Turkey Itinerary from France: 10-Day and 7-Day Routes for 2027

From France, a 10-day Turkey itinerary covers Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus at a comfortable pace, and a 7-day version covers the same four regions with fewer spare hours. French citizens need no visa for up to 90 days, and a carte nationale d'identité is accepted if it is valid for at least 150 days after you enter Turkey. The trick that saves the most time is an open-jaw ticket: fly into Istanbul and home from Izmir, so you never travel back across the country. On the ground, our 10-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with flights starts from $1,410 per person.

This page sets out both routes day by day, the flights from French airports that make them work, the documents you need and the 2027 school holiday dates to plan around.

Two routes from France at a glance

The 10-day route is the one we recommend for a first trip from France. The extra three days go to a third Istanbul night, a third balloon morning and a slower Ephesus day, which are exactly the things the 7-day version has to squeeze.

The 10-day route, day by day

1. Day 1: France to Istanbul. A nonstop flight from Paris takes about three and a half hours. Turkey is on UTC+3 all year, two hours ahead of France in winter and one hour in summer. Evening walk around Sultanahmet.
2. Day 2: The old city. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapı Palace, which closes on Tuesdays.
3. Day 3: The Bosphorus. Dolmabahçe Palace (closed on Mondays), a Bosphorus cruise, then Galata in the evening.
4. Day 4: Fly to Cappadocia. A domestic flight of about an hour and a half to Kayseri or Nevşehir, then a cave hotel in Göreme, Uçhisar or Ürgüp.
5. Day 5: Balloon and the north. Balloon at sunrise if it flies, then the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Paşabağ and Avanos.
6. Day 6: Spare balloon and the south. A second sunrise if needed, then an underground city and the Ihlara Valley.
7. Day 7: To Pamukkale. A third balloon chance, then the long transfer to Pamukkale: about 614 km by road (OSRM estimate) or flights via Istanbul to Denizli.
8. Day 8: Pamukkale to Selçuk. Early morning on the travertines and at Hierapolis, then about two hours by road to Selçuk.
9. Day 9: Ephesus. At the gate at opening time, then the Terrace Houses and Şirince in the afternoon.
10. Day 10: Fly home from Izmir. Izmir airport is about an hour from Selçuk.

The 7-day route, and a lighter alternative

The 7-day version keeps all four regions:

1. Day 1: Istanbul. Arrive, evening in Sultanahmet.
2. Day 2: Istanbul. The old city highlights with a guide.
3. Day 3: Cappadocia. Morning flight, afternoon in the valleys.
4. Day 4: Cappadocia. Balloon at sunrise, then a full sightseeing day.
5. Day 5: Pamukkale. A second balloon chance, then the transfer to Pamukkale.
6. Day 6: Selçuk. Pamukkale early, Ephesus in the afternoon.
7. Day 7: Home. Fly from Izmir.

Our 7-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with flights follows this shape from $1,286 per person.

The lighter 7 days. If seven days feels tight, drop Pamukkale. Route listings show direct flights from Kayseri to Izmir with Pegasus and SunExpress, so you can go Istanbul (3 nights), Cappadocia (2 nights), then fly straight to Izmir for two nights in Selçuk. You lose the travertines but gain a calmer week. To keep Pamukkale as a day trip, see our Pamukkale tour from Istanbul page.

Flights from France: in via Istanbul, out via Izmir

Into Istanbul. Turkish Airlines and Air France fly from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Istanbul Airport, and Pegasus and AJet serve Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side. Lyon and Nice also have nonstop flights to Istanbul. Our Istanbul trip from France page lists the routes from each French city.

Home from Izmir. Route listings for Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport show these flights to France and the Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport:

• Paris-Charles de Gaulle: Corendon Airlines and SunExpress, seasonal.
• Paris-Orly: Transavia, seasonal.
• Lyon: Transavia, seasonal.
• Basel-Mulhouse: Pegasus and SunExpress, year-round.

Seasonal routes mostly run in the summer timetable, so a winter trip may need a connection in Istanbul on the way home. Check the airline's own site for your date before you book the tour, so the last day ends where your flight leaves.

Or start in Cappadocia. Kayseri has nonstop flights from Lyon and, in season, from Basel-Mulhouse. That allows the reverse open jaw: fly into Kayseri, travel west through Pamukkale and Ephesus, and fly home from Istanbul or Izmir. Our page on Cappadocia trips from France covers this option and the Kayseri airport transfer into Göreme.

Carte d'identité, passport and children

According to France Diplomatie's entry page for Turkey, updated on 15 September 2026:

• No visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• CNI or passport, valid for at least 150 days beyond your date of entry and in good condition.
• Older ID cards issued to adults between 2004 and 2013 are accepted by the Turkish authorities, but the ministry strongly recommends a valid passport instead.
• Minors travelling without a parent need their own passport or CNI meeting the 150-day rule and a signed parental travel authorisation covering the outward and return journey; school trips also need a letter from the head teacher.

If anyone in your group holds another nationality, check their own rules, because some need an e-visa. Our Turkey visa requirements guide covers other passports.

Fitting the trip into French school holidays in 2027

Many families from France travel during the school holidays, when flights to Turkey fill up early. These are the 2027 dates for mainland France, as published by Service-Public:

• Winter 2027: Zone A from 13 February to 1 March, Zone B from 20 February to 8 March, Zone C from 6 February to 22 February.
• Spring 2027: Zone A from 10 to 26 April, Zone B from 17 April to 3 May, Zone C from 3 to 19 April.
• Summer 2027: from Saturday 3 July for all zones.

The spring holidays are a good time for this route: mild days in Istanbul and on the Aegean, and green valleys in Cappadocia. In winter, Cappadocia is cold and often snowy, and the balloons are cancelled more often, so the 10-day route with three balloon mornings makes more sense than the 7-day one. Entrance fees at Turkish state sites also rise from 1 April 2027, which affects spring trips (see the budget below). For Easter dates and Turkish holidays, our Easter 2027 Turkey holiday page helps.

Budget: what the routes cost on the ground

Our prices are in US dollars, so the euro amount depends on the exchange rate on the day you pay. Flights from France are not included, because fares vary too much by airport and season.

Check each tour page for whether entrance fees are included. State sites price foreign-visitor tickets in euros and charge them in lira at the day's rate. Our museum prices 2027 update has the full list, and Turkey trip cost breaks down hotels and meals.

Guides in French

Group departures are led in English. On a private tour, a licensed French-speaking guide can be arranged on request, subject to availability, and we confirm the guide and the price before you book. Ask several weeks ahead for spring and autumn. In Istanbul, see our pages on the French-speaking guide in Istanbul and the guided tour of Istanbul in French.

Tours that cover this

• 10-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with flights: from $1,410 per person.
• 7-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with flights: from $1,286 per person.
• 10-day Turkey tour starting from Izmir: from $1,387 per person. Useful if your flight from France lands in Izmir.
• 8-day tour with three flights: from $1,464 per person.

For more routes and lengths, see our Turkey tour packages from France.

Frequently Asked Questions