The place where you never know if you’re in Europe, Asia or Dream.
A Turkey trip sounds like just another vacation until it isn’t. It’s early mornings in Cappadocia watching balloons go up, not just ticking it off a list. It’s evenings in Istanbul where you don’t rush sunsets. It’s ruins in Ephesus that still feel lived in, Mediterranean cafés that don’t try too hard, and long drives along the coast that feels like therapy to ones eyes.
This blog post is about our 14N/15D trip to Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Kaş, Fethiye and Selcuk in the month of June 2026. We’ve done enough complex itineraries to usually trust ourselves. This time, we weren’t fully sure.
There was uncertainty around the Middle East situation, flight reroutes, and visa paperwork that wasn’t straightforward. Things didn’t start well either. At check-in, a small discrepancy in my e-visa meant I was denied boarding. Soon after, Nikita’s phone stopped working. With two red eyed kids, the night was mostly spent managing things rather than sleeping.
But once we got past that, things started falling into place. And what followed was easily one of the most memorable trips we’ve had.
Day 1: Settling in Istanbul
We arrived around afternoon at Istanbul Airport taking one of Indigo’s direct flights from Mumbai. The flight took a detour, halted briefly at Ras-al-Khaimah for refueling. After clearing formalities, buying some Turkish Liras and a local SIM card, we headed straight to our hotel — Magnova Studios, perfectly located in the historic Istiklal Avenue.
Istiklal stretches between Taksim Square and Galata Tower, two of the famous landmarks. A red heritage tram cuts through the street, and the whole place feels alive — tourists, street vendors, people lining up for tram photos, and the usual Dondurma (turkish ice-cream) theatrics. Before anything else, we got the phone screen fixed.
Mandabatmaz was our first stop where we tried our first cup of Turkish coffee (sade – no sugar)! Next we wandered around the street till Galata Tower to have a taste of the famous San Sebastian Cheesecake at Sirin Firin Bakery. We loaded our IstanbulKart on our way back to try all possible ways to commute in Istanbul – vintage trams, ferries, metros and funiculars!
We had plans to go to Büyük Mecidiye Mosque (Ortaköy Mosque) square to watch the most famed sunset over Bosphorus eating piping hot Kumpir.
On our way back, we loaded ourselves with local supplies (milk, snacks, fruits etc) and called it a day.
At this time of the year, across Turkey, days start late and stretch well into the night. With long summer daylight, cities stay active past midnight without trying too hard.
Day 2: Istanbul – Mosques and Minarets
We started with a modest and miniature version of famed Turkish breakfast ‘Kahvalti‘, which our hotel had to offer.
Our first stop for the day was Sultanahmet where most of historic sites are within walking distance. Hagia Sophia was the first and the scale of the massive circular wooden medallions with Arabic calligraphy definitely stood out. Basilica Cistern felt familiar, almost like walking into a scene from a Dan Brown movie. Blue mosque (Sultan Ahmed mosque) was as spectacular and humbling in front of the Hagia Sophia as it can be.
We had lunch at Old Ottoman Cafe and restaurant where we tried Ottoman Sherbet, Clay Pot Kebab, Dondurmali Irmik Helvesi and Moli’s trusted companion for the upcoming days – Ayran!
We made a quick stop at Nova Shantiye Cafe — a terrace spot overlooking the Süleymaniye Mosque (designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan). From there, we headed to Galata Tower for sunset. Narrow spiral staircases, a bit of a climb, but we made it in time and found a spot. Everything was on track. The sun was about to set over the Bosphorus, the usual orange glow starting to show.
And then Hanu needed the washroom. Sunset can wait apparently and priorities were very clear! Just not ours.
Like Rome, Istanbul sits across seven hills — something you notice quickly when you walk. Areas like Istiklal and Sultanahmet are largely vehicle-free, which adds to this experience.
Day 3: Istanbul – Hammam and Asian side
A Turkish hammam (or traditional bathhouse) is a centuries-old bathing ritual rooted in Roman and Ottoman traditions. It is less about relaxation and more about the process. Steam, scrub, rinse — repeated till you stop resisting.
