A 7 day Turkey Itinerary Full of History, Culture & Views!

A 7 day Turkey itinerary full of incredible culture in Istanbul, history in Selçuk, and views in Cappadocia! The worst part of Turkey is that it has incredible history and loads of things to do, but it is GIANT. So, to attempt to see everything it has to offer in 7 days in impossible.

You have to really narrow down what your priorities are and decide how much you are willing to travel.

With some trips you learn what to do and with some you learn with not to do.

We took a group to Turkey and while we saw some incredible places that I wouldn’t have thought to see, it was a lot of driving.

So, I have modified our itinerary to what I would do if I were to return to Turkey for the first time! How to spend 7 days exploring Istanbul, Selçuk, the Ancient City of Ephesus, the Kaymakli Underground City & Cappadocia!

This Turkey itinerary probably involves a little more history than most.

A lot of week-long itineraries involve 3-4 days in Istanbul then a flight to Cappadocia for the other 3-4 days.

While those two places are GREAT, there is just a lot more to see in addition to these. Here is an overview of how to spend 7 days exploring Istanbul, Selçuk and Cappadocia!

Day 1: Istanbul- Old town
Day 2: Istanbul- New town
Day 3: Selçuk- Explore the town and basilica
Day 4: Guided tour of Ephesus; Overnight train to Konya
Day 5: Kaymakli Underground City & Cappadocia
Day 6: Cappadocia
Day 7: Cappadocia then fly back to Istanbul

One place we DID see that I did not include on this itinerary is Çanakkale and the ancient city of Troy. While I did enjoy seeing Troy because I like history, it really adds more driving time to your trip AND pretty much requires you to take a road trip the whole time.

Day 1: Istanbul

Start your Turkey trip seeing some of the must-see sites of old town Istanbul!

Basilica Cistern is going to be a place with one of the longest lines; I recommend starting here and pre-booking your SKIP THE LINE tickets (the line when we got there was LONG, but you can pass it with the upgraded tickets & its worth it.)

The basilica opens at 9am; if you are a morning person, I recommend getting here at 9 or a little after! When you purchase skip-the-line tickets, you can enter anytime between 9am-6pm.

After 6:30 pm, you have to buy “night shift” tickets, which are more expensive due to the cistern being a little more illuminated.

It will only take you about an hour to see the basilica.

Everything to know about visiting the Basilica Cistern!

The basilica is also located next to the must-see sites of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

I recommend ENTERING at least the Blue Mosque. The inside is incredible with its HIGH ceilings and intricate details. Again, you won’t need much time to see the inside of the mosque.

The mosque is free to enter aside from the 5 daily prayer times, in which tourists are not allowed to enter.

Afternoon: Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar

After you have seen the incredible mosques of old town Istanbul, take a stroll to the Grand Bazaar! (or take the trolly, both of which are about a 12-13 minute journey.)

This is the world’s OLDEST INDOOR bazaar and it is truly GRAND. You could spend hours in it and still probably not see every nook and cranny of it.

In the Grand Bazaar you will find everything you could hope to shop for including clothes, jewelry, lamps, purses, shoes, rugs, & more!

After you have your fill of the Grand Bazaar (which will vary per person,) head to the Spice Bazaar! (the walk is about 8 minutes.)

The Spice Bazaar is pretty self-explanatory; this is a bazaar dedicated to spices, teas, coffees, foods, deserts and more.

The Spice Bazaar is close Eminonu Square and the Bosphorus River, which is where you can get some of the best views in Istanbul.

After you are done here, you can stroll along the river and get views of the Galata Bridge, fisherman along the river, views of the new town across the river and more.

Evening: Bosphorus River Cruise & Rooftop Dinner

Just before sunset, you can hop on a Bosphorus River cruise! On the river cruise you will pass between the old and new town and go down to see the Beylerbeyi Palace. You will also cruise between the Europe and Asia continental divide!

We took our river cruise during the day, but I think I would have preferred a sunset cruise.

The sunset cruises are 2 hours long and cost ~10 euros, so they are reasonably priced and don’t take up a lot of your time.

After your river cruise, find a place with a rooftop for dinner!

We did this on our last night in Turkey (after we returned to Istanbul before our fight out) but in case you fly back late on your last day, I recommend doing this your first night!

You can search “rooftop restaurants” on Tripadvisor and find several different options in different parts of the city!

