As a teenager, I spent many years eating at Turkish restaurants in south Brooklyn, so Turkish food already intrigued me. As more friends shared their rave reviews of the visiting the country, my desire to visit deepened. When two of my high school friends decided they were tying the knot in Greece to celebrate a piece of the groom’s heritage, I knew that my Turkey trip was forthcoming. The whole trip was about 16 days, starting with 4 days in Istanbul and 3 days in Cappadocia.
But first, some fun facts/observations/tips of Turkey:
- Much like Paris, Istanbul is huge and our days were divided by what we did in those neighborhoods.
- There are adorable stray cats everywhere.. and a good amount of stray Anatolian dogs too. All were quite friendly and the dogs looked healthy (unlike some of the stray dogs in Georgia that looked thin and hungry, even if they too were mostly friendly).
- When visiting mosques, women must cover their shoulders, hair, and legs and men must cover their knees. If you don’t have the necessary items, most mosques let you buy various coverups.
- Food quirks: Turkish food was surprisingly not very vegetarian friendly. Yes, of course there are salads, dishes with eggplant and bread, but options beyond that were slimmer than we expected. On the non-vegetarian front, I asked that my fish be lightly fried (in a restaurant on the Turquoise Coast), but they deep fried the fish. I was told this was common in Turkey – anyone know or was it this particular waiter duping me? I also ordered ceviche in many places and while it doesn’t have as many ingredients as I normally see in the states, much to my delight – it was delicious everywhere I tried it. Lastly, when it comes to the fish wrap stands in Istanbul, I’d say be picky which ones you choose: the spices chosen and the quality of the fish varied greatly.
- The Miami of Turkey is their Turquoise Coast (legitimately named if you ask me), but many Turks also often go to the Greek islands where the beer/alcohol is cheaper, there are larger portions, and often times even the flights are cheaper. The Greek islands are also visa free, making it an easy destination for Turks to visit.
- Car culture is not to honk, but rather flash those ahead of you. And we really didn’t see anyone passing on the right. There are also police-car cardboards (actually car-sized) all over highways in Turkey with police-like flashing lights on top. They are incredibly clever because these stencils either look so convincing that you slow down or there actually could be a real police car hidden behind it. Speaking of cars – they are ridiculously expensive to buy in Turkey. For example, after taxes, a Tesla comes to 3x the cost of what it is in the U.S.A.
- I also don’t know if we got lucky, or times have changed, but taxis were no where near as bad as blogs made them out to be. None ripped us off.
- In Turkish airports, at least in 2024, announcements are rarely translated in English. One people, one language. Airport security is highly intense. Every airport and ferry requires you to go through security before you even check in (and then again after check-in at the airport). People rush to get into lines/off planes/etc. when completely unnecessary – it was actually bizarre. Even when the plane or agent wasn’t yet there and there was a delay, people lined up. You may have a zone on your boarding pass or even priority boarding, but this is completely ignored.
- The men are genuinely gentlemanly. The days after my food poisoning, I stopped on every other street hunched over to take a break and men would run to get me a chair to sit on – it was so nice!! On the other hand, while we encountered several kind precious souls, I honestly felt surprised that many women were quite pushy (physically), mostly in transportation and in crowded areas, though I was not surprised by the occasional judgmental looks.
- Natural gases/oils are mostly imported from Russia and Azerbaijan.
- Specific to hiking in Cappadocia: trails are not at all well marked in Cappadocia – download AllTrails before you get there.
Quick 4 Days in Istanbul and 3 Days in Cappadocia Itinerary
- Day 0: Arrive to Istanbul in the evening, get dinner, walk around Taskim, sleep!