We had strategically chosen Hurrem Sultan Hamami, a 450 years old bathhouse, for this experience as nearby we found Turkish Arts – a center for Ebru Arts (a traditional Turkish water marbling art, recognized on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List). While we went through the full hammam routine, the kids got busy with Ebru. Water, clearly, has multiple use cases!
Our bonus was the spectacular sea of marmara view from arts instructor Betul’s rooftop where she obliged us with a cup of turkish tea and equally warm conversation.
We had plans to spend evening in an easy way on the Asian side of Istanbul – exploring Kadikoy and Moda. Taking ferry is an excellent and recommended way to cross Bosphorus. Strolling and nibbling our way through the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, we had coffee at famed Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, before we headed to Eminonu pier to take ferry to Kadikoy.
We strolled through Yeldegirmeni neighborhood and Tellalzade street, before arriving at Moda seafront to watch the setting Sun. Simple, but enough to get the vibe of the Asian side.
Day 4: Experiencing Istanbul
We had spent three days in a city where history was written and re-written multiple times. Today was about the cultural side. We started our day with a traditional Turkish coffee brewing over hot sand combined with Fortune telling experience. Then a walk through the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets, still functioning the way it always has. Our entire evening was reserved for Hodjapasha, one of the very few places remaining where Dervish Sema ceremony and traditional performances can be seen.
We had a next day after noon Turkish Airlines flight to catch for Nevsehir, one of the two airports serving Cappadocia. Gule Gule Istanbul!
Day 5: Settling in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is famous for lots of things – fairy chimneys, cave hotels, underground majestic cities, cave churches and of course, the Hot air balloon over the magicland.
We stayed in Grand Cave Suites, very close to Goreme city center and hired a vehicle from Sunset Rent A Car. With evening still ahead of us, we explored Swords Valley, Rose Valley and Love Valley, piping hot coffee overlooking the gorge and sun setting in horizon.
As Kids couldn’t go for the balloon ride, we went one by one on different days and had made reservations with Royal Balloon accordingly.
Turns out, parenting is mostly smart logistics!
Day 6-7: Goreme and Around
While the morning started well before Sunrise, the day was filled with exciting sightseeing. There are two tours popular in this area – Green (South) and Red (North) tour. Green tour takes you in South till Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery while Red tour covers nearby places including Uchisar castle and Pigeon valley.
We decided to pick best of these tours and do it at our own pace. First day, we started with Kaymakli underground city – a sprawling, 8-level underground city carved into soft volcanic rock. First excavated around 8th century B.C., it features intricate living quarters, stables, wineries, and ventilation shafts. It famously sheltered thousands of early Christians escaping invasions. We kept going further till Ihlara Valley while taking pitstops along the way, where we visited a strawberry farm, a pond set in the backdrop of mountain and beautiful wild flowers!
The highlight of the day was a dinner reservation at Michelin guide Aravan Evi, set in a unique peaceful environment, where a family of three generations of Yazgan’s brings everything on the table fresh from their gardens. The dinner table set next to a 50 years old grape vine and overlooking the mountains was as rustic as it could be. They kept serving. We kept eating.
On our second day, we went for a quick hike to the top of Uchisar castle, from where the views didn’t disappoint us. As we were waiting for our overnight sleeper bus to Denizili (Pamukkale) in the night, we had enough time left for a mosiac lamp workshop, a coffee stop and watching cappadocia sunset one last time atop the fairy chimneys.
Day 8: Cotton Castles of Pamukkale
Turkey has a vast network of inter-city buses and while initially speculative, we are glad we took one. We had made our reservations with Kamil Koç through Flixbus, one of the oldest and highly rated operators. The journey was safe and comfortable where we all mostly slept as our eyes were swollen with watching early morning balloons.
Pamukkale is a natural wonder and UNESCO World Heritage site which can be reached easily from Denizili. The city is famous for three things – dazzling white calcium terraces or travertines and thermal infinity pools, Hierapolis ruins and Cleopatra’s pool.
