is the photo every honeymoon couple wants. Here is what our flights cost per person:

• Standard sunrise flight: from $199 per person, with hotel transfers.
• Comfortable category: from $275 per person, a step up from the standard flight.
• Premium luxury flight: from $399 per person.
• Watching the balloons from a viewpoint: from $35 per person, for couples who prefer to stay on the ground.

Pickup is before dawn. The flight itself lasts around an hour, and many operators end with a small celebration on landing. Every flight needs same-morning permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, so no one can promise a balloon on a given day. Our balloon price update explains the categories.

Many brides also book the flying-dress photo shoot, a long coloured dress in the wind with the balloons behind. Our Cappadocia balloon photo shoot starts from $399 per person. In Istanbul, the rooftop flying dress shoot starts from $190 per person.

Back in Istanbul, the evening most couples remember is on the water. Our private Bosphorus yacht cruise lasts two hours and starts from $600 per group, so the price is for the boat, not per person. Time it for sunset, when the sun goes down behind the minarets of the European shore. If you are planning a proposal or a vow renewal on board, see our Bosphorus yacht proposal page.

What a honeymoon in Turkey costs for two

Here is an honest budget for the 8-day plan, using our current prices. It assumes a comfortable balloon flight, a private yacht and one photo shoot.

On top of this, add your return flights from India, visa fees, lunches and dinners not in the package, shopping and tips. On the budget 6-day route from $840 per person, the same extras give a much lower total. See our Turkey trip cost guide for daily spending.

Best months for an Indian honeymoon

Indian wedding season runs mostly from November to February, so many couples arrive in winter. That works, with two caveats.

• December to February. Istanbul is cold and often rainy. Cappadocia can be under snow, which looks wonderful in photos, but balloon flights are cancelled more often. Stay three nights there if the balloon matters. Our Turkey in winter guide has the details.
• April to June, September and October. The best months overall. Mild days, good balloon weather and long evenings in Istanbul.
• July and August. Hot and busy, but the best time to add a beach stay in Antalya or Bodrum.

Our best time to visit Turkey guide compares the months region by region.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour Package: 6 Days, Flights and Cave Hotel: from $2,023 per person.
• Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour Package: 8 Days, Flights and Cave Hotel: from $2,400 per person.
• Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour Package: 6 Days with Flights and Cruise: from $840 per person, the budget choice.
• Private Bosphorus Yacht Cruise: 2 Hours with Guide: from $600 per group.

For more ideas, see our Turkey honeymoon packages, the Istanbul honeymoon package, our Cappadocia cave hotels guide and the Turkey tour packages from India page.

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