- Day 1: Ferry to Kadiköy – Camlica Hill – Üsküdar – Bosphoprous Cruise – back to Taksim Square
- Day 2: Dolmabahce Palace – Museum of Turkish Jews – Hamam
- Day 3: Guided tour (incl. Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Sulthament Square, Grand Bazaar) – Spice Market – Galata Bridge – Kamondo Stairs
- Day 4: Balat – Chora Church – options I would have considered if I didn’t get sick: Constantinople Walls, Archeological Museum, shopping, back to Grand Bazaar or Topkapi Palace
- Day 5: Fly to Cappadocia – Imagination Valley
- Day 6: Hot Air Balloons from the Hotel – Love Valley – Göreme Open Air Museum – Rose Valley
- Day 7: More Hot Air Balloon watching at Sunrise Point in Göreme – Avcılar Valley, Pigeon Valley, Derinkuyu Underground City, and Uchisar.
Detailed Itinerary
4 Days in Istanbul
We stayed in Karaköy which is incredibly convenient to.. everywhere, so I highly recommend the area.
Day 1 Red Markers on Map above: Asian side of Turkey
We took a public ferry to the neighborhood of Kadiköy, which turned out to be our favorite neighborhood in all of Istanbul. It was cheap, full of restaurants, bars, markets and shops, and felt more local than other neighborhoods. After a wonderful traditional Turkish breakfast at Bitro, we walked around Moda for a few hours and then took a taxi to Camlica Hill to see panoramic views of Istanbul. While we didn’t have time to do it, I would have gone to the Camlica Mosque which I heard was beautiful.
From there we took a public bus (boy was that an experience- you tell the driver where you’re going and they give you a price to the neighborhood of Üsküdar. Thankfully a lady who understood our gestures translated to the driver. There, we went to the Beylerbeyi Palace and its gardens, walked the boardwalk and went to a beautiful architectural gem within the Nev mekan kutuphanesi library/cafe. We had lunch at Hatice Anne Ev Yemekleri, where pre-made homemade meals are cooked daily and you simply point to the food you want. This turned out to be one of the most authentic and delicious meals of the trip.
After coming back to our hotel and taking a quick break, we decided to do the Bosphoprous Cruise, which not only had Evan’s grandparents recommended, but all blog sites did as well. Sadly, we definitely chose the wrong one, even though it was highly recommended on Viator. Ours lacked.. people and a .. tour itself 🙂 It was more of a dance show for [older] people getting dinner. So all in all, do your research on this one, because the other boats certainly looked like they were having a more lively time 😉
After we departed the cruise, we got a much needed drink at an awesome cocktail bar called Flekk, went to Taksim Square, saw the Galata Tower from outside, and fulfilled our craving by walking through the superb nightlife, which exceeded our expectations.
Day 2 Blue Markers on Map: Dolmabahce Palace + Museum of Turkish Jews + Hamam
Following breakfast, we took a tram to Dolmabahce Palace, a palace far more popular on blogs than Beylerbeyi Palace. While the grounds were more stunning and picturesque, the furniture, chandeliers, and design of Beylerbeyi Palace was more impressive to us. Then we left the afternoon open to visit one of the following museums: Military Museum, Pera Museum, or the Museum of Turkish Jews. We decided on the Museum of Turkish Jews, where the security to get in was higher than that of an airport. The museum had three small floors, an emphasis on Sephardic culture, and a synagogue.
On the way back, I had read great reviews of a fish wrap seller where I stopped for a snack, and compared to the wrap I had ordered with a massive line in Taksim Square, this one (called Fish Sandwich) was full of far more flavor and did not disappoint.
Lastly, while Evan took a a walk around Taksim Square, I went to Alaturka Hamam Taksim, which was the most high end spa experience I’ve had, and I’ve paid quadruple the price in NY for the “best” spas. I selected the Sultan Hamam & Massage 90 min package for roughly $85 in 2024.
Order of operations: you change, and a lady is assigned to you. She then applies a clay mask and you go into the hottest steam room ever. Most Turkish women tolerate it for 15 minutes. I could only do 5 and that was more than other American women I heard coming out after literally seconds. Then you shower, hit the sauna for 15 minutes, and go into a private room where your assigned assistant performs a body scrub of your dead skin using a mitt, followed by an incredibly luxurious feeling foam/bubble bath on warm stone. Lastly, comes the massage. I requested a hard massage and this tiny woman cracked more bones than any other masseuse I’ve had.