We ate at the Peymane Restaurant on top of the Grand Hotel de Pera and it was great (it is located in the new town though.)

Morning: Explore Galataport & Karaköy

Start your morning strolling down the Galataport boulevard.

While you got views of the new town from the old town side of the Bosphorus on the first day, here you will get views of the old town from the river side.

Near here you will also find the Karaköy district which has loads of great cafes to grab a coffee and breakfast or lunch.

Afternoon: Galata Tower & İstiklal Avenue

From the river, start your climb toward Galata Tower. Galata Tower is located in the Beyoğlu district, home to several shops to grab souvenirs, restaurants and upbeat area to walk around in.

The Galata Tower was once a watch tower, perched on the highest hill of Istanbul. Now, it is a museum and boasts some of the highest views of Istanbul. It IS pricey to visit (in my personal opintion) at around 35 euros to enter.

Book tickets to Galata Tower if you want to get the view from above!

It is also located at the start of İstiklal Avenue, Istanbul’s most bustling shopping street.

While you are in Istanbul, you have to take a ride on the world’s second oldest subway/metro line! The Tünel, aka F2, runs from Karaköy, near the harbor to the end of İstiklal Avenue.

So, once you are done shopping around, you can take the subway back down to the Karaköy area of Istanbul for dinner!

Evening: Fly to Izmir Or Overnight Bus to Selçuk

While many people tend to fly to Cappadocia from Istanbul with only a week in Turkey, I encourage you to try to squeeze in the Selçuk area, especially if you are a history fan as the Ancient City of Ephesus is nearby!

Izmir is a 5 hour drive from Istanbul. While I am always up for a road trip, things are going to get even MORE spread out from Selçuk.

So, for this part of the trip and to maximize your time, I recommend flying to Izmir from Istanbul. Domestic flights are actually quite affordable in Turkey (about $50 USD) through Turkish or Pegasus Airlines and the flight is only about an hour and a half.

I recommend training to Selçuk once you land in Izmir (it is about an hour and a half ride), but you can also opt to wait and train in the morning if you prefer.

If you want to save some money and you are up for it, you can also opt for an overnight Flix Bus directly to Selçuk.

Book a Flix Bus from Istanbul directly to Selçuk

If you opt to take the train in the morning, you can still catch an early train and be in Selçuk at a very reasonable hour. Otherwise, wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in Selçuk if you train in the night before.

Morning: Basilica of Saint John, mosque & Downtown Selçuk

The train station is located pretty centrally in Selçuk, so from here you can walk (or taxi if you don’t want to lug your suitcase.)

Once you arrive, drop off your luggage at your hotel (make sure they do luggage storage)!

Want a Hotel Recommendation in Selçuk?

We stayed at the Hotel Kalehan in downtown Selçuk. It was in a great, walkable location, the staff was so friendly, the rooms were clean and the breakfast was great! (& they offer baggage storage)

Book a Room!

Once your luggage is stored, head to the Basilica of Saint John. This wasn’t on our original itinerary; we just happened to stumble upon it.

However, if you practice a form of Christianity, this is the burial site of the apostle John and is really incredible to see.

John was the author the books of John as well as revelation and he did a lot of preaching in Ephesus and the surrounding area.

After his exile in Patmos, he is believed to have returned to the Ephesus area, died of natural causes and then was buried in Selçuk.

Just down the road from the basilica is also the İsa Bey Mosque. This mosque was constructed in 1374 and is one of the oldest of the Anatolian beyliks. I mean, the history of this area dates back to the Ottoman Empire, which is crazy to think about.

You can see the mosque from above at the Basilica of St John, but once you exit the basilica you can also take a right and enter the mosque free of charge.

After you see the basilica and mosque you can take a stroll in downtown Selçuk which is a is home to a few restaurants and shops.

Afternoon: Şirince Village

After you get your feel of history, I recommend visiting the small village of Şirince. It is nestled in the mountains above Selçuk and is incredibly charming.

Şirince is about a 13 minute drive from Selçuk. You can take a taxi or a mini bus from the city center.

In the village you can walk the streets where you will find several shops, boutiques and restaurants. Şirince is also known for its fruit wine production, so you can do wine tastings in several places in Şirince!

