Self-Launched Istanbul & Cappadocia: 5 Days from Istanbul to Kayseri
5 days · Turkey
Destination Services Turkey charges £620
No-markup version: ~£435 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on Destination Services Turkey's 5-day Istanbul and Cappadocia group tour. You'll cover the same headline sights — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Spice Bazaar, a Bosphorus cruise, Ozkonak Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum, Cavusin, Love Valley, Devrent Valley and the Three Beauties — but on your own schedule, sleeping in hostels and cave guesthouses and using Istanbul's tram network plus a cheap domestic flight (or overnight bus) to Cappadocia. The optional hot-air balloon is booked direct, typically far below the operator's quoted €265–290. All costs are rough estimates for one person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Istanbul — settle into Sultanahmet
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet or Taksim (~£3-4, 60-90 min) — far cheaper than a taxi. Check into a hostel or small guesthouse in Sultanahmet, which puts the big sights on your doorstep. Spend the afternoon wandering the Hippodrome area and getting oriented, then eat a cheap dinner of pide or a balik ekmek (fish sandwich) by the water in Eminonu. Buy an Istanbulkart from a kiosk or machine (~£1 card fee) and load it — it covers trams, ferries, buses and funiculars at roughly £0.50 per ride.
🚌Havaist airport bus IST to Sultanahmet ~£3-4; Istanbulkart for local transport
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Sultanahmet (~£18-25/night)
- →Hippodrome square stroll
- →Eminonu waterfront walk
Old City classics: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Spice Bazaar
Istanbul
Do the Old City on foot from your hostel. Hagia Sophia is free to enter (expect queues — go at opening time). The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) is also free; dress modestly and time your visit outside prayer times. Walk through the Hippodrome to see the Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpentine Column and Column of Constantine. After lunch, take the tram to Eminonu for the Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) — free to browse, good for Turkish delight and tea. In the evening, book a Bosphorus dinner cruise directly through GetYourGuide or Klook from around £25-35 if the show-and-dinner night appeals, or simply take a public ferry up the Bosphorus for £1-2 for sunset views.
🚌Tram T1 between Sultanahmet and Eminonu, ~£0.50 per ride
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Sultanahmet (~£18-25/night)
- →Hagia Sophia (free entry)
- →Blue Mosque (free entry)
- →Hippodrome monuments
- →Spice Bazaar
- →Optional Bosphorus dinner cruise (~£25-35 via GetYourGuide)
Bosphorus by boat, then fly to Cappadocia
Istanbul to Cappadocia
Morning: take the public Bosphorus ferry (Sehir Hatlari, ~£2-4 for the short tour, or the regular commuter boats) — you'll pass Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortakoy, Rumeli Fortress and Beylerbeyi Palace from the water for a fraction of a private cruise. Grab a Turkish lunch near Karakoy or Eminonu. Afternoon: head to Istanbul Airport for a domestic flight to Kayseri (ASR) or Nevsehir (NAV). Book early on Turkish Airlines or Pegasus — fares of £20-40 one way are common if you're flexible. From Kayseri Airport, take the Havas or local bus to Goreme (~£3-5, ~1 hour) rather than the hotel shuttle. Check into a cave guesthouse in Goreme. Alternative if flights are pricey: overnight bus Istanbul–Goreme, roughly 10-12 hours and £20-28.
🚌Public Bosphorus ferry ~£2-4; Istanbul–Kayseri flight ~£20-40; Kayseri airport bus to Goreme ~£3-5
🛏Cave guesthouse in Goreme (~£18-30/night)
- →Public Bosphorus ferry past the palaces and Rumeli Fortress
- →Spice Bazaar
- →Evening walk through Goreme village
Cappadocia's greatest hits and the balloon option
Cappadocia
If you want the hot-air balloon, book direct through GetYourGuide, Klook or a Goreme operator — budget roughly £130-170 depending on season and basket size, a big saving on the operator's €265-290 quote. Pickup is around 04:30-05:30 and flights last about an hour with a champagne toast and certificate. After a nap, explore the region on your own: the easiest DIY route is the Red Tour by rented scooter/e-bike (~£15-20/day) or a shared minibus day tour (~£25-30). Cover Ozkonak Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum (10th-century frescoes, ~£10 entry), the abandoned village of Cavusin, a pottery workshop in Avanos, Love Valley, Devrent (Imagination Valley) and the Three Beauties fairy chimneys. Dolmus (shared minibuses) between villages cost £0.50-1.50 each hop. Evening: optional Turkish night show in a cave venue, bookable locally for ~£25-30.
🚌Rented scooter/e-bike ~£15-20 or shared minibus day tour ~£25-30; local dolmus £0.50-1.50 per hop
🛏Cave guesthouse in Goreme (~£18-30/night)
- →Optional hot-air balloon flight (~£130-170 direct)
- →Ozkonak Underground City
- →Goreme Open Air Museum (~£10)
- →Cavusin abandoned village
- →Avanos pottery workshop
- →Love Valley, Devrent Valley and Three Beauties
- →Optional Turkish night show (~£25-30)
Sunrise in the valleys and departure from Kayseri
Cappadocia to Kayseri
Get up early for free — sunrise over the fairy chimneys and balloon-filled skies from Goreme's viewpoint (Sunset Point/Hotel terrace) costs nothing and is the postcard shot. Have a slow breakfast, browse the village, then take the bus from Goreme otogar to Kayseri Airport (~£3-5, ~1 hour) or the Kayseri city bus if you have extra time and want to see the bazaar and Hunat Mosque. Fly back to Istanbul or onward. If your onward flight is late, leave bags at the guesthouse and hike part of Pigeon Valley or Rose Valley first — both trailheads are within walking distance of Goreme.
🚌Goreme–Kayseri Airport bus ~£3-5; onward domestic flight
🛏None (departure day)
- →Sunrise viewpoint over Goreme
- →Pigeon Valley or Rose Valley short hike
- →Goreme village browsing
Self-launched vs. Destination Services Turkey
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Destination Services Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£435 | £620 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £185 per person (30%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Destination Services Turkey-style trips? Check them out here.~£435
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Istanbul & Cappadocia: 5 Days from Istanbul to Kayseri cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £435 per person for 5 days in Turkey. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Destination Services Turkey?+
Yes — Destination Services Turkey charges around £620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £435 — a saving of roughly £185 (30%) per person.
How long is the Turkey trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Turkey.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Turkey, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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