Gobble up the best of Turkey

One week of highlights in Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Antalya

During business school, I spent one week in Turkey with a group of my classmates and loved the unique blend of European and Middle Eastern culture. Turkey has so much to offer: Start in Istanbul, where you can explore ancient mosques and markets mixed with modern city vibes. Then, head to Cappadocia for its magical rock formations and hot air balloon rides. Finish up in Antalya, where you can relax on Mediterranean beaches and explore ancient ruins. It was a real… [Turkish] delight.

Day 1: Istanbul

Stay in Besiktas: I stayed at the W Istanbul during my visit, but unfortunately, it is now permanently closed! However, the Besiktas neighborhood (where the hotel used to be) is a beautiful district right on the Bosphorus. It has several landmarks, including the famous Dolmabahce Palace, as well as cute cafes, shopping areas, and scenic views of the Bosphorus Strait. 

Dinner at Soho House: Since I went to Turkey with a group of other students from school, our first dinner was arranged at the Soho House Istanbul. Unfortunately, this is a members only club (of which I am not a member, haha). However, if you are a Soho House member, our dinner was fantastic and the service was great.

Day 2: Istanbul

Tour Istanbul’s Old City: A walking tour – like this one – is a great way to cover the essential Istanbul stops: Sultanahmet Square, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Haseki Hürrem Baths, and the Spice Market. The Sultanahmet Square was among my favorite areas and is probably the most iconic place to visit in Istanbul. It’s a must-see with the Hagia Sophia on one side and the Blue Mosque on the opposite. Historically, the square was the sporting and social center of Constantinople; today, it’s a lovely place to grab a seat and soak up the nice weather and views.

Visit Topkapi Palace: Topkapi Palace was the royal residence of the Ottoman empire for almost 400 years. Here, you can peek into the imperial life of the sultans as you visit grand courtyards, pavilions, and ceremonial rooms that display an impressive collection porcelain, robes, weapons, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts, and jewelry. With a separate ticket, you can also venture into the Harem—a collection of more than 400 decorated rooms that the sultan shared with his wives and children. The balconies have beautiful, sweeping views of the river (pictured below).

Lunch on the Galata Bridge: The Galata Bridge is a historic bridge that connects the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, and is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. It’s a popular spot for pedestrians, street food vendors, and fisherman, who cast their lines into the water below. The bottom half of the bridge is full of restaurants that serve a variety of dishes, including a special of whatever fish is caught that day.

Baklava break at Karaköy Güllüoğlu: No trip to Turkey is complete without a healthy serving of baklava – and there’s no better place than Karaköy Güllüoğlu. They’ve been in the business since 1843, and their baklava was as delicious as it looks – perfectly flaky with no skimping on the nuts and just the right amount of sweetness. I’m biased toward the pistachio baklava, and if you’re up for a challenge, don’t miss their pistachio baklava burger (*drooling).

Dinner at Aheste: A trendy little bistro that offers a menu of Turkish, Ottoman and Middle Eastern-influenced mezze plates and a great cocktail list. The octopus and the slow roast lamb shoulder were *chef’s kiss*.

Day 3: Istanbul

Note: While city tours will pass by Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, they rarely include a visit inside. It’s worth spending a morning viewing the gorgeous interiors of these two mosques. A warning: the queue will begin long before the mosques open.

Tour Hagia Sophia: Built between 532 and 537, Hagia Sophia is a gorgeous representation of Byzantine architecture and art. It was the principal church of the Byzantine Empire, and it was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered Istanbul in 1453. I got in line 30 minutes before Hagia Sophia opened, and the line was already snaked around the block. Don’t be discouraged – it moves very quickly! Admission is free, but women should be sure to bring a scarf, as a head covering is mandatory. The inside was absolutely stunning.

Visit the Blue Mosque: Also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Blue Mosque is an Ottoman-era imperial mosque that was constructed between 1609 and 1617. Western visitors coined the “Blue Mosque” nickname because of the mosque’s more than 21,000 blue tiles from Iznik, Turkey on the interior walls. The inside of the Blue Mosque couldn’t be more different than the inside of Hagia Sophia, so it was interesting being able to see them back-to-back (which is easy to do, as they’re just across the square from each other).

Hammam at Kiliç Ali Paşa Hamami: After a morning of touring the mosques, it was time for a little relaxation. I booked a traditional Turkish hammam at Kiliç Ali Paşa Hamami, and it was lovely! A heads up: unlike the private hammam I did in Morocco, this one was public (but women only).

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art: The Istanbul Modern is Turkey’s first museum of modern and contemporary art. There were several permanent and temporary exhibits to explore that included modern and contemporary art, photography, design, architecture, and new media. You can also get amazing views of the Bosporus and Istanbul from the viewing terrace on the third floor.

