How many days in Turkey? 10 days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Antalya
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Turkey is huge, about three times the size of the UK, so a first trip follows a well-worn loop: Istanbul, a short flight to Cappadocia, then west to the Aegean for Ephesus and Pamukkale, ending on the Mediterranean at Antalya. Ten days fits it with one or two internal flights and comfortable intercity buses. Note that major museums and ancient sites now charge foreigners in euros, paid in lira at the rate of the day.
Short answer
Seven days covers Istanbul and Cappadocia, with Ephesus as a final stop. Ten days adds Pamukkale and the Mediterranean coast at Antalya.
The 10-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Istanbul: Sultanahmet
Morning. Visit Hagia Sophia at opening; foreigners pay about €25 for the upper gallery visit. Walk across the square to the Blue Mosque (free; closed to visitors during prayers).
Afternoon. Go down into the Basilica Cistern, a 6th-century underground reservoir with 336 columns and two Medusa heads (roughly ₺1,500-2,000 for foreigners).
Evening. Eat köfte on Divanyolu, then walk to the Hippodrome and the Egyptian obelisk.
Cover shoulders and knees for mosques; women need a headscarf, lent at the door.
Day 2: Istanbul: Topkapı and the bazaars
Morning. Spend 3 hours at Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans, with its treasury and Harem (about €50 with the Harem).
Afternoon. Walk through the Grand Bazaar (closed Sundays), with around 4,000 shops, to the Süleymaniye Mosque by Sinan, and down to the Spice Bazaar.
Evening. Cross the Galata Bridge to Karaköy and climb to the Galata Tower (about €30), then eat meze in Beyoğlu.
Use an İstanbulkart for trams, metro and ferries; rides cost around ₺30-40.
Day 3: Istanbul: the Bosphorus and the Asian side
Morning. Take a public Şehir Hatları ferry up the Bosphorus from Eminönü, past the Dolmabahçe Palace and Ottoman wooden mansions (about 1.5 hours each way for the long tour).
Afternoon. Cross to Kadıköy on the Asian side for its food market and cafés, then Moda for the seafront.
Evening. Return by ferry at sunset (20 minutes), then explore Balat, with colourful houses on the Golden Horn.
The short ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy is the cheapest Bosphorus cruise in town.
Day 4: Fly to Cappadocia
Morning. Fly from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir (about 1h15), then take a shuttle to Göreme (1 hour).
Afternoon. Visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum (about €20), with rock-cut churches painted with Byzantine frescoes; the Dark Church costs a little extra.
Evening. Walk to Sunset Point or into the Love Valley to watch the fairy chimneys turn pink, then eat testi kebabı, a stew cooked in a sealed clay pot.
Book a cave hotel; even budget rooms are carved into the rock.
Day 5: Balloons and the underground city
Morning. Take a hot-air balloon flight at dawn (about €150-300 per person, depending on season), drifting over the valleys for an hour.
Afternoon. Visit the Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı underground city (about €15), eight levels cut into the rock to shelter thousands of people, then the Uçhisar rock castle.
Evening. Have dinner in Ürgüp or Göreme and try local Cappadocian wine.
Flights are cancelled in high wind; book the first morning so you can try again the next day.
Day 6: To the Aegean: Selçuk
Morning. Fly from Kayseri to İzmir, usually via Istanbul (about 4-5 hours in total).
Afternoon. Take the train from İzmir airport to Selçuk (about 1h15), the town next to Ephesus.
Evening. Walk to the Basilica of St John on the hill, then eat çöp şiş (small lamb skewers) in Selçuk.
Selçuk is calmer and cheaper than Kuşadası as a base for Ephesus.
Day 7: Ephesus and Şirince
Morning. Enter Ephesus at 8:00 by the upper gate and walk downhill past the Terrace Houses (extra ticket, about €15) to the Library of Celsus and the 25,000-seat theatre. Entry is about €40.
Afternoon. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, then the hill village of Şirince for fruit wines.
Evening. Return to Selçuk for dinner in the square below the Roman aqueduct, where storks nest on the arches in spring. A grill dinner costs ₺600-1,000.
Ephesus is very hot in summer by 11:00; start early.
Day 8: Pamukkale
Morning. Take the train or bus to Denizli (about 3 hours), then a minibus to Pamukkale.
Afternoon. Walk barefoot up the white travertine terraces to Hierapolis, the Roman spa city on top (about €30).
Evening. Swim in Cleopatra's Pool among sunken columns (extra fee), then watch sunset from the terraces.
Shoes are not allowed on the travertines; bring a bag for them.
Day 9: Antalya: Kaleiçi
Morning. Take the bus from Denizli to Antalya (about 4 hours, ₺600-900) over the Taurus Mountains. The road passes the lakes around Burdur.
Afternoon. Enter the old town of Kaleiçi through Hadrian's Gate (AD 130), walk the Ottoman houses and the Yivli Minare.