For the first time in my life, a 30 minute massage was more than enough with er powerful hands. I was supposed to end the experience by going to the pool but sadly they closed it at the end of the day, which was a bit disappointing, but didn’t take away from the rest of this incredible experience.
Day 3 Green Markers on Map: Guided tour of Sultanahmet Sites; then Spice Market, Galata Bridge, Kamondo Stairs
We started this day with an Airbnb tour experience that covered the above places and lunch, starting with the Hagia Sofia. I’m not sure why I had envisioned that the Hagia Sofia would be more opulent, but it was quite simple in its interior. That being said, its sheer size could fit the Statue of Liberty inside of it and I enjoyed learning that it changed from Christianity to a mosque in only two days when it was conquered. It is also one of the only places where you have several different religious figures displayed in one religious place. Next was the Blue Mosque, which was quite beautiful, but our guide felt that it’s the most overrated place to visit and that there are far more beautiful and overlooked mosques by tourists. As a first timer, I still marveled at the site, but perhaps his recommendations to go to other mosques were correct. Next time!
We then went to the Basilica Cistern, rumored to be one of over 500 cisterns in the city, and it was our favorite historical site. The depth of these passageway tunnels to discreetly provide water to the city, the complexity of the architecture, and the restoration/lighting added to it made us gape with our mouths open. And speaking of mouths open, our tour guide took us on a stop to Dürümcü Raif Usta, a locals spot for kebabs.
Afterwards we walked through the maze of the Grand Bazaar and got lost within seconds, but that’s all part of the fun. The guide then took us to a local shisha spot, and we indulged (for the first time in nearly two decades).
After parting with our group, Evan and I made a quick stop at the Spice Market and went to pick up some spices and teas at the spot our guide recommended. The only spot we didn’t cover on this day was the Topkapi Palace. We were palaced out, and this one is quite expensive ($50+ each), but again- had to leave something for next time! We took the tram back to Old Town, walked the Galata Bridge for sunset (more of a cultural experience than an Instagram spot if you ask me) and walked past the Kamonodo stairs, where there were at least five newlywed couples taking photos.
At this point, Istanbul hadn’t offered the greatest variety of foods for Evan. I did my best to find a spot with vegetarian options, and while the restaurant had good ratings, something I ate there undoubtedly proceeded to give me .. the worst food poisoning of my life, followed by several days of recovery- so the last day of Istanbul was a bit of a wash for me.
Day 4 Purple Markers on Map: Balat + Chora Church
This last day was intended for the colorful neighborhood of Balat. While I did somehow manage to walk through a few beautiful streets, I only had the energy to make a stop at the Chora Church (mosaics mosque) before needing to go back to the hotel to rest. For anyone else planning this, other options afterwards would have been to see the Constantinople Walls, the Archeological Museum, a trip back to the Grand Bazaar or one of the many famous shopping malls or Topkapi Palace. Me? I slept the rest of the night. And the following day.
3 Days in Cappadocia
My opinions of Cappadocia are undoubtedly swayed as I was recovering from food poisoning, and everywhere I had read that a minimum of three days was needed. Seeing as how Evan and I had been working out and prepared to hike a lot, losing a day was initially super disappointing. However, at the tail end of June/early July- the middle of the day is so brutally hot that two days wound up feeling like enough, and the valleys did start to all blend together. Had we done the valleys in different ways (we saw some people e-bike through them with guides who took them to hidden gems), perhaps we would have felt differently, but what we covered felt like more than enough. My only recommendation in the summer if you plan on resting at the hotel is to get a hotel with a pool.