Bosphorus River Cruise: One of the best ways to see Istanbul is by boat! The Bosphorus River connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental boundaries between Asia and Europe. Take a sunset cruise – like this one – to enjoy Istanbul’s attractions from the water.

Dinner at Mürver: Mürver stands out for its vibrant rooftop atmosphere and beautiful views of the Bosphorus. There’s a focus on cooking over live fire, and the restaurant has an open kitchen with a vast, domed wood oven. The menu has a good mix of seafood and meat options – but don’t miss the 12-hour-braised beef rib (*nom).

Day 4: Göreme/Uchisar (Cappadocia)

Fly to Cappadocia: To get to the Cappadocia region, we flew from Istanbul to the Kayseri Erkilet Airport on Turkish Airlines, which took about an hour and 20 minutes.

Stay at Kayakapi Premium Caves: One of the coolest hotels I’ve ever stayed in! The rooms are all old cave houses that have been converted to high end hotel suites. They’re all configured differently depending on the size of the cave, and I lucked out with a full hammam inside my bathroom – what a dream. Since the entire hotel is perched on the side of the mountain, the views of the town of Ürgüp below are beautiful.

Tour the top Cappadocia sights: If you don’t want to worry about driving, taking a guided tour – like this one – is the best way to see some of Cappadocia’s most-photographed sights, like the Göreme Open Air Museum and Uchisar Castle. The Göreme Open Air Museum is the crown jewel of Cappadocia’s history and one of the most popular tourist destinations, containing a massive collection of historical monasteries and cave churches with ancient Byzantine frescoes. It was impressive to see such well-preserved traces of early Christianity.

Uchisar Castle is another Cappadocia landmark and was used for centuries as a defense post against enemy armies. In my opinion, the exterior just looks like a mass of rocks. However, the style does align with the region’s tradition of building structures out of the natural rock. We didn’t have time to climb to the top, but the panoramic views of the rock valleys are supposedly beautiful.

Sunset at Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi): Pigeon Valley one of the most popular hiking trails in Cappadocia, and it leads from Göreme to Uchisar (or the other way around). Catch the sunset on one of the high points! The rock formations at dusk are breathtaking. 

Day 5: Göreme/Uchisar (Cappadocia)

Take a hot air balloon ride: If there’s one thing you can’t miss (and one thing I was terrified to do) while in Cappadocia, it’s taking a hot air balloon ride! Seeing the Cappadocia landscape and terrain from the air is really the only way to appreciate how vast it is. While safety was my top concern, there are an estimated 3,000 hot air balloon flights every day in this area; the balloon providers have it down to a science and the team at Rainbow Balloons was top-notch. Additionally flights are weather dependent and may be canceled if it’s too windy or rainy. In that event, many companies will offer you a full refund or help you reschedule. Plan to spend a few days in Cappadocia so you can rebook if this happens to you!

We arrived to our balloon site early in the morning, so we would able to catch the sunrise from the air. The take-off was seamless (see the video below) and the sunrise views from the air were gorgeous. I experienced less of a flying sensation and more of a floating/suspension sensation, which almost put me more at ease. And lucky for us, there was no turbulence of any kind.

Fly to Antalya: Unfortunately, there were no direct flights between the Kayseri Erkilet and Antalya airports on Turkish Airlines, so we connected through Istanbul. There were direct options through some of the budget carriers but their safety records were spotty, so…

Day 6: Antalya

Stay at the Ramada Plaza Hotel: The Ramada Plaza is in a prime location, right on Antalya’s sea front and a few hundred meters from Kaleiçi, the historic old city. While there’s no direct beach access, there’s a large outdoor pool, and multiple sunbathing areas on split levels as you work your way down the stairs to the water.

Stroll through the old city: Antalya’s old city, known as Kaleiçi, is a charming historical district with narrow, winding streets, Ottoman-era houses, and ancient Roman ruins. Spend the afternoon wandering through the alleys and into and out of shops and boutiques! Don’t miss one of Kaleiçi’s historical highlights: Hadrian’s Gate, a gateway built in 130 AD to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Tour of the ancient city of Aspendos: Aspendos is renowned for its remarkably well-preserved Roman theater, built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The theater was capable of seating up to 15,000 spectators, requiring some pretty advanced engineering and architectural design for the time. The theater is about 45 minutes away from Antalya, so a tour is the easiest way to get there. If you want to get the most out of the trip, combine Aspendos with the Bronze Age-era Greek city of Perge as well as the Manavgat Waterfall in a tour like this one.

Dinner and drinks at Cakil Beach: We spent our last night in Turkey at Cakil Beach, a cool beach bar right on Konyaaltı beach. While were just there for dinner and drinks, it would also be a great place to rent a chair and relax during the day.

Day 7: Back to the USA!