Day 4: Take a Guided Tour of Ephesus

One of the main reasons to add Selçuk to your itinerary is to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. While I was completely in awe because it is a prominent place that Paul the apostle preached and it had a large role in the spread of Christianity, it is impressive for anyone.

Ephesus is just amazing to see due to how well-intact parts of the city are and what large role it played throughout hundreds of years of history.

It was built in the 10th century BC and was a prominent city due to its location on the major trade hub and was conquered and controlled by loads of different civilizations including Greeks, Persians, Romans and the Byzantines.

However, due to silting, the water started retracting and the harbor moved too far from the city, making it irrelevant. It was abandoned in the 15th century AD and slowly became the remains of today.

Guided Tour of Ephesus & Temple of Artemis

I really recommend taking a guided tour of Ephesus.

While even I can see how well-intact some of the remains are, I would NOT have gotten as much out of the city without a guide walking me through the history and explaining what each ruin was and its significance.

Most tours are going to combine Ephesus with different areas because they often are appealing to the cruisers that port at Ege Port in Kusadasi.

I recommend booking a guided tour that includes the Temple of Artemis with Ephesus.

Evening: Overnight Train from Selçuk to Konya

After your day exploring Ephesus, prepare for an overnight train ride.

The main reason I recommend training the first part of this itinerary is due to the drive from Selçuk to Cappadocia being sooo long (the drive just to Cappadocia is 9 hours)

From Selçuk, you will take the train an hour and 15 minutes back to Izmir and then overnight train to Konya.

Train tickets are best booked directly through the Turkish (TCDD) website.

(You can also opt to take a overnight bus again, which is faster but more uncomfortable, or you can opt to do another regional flight to the Cappadocia area if you prefer not to overnight train. However, the overnight train was a cool experience!)

Day 5: Underground City & Cappadocia

You will arrive in Konya at around 9am (if you take the train.) For the next portion of your trip, I would rent a car. You can pick one up in Konya at the train station and then drive to Cappadocia. To properly explore Cappadocia, you will want a car!

Rent a car at the Konya High Speed Train Station

Morning: Drive to the Kaymakli Underground City

One of the coolest places we visited was the Kaymakli Underground City! It is unlike anything I have ever seen. There are about 150-200 (they estimate) underground cities in the Cappadocia region, but this is one of the most accessible and well-preserved.

Kaymakli Underground City consists of about 4 stories of tunnels, rooms and stairs, though it is believed that only a portion of the city has been uncovered.

Parts of the city are quite narrow and the ceilings can be low, so keep this in mind if a) you are claustrophobic or b) have orthopedic problems.

It is located about 30 minutes south of Göreme, so seeing this first is best, logistically. The drive from Konya to Kaymakli Underground City is about 3 hours.

You should arrive to Kaymakli Underground City by ~ 1pm after picking up your rental car.

It will only take about 45 minutes to an hour to explore the underground city plus whatever time you want to spend shopping in the little shops around it.

Tickets (13-15 euros) can be purchased on-site or on the PASSO App (according to the internet.)

Afternoon: Panoramic Views & Ürgüp

After seeing the underground city, head toward Ügrüp!

There are a couple of routes, but take D765 and then a right on D302. This route will take you through the beautiful area of Ortahisar, which is only about a 30 minute drive.

Stop by Lavanta Panoramic Cafe Ortahisar. Here you can try different kinds of Turkish coffee as well as grab some food with a view if you want.

The best part of this area are the views of the valley and Ortahisar below!

After taking in the views of Ortahisar, head to Ürgüp.

Spend the afternoon exploring downtown Ürgüp. Compared to Göreme, there are more shops and restaurants within walking distance.

Should You Stay in Ügrüp or Göreme?

On our trip, we stayed in Ürgüp rather than Göreme, but they are only about 15 minutes apart and you are going to have to find transportation to many main sites from both cities (if you don’t opt to rent a car.)

Ügrüp: A little bigger, more restaurants and shops, less popular for tourist stays
Göreme: Smaller, but with more of the iconic landscapes, busier

Either one will work perfectly fine because they are so close to each other.

We stayed at the Roca Cappadocia Hotel in Ügrüp and it was super charming and in a great, walkable location.

But, I think if I went back I would stay closer to Göreme because it is a little closer to the main sites and I am in love with the landscape!

morning: Hot Air Balloon & Pigeon Valley

The thing about hot air balloons in Cappadocia are that they are SUPER weather-dependent. If it is too windy or visibility is too low then they will not fly. So every morning you are in Cappadocia, you should try for your hot air balloon ride.