Pamukkale is one of those places where expectations need managing. A lot of the water is diverted to nearby hotels, so the terraces don’t always look the way you see in photos. We knew this going in, so it wasn’t a surprise. Still, a bit underwhelming when you see it up close.
And just as we were adjusting to that, it started raining. Not light drizzle — proper wind, proper rain. Felt like Pamukkale wanted to make its point.
We wrapped it quickly, took some quick photos and returned to our stay Venus Suite Hotel. We already had pickup up our pre-booked car from Enterprise at Denizili which was going to drive us to the second part of our vacation – mediterraneans!
Day 9: Drive to Kaş
With not much left to do at Pamukkale, we started after a leisurely breakfast with almost 4 hours of drive ahead of us to Kaş.
Kaş is a charming, unspoiled, quintessential bohemian seaside town on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Famous for its crystal-clear turquoise waters, vibrant bougainvillea-covered streets and lazy vibes, it was perfect start for the second half of our itinerary and gateway into Mediterranean. After checking into Lale Hotel, we wandered around the city center for a while before settling into one of the sundowners for the day.
The highlight of the day was a cozy turkish dessert place Tatli Dukkani, where we got to savor some of the local delicacies.
Day 10: Drive to Fethiye
The day started with our first Mediterranean beach stop — Kaputaş Beach, right on the way to Fethiye.
Kaputaş is not a typical easy-access beach. You park on the highway, walk down a long flight of steps, and suddenly the view opens up — a narrow stretch of sand between steep cliffs and clear blue water.
It’s compact, slightly crowded, and not the most convenient. But the water color alone makes it worth the stop. Strong waves, cold water, and not much shade — you don’t stay too long, but you remember every bit of it.
We checked into La Farine rooms which had a stunning view of the marina. Parking, however, was a different story here. Narrow roads, slopes everywhere, and a bit of effort each time, which we had to embrace for next couple of days of our stay here.
Day 11-12: Fethiye
Fethiye is a vibrant city on Turkey’s southwestern Turquoise Coast, very close to Greece’s Rhodes Islands, renowned for its crystal-clear waters and the iconic Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon. The city is one of the world’s premier tandem paragliding destinations, launching from the towering Babadağ Mountain.
We had booked paragliding with Sky Sports. Since kids weren’t flying, we went in separate slots. Parenting logistics, again. But once we were in the air, it changed quickly. The view opens up, and you realise how high you are — close to 2,000 meters, moving steadily at around 30 km/h!
Takeoff from Babadağ mountain was smooth, and the landing at Ölüdeniz beach even more so.
After having lunch near the Oludeniz beach, we spent the afternoon and late evening at the famous Çalış Beach, which is primarily composed of coarse sand, and pebbles. Cleaning up after beach time made it clear — pebbly beaches win over sandy ones!
Next day was for a proper village brunch at Yalçın Apart & Yörük Müzesi.
We had heard how seriously Turkish people take kahvaltı. So far, what we had seen in hotels were just miniature versions — enough to get a sense, but not the full picture. This, however, was different. Slower, more spread out, and clearly not meant to be rushed. Our table was set next to an olive tree in their family garden and dishes just kept coming in till there was no room left on the table!
We found another gem through LokalBond, who connected us with our host Muzaffer, a family in Fethiye for a slow open fire pit cooked dinner. Bonus was handpicked oranges from the orchard, which kids thoroughly enjoyed squishing and gulping.
While the dinner was simple pilav rice, white beans stew, Cacık (yogurt and fresh herbs) and irmik helvasi, the authenticity of the setup added to the charm. Our host Muzaffer talked to us exchanging cultural notes, showed us how to brew Cay using a çaydanlık and how to make soaps from sheep wool.
We realised, after having multiple glasses, that tea isn’t ordered here. It just appears — and keeps appearing as long as the conversation goes!
Day 13: Drive to Selçuk & Ephesus
We checked into Celsus Boutique Otel, a small family run boutique hotel with their equally charming host Zeinab. While the hotel was perfect, little did we know that parking maneuvers in Fethiye were just the warm-up, Selçuk was the real test!
The evening was planned wandering in the ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO Heritage site and home to Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!
The ruins are very well preserved and spread across a large area, with two entry points — upper and lower. We chose to go around sunset and stay into the evening. Only the lower gate is open then, so you walk uphill through the site. With fewer people and softer light, it feels different.
Key stops were the Library of Celsus, Hadrian Gate, and the Great Theatre — all easier to take in without the daytime heat.
Day 14: Şirince Village
This was the last day of our trip before we had to head back. The day started with a lazy late breakfast followed by some Lokum shopping for friends back home and finally visiting the Şirince Village in the evening.
It is a small hillside village, best explored without a plan. The village has Fruit wines and tastings everywhere — along with cafes that are more about sitting than doing. It also produces local olive oil based hand made soaps.
Peaches, apricots, figs, plums, loquat, erik, oranges — fruit trees were everywhere through the drive, but Selçuk felt different. You see it more often than you plan for it and it had a very nice vibe to it.
Day 15: Drive to Izmir and Back to Bangalore
This was mostly a logistics day where we had to return our car at Adnan Menderes Airport, take Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul airport and then take an overnight Indigo flight to Mumbai and then back to Bangalore.
This blog will not be complete without its own section of the variety of vegetarian dishes we tried during our stay. While we were aware that Turkish cuisine has plenty to offer to vegetarians, what we were not sure if we will have to look out for Indian restaurants for kids. Moli thoroughly enjoyed the varieties on her plate and few dishes she still cherish to this day – Kumpir, Menemen and Ayran!
A very brief list of what we tried there:
Ayran (Butter Milk), Cig kofte (Bulgur based which is kind of a cereal), Gozleme (Thin pastry stuffed with spinach, cheese, or potatoes), Menemen (scrambled egg like dish but much more savory), Kumpir (Giant Baked potatoes stuffed with various toppings), Borek (Cylindrical pastry filled with cheese, spinach or potatoes), Manti (Ravioli like dumplings), Simit (ubiquitous bagel like bread), Dolma (grape leaves with rice filled), Mercimek Çorbası (Lentil soup), Bal-kaymak (cream honey dip), Muhammara (dip made of walnut, peanut, bell peppers etc), Pilav Rice (Pulao), Balloon Bread, Cacik (Yogurt, cucumber, dill leaves dip), Lahmahchun (Turkish Pizza), Pide (boat shaped bread with toppings), White bean stew, Shakshouka (Tunisian dish, mish-mash of vegetables), Kebab (vegetable based)
Levantine cuisine: Falafel, Tabbouleh (parsley salad), Hummus (chickpea), Tahini (sesame seeds), Mtabbal (tahini based dip), Baba Ganoush (Like Mtabbal but chunky)
Desserts: Sutlac (rice pudding), Dondurma – ice cream, Dondurmali Irmik Helvasi (halwa ice cream pudding), Katmer (cream pista sugar), Kunefe (cheese pista sugar), Baklava, Lokum (Turkish delight)
In these two weeks, we get to experience so much be it history, culture, food, workshops and long drives that stays with you. Turkey is not just about places — it is the kind of trip that holds up even after it’s over.
GB Hacks
- Turkey Visa for Indians has a lot of paperwork with strict requirements, especially when traveling with minor kids. On the contrary, if you have any US visa, it is one of the easiest.
- bitaski app can be used to book city cabs. Yellow taxis are also a good options. Large cities like Istanbul has extensive public transportation. For inter-city, roads are excellent and so are their night coaches.
- Euro and TL (Lira) both are prevalent. Card payment had surcharge upto 20% in most places.
- Driving is highly recommended. One of the best road networks, great views and good cars.
- Veg food is not a problem at all.
- Luck was with us, otherwise Balloon flights and Paragliding tend to get cancelled in adverse weather.
- All cities we visited had uphill and downhill roads. Be prepared for good amount of walk. Stroller is advisable.
Kedia's Travelogue 