Turkey from Karachi: Clifton Visa Office, the 06:10 Flight, Packages

From Karachi, a trip to Turkey usually means three things. First, a sticker visa lodged at Anatolia Travel Services in The Forum on Clifton. Second, Turkish Airlines' morning nonstop from Jinnah International, which left at 06:10 and landed in Istanbul at 10:35 local time on the schedule we checked. Third, a first route of five to ten days in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Our Istanbul and Cappadocia 5-day package with flights and a cave hotel starts from $1,150 per person, and the slower 10-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package from $2,499 per person.

Below is the order in which Karachi travellers should do things, the Clifton visa office, what the early flight means for your first day, which package length suits whom, and the food, money and luggage questions we are asked most. If you are flying from Punjab, our Turkey tour packages from Lahore page covers the Jail Road office, Bursa and Trabzon. Honeymoon couples should see the Turkey honeymoon guide for Pakistan.

The Karachi checklist, in the order that works

Most problems we see come from doing these steps in the wrong order, usually buying a non-refundable flight before the visa is issued.

Ask Anatolia for the current processing time when you lodge the file, and give yourself spare weeks around Eid and the summer holidays, when many Karachi families apply at once.

Lodging the visa at The Forum, Clifton

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye says ordinary Pakistani passport holders need a visa to enter Turkey, and Turkey does not issue them on arrival. Holders of a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit can use the one-month, single-entry e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr. Everyone else applies through Anatolia Travel Services, which the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad names as the sole authorised service provider for Turkish visa applications in Pakistan.

Anatolia's Karachi visa application centre is at The Forum Center, 1st Floor, Office No. 125, 126 and 127, Clifton. Anatolia lists submission from 09:00 to 15:00 and passport collection until 17:00, Monday to Friday. Families from interior Sindh can use Anatolia's Hyderabad office on Auto Bhan Road in Latifabad instead.

A few points specific to the Karachi file:

• You apply at Anatolia, not at the consulate. Karachi has a Turkish Consulate General, but visa applications go through Anatolia. The decision itself belongs to the Turkish mission.
• One application per person. Children need their own visa. A UK visa held by one parent does not cover the rest of the family.
• Fees in rupees. The embassy published its 2026 visa fee schedule in Pakistani rupees in February 2026, and Anatolia charges a service fee on top. Pay only against the computer-generated receipt from an authorised office.
• Agents. Anatolia says it is not responsible for files handed to unauthorised agents, and the embassy warns against anyone selling Turkish visas.

For the rules for other nationalities in your group, see our Turkey visa requirements update.

The 06:10 from Jinnah International and your first day

On the FlightStats schedule for 6 November 2026, Turkish Airlines TK709 left Karachi (KHI) at 06:10 and reached Istanbul Airport (IST) at 10:35. Turkey is two hours behind Pakistan, so that is about six and a half hours in the air. PIA sells the same flight under its own number as a codeshare. Times change by season, so check your date.

That timetable shapes day one:

• You reach the hotel before check-in. Most hotels release rooms in the afternoon. We plan an easy lunch near the hotel, and the guide does not start until day two.
• Istanbul Airport is far from the old city. Allow at least an hour by road. A VIP Mercedes Vito transfer costs from $60 per group, and our airport transfer guide compares the options.
• Leaving home at 03:00 is tiring. Children and parents sleep on the plane. Nobody needs Topkapı Palace that afternoon.

Choosing the length: what Karachi travellers book

Most first trips from Karachi are Istanbul plus Cappadocia. The question is how many nights, and how much you want included.

How we usually advise:

• Older parents or a first trip abroad: the 10-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package. Five nights in one Istanbul hotel and four in one cave hotel means only two hotel changes and two short flights.
• Working adults with one week: the 5-day package plus two extra Istanbul nights on your own.
• Groups of friends: the 8-day private package, which adds Ephesus and Pamukkale and moves fast.