During the dry months you should be good to go; during shoulder months and winter, it may be less likely.

With that being said, on your first morning in Cappadocia try for your hot air balloon ride!

The good thing (or bad for non-morning people lol) is that the flights are at sunrise. You will get up around 3am, drive to the balloons and be prepared for take-0ff around 6am.

The flights last about an hour (plus prep), so you will have a full day to explore Cappadocia afterward!

Again, you are going to be done with your hot air balloon ride by ~7am (timing changes depending on time of year.) Once you are finished, head to Pigeon Valley closer to Uçhisar!

This valley is known for its Pigeon Houses that were once used to harvest pigeon 💩 for fertilizer. Though they don’t still use them for the same reason, the structures are still well-intact to preserve the history of it!

Plus, the views in the valley are incredible!

Afternoon: Rug-Making & Pottery-Making Demos

Spend the afternoon learning about the art that runs deep in Cappadocia’s history!

We did two different demonstrations: rug making and pottery making.

Turkey is known for their high-quality Turkish rugs and you can see how they harvest the silk and weave the intricate rugs in several places around Uçhisar.

We did ours at the Carpet Weaving Village, which provided the tour and demonstrations of carpet-making. However, there are several rug stores around the Uçhisar region, but I’m not sure how many offer the demonstrations.

Just keep in mind, they offer tours to bring in more customers to make rug sells obviously. If you want a rug, this is as good as any place to buy one. If you don’t, just stand firm in your decision that you don’t want one when the demonstrations are over.

The second demonstration we did was a pottery making demonstration. We did this a Chez Galip Pottery and Ceramics, north of Göreme.

Here, the master potter, Chez, makes his own pottery, but also teaches students the art of pottery and ceramic making.

The demonstration will show how the masters make pottery and then offer to let people try!

After the demonstration they will walk you through the gallery of pottery and ceramics, where again, their goal is to sell pottery and ceramics.

They do have a section of Chez’s art and a different area that has been made by students, which are a more affordable price if you don’t want to spend a lot of pottery or ceramics.

Morning: Hot Air Balloon & Göreme Viewpoints

IF NECESSARY, try for a hot air balloon ride.

If not, sleep in a little bit and then spend your morning seeing other incredible views around Göreme!

Areas where you can find incredible landscapes are Love Valley (Aşıklar Vadisi), Imagination Valley (Devrent Valley) and Monks Valley (Pasabag Valley.)

Hopping between these valleys is where your rental car will really come in handy. Otherwise, to properly see the landscapes, you may need to take guided tours.

Afternoon: Explore Göreme & Hidden Churches OR Turkish Bath

One day our group split into two, and some went to do a Turkish Bath and some went to explore more of the Göreme landscapes and hidden churches near the Open Air Museum.

Within a short walk from downtown Göreme you can walk to a hidden church (which are plentiful in the Cappadocia area.)

The Yusuf Koç Church is only a about a 12-15 minute walk from downtown Göreme. You can see the baptistry, pulpit and more that are still intact in the hidden church.

While the church is really cool to see, you also get to take a walk with views of the mushroom shaped fairy chimneys.

Part of our group really wanted to experience a Turkish Bath (or hammam) while in Turkey. It is a very traditional type of bath focused on relaxation and socialization.

It typically consists of steaming, a bubble massage and then a relaxation area after the treatment.

Here is a TripAdvisor list of the hammams in Göreme!

Evening: Fly back to Istanbul

I recommend returning to Istanbul on your final night in order to catch an early more flight back home.

If you are a big fan of history and want to see Troy, you can certainly still see it with a week in Turkey,

In this case, you can either take away one day in Selçuk or in Cappadocia.

You will also need to turn this into a road trip, so be prepared for more driving time. The easiest way to get from Istanbul to Troy is drive to Eceabat and ferry across the Straight of Dardanelles to Çanakkale.

Day 1: Istanbul
Day 2: Istanbul
Day 3: Çanakkale & Troy
Day 4: Selçuk
Day 5: Ephesus
Day 6: Cappadocia
Day 7: Cappadocia

With this itinerary, you can use the same transportation as the original. You will just have one less day to explore Selçuk.