Itinerary help needed!
 

My SO and myself are planning a vacation to Turket in May of this year for my birthday. We are thinking of staying either 7 or 8 days- flying out of the states on Thursday evening (May 7 specifically) and flying back that next Saturday.

What I'm struggling with is how to fit the multiple places we want to see in- while still doing them all justice.

Here are the must sees:

1) Istanbul

2) cappadocia (I'm hoping for a hot air balloon ride on my actual birthday- May 13)

Here are the places we are deciding between:

1) Ephesus

2) pamukkale

3) hierapolis

4) antalya/fethiye (or anywhere comparable on the sea)

Like I mentioned above- Istanbul and Cappadocia are non-negotiable, but we love food, culture, history, and beaches- so we are struggling figuring out where else to go.

From what I've read we could certainly find enough to do to fill the 7 or 8 days in instanbul and cappadocia. But we are hoping to visit one or two of those other cities/sites.

We haven't gotten our flights yet, so we can still be somewhat flexible on days- but are hesitant to go past 8 days. We are planning on using domestic flights between Istanbul and cappadocia, and would be fine with a few additional flights- I'm just weary about spending too much of our little time there, flying/in transit.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much!

"...how to fit the multiple places we want to see in- while still doing them all justice."

The answer is, you can't. Enjoy those 2 non-negotiable places and if you like Turkey well enough for a return visit, you'll see the rest then. You'll be lucky if you feel you've done those 2 justice in only a week.

I agree with MmePerdu. I've been planning our trip for September. I finally settled on five days in Istanbul and four in Cappadocia. Still won't see and experience everything those places have to offer in that amount of time! You could spend a whole week in Istanbul alone!! In Cappadocia besides your hot air balloon ride you might consider a full day hike with Walking Mehmet, seeing a Whirling Dervish Performance, spend time in the open air museums, and so much more. As long as you're in Cappadocia don't rush your stay! We will be there for 16 days and are doing all the other things you mentioned and I still feel rushed!!

2 and 3 are one and the same. They are inland and would not fit into your time frame. You'll need at least one more day to fit in Cappadocia and Ephesus, and you would fly between the three main locations. Roman and Greek ruins are not just in Turkey, but Cappadocia and Istanbul are; so stick to these two locations for the limited amount of time you have.

By 2 & 3 I meant Pamukkale and Hieropolis.

As others have said, with just one week, you will be hard pressed to see even just Istanbul (easily takes a minimum of 5 days) and Cappadocia (which easily merits 3 or 4 days). I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together.

FWIW, since Istanbul is the gateway city for Turkey, you might want to be sure to see everything you want to see in Cappadocia on this trip with the idea that you will return to Istanbul on a trip to see other parts of Turkey.

May is a lovely time to visit Turkey!

Hi there,
May is a great time ti visit my country and you can fit your wishlist to your time frame but it will be a quick and a rush tour. Are you a fast consuming tourist or you enjoy moving around slowly at your own pace... guided or not, with tours or rental cars, you can cover both of your wishlist however as many, i recommend keeping this trip for istanbul and cappadocia only... For the hot air balloon ride at least you need a night in Cappadocia and in case of a windy morning cancellation, it is better to stay one more day and night to try that evening and next morning. there are people doing istanbul only for a week and there are tours i lead covering your wishlist... Except the antalya fethiye or anywhere by the sea thing, your wishlist is doable in 8 days...
dont hesitate to ask any questions,
kadir
turkeytourorganizer

- You could consider flying directly to Cappadocia upon arrival in Istanbul. Flying Turkish airlines will probably give you the easiest connections and guarantees to make your domestic flight.

- You could then fly to Antalya from Cappadocia (Kayseri) hopefully directly for your two nights of resort stay at Belek which is the closest resort area to the airport, has nice beeches, the newest first class property and quick access to some interesting Roman ruins like Side, Perge, Aspendos.

Good Belek resort hotels are not very cheap but they are usually "All Inclusive" and worth the price, especially considering your birthday. Those can be the days for you to spoil yourself with spa, massage, etc. also.

You will get the best beech weather in Turkey in May in the Antalya region with sea temperatures possibly reaching 73 F.

All your flights will be 70-90 minutes. I recommend that you only have carry-ons, but purchase a cheap casee for your flight back for the souveniers, olives and the spices you may wish to take back.

Turkey has 15-20 antique sites I would consider "Must See."

There is no way any regular traveler can visit them all on one visit that lasts less than at least two months. So why not miss miss some of the famous locations as well as the not so well-known but as significant ones and keep them for your next trip.

Unless you are nature buffs, you can limit Cappadocia days easier than Istanbul days; or vice versa if you hate urban settings.

Everyone has their own definition of things that make them happy and/or satisfied. The above are all personal perspectives. It is up to yourselves to decide. With some great and/or crazy planning you can actually do everything and maybe even get into the Guinnes Book of Records.