Our Turkey trip cost page shows a full budget, and every option for Pakistani travellers is on Turkey tour packages from Pakistan.

Istanbul days from a Karachi point of view

Karachi is a sea city, and Istanbul is too, so the Bosphorus tends to win people over first. A few things that help:

• Old City day. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace are within walking distance of each other. Topkapı closes on Tuesdays, so the guided day should fall on another day. Foreign visitors to Hagia Sophia enter the upper galleries with a €25 ticket; our Hagia Sophia ticket update explains how prayer times affect visits.
• The water. A public ferry from Eminönü to Üsküdar costs very little and takes minutes. A guided Bosphorus cruise or a private yacht shows you the palaces and wooden mansions along the shore.
• Shopping. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. Prices there start high, so bargaining is expected.
• Eyüp and Çamlıca. The Eyüp Sultan Mosque, with the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and the hilltop Çamlıca Mosque on the Asian side are the two places Pakistani guests ask about most after the Blue Mosque.

For more ideas, see things to do in Istanbul.

Cappadocia: what to expect, and what to book separately

Cappadocia is a domestic flight from Istanbul and sits on the Anatolian plateau, so its mornings are much colder than anything Karachi gets, even in late spring and early autumn. Pack a warm layer for the dawn.

• Balloons are an extra and never certain. Flights depend on wind and need approval from the aviation authorities on the morning itself. Our standard sunrise balloon flight starts from $199 per person, and a comfortable basket from $275 per person. If someone in the family does not want to fly, a balloon-watching viewpoint tour costs from $35 per person.
• Two sunrises are better than one. Plan at least two nights so there is a second chance if the first morning is cancelled.
• Cave hotels have stairs. Rooms cut into rock are often on several levels. Tell us if anyone has trouble with steps; the Cappadocia cave hotels guide explains what to ask for.

The coast: Antalya for families who want a beach

Karachi families often ask for a few days by the sea, and Turkey's Mediterranean coast is a short flight from Istanbul. Our Istanbul and Antalya package, 8 days with the flight and a Suluada boat trip, starts from $1,980 per person. If you are already in Antalya, the Antalya old city, Düden waterfalls and boat trip is a full day from $90 per person.

Summer and early autumn are the swimming months. Hotels on the Antalya coast range from family resorts to small hotels in the walled old town of Kaleiçi. More on the region is in our Antalya destination guide.

Food, money and luggage

Halal food. Meat in ordinary Turkish restaurants is halal as standard, and pork is rarely seen. Turkish cooking is milder than Karachi food. Ask for acı and you get chilli flakes or green peppers. Rice pilav sits next to most kebabs, and fish sandwiches by the water at Eminönü are a favourite with guests from Karachi. Many tourist-area restaurants and the Bosphorus dinner cruises serve alcohol, so if you prefer to avoid that, tell us when you book. Our Muslim-friendly Turkey tours page covers prayer times and Ramadan.

Money. Turkey uses the Turkish lira, and our prices are in US dollars. Cards work in most hotels, restaurants and shops in the cities. Keep some cash for small cafés and tips. Under Turkish rules summarised by the UK government's travel advice, you cannot take Turkish lira worth more than $5,000 out of the country, and other currency above that amount must be declared when leaving.

Luggage on domestic flights. Shopping is a big part of most Karachi trips, so check the allowance. On our group packages with domestic flights, such as the 10-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour, the internal legs include 15 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of cabin baggage per person. That is usually less than your international ticket. Do the big shopping on your last Istanbul days.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 5 days with flights and cave hotel: from $1,150 per person.
• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 10 days with flights and cave hotel: from $2,499 per person.
• Istanbul and Antalya tour package, 8 days with flight and Suluada: from $1,980 per person.
• Islamic Istanbul tour package, 4 days: from $768 per person.
• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer by Mercedes Vito: from $60 per group.

Frequently Asked Questions