Day 5 Gray Markers on Map: Fly to Cappadocia + Imagination Valley
Left Istanbul to get on a 6am flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, I slept, all day. Evan went to Imagination Valley and Keşlik Manastırı, where Evan got a private tour of the monasteries by the land’s owner. The monastery wasn’t a tourist trap which Evan enjoyed. On the other hand, the base of Imagination Valley was quite busy, but the further he hiked, the more desolate it became.
Day 6 Pink Markers on Map: Hot Air Balloons + Love Valley + Göreme Open Air Museum + Rose Valley
Woke up at 5am to watch the hot air balloons from our rooftop. It was colder than we expected – (upper 40s/low 50’s Fahrenheit) but still warm enough to take off the cardigan and snap a few photos. Then we went back to sleep, and after eating breakfast, we went to Love Valley and hiked through it, meeting a British e-bike group along the way. Love Valley has its name after .. well .. look.
Then we went to the Göreme Open Air Museum (we chose to go this route, even though we heard Zelve was less touristy but wanted to go to a Unesco World Heritage site). Had we not gone to Vardzia in Georgia last year, this place would have blown our minds. If you haven’t seen a city cut into volcanic rock, it’s absolutely worth it and worth getting a guide. The frescoes were also quite well maintained. Unfortunately, the plaques here were not very informative. Albeit the heat, it was a great time to walk through.
We then drove to Rose Valley for sunset. We didn’t hike all the way to Red Valley (which blends with Rose Valley and is known for its sunset spot – we simply started too late) but still understood how the Rose Valley got its name with the hues during sunset. To round out the day, Evan managed to get us a reservation at Topdeck Cave Restaurant where I felt like I had my most authentic (and first meal) in days.
Day 7: Orange Markers on Map: Sunrise Point for more hot air balloon watching, Avcılar Valley, Pigeon Valley, Derinkuyu Underground City, and Uchisar.
Yes, we did get up again, even earlier at 4am this time to watch sunrise with the hot air balloons again at Sunrise Point. Though it was just as beautiful seeing the balloons rise from the ground, I felt closer to the balloons watching them from our hotel rooftop the day before.
After sunrise, we grabbed breakfast at our hotel again and attempted to go to Pigeon Valley. However, because trails are barely marked (honestly the worst we’ve seen), we managed to go to Avcılar Valley by mistake, which turned out to be our favorite valley. We were alone amongst the mango, clementine, pomegranate, persimmon, apricot, pear, plum and fig trees (there were probably others as well- this was my heaven). When we did eventually double back and go to Pigeon Valley we didn’t do the whole hike as originally intended, but we got some drone footage to make sure we knew what we were missing.
From there we drove to the Derinkuyu Underground City, the smaller of the two underground cities but supposedly the less crowded. There is speculation that this underground complex was built 2000 years ago, discovered by an anonymous Turk in 1963 when he took a sledgehammer to his basement wall and found more than he bargained for. Had we not done the St Paul’s Catacombs in Malta, I think this is another site that we would have been absolutely astounded by. I highly recommend this place (as long as you aren’t claustrophobic). But imagining people dig up and live in these intricate tunnels, without light and only fire to guide their way shines a light on how easy life has become, and how brave these people were.
After the Underground City, we drove to Uchisar. Though I believe there are plenty of valleys/hikes to be covered here too, we only had time to fly the drone/eat dinner at Zen Cappadocia, with the most fantastic views. After that we drove back to the airport to fly to Izmir to continue the rest of our trip along the Turquoise Coast and make a stop in Rhodes, Greece for the wedding.
What would we have done with the extra day in Cappadocia? We probably would have spent more time in one of the other villages and another valley. All in all, 4 Days in Istanbul and 3 Days in Cappadocia seem fine to me (if you’re not hoping to get into the hot air balloon – that depends solely on weather conditions). Any tales you have in Kapadokya? Remember though, no trip is complete to Turkey without a trip to the Turquoise Coast!
This entry was posted in Asia, Europe, Turkey, Turkey
