Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia — Three Faces of Türkiye in One Journey
Experience the extraordinary contrasts of Türkiye on an unforgettable 7-day Istanbul, Bursa and Cappadocia package tour, designed for travelers who want history, culture, spectacular scenery and authentic Turkish experiences woven into one carefully organized itinerary.
Your journey begins in Istanbul, the legendary city positioned between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus separates the two continents while connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, giving Istanbul one of the world's most extraordinary geographical settings — a city of domes, minarets, waterfront palaces and bustling bazaars that has stood at the crossroads of civilizations for over 1,600 years. You will discover Istanbul from several perspectives: a scenic Bosphorus cruise, panoramic Çamlıca Hill, atmospheric Piyer Loti Hill, the historic waterfront around Dolmabahçe Palace and the magnificent imperial and religious monuments of Sultanahmet.
The journey continues to Bursa, the first major Ottoman capital, where centuries-old mosques, historic Turkish baths, traditional Ottoman residences, silk heritage and the mountain landscape of Uludağ create a fascinating encounter with early Ottoman culture. Bursa is particularly renowned for landmarks such as the Ulu Mosque and the celebrated Green Mosque, whose refined İznik tilework helped define an entire era of Ottoman art and architecture.
Then comes the magical world of Cappadocia, where volcanic eruptions and centuries of erosion have sculpted extraordinary valleys, pinnacles and fairy chimneys out of soft volcanic rock. UNESCO recognizes Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia as a World Heritage property, prized for both its dramatic natural landscape and its exceptional rock-cut cultural heritage. Here you will explore Devrent Valley, Paşabağı, Avanos, Göreme Open-Air Museum, Esentepe and Uçhisar Castle, followed by the spectacular underground world of Derinkuyu, the green canyon of Ihlara Valley, peaceful Belisırma and the monumental rock-cut Selime Monastery.
This is more than a sightseeing holiday — it is a seven-day journey through the layers of Turkish civilization, from Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul, to Ottoman Bursa, to the ancient Christian and geological heritage of Cappadocia.
Tour Highlights
Bosphorus Cruise
Sail the strait separating Europe and Asia, past palaces, mansions and bridges.
Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque
Stand inside two of the most important religious monuments on Earth.
Topkapı & Dolmabahçe
Explore two very different eras of Ottoman imperial power and taste.
Grand Bazaar
Wander one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets.
Uludağ & Ottoman Bursa
Cable-car views, a 600-year-old tree, silk heritage and Ottoman baths.
Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys
Devrent Valley, Paşabağı, Uçhisar Castle and Göreme's rock-cut churches.
Derinkuyu Underground City
Descend into a subterranean settlement carved deep into volcanic rock.
Optional Sunrise Balloon
Add Cappadocia's legendary hot-air-balloon flight over the valleys.
Detailed 7-Day Turkey Itinerary
Every day below is fully guided and includes private or small-group transportation. Tap a day to see the full route, timings and destination stories.
Arrival in Istanbul & Optional Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
Your Turkish adventure begins with your arrival in Istanbul, a city celebrated for its extraordinary location, monumental heritage and vibrant atmosphere. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, you will meet your transfer representative and travel comfortably to your Istanbul hotel. The remainder of the day is free for relaxation or independent exploration.
Optional Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
As Istanbul's skyline begins to glow after sunset, board the boat for a memorable evening on the Bosphorus, with Turkish classical dinner music, a Whirling Dervish Sema ceremony, belly dance, Turkish folk dance and DJ music. The set menu includes a mixed Turkish meze plate, a specialty middle course, seasonal salad, a choice of grilled spring chicken, seasonal fish or grilled meatballs (with a vegetarian option), and a Turkish dessert, with unlimited local soft drinks. The cruise returns you to your hotel at approximately 23:45.
Istanbul Highlights: Two Continents, Bosphorus & Dolmabahçe
After breakfast, your full-day Istanbul sightseeing adventure begins at approximately 08:30. Today's route combines panoramic viewpoints, the Bosphorus and the magnificent imperial heritage of Istanbul, returning to your hotel at approximately 18:00.
Bosphorus Boat Cruise
Cruise the strait that literally splits Istanbul across two continents, revealing waterfront mansions, palaces, mosques, bridges and neighborhoods on both the European and Asian shores.
