Turkey Tour and Beach Holiday: Istanbul First, Then the Antalya Coast

The easiest way to combine a Turkey tour with a beach holiday is three nights of guided sightseeing in Istanbul, a flight of about an hour and a half to Antalya, and four or more nights on the Mediterranean coast. Our Istanbul and Antalya tour package does exactly that in 8 days, from $1,980 per person, with the domestic flights, a guided old city day, a Bosphorus dinner cruise and a boat trip to Suluada included.

This page covers how to split the days, which coast to choose, when the sea is warm enough, what to do from a beach hotel when you want a change, and how to fit Cappadocia or Ephesus into the same trip.

How to split the days

Istanbul needs three days for a first visit: one for the old city, one for the Bosphorus and the modern districts, and one for whatever you missed. Fewer than three and you spend the beach week wishing you had seen more. The coast needs at least four nights to feel like a holiday rather than another stop.

Our 8-day package splits it 3 and 4: arrival and a free first day, a guided old city day with lunch, a free day and a Bosphorus dinner cruise, then a morning by car with a driver around Galata, Dolmabahçe, Ortaköy and Balat before the evening flight south. In Antalya you get a guided day in the old town with the Düden waterfalls, a full-day Suluada boat trip and a completely free day.

If you plan Istanbul yourself, our 3-day Istanbul itinerary shows how to use the city days well.

Which coast: Antalya, Bodrum or Fethiye

Turkey has two long holiday coasts: the Aegean in the west and the Mediterranean in the south. Three bases suit a city-and-beach trip best.

Antalya is the simplest choice. It has a large airport with many daily flights from Istanbul, a walled old town, long beaches on both sides of the city and some of Turkey's best Roman sites within a day trip. Hotels in the old town, Kaleiçi, put you among the lanes and the harbour; hotels at Konyaaltı are on the long pebble beach west of the centre; Lara, east of the city, is quieter and sandier. On our package the standard hotel is in Lara, and you can upgrade to Kaleiçi or Konyaaltı. See the Antalya destination guide.

Bodrum on the Aegean has a livelier evening scene, a castle on the harbour, small bays around the peninsula and boat trips. The flight from Istanbul is a little over an hour. Our Bodrum holiday package from Istanbul starts from $1,300 per person for four days with flights. See the Bodrum guide.

Fethiye sits between them and is the base for the Ölüdeniz lagoon, paragliding from Babadağ and gulet cruises along the coast. It works best as part of a moving coastal tour rather than a single beach stay. See Fethiye.

When the beach part works

The coast is noticeably warmer than Istanbul for most of the year, which is why a city-then-beach trip works so well outside midsummer.

Long-term averages from the Turkish State Meteorological Service: Istanbul 1950–2025, Antalya 1930–2025. These are air temperatures across day and night; daytime highs are higher.

• June and September are the sweet spot: long sunny days in Antalya, a warm sea and an Istanbul that is pleasant for walking.
• July and August are the hottest months on the coast and the busiest in the resorts. Plan Istanbul sightseeing for the mornings.
• May and October suit travellers who want to swim but do not need heat. In Antalya, rain is rare from June to September; in October and May it rains on about five days in the month on average.
• November to April is not beach season for most people, although Antalya stays mild enough for sightseeing.

For the rest of the year, see the best time to visit Turkey.

Istanbul first, or the beach first?

Most people do Istanbul first, and there are good reasons for it.

• Rest at the end. Sightseeing days in Istanbul are long and on foot. Finishing at a beach hotel means you fly home rested.
• Jet lag. After a long-haul flight, a free first day in Istanbul is an easy way to adjust before the touring days.
• Luggage. Beach clothes stay packed until the second half.

The beach-first order makes sense if your international flight lands at Antalya, or if you want to recover from the journey by the sea before a busy city finish. Either way, note that on our package the last day is the flight from Antalya back to Istanbul, so book your international flight home from Istanbul for that afternoon or evening, or the next day.

Day trips from an Antalya beach hotel

Even on a beach holiday, most travellers want two or three days away from the sunbed. From Antalya these are the most popular, all with hotel pickup:

• Suluada Island and Adrasan bays by boat, with swim stops and lunch on board: from $50 per person.
• Perge, Aspendos and Side with the Manavgat waterfall: from $90 per person. The Roman theatre at Aspendos is one of the best preserved anywhere.
• Demre, Myra and the Kekova sunken city by boat, with lunch: from $120 per person. Myra is the town of St Nicholas.
• Pamukkale and Hierapolis from Antalya, with lunch and tickets: from $90 per person. It is a long day on the road.
• A private Antalya old town tour of Kaleiçi, Hadrian's Gate and the Düden waterfalls: from $90 per person.

For a full list, browse our Antalya tours.

Adding Cappadocia or Ephesus to a beach trip

If you have ten days or more, a third region fits without rushing.

Cappadocia is the most popular addition. Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia, spend two nights for the valleys and a chance of a balloon morning, then fly on to Antalya. Our Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya tour packs this into 7 days with flights, from $2,375 per person. Some Cappadocia to Antalya itineraries connect through Istanbul, so this leg is easier with a package; our Cappadocia tour from Antalya page compares the flight and overnight bus options.

Ephesus suits an Aegean beach stay. Our Istanbul, Ephesus and Antalya tour runs 5 days from $1,795 per person. Ephesus is also within a day trip of Bodrum: our private Ephesus day from Bodrum port runs 8 to 9 hours, so Istanbul, Ephesus and Bodrum make a natural combination. See Ephesus and Kuşadası.

A moving coastal trip is another option: our 6-day Turkey coast tour through Istanbul, Bodrum, Fethiye and Antalya starts from $1,935 per person. It is more touring than lying on a beach, but you see three different stretches of coast.

For a longer plan, our 10-day Turkey itinerary shows how the regions link up.

Practical points for the coast

• Hotel style. Antalya has both city hotels and large all-inclusive resorts outside the city. If you want to walk to restaurants and the old town, stay in or near Kaleiçi; if you want a long beach, Konyaaltı or Lara.
• Getting around. On our package, transfers and the tour days are arranged. On a free day, a taxi is the simplest way between the old town and the beaches.
• What to pack. Modest clothes for mosque visits in Istanbul, with a scarf for women; swimwear and sun protection for the coast. Our what to wear in Istanbul page has more.
• Booking. June to September is the busy season on the coast. Book a few months ahead for July and August, especially for sea-view rooms.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Antalya tour package, 8 days with flight and Suluada: from $1,980 per person.
• Istanbul, Cappadocia & Antalya tour package, 7 days with flights: from $2,375 per person.
• Bodrum holiday package from Istanbul, 4 days with flights: from $1,300 per person.
• Suluada Island boat tour from Antalya: from $50 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions