Istanbul & Cappadocia with mum
CreatorSinead Mussen
DateMay 18, 2026
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Day 1
Jul 17
Atlantis Royal Hotel Istanbul
- Target leave time: 07:45
- Base this day tightly around Sultanahmet and do Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, The Blue Mosque, and Basilica Cistern on foot
- Stop at Hafiz Mustafa 1864 for dessert or tea in the afternoon
- Make dinner a rooftop sequence: sunset at Seven Hills Restaurant, with Turk Art Terrace Restaurant as the backup
- Reserve the rooftop dinner ahead of time
Day 2
Jul 18
Atlantis Royal Hotel Istanbul
- Target leave time: 08:15
- Start with a light Balat morning around Balat, then a quick stop at Limonluk Cafe
- Continue to Grand Bazaar
- Walk up via Kamondo Stairs to Galata Tower, then continue along İstiklal Caddesi
- Pause at Minoa Pera, then end with dinner at Olden 1772
Day 3
Jul 19
Atlantis Royal Hotel Istanbul
- Target leave time: 08:30
- Tour Dolmabahçe Palace in the morning
- Keep the afternoon flexible, then cross to the Asian side for dinner
- Finish with live music at SUREYYA canli muzik mekani
- Use ferries as the default Europe–Asia crossing
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Day 4
Jul 20
Atlantis Royal Hotel Istanbul
- Keep the day light in Istanbul and store luggage before departure
- Catch the overnight FlixBus from Istanbul to Cappadocia at 17:15 on Monday night
- Use the evening for the bus transfer instead of flying
- Plan to arrive early in Cappadocia and go straight to luggage storage / hotel bag drop before the balloon morning begins
Day 5
Jul 21
Adora Cave Suites
- Target leave time: 04:30 for the early start in Göreme
- On arrival from the overnight bus, store luggage first or leave bags at your hotel before the morning activity
- Do Horse Riding Cappadocia first after arrival, then keep the rest of the day lighter for food, rest, and recovery in Göreme
- Use today to reset and reconfirm the balloon pickup details, weather policy, and your airport transfer for tomorrow
- Keep the evening early since the balloon is now pushed to the next morning
Day 6
Jul 22
Adora Cave Suites
- Target leave time: 04:30 for the pre-dawn pickup with Turquaz Balloons Cappadocia
- After landing, head back for breakfast, bag pickup, and a quick reset before leaving for the airport
- Book a shared shuttle from Göreme to Kayseri Airport in advance and give the provider your hotel name plus flight number
- Expect the airport transfer to take about 1 to 2 hours depending on pickups, so keep the whole late morning free for transfer and check-in
- Confirm your exact shuttle pickup time the day before; shared shuttles usually schedule around flight times rather than fixed hourly departures
- Then head to Kayseri Airport for your 13:25 Pegasus flight to London Stansted
- Do not add extra sightseeing on departure day
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