Istanbul and Cappadocia are a 75 minute flight apart, and both work with children from about age 4. The food is simple and kids eat it, people are warm with families, and most of the sights are close together. Here is how a week in these two places works with kids, and what to change depending on how old they are.
How to split the week
Most families do 3 nights in Istanbul and 2 or 3 nights in Cappadocia. Istanbul goes first, because the flight home usually leaves from there and you do not want a long transfer on the last day. Fly to Cappadocia in the morning. You land in Kayseri or Nevsehir and you are at your hotel in Goreme before lunch.
Flights from the US land in Istanbul, and with the time difference the first day is slow, so do not plan anything before lunch. If you want the whole trip organized, with a driver, a licensed local guide and the hotels booked, Turkey tours from the USA run from 5 days for the two cities up to 14 days with Ephesus or the coast added. Doing it on your own is also fine. Istanbul has good public transport, and Cappadocia hotels arrange airport pickups.
Istanbul with kids: keep the days short
The old city, Sultanahmet, is where the big sights are: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern. They are all within a 10 minute walk of each other, which is the good news. The bad news is that the streets are cobbled, the lines build from 10 am on, and a 6 year old is done after two big sights.
Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
Tourists now enter Hagia Sophia through a separate entrance to the upper gallery, with a paid ticket, from 9 am. Be there at opening. The Blue Mosque is free but closes for prayer five times a day, so check the times at the door and fit it around Hagia Sophia. Kids need to take their shoes off inside, so slip-on shoes save time.
Basilica Cistern
With children under 10, the cistern wins over Hagia Sophia almost every time. It is dark, cool and slightly spooky, with fish in the water and the upside down Medusa heads. It takes 20 minutes and it is the sight they talk about at dinner.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi is big, and it is closed on Tuesdays. With children under 10, do the courtyards, the treasury and the kitchens, then leave. Skip the harem if energy is low. There is a good view of the Bosphorus from the last courtyard, which is a natural place to stop for a snack.
The Bosphorus by boat
A 90 minute public ferry, or a small boat tour from Eminonu, is the best afternoon in Istanbul with kids. They can move around, eat a simit (the sesame bread ring sold on every ferry) and see the palaces from the water. Boats beat buses here every time.
Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market
Give each child a small budget for one thing. Thirty minutes in the Grand Bazaar is enough, then walk down to the Spice Market. The smells and the free samples of Turkish delight keep them interested longer than the carpets do.
Getting around Istanbul
The T1 tram runs through the old city and down to the Galata Bridge. It is cheap and easy with a stroller. Taxis are fine too, but evening traffic is heavy, so plan dinner near the hotel.
Cappadocia with kids: two nights, five stops
Cappadocia is a landscape of rock cones and hidden valleys, and kids treat it like a playground. Two nights is enough for the main things. Three is better if you want a slow morning after the balloon.
Stay in a cave hotel
Rooms cut into the rock, no two the same. Goreme is the best base with children because it is small, walkable and has the most restaurants. Check that the room has a proper window, some of the deeper caves have none, and small children sleep better with daylight.
Hot air balloon at sunrise
This is the famous one. Each operator sets its own minimum age, usually 6 or 7, so ask before you book. The flight itself is smooth. The landing can bump, so hold small children at the end. The wake up is early, around 4:30 am, so plan a slow day after. Flights are cancelled when the wind is wrong. Book it for the first morning and keep the second as a backup. If the wind cancels it, you are moved to the next morning or refunded.
Goreme Open Air Museum
Rock churches with painted ceilings, short walks between them. One hour is enough with kids. Go early or late, the site is exposed and hot in the middle of the day.
Underground city
Kaymakli or Derinkuyu, whole towns carved into the rock. Derinkuyu goes eight floors down. Fantastic for kids from about 7, but the tunnels are low and narrow, so skip it with toddlers or with anyone who does not like tight spaces.
Pottery in Avanos
The workshops let children sit at the wheel and make something. Messy and fun, and the bowl they make is the souvenir they will actually keep.
Valley walks
Rose Valley and Love Valley have easy flat sections. Go in the late afternoon when the light turns the rock pink. Take water, there are no shops in the valleys.
What changes by age
Under 4: A carrier works better than a stroller, in Sultanahmet and in Cappadocia. One sight a day, the hotel pool in the afternoons, and skip the balloon and the underground city.
Ages 4 to 7: The cistern, the boat, the pottery workshop and the cave hotel are the hits. Two sights before lunch, free time after. The balloon depends on the child and on the operator's minimum age.
Ages 8 to 12: This is the best age for Turkey. They can handle the underground city, a longer valley walk and a full Topkapi visit. Give them the camera in Cappadocia.
Teens: Add an ATV or horse ride in the valleys, and let them lead the bargaining in the Grand Bazaar. A good guide makes a difference at this age. At Turkey Family Tours we see it every season: Byzantine and Ottoman history turns into stories they actually listen to.
Practical tips for Turkey with kids
Food
Grilled meat, rice, bread, lentil soup, fresh fruit. Even picky eaters manage. Kebab shops are everywhere and cheap, and most restaurants are relaxed about children.
Money
Turkish lira, but cards work almost everywhere. Keep some cash for small shops, the bazaar and tips.
When to go
April to June and September to October are the sweet spots: warm, not hot, and the balloons fly most mornings. July and August are hot in Istanbul and very hot in Cappadocia. Winter is quiet and Cappadocia under snow is a different place, but more balloon mornings are cancelled.
Guided or on your own
If you take a guided tour, check that the company uses licensed local guides and a private vehicle rather than a shared bus, and that the itinerary has gaps for the kids. This guide to private guided tours of Turkey explains how the guiding works and what to ask before you book.
A week in Istanbul and Cappadocia is a full trip, not a rest. If you are still deciding where to take the family next, Jennifer's list of family trip ideas is a good place to compare.
About the author: Fatih Dogan runs Turkey Family Tours, a licensed private tour agency in Istanbul that plans trips in Turkey for families with children.