Evening. Walk down to the old Roman harbour, now full of tour boats, and eat fish on the cliff terraces above it (₺1,200-2,000 per person). The Taurus Mountains glow behind the bay at sunset.
Antalya is hot from June to September; stay in a hotel with a pool.
Day 10: Aspendos and the waterfalls
Morning. Drive 45 minutes to Aspendos, the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world (about €15).
Afternoon. See the Düden Waterfalls, where a river drops into the sea, and swim at Konyaaltı beach.
Evening. Fly home from Antalya Airport (20 minutes from the centre).
Combine Aspendos with Perge, a Roman city on the way.
Only have 7 days?
With 7 days, do three days in Istanbul, two in Cappadocia and two around Ephesus, flying home from İzmir. You lose Pamukkale and Antalya.
Got extra days?
Extra days fit the Lycian coast (Kaş, Ölüdeniz), a gulet cruise, Bodrum, or Troy and Gallipoli.
Where to stay in Turkey
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Istanbul Sultanahmet / Göreme pensions | Cheap guesthouses near the sights. | ₺2,500-4,500 |
| Mid-range | Istanbul Sultanahmet / Karaköy | Walk to the main sights, on the tram line. | ₺5,000-9,000 |
| Mid-range | Cappadocia cave hotels | Rooms carved in the rock with balloon-view terraces. | ₺5,000-10,000 |
| Comfort | Istanbul Bosphorus / Cappadocia boutique | Waterfront palaces and luxury cave suites. | ₺15,000-40,000 |
Getting around
Fly the long legs: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet link Istanbul with Kayseri, Nevşehir, İzmir and Antalya in 1-1.5 hours, often for €40-90 booked early. Intercity buses (Kamil Koç, Metro, Pamukkale) are comfortable, with seat service, and cost ₺600-1,200 for 3-5 hour trips; overnight buses link Cappadocia with the coast. In Istanbul, the T1 tram runs through Sultanahmet to Kabataş, and ferries cross the Bosphorus; pay with an İstanbulkart. From Istanbul Airport, the M11 metro and Havaist buses reach the centre in 60-90 minutes.
What to eat in Turkey
Breakfast (kahvaltı) is a feast of cheeses, olives, tomatoes, eggs with sucuk and simit sesame rings. At lunch, try lokanta canteens, where you point at stews for ₺250-450. Eat İskender kebab, pide and lahmacun (thin spiced flatbread), mantı (tiny dumplings with yoghurt) in Cappadocia, and fish meze on the coast. A balık ekmek (fish sandwich) at Eminönü costs about ₺250-350. Finish with baklava, künefe or Turkish delight, and drink çay in tulip glasses, ayran with kebabs and rakı with meze.
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October: 20-28°C in Istanbul and on the Aegean, with comfortable walking at Ephesus. July and August are hot inland and on the coast (35°C+), and sites are crowded. Winter is cold and sometimes snowy in Cappadocia, when snow-covered fairy chimneys under balloons make the best photos and prices drop. Ramadan changes restaurant hours in conservative areas but rarely affects tourists.
Month-by-month weather for Turkey →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | ₺1,500 | ₺3,500 | ₺9,000 |
| Food & drink | ₺900 | ₺2,000 | ₺4,500 |
| Sights & tickets | ₺1,200 | ₺2,500 | ₺4,500 |
| Local transport | ₺250 | ₺600 | ₺1,500 |
| Total per person, per day | about ₺3,850 | about ₺8,600 | about ₺19,500 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Turkish lira, excluding flights and the balloon; Turkey adds a 2% accommodation tax.
Before you go
Common questions
Is the Museum Pass Türkiye worth it?
The Museum Pass Türkiye covers most state museums and sites for 15 days, including Ephesus, the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Hierapolis and Topkapı, though not always every special section. Prices are in euros and change often, so add up the entries on your route; with three or four big sites, the pass often saves money and lets you skip ticket queues.
Do I need to book the balloon in advance?
Yes, a few weeks ahead in spring and autumn. Choose a licensed company with good reviews, and book your first morning in Cappadocia so you have a spare day if the flight is cancelled for wind. Prices are lowest in winter.
Is Turkey safe for tourists?
Yes, the tourist route from Istanbul to Cappadocia, Ephesus and Antalya is generally safe and very used to visitors. Watch for pickpockets on Istanbul trams and in the bazaars, and avoid friendly strangers who invite you for a drink in Beyoğlu, a common bar-bill scam. Check your government's travel advice for areas near the Syrian border.
Can I use euros in Turkey?
Prices in shops and restaurants are in lira, though many hotels, balloon companies and tours quote in euros and accept them in cash. Ancient sites set prices in euros but take card payment in lira. Pay by card in lira when possible, refuse to be charged in your home currency at card machines, and use bank ATMs rather than exchange kiosks.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan may earn a commission; the price you pay is the same. How we make money.