Extra Day in Cappadocia or Istanbul?
 

Hi all,
We are currently spending 2 full days in Cappadocia and 4 full days in Istanbul after a busy week of independent travel. We have one day in between where we fly from Cappadocia to Istanbul. Should we fly early in the day to have most of the day in Istanbul or late in the evening for an extra day in Cappadocia? We are travelling with our 2 daughters in their 20's. We love big cities so expect to enjoy Istanbul but we also love to walk and see interesting landscapes and views.
Thanks for any advice!

You could take that extra day in Capadocia and hike in the Ilhara valley. We did that, drove to small village in valley, hiked to a couple of cave churches (note, easy hike) came back to base, had dinner on platform over stream, then carried on South. On way to Ilhara we also stopped to see an underground city (in our case, it was more village than city).

That's a tough question. Personally, I found two days in Cappadocia to be enough to see and do what I wanted to, but four in Istanbul were not.

I'll be interested in reading what other Turkey lovers recommend.

That is a tough decision. I could spend over a week in Istanbul and not have enough time. I could also spend that much time in Cappadocia--easily!
Perhaps you should peruse a good travel guide and determine your own personal must-see list to determine which place you need that extra day in. I would lean toward Cappadocia, considering if you ever return to Turkey you will most likely again pass through Istanbul.

Thanks for your comments. I think that we will be able to cover our must-sees in both locations without the extra day. I might be leaning toward Istanbul because of the greater variety of things to do and see there although an extra day in Cappadocia might be more relaxing.

That might be the deciding factor. Cappadocia if want to go at slower pace, or the excitement of Istanbul. Perhaps use that day for a Bosphorus cruise?

Michel just said what I was about to say. If you want relaxing, do a trip on the Bosphorus. Frankly I like doing it on the cheap ferry with a lot of locals instead of the more expensive and touristy cruise boats.

I would also vote for the Bosphorus cruise. Go all the way to the northernmost port of Andalou Kavagi and hike up to the fortress. It's at the mouth of the Black Sea with wonderful 360 views. The cruise is so relaxing with beautiful scenery all the way. If you haven't yet, you can read about our cruise and look at a few pictures of it on my trip report (under my former screen name ellencmog). The Bosphorus is toward the end of the report. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-turkey.cfm

I would personally stay in Istanbul - fantastic atmosphere and lots to see. Don't miss visiting the underground cistern opposite the Aya Sofya. A totally fascinating place thought to have been built around 532AD in the Roman period and not rediscovered until 1545. It has huge columns and statues cleverly spotlighted and fish swimming around in the water. Also a lovely cool spot to be on a warm day! Enjoy your trip to Turkey.

Another vote for spending the extra day in Istanbul.

It really is a tough decision, though. In many ways, Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Do you know yet where you're staying in Cappadocia?

Thank you all for your input! I think we'll go for the extra day in Istanbul. (I have read your trip report, Ellen, and found it very helpful in making my plans. We're booked at the Kelebek which looks so nice it was a factor in wanting to stay the extra day in Cappadocia.)