8 Days in Turkey: Four Day-by-Day Itineraries and What They Cost

Eight days in Turkey is enough for Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus if you fly between the regions: three nights in Istanbul, two in Cappadocia, one at Pamukkale and one near Ephesus, using domestic flights for the long jumps. If you would rather travel slowly, the same eight days give you Istanbul and Cappadocia with time to spare. Our 8-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour starts from $1,464 per person with the domestic flights, and an 8-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package starts from $1,048 per person.

Below are four eight-day itineraries we arrange regularly, each laid out day by day, followed by a comparison, the real road distances between regions and the things worth booking early. If you have one day less, our 7-day Turkey itinerary covers the shorter version; with two more days, see the 10-day Turkey itinerary.

What eight days actually gives you

Eight days is seven nights. Once you take away the arrival afternoon and the departure morning, you have six full days on the ground. Each move between regions costs roughly half a day, door to door, even by air: hotel to airport, check-in, a flight of around an hour, then the transfer at the other end.

That arithmetic decides the plan. Four regions in eight days means three moves and one region with only a single night. Two regions means one move and long, unhurried stays. Neither is wrong; they suit different travellers.

• Four stops suits first-time visitors who want to see the famous places once and do not mind early starts.
• Two stops suits families with children, older travellers and anyone who wants evenings free in Istanbul and a second chance at a Cappadocia balloon morning.
• Coast routes suit people who have already seen Cappadocia, or who are travelling in summer and want the sea.

Which months suit eight days

Spring (April and May) and autumn (September and October) are the easiest months for the four-stop route, because the interior is neither cold nor hot. Long-term averages from the Turkish State Meteorological Service put the April high at around 17°C in Istanbul and 16°C in Nevşehir, and the October high at around 21°C in Istanbul and 18°C in Nevşehir. In July and August, Pamukkale's nearest city, Denizli, averages highs close to 35°C, so start the travertines early in the morning. In winter, Cappadocia nights drop below freezing on average in January, and balloon cancellations are more frequent. For month-by-month detail, see our guide to the best time to visit Turkey.

Itinerary 1: the four classic stops

This is the route most people mean when they search for eight days in Turkey. It runs Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus, then back to Istanbul for the flight home.

Day 6 is the hard one. Cappadocia to Pamukkale is about 630 km by road via Konya, eight hours or more of driving, so some packages use an overnight bus instead and others reverse the route.

 Day 7 is easy by comparison: Pamukkale to Selçuk is about 190 km, around two hours on routing estimates.

Our Turkey Highlights 8-day tour from $1,670 per person and our private 8-day Turkey tour package from $2,250 per person cover these four regions, the second with your own guide and vehicle throughout.

Itinerary 2: Istanbul and Cappadocia at an easier pace

Four nights in Istanbul and three in Cappadocia, with one flight each way. This is the eight-day plan we recommend for families and for anyone who has visited Turkey before only on a cruise stop.

1. Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul.
2. Day 2: Old city with a licensed guide.
3. Day 3: Bosphorus by boat, then the Asian side: Kadıköy market and the Moda seafront.
4. Day 4: A free day, or a day with Topkapı Palace and the archaeology museums. The extra day is what makes this route relaxed.
5. Day 5: Fly to Cappadocia, afternoon at the Göreme Open-Air Museum.
6. Day 6: Balloon morning if the weather allows, then the northern valleys: Paşabağ, Zelve and Avanos.
7. Day 7: The southern side: Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı underground city, Ihlara Valley and Selime.
8. Day 8: Fly back to Istanbul for your connection.

Three Cappadocia nights give you two sunrise chances for a balloon. Balloon flights go ahead only when the civil aviation authority's weather check allows, and cancellations are more frequent in winter, so the second morning matters more than it sounds. Our 8-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package starts from $1,048 per person with the domestic flights. For a version with a cave hotel and a more premium standard, there is also our Istanbul and Cappadocia 8-day package with cave hotel from $2,400 per person.

Itinerary 3: Istanbul and the Aegean or Mediterranean coast

If Cappadocia is not on your list, or you are travelling between June and September and want time by the water, swap the interior for the coast.

Istanbul and Ephesus. Three or four nights in Istanbul, then a flight to Izmir and four nights on the Aegean. That leaves time for Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the hill village of Şirince, and a day at Pamukkale. Our Istanbul and Ephesus 8-day package starts from $1,880 per person with the flight to Izmir.

Istanbul and Antalya. Istanbul, then a flight south to Antalya for the old town of Kaleiçi, the Düden waterfalls and the ancient theatres of Aspendos and Perge. Our Istanbul and Antalya 8-day package starts from $1,980 per person with the domestic flight and a Suluada boat day.

Itinerary 4: with a night on the sleeper train

For travellers who would rather not do three domestic flights, one version replaces a flight with a night train. You lose nothing in sightseeing time, because you sleep while you travel, and the train itself becomes part of the trip.

Our Discovery of Turkey 8-day tour from $2,035 per person combines domestic flights with a sleeper train and covers Istanbul, Konya, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus. Konya is a stop worth making in its own right for the Mevlana Museum, the tomb of Rumi and centre of the whirling dervish tradition.

Sleeper compartments are small. Pack an overnight bag so your main luggage can stay closed, and bring a layer for the air conditioning.

The four routes compared

All prices are our starting prices per person and depend on season, hotel level and group size. International flights are not included.

Moving between regions: what the distances really are

Road distances in Turkey are long, and a map can make two places look closer than they are. These are approximate figures from OpenStreetMap-based routing, without stops; real days with fuel, lunch and traffic run longer.

• Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet: about 47 km, roughly an hour, longer at rush hour.
• Nevşehir airport to Göreme: about 40 km, around 40 minutes. Kayseri airport to Göreme: about 78 km, a little over an hour.
• Pamukkale to Selçuk (Ephesus): about 190 km, around two hours.
• Pamukkale to Antalya: about 236 km, around three and a quarter hours.
• Antalya to Göreme: about 500 km, six and a half hours or more.
• Cappadocia to Pamukkale via Konya: about 630 km, eight hours or more.

The lesson for eight days: fly to and from Cappadocia, and use roads only on the Aegean side, where the stops are close together. If you would rather drive yourself on the Aegean section, our guide to car rental at Istanbul Airport covers documents, tolls and the first drive out of the city.

What to book ahead and what costs extra

A few things fill up or need planning, whichever eight-day route you take:

• Domestic flights around holidays. Packages include them, but if you build the trip yourself, book these first.
• A balloon flight. A standard sunrise Cappadocia balloon flight is from $199 per person. Book it for your first Cappadocia morning so there is a fallback.
• Museum and site tickets. Some packages include entrance fees and some do not; check the inclusions before comparing prices. Our page on the Hagia Sophia ticket price explains the current entry rules there.
• Weekly closing days. Several Istanbul palaces close on one weekday. Your guide will order the days around them, but it is worth knowing if you plan your own free day.

For a full breakdown of what a Turkey trip costs beyond the package, see our Turkey trip cost guide.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour: 8 Days, 3 Flights — from $1,464 per person.
• Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour Package: 8 Days — from $1,048 per person.
• Turkey Highlights 8-Day Tour — from $1,670 per person.
• Discovery of Turkey Tour: 8 Days with Sleeper Train — from $2,035 per person.

See every multi-region option on our multi-day trips page.

Frequently Asked Questions