Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Mediterranean for three generations
10 days for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: three nights in old Istanbul, three in a Cappadocia cave hotel with the balloon flight included, and three by the sea in Antalya.
10 days · Istanbul to Antalya · up to 12 guests
Balloons at sunrise over the Cappadocia valleys, the day 5 flight Photo: Daniela Cuevas danielacuevas, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cappadocia,_Turkey,_2015-06-09_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Istanbul to Antalya
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Mornings of 2 to 3 hours on foot, mostly on level paving, cobbles and a few stairs, with the afternoons free on six of the ten days. Kaymakli Underground City has low passages and steep steps and can be skipped. The valley walks are short and optional, with the vehicle waiting at a viewpoint. The longest drive in a day is about 1.75 hours, in short legs; two domestic flights of about an hour do the long crossings.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 730 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Basilica Cistern at opening, with its two Medusa heads under the water
- A marbling workshop where everyone makes an ebru painting to take home
- A boat for our group up the Bosphorus in the late-afternoon light
- Three nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel, with the sunrise balloon flight included and a spare morning
- The tunnels of Kaymakli Underground City and a turn at the potter's wheel in Avanos
- Dinner in a Cappadocia village with a local family, at 6 pm
- A boat from Antalya's old harbour to the Duden waterfall pouring into the sea
- The Roman theatre at Aspendos at opening, then a last swim
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 730 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Istanbul
Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) to Sultanahmet, about 1 hour
- Dinner
- Stay in Istanbul
- Drive about 1 h
Afternoon
Fly into Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), ideally by early afternoon. Your See Sight Tours guide or our driver meets the family in arrivals, and the air-conditioned vehicle has child seats or boosters ready for the ages you booked. The drive into Sultanahmet, the old city between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, takes about an hour. Check in to the hotel for three nights and rest after the flight. In the late afternoon the group meets for a short walk into Sultanahmet Park, a few minutes from the hotel, where the domes of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque face each other across a fountain and children can run on the grass.
Evening
The welcome dinner sits down at about 6 pm, nearby, with a short briefing on the ten days, so the youngest guests are in bed on time.
Included
- Pick-up at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
- Short evening walk in Sultanahmet Park with your guide
- Welcome dinner at about 6 pm
Easier option: Rest at the hotel and join the group at dinner.
Free time: Afternoon free after check-in
Activity: Land by about 3 pm to join the walk; later arrivals are met and taken to the hotel.
Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia
On foot in Sultanahmet
- Breakfast
- Stay in Istanbul
We start at about 8:30 with a short walk through the Hippodrome, where Byzantine chariots once raced, past the Egyptian obelisk, carved about 3,500 years ago, and the bronze Serpent Column. We are at the gate of Topkapi Palace when it opens. For nearly four centuries the Ottoman sultans ruled from its courtyards, and the visit includes the Harem's tiled rooms, the treasury with its huge emerald dagger, and terraces over the Bosphorus where grandparents can sit with a view. After about two hours we walk round the corner to Hagia Sophia, finished in 537, through the gallery entrance foreign visitors use, and finish at the Blue Mosque, timed between prayers.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own in Sultanahmet, and from about 1:30 the afternoon is free: a rest at the hotel, the toy and doll museums nearby, or ice cream in the park.
Included
- Short guided walk through the Hippodrome
- Topkapi Palace entry, with the Harem
- Hagia Sophia gallery entry for foreign visitors
- Blue Mosque visit between prayer times
Easier option: Skip the Harem and wait on a terrace bench with a tea while the group goes round.
More active option: Climb to the Galata Tower in the afternoon for the view over the Golden Horn.
Free time: Afternoon free from about 1:30 pm
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on level paving and some stairs, all within a few minutes of the hotel. Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays, so this day never falls on one.
The Cistern, marbling and the Bosphorus
Sultanahmet on foot, then a Bosphorus boat from Eminönü
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Istanbul
- Drive about 18 min
We go down into the Basilica Cistern when it opens, before the queue builds. It is a 6th-century underground reservoir held up by 336 columns, dimly lit, with walkways over the water, and children hunt for the two carved Medusa heads at the far end. Next comes the hour everyone remembers: an ebru marbling workshop, where a local artist shows how paint floats on thickened water and each guest, grandparents included, combs a pattern and lifts it onto paper to take home.