Çamlıca Hill & Piyer Loti Hill
Two of Istanbul's most celebrated elevated viewpoints, offering sweeping views across the city, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn — ideal for photography and simply pausing to take in the scale of the city.
Bosphorus Bridge & Dolmabahçe Palace
Continue past the iconic Bosphorus Bridge to Dolmabahçe Palace, one of Istanbul's most spectacular waterfront landmarks, celebrated for its grand ceremonial halls, crystal chandeliers and lavish 19th-century European-influenced interiors.
Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul: Ottoman Heritage & Uludağ
Depart Istanbul at approximately 08:30 for a full-day journey to Bursa, once the capital of the early Ottoman state. Bursa combines imperial architecture, traditional neighborhoods, silk heritage, religious monuments and spectacular mountain scenery. The included mixed grilled lunch is served during the tour, and the group returns to Istanbul at approximately 22:00–22:30.
Bursa Cable Car & Uludağ
Ride the scenic one-way cable car toward Uludağ — Bursa's celebrated "Mount Olympus" — for a refreshing highland contrast to the city's Ottoman monuments. Along the way, visit Bursa's famous historic plane tree, said to be more than 600 years old.
Green Mosque & Green Tomb
Discover the Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami), dating to 1419 and considered one of Bursa's outstanding early Ottoman monuments, with its refined İznik tilework and architectural proportions, followed by the nearby Green Tomb (Yeşil Türbe).
Ottoman House, Turkish Bath & Silk House
Step into a traditional Ottoman House to see historic domestic life and design, learn about the Ottoman hamam tradition, and explore Bursa's famous Silk House, discovering the city's centuries-old association with silk production and trade.
Byzantine & Ottoman Istanbul + Evening Flight to Cappadocia
After breakfast, depart at approximately 08:30 for a full-day tour of Istanbul's Historic Peninsula — the day the extraordinary historical depth of Istanbul truly comes alive. In the evening, transfer to Istanbul Airport for the 21:25 flight to Kayseri, arriving at approximately 23:00 and transferring to your Cappadocia hotel.
Roman Hippodrome & Blue Mosque
Begin at the Roman Hippodrome, once the ceremonial and sporting center of Constantinople, then continue to the magnificent Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), famous for its six minarets and İznik-blue tiled interior. Note: restoration works may affect access to parts of the mosque depending on your travel dates.
Hagia Sophia & Topkapı Palace
Stand beneath the immense dome of Hagia Sophia, one of the most extraordinary monuments in world history, then enter the world of the Ottoman sultans at Topkapı Palace, with its courtyards, imperial collections and Bosphorus views.
Grand Bazaar
End the historic-city experience at Istanbul's legendary Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of shops filled with Turkish handicrafts, textiles, jewelry, ceramics and carpets — a chance to experience centuries of commercial tradition.
Cappadocia North Tour: Fairy Chimneys, Avanos & Göreme
For guests who choose the optional balloon experience, pickup is scheduled at approximately 05:00 as dawn transforms Cappadocia into a dreamlike panorama of valleys and fairy chimneys (balloon flight not included — see below). After breakfast, the North Cappadocia tour begins at approximately 09:30 and returns to the hotel around 17:00.
Devrent Valley & Paşabağı
Begin at Devrent Valley — often called Imagination Valley — where unusual rock formations invite travelers to interpret their shapes, then continue to Paşabağı (Monk's Valley), famous for its dramatic multi-headed fairy chimneys.
Avanos & Göreme Open-Air Museum
Visit Avanos, the region's pottery town on the banks of the Kızılırmak River, then explore the extraordinary Göreme Open-Air Museum, where rock-cut churches and monastic spaces reveal Cappadocia's profound Byzantine Christian heritage.
Esentepe & Uçhisar Castle
Stop at Esentepe for panoramic views across the valleys, then finish the day at Uçhisar Castle — a natural rock citadel that rises above the surrounding landscape and offers Cappadocia's most magnificent panoramic viewpoint.
Cappadocia South Tour: Derinkuyu, Ihlara Valley & Selime
After breakfast, check out at approximately 09:00–09:30 and begin the full-day South Cappadocia tour, taking you from underground cities to dramatic canyon scenery. At approximately 18:00, transfer to Kayseri Airport for the 20:40 flight to Istanbul, arriving at 22:20 and transferring to your Istanbul hotel.
Derinkuyu Underground City
Descend beneath the Anatolian landscape into Derinkuyu, one of the underground settlements protected within the Göreme National Park and Rock Sites of Cappadocia World Heritage property, revealing how communities carved entire multi-level cities into volcanic rock.
Ihlara Valley & Belisırma Village
Continue to the spectacular Ihlara Valley, a green river canyon carved through the Cappadocian landscape, offering a dramatic contrast to the open fairy-chimney scenery of the north, then relax in peaceful Belisırma Village.
Selime Monastery
Finish at Selime Monastery, an impressive rock-cut complex rising dramatically above the landscape — a monument that demonstrates the extraordinary relationship between Cappadocia's natural formations and centuries of human habitation.
Departure from Istanbul
Your memorable 7-day Türkiye journey comes to an end. Depending on your international flight time, you will be collected from your Istanbul hotel approximately 4–5 hours before your scheduled international departure, with a private airport transfer to Istanbul Airport for your onward journey. As you leave Türkiye, you take with you memories of the Bosphorus, Ottoman Bursa, Uludağ's mountain scenery, Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, Göreme's rock churches, Derinkuyu's underground world and Ihlara's spectacular valley landscapes.
Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia at a Glance
This itinerary is particularly attractive for travelers who want to experience three completely different faces of Türkiye without arranging every component independently.
Istanbul
A cosmopolitan city where Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Turkish life exist side by side — home to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı and Dolmabahçe Palaces, the Bosphorus and the Grand Bazaar.
Explore Istanbul highlightsBursa
The first Ottoman capital — a city of imperial mosques, silk-trading heritage, historic hamams and the dramatic mountain landscape of Uludağ, reached on an easy full-day excursion from Istanbul.
Explore Bursa highlightsCappadocia
A surreal geological and cultural landscape of fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches, underground cities and canyon valleys — a UNESCO World Heritage region unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Explore Cappadocia highlights7-Day Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia Tour Price
Based on current market rates for a comparable 7-day, 6-night multi-city Turkey package with domestic flights, hotels, guiding, transfers and lunches, this tour is competitively priced from €1,220 per adult on a small-group basis.
- Joined touring days with a shared English-speaking guide
- Best value for couples, friends & solo travelers
- Flexible pacing and start times
- Ideal for families & honeymooners
- Sunrise flight over Cappadocia
- Reserve early — weather dependent
What's Included
- 6 nights double-room accommodation with breakfast (4 nights Istanbul, 2 nights Cappadocia)
- 5 days of guided touring with a professional English-speaking guide (2 days Istanbul, 1 day Bursa, 2 days Cappadocia)
- 2 domestic flights: Istanbul ⇄ Kayseri/Cappadocia
- Private airport transfers in Istanbul and Cappadocia shuttle transfers
- Museum and scheduled site entrance fees
- Lunch during scheduled touring days
- Air-conditioned, non-smoking coaches and vans throughout
Not Included
- Dinners (except the optional Bosphorus dinner cruise)
- Cappadocia hot-air-balloon ride (optional, priced closer to travel date)
- Personal expenses and shopping
- Tips and gratuities for guides and drivers
- Drinks at included tour lunches
- International flights to and from Türkiye
Hotel & Meals
Istanbul — 4 Nights
Double-room accommodation with daily breakfast, centrally located for easy access to the Historic Peninsula and Bosphorus waterfront. Specific hotel names and star categories are confirmed at booking based on availability.
Cappadocia — 2 Nights
Double-room accommodation with daily breakfast. Boutique and cave-style hotel upgrades are available on request for a more atmospheric Cappadocia stay — ask your travel consultant when booking.
Meals
Breakfast is included every morning; lunch is included on all scheduled touring days. Dinners are not included, giving you the freedom to explore Istanbul's and Cappadocia's outstanding restaurant scenes independently.
Booking & Payment Terms
30% Reservation Deposit
A 30% advance payment confirms your booking. After confirmation, we request the payment receipt and a passport copy for each traveler to complete flight, hotel and tour arrangements.
70% Balance on Arrival
The remaining 70% is payable upon arrival in Istanbul. Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer and PayPal are all accepted — see the booking form below for details.
Cancellation policy: the 30% deposit is non-refundable if a confirmed reservation is cancelled; the remaining 70% balance does not become payable. Please confirm final terms with your travel consultant before paying.
A Preview of What You'll See
Fairy Chimney Valleys
Smart Recommendations to Make This Trip Even Better
Based on this exact itinerary, here's how past travelers have personalized their Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia journey — and what we'd suggest for you.
Add the Sunrise Balloon
If photography and once-in-a-lifetime views matter to you, the optional Cappadocia sunrise balloon flight is the single strongest add-on to this itinerary — book it as early as possible.
Ask for a Bosphorus-Side Room
Request a Bosphorus-facing room, dinner, or free-time experience in Istanbul — small upgrades that make a big difference to your evenings.
Consider a Cave Hotel
For honeymoons, anniversaries or a special-occasion stay, ask about boutique or cave-style hotel upgrades in Cappadocia — they're a signature part of the region's charm.
Chase the Golden Hour
Cappadocia's scenery changes dramatically with the light. Build in extra time around sunrise and sunset at Uçhisar Castle and Devrent Valley for the best photography.
Eat Like a Local
Try Turkish specialties such as kebabs, meze, pide, mantı and baklava in Istanbul, and don't miss Cappadocia's regional testi kebabı, slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot.
Stay Flexible on Timing
Activity order can shift slightly depending on flight schedules, weather and site conditions — build a little flexibility into your plans, especially around Day 4 and Day 5.
Pack light layers. Istanbul, Bursa and Cappadocia can have noticeably different temperatures between morning and afternoon.
Wear comfortable shoes. Several days involve substantial walking on cobblestones, mountain paths and underground passages.
Mosque etiquette. Modest clothing is recommended for mosque visits; women may need to cover hair, shoulders and legs.
Carry some Turkish lira. Cards are widely accepted, but smaller purchases at markets are often easier with cash.
Why Choose This 7-Day Turkey Package?
This itinerary is particularly attractive for travelers who want to experience three completely different faces of Türkiye without arranging every component independently — hotels, domestic flights, guides and transfers are all handled for you.
Imperial Istanbul, Ottoman Bursa and otherworldly Cappadocia — a complete cultural cross-section of Türkiye in a single, seamlessly organized package.
Every touring day is led by a professional English-speaking guide who brings the history of each site to life, from Byzantine Istanbul to rock-cut Cappadocia.
Two domestic flights and every airport and hotel transfer are pre-arranged, so you never have to think about logistics.
The History Travel Agency is rated 5 stars by past guests for reliability, communication and genuinely knowledgeable local guiding.
What Travelers Say About This Tour
"An unforgettable week. Our guide in Istanbul made Hagia Sophia and Topkapı come alive, and waking up in Cappadocia surrounded by fairy chimneys was worth the trip alone. Every transfer and flight was seamless."
"We upgraded to the private tour and it was worth every euro — flexible timing, a wonderful driver, and the Bursa day trip was a highlight we hadn't expected. Highly recommend the balloon add-on too."
"Derinkuyu underground city and Ihlara Valley were the surprises of the trip for me. Excellent communication before departure and a genuinely knowledgeable guide throughout. Will book again with The History Travel Agency."
Everything You Need to Know
Book Your 7-Day Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia Tour
- 2 domestic flights (Istanbul ⇄ Kayseri)
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- 6 nights, breakfast included
- Lunch on all touring days
- All airport & city transfers
- Secure payment options
- Free cancellation (48 hrs prior)
0090 536 560 10 38
Have questions, or not ready to reserve yet? Send us a message and we'll reply within a few hours.
Choose private or small-group, select your tickets, and provide your details. We'll confirm availability within a few hours.
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour date. Cancellations within 48 hours are non-refundable. Date changes are accommodated subject to availability.
Payment Options
Explore More Turkey Tours
Loved this itinerary? Here are a few more History Travel Agency journeys travelers often pair with Istanbul, Bursa & Cappadocia.
Istanbul Old City Tour
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar on a guided walk through Sultanahmet's Byzantine and Ottoman heart.
Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise
Sail the strait between Europe and Asia, past Dolmabahçe Palace, waterfront mansions and the Bosphorus Bridge.
Bursa & Uludağ Day Tour
The Green Mosque, the cable car to Uludağ, Ottoman baths and Bursa's historic Silk House on a full-day trip from Istanbul.
Cappadocia Hot-Air Balloon Experience
Float above fairy chimneys and valleys at sunrise — the single most-requested add-on for this itinerary.
6-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus
Prefer the Aegean coast over Bursa? This package swaps in Pamukkale's travertine terraces and ancient Ephesus.