What's included
Turkey is underrated. Istanbul gives you the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar and a Bosphorus sunset cruise — and some of the best shopping of any tour we run. Then Cappadocia, for the sunrise balloon ride, underground cities and the fairy chimneys of the Red Valley.
Turkey is where Europe and Asia meet, and it feels like it.
Package includes
- International flights (JNB ↔ Istanbul)
- Accommodation (shared)
- All breakfast meals
- Welcome dinner
- Istanbul city tour
- Cappadocia tour
- Evening Bosphorus cruise
- Tour experience leader and ground transport
Not included — optional activities
- Hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia
- Entrance fees to sites
- Turkish bath (hammam)
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
Optional activities
- Sunrise hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia — the one most people come for. Book it for your first morning, because flights are weather dependent and may be rescheduled
- Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace entries
- Kaymakli Underground City entry
- Bosphorus speedboat ride
- Galata Tower
- Uchisar Castle
- Turkish bath (hammam)
All paid locally at your own cost.
What you need
- Passport with at least six months' validity remaining
- Turkish e-visa where required — confirm before you book flights
- Travellers under 18: unabridged birth certificate, valid passport, and an affidavit from any parent not travelling
- Recommended spending money from R6,000, plus the balloon ride if you plan to do it. The lira works well for South Africans and Istanbul shopping is excellent value
- Modest clothing and a headscarf for mosque visits
- Warm layers — Cappadocia mornings are cold, especially in an open balloon basket before dawn
Your itinerary
Three nights in Istanbul, three in Cappadocia, then a final night back in Istanbul.
-
1
Travel day
- Depart for Istanbul.
-
2
Istanbul
- Arrive, transfer to the hotel and rest.
- Welcome dinner with the group.
-
3
Istanbul
- Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.
- ★ Site entrance fees at own cost.
- Bosphorus sunset cruise.
-
4
Istanbul — bazaars and views
- Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar shopping.
- ★ Optional: Bosphorus speedboat ride.
- Galata Tower panoramic views.
-
5
Cappadocia
- Fly or travel by bus to Cappadocia and check in.
-
6
Cappadocia — balloon morning
- ★ Optional: sunrise hot-air balloon ride. Book this for your first morning — flights depend on the weather and may be moved to another day.
- Kaymakli Underground City.
- Red Valley and Pasabag Monks Valley.
-
7
Cappadocia — free day
- Free day to explore at leisure, or a second chance at the balloon if the first was grounded.
-
8
Istanbul
- Uchisar Castle, then fly back to Istanbul.
-
9
Departure
- Depart Istanbul and fly back to South Africa.
★ Starred activities and site entrance fees are optional and paid locally at your own cost. The hot-air balloon ride is weather dependent. Itineraries may adjust slightly for local conditions.
Transport. Scheduled transport is provided only for activities and locations included in the official itinerary. Transport for personal activities, optional excursions, shopping trips or restaurants outside the planned programme is not included.
Optional activities are subject to availability, supplier confirmation and price changes. The itinerary may adjust slightly for flight schedules, weather or local operating hours.
Other departures you might like
Every one secured with a deposit and paid off in instalments before you travel.