Afternoon
Lunch is together in a local restaurant, then we walk through the Spice Bazaar for Turkish delight and dried fruit, with no shop we take you to and no commissions. After a rest at the hotel, a boat for our group leaves Eminönü at about 4 pm and runs up the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, past Dolmabahçe Palace and the Rumeli Hisarı fortress, back by about 6.
Evening
Dinner is on your own; for families who want company, the guide books a table near the hotel for about 6:30 pm.
Included
- Basilica Cistern entry at opening
- Ebru marbling workshop for every guest
- Lunch in a local restaurant
- Walk through the Spice Bazaar
- Two-hour Bosphorus boat for our group
Easier option: Go back to the hotel by taxi with the guide's help after lunch and join the boat at 4 pm.
More active option: Walk up to the Süleymaniye Mosque and its terrace over the Golden Horn during the free hours.
Free time: Rest at the hotel from about 2 to 3:30 pm; dinner on your own after the boat
Activity: The Cistern has stairs down and up and is cool and dim; the Spice Bazaar is busy, so keep children close.
Fly to Cappadocia
Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir by air, then Göreme
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Göreme
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A short morning flight, about an hour and a quarter, replaces the long road across Anatolia that other family trips use. We fly from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir, whichever has the better time that day, and drive to the cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar, home for three nights, with rooms cut into the soft rock.
Afternoon
After lunch on your own and a rest, we drive to Uçhisar Castle, a tall rock riddled with old rooms; whoever wants to climbs to the top for the view over the fairy chimneys, and the rest wait at the café below. Then Pigeon Valley's viewpoint, with dovecotes carved into the cliffs, and the Kızılçukur viewpoint over the Red and Rose valleys, where the rock turns pink as the sun drops.
Evening
Dinner at about 6 pm is together, near the hotel.
Included
- Flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir
- Transfer to the cave hotel
- Uçhisar Castle entry
- Pigeon Valley and Kızılçukur viewpoints
- Dinner at about 6 pm
Easier option: Stay at the café below Uçhisar Castle; the viewpoints are a few steps from the vehicle.
More active option: Walk down into the Red Valley with the guide for about 45 minutes and meet the vehicle at the viewpoint.
Free time: Early afternoon free at the hotel
Activity: The climb inside Uçhisar Castle is steep and uneven; everything else today is close to the vehicle.
Balloons at sunrise, tunnels and clay
Göreme, Kaymaklı and Avanos
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Göreme
- Drive about 1.5 h
The balloon flight is in the price.
Morning
The operator collects you about an hour before sunrise, you watch the envelopes fill in the half dark, and the flight lasts about an hour as the sun lights the valleys. Turkish civil aviation decides each morning whether balloons may fly; if today is cancelled we try again tomorrow. Children below the operator's age or height limit, and anyone who would rather not fly, watch the launch from a viewpoint with the guide, or simply sleep in. Back at the hotel by about 8:30 for breakfast, then a rest until 10:30. We drive about 30 minutes to Kaymaklı Underground City, where four levels of tunnels lead past stables, kitchens and a chapel; the upper level is enough for anyone who prefers it.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Avanos on the Kızılırmak river, then an hour at a potter's wheel for those who want it, while the driver takes anyone ready to rest back to the hotel, 15 minutes away. Everyone is back by about 3:30 pm.
Included
- Sunrise hot air balloon flight of about an hour, or the launch from a viewpoint
- Kaymaklı Underground City entry
- Lunch in Avanos
- Pottery lesson in Avanos, optional on the day
Your choice: Sunrise balloon flight, about an hour / Watch the balloons rise from a sunrise viewpoint with your guide Included in the price.
Easier option: Sleep in or watch the balloons from the viewpoint; see Kaymaklı's upper level only; after lunch the driver takes you back to the hotel instead of the pottery lesson.
Free time: Free from about 2 pm for those who skip the pottery, about 3:30 pm for the rest
Activity: Kaymaklı has low, narrow passages and steep steps; anyone uneasy in tight spaces can stay at the top level.
Rock churches and a village dinner
Göreme Open Air Museum and Love Valley
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Göreme
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
This is the spare balloon morning: if yesterday's flight was cancelled, you fly today. If not, sleep in, or come with your guide at dawn to a viewpoint above Göreme to watch the balloons rise. We are at the Göreme Open Air Museum when it opens, at about 8 am, before the coaches arrive; if the balloon flies today, the flight lands around 8 and we go to the museum after breakfast instead, at about 10:30. Monks cut these churches and refectories into the rock between the 10th and 12th centuries, and the paths between them are short, with benches in the shade. Mid-morning we drive to the rim of Love Valley for its tall, smooth stone pillars; a short level path follows the rim, and the vehicle waits at both ends. From about 12:30 (about 1:30 on a flying morning) the day is free: the hotel pool where there is one, a nap, or a ride on the gentle horses at a stable near Göreme.
Evening
In the evening we drive to a village for dinner at about 6 pm, cooked by a local family in their home.
Included
- Spare balloon morning if day 5 was cancelled
- Göreme Open Air Museum entry at opening, or late morning on a flying day
- Short walk on the rim of Love Valley
- Dinner with a local family at about 6 pm
Optional experiences
- Horse ride with a local stable near Göreme
Easier option: See the museum's lower churches and wait at the café; view Love Valley from the vehicle.
More active option: Walk down into Love Valley with the guide, about an hour, and meet the vehicle at the bottom.
Free time: Afternoon free from about 12:30 pm, or about 1:30 pm if the balloon flies today
Fly to Antalya and the sea
Kayseri or Nevşehir to Antalya by air, then the hotel
- Breakfast
- Stay in Antalya
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive to the airport and fly south over the Taurus Mountains to Antalya, about an hour and ten minutes where a direct flight runs that season; otherwise we connect in Istanbul, which makes this a longer travel day, and we tell you which when we confirm your dates. Other family trips cross this distance by road in a full day. Our driver meets the flight, and the hotel by the sea, home for three nights, is about 20 minutes from Antalya Airport.
Afternoon
The afternoon is for the pool, the beach or a nap.
Evening
In the early evening, once it cools, the guide takes anyone who wants to go on a short stroll into Kaleiçi, the walled old town above the harbour, through Hadrian's Gate, built in 130 AD for the emperor's visit. Dinner tonight is on your own; the guide books a table for 6 pm for families who want one.
Included
- Flight from Kayseri or Nevşehir to Antalya
- Transfer to the hotel by the sea
- Evening stroll in Kaleiçi and through Hadrian's Gate
Easier option: Stay at the hotel pool and skip the evening stroll.
Free time: Afternoon free at the pool or beach
Activity: If no direct flight runs, the connection in Istanbul adds about 3 hours.
A boat to the Düden waterfall
Kaleiçi harbour by boat to the Lower Düden falls, then the beach
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Antalya
- Drive about 18 min
We drive about 15 minutes into the old town and walk down the lanes of Kaleiçi to the old Roman harbour, where a boat for our group is waiting. The trip runs east along the cliffs to the Lower Düden waterfall, where the river drops straight off the cliff edge into the sea; the boat goes close enough for the spray on a breezy day, and children like to count the cormorants on the rocks. The crew sets a short swim stop when the sea is warm enough, with life jackets for children.
Afternoon
We are back at the harbour by late morning, and lunch is together in a restaurant inside the old walls. The afternoon is free from about 2 pm: the hotel pool, Konyaaltı beach below the cliffs, or the Antalya Aquarium, which has a walk-through tunnel and is a short taxi ride from most hotels.
Included
- Walk through Kaleiçi to the old harbour
- Boat for our group to the Lower Düden waterfall, with a swim stop in season
- Lunch in Kaleiçi
Optional experiences
- Antalya Aquarium
Easier option: Sit on the boat's shaded deck and skip the swim; the vehicle waits at the top of the harbour steps.
More active option: Swim from the boat at the stop, with the crew watching.
Free time: Afternoon free from about 2 pm
Activity: The harbour lanes are steep cobbles with steps; the vehicle can drop slower walkers at the top of the harbour.
Aspendos and the Upper Düden falls
Antalya to Aspendos, the Upper Düden falls and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Antalya
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at about 8 am for the 45-minute drive east to Aspendos, and arrive when it opens, before the heat and the day coaches. Its Roman theatre, built in the 2nd century AD, is one of the best preserved anywhere, with the stage wall still standing to its full height and seats for several thousand. Children test the acoustics by whispering from the stage while the rest of the family listens from the top rows; grandparents can watch from the lower seats without the climb.
Afternoon
On the way back we stop for lunch in a garden restaurant and then at the Upper Düden falls, a shady park on the edge of the city where a path leads behind the curtain of water, cool on a warm day.
Evening
We are back at the hotel by about 2:30 pm for a last swim, and the farewell dinner sits down at about 6 pm.
Included
- Aspendos theatre entry at opening
- Lunch near Aspendos
- Upper Düden waterfall park entry
- Farewell dinner at about 6 pm
Easier option: Watch from the theatre's lower rows; at Düden, stay on the level paths by the falls.
More active option: Climb to the top row of the theatre and walk up to the ruins of the aqueduct behind it.
Free time: Afternoon free from about 2:30 pm
Activity: The theatre rows are high stone steps without rails; the path behind the Düden falls is damp and has steps.
Depart Antalya
Hotel to Antalya Airport (AYT), about 20 minutes
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
The trip ends after breakfast. The morning is free for a last swim or a walk along the seafront, and our driver takes the family to Antalya Airport (AYT), about 20 minutes away, at whatever time your flight leaves. Antalya has direct international flights to many European cities, and frequent flights to Istanbul for long-haul connections home; we can book the Antalya to Istanbul leg with the trip if you ask. Allow at least two hours at the airport before an international departure, as Antalya is busy in season, and if you connect in Istanbul, leave three hours or more between flights. If your flight is late in the day, the hotel can usually keep your bags, and the guide will suggest a short outing nearby that fits the time you have before the transfer. Families who want more beach days can add nights at the same hotel.
Included
- Drop-off at Antalya Airport (AYT)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book flights home leaving after about 11 am, or later if you connect in Istanbul.
- Istanbul3 nights
- Göreme3 nights
- Antalya3 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn bring mild days in Istanbul and Cappadocia, roughly 15 to 25°C, with cold early mornings in Cappadocia, which sits at about 1,000 to 1,300 m. Antalya is warmer, about 22 to 30°C; the sea is cool for swimming until late May and warm in September and October. Balloon flights depend on the wind and are cancelled on some mornings, which is why we keep a spare morning.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children aged 6 and up travelling together
- Families who want Istanbul and Cappadocia with a few easy days by the sea at the end
- Grandparents who walk well for 2 to 3 hours on paving but want afternoons off
- Children who like tunnels, boats, balloons, clay and paint
- A grandparent travelling with one grandchild who wants a fair room price
Not for you if you want
- Families with children under 6
- Travellers who want Ephesus; see our Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus trip
- Travellers who want long hikes or full sightseeing days
- Step-free access: old Istanbul, Kaymaklı and Aspendos have steps and uneven stone
- A long beach holiday; add nights in Antalya after the trip
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are 6 to 80
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Istanbul3 nights
- Göreme3 nights
- Antalya3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 3 in Sultanahmet, Istanbul, 3 in a cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar, 3 at a hotel with a pool by the sea in Antalya
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Family rooms or connecting rooms requested for each family, confirmed with your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on day 1 and drop-off at Antalya Airport (AYT) on day 10
- Flights from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevşehir, and from Cappadocia to Antalya
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and professional driver for every transfer and outing, with child seats or boosters for the ages booked
- A Bosphorus boat for our group in Istanbul
- A boat for our group from Kaleiçi harbour to the Lower Düden waterfall
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 pick-up to the day 10 airport drop-off
- Local licensed guides at sites where Turkish rules require one, and the balloon and boat crews
Activities
- Istanbul: the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace with the Harem, the Hagia Sophia gallery, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, an ebru marbling workshop and the Spice Bazaar
- Cappadocia: a sunrise hot air balloon flight with a spare morning, Uçhisar Castle, the Pigeon Valley and Kızılçukur viewpoints, Kaymaklı Underground City, a pottery lesson in Avanos, the Göreme Open Air Museum and Love Valley
- Antalya: an evening stroll in Kaleiçi and through Hadrian's Gate, the Aspendos theatre and the Upper Düden waterfall park
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: in Istanbul, in Avanos, in Kaleiçi and near Aspendos
- 4 dinners at about 6 pm: a welcome dinner in Istanbul, a first night in Göreme, a dinner with a village family in Cappadocia and a farewell dinner in Antalya
Not included
- International flights to Istanbul and home from Antalya
- Travel insurance
- Turkish e-Visa fees, where your passport needs one
- Lunch on days 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10, and dinners on days 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver, local guides and the balloon and boat crews
- Optional activities, such as a horse ride in Cappadocia or the Antalya Aquarium
- Personal expenses
- Hotel nights before day 1 or after day 10
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 730 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in hotels with family or connecting rooms requested, three of them in a Cappadocia cave hotel, 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners, both domestic flights, airport transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, the balloon flight, two boats, the marbling and pottery lessons, and every entry in the day plan.
What age do children need to be?
Six and up. The days are planned so that a 6 to 12-year-old and a grandparent in their seventies enjoy the same mornings. Balloon operators set their own minimum age and height, so a child below the limit watches the launch from a viewpoint with the guide and a family member, and we tell you the rule when you book.
Is there a price for children?
Children are priced on request. Many entries are free or reduced for children, and the balloon has its own child fare, so we quote a child price for your family's ages when you ask to book. The published price is per person sharing a room, for adults.
Can grandparents manage the walking?
Yes, if they walk comfortably for 2 to 3 hours on paving with some stairs. Each day has one main outing in the morning and six afternoons are free. The steep parts, Uçhisar Castle, Kaymaklı's lower levels and the top rows at Aspendos, all have a place to sit and wait, and the vehicle is never far away.
Is the balloon flight really included, and what if it is cancelled?
Yes, the sunrise flight is in the price. Turkish civil aviation decides each morning whether balloons may fly, so day 6 is a spare morning. If neither morning flies, the balloon operator's own rule applies, and we tell you that rule when you book. Anyone who would rather not fly watches the launch from a viewpoint with the guide.
How big is the group, and will we be with other families?
Between 7 and 12 guests, counting children, so you share the trip with one or two other families or couples at most. A family of seven or more can fill a departure on its own, or book the private version on a date you choose.
How long are the travel days?
Short. Two domestic flights of about an hour do the long crossings, and no drive in a day is longer than about 1.75 hours, in short legs. If no direct Kayseri or Nevşehir to Antalya flight runs on your dates, day 7 connects in Istanbul, about 3 hours longer; or add a fourth Cappadocia night and fly the next day, priced on request.
I am a grandparent travelling with one grandchild. What is the single supplement?
If you share a room with your grandchild, there is no supplement: you pay two shares. A traveller who wants a room alone pays a supplement from CAD 730, shown before you book. We never pair strangers in a room.
When is the best time to go with children?
April to June and September to October. Easter breaks and late June suit school calendars, Istanbul and Cappadocia are mild, and Antalya is warm without the summer heat. The sea is cool until late May, so the hotel pool does the work in spring. July and August are very hot; ask about a private trip with earlier starts.
Do we need visas for Turkey?
Many passports need a Turkish e-Visa, bought online before you fly, and the rules change from time to time. Check for every traveller, children included, when you book; we send the current official link and the passport details we need for the domestic flights.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Tell us the ages of the children and any dietary needs when you request, so we can hold family rooms and plan the lunches.
Can our family travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is your family only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and driver, from CAD 7,730 per person sharing. If you would rather travel on your own without a guide, ask from the dates section and we will quote the same flights, hotels and transfers.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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