Istanbul/Cappadocia with kids

Hi Greenish, so you booked the tours in Istanbul when you get there? or did you book it from here? Has anyone out there done a package deal from dubai? The couple of tours we did, we booked once we got there. There's a huge strip of travel agents very close to all of the main sites in Sultanahmet. One of the Bosphorous cruises we did was a fraction of the price anyone in Dubai could quote.

Hi Greenish, so you booked the tours in Istanbul when you get there? or did you book it from here? Has anyone out there done a package deal from dubai?

I enjoy all the feedback. Now I am wondering if anyone out there have done Turkey/Istanbul tour package from Dubai. I went to Cairo,Aswan,Luxor and Nile cruise on a package deal and it was convenient and economical. I like recommended tour packages... so anyone? We went to Istanbul last September and found it much, much cheaper to book everything ourselves. We were travelling with three children (5, 3 and 10months) and did not come across a single package that catered well for kids or was of a reasonable price. We had 10 days in Istanbul and only just scratched the surface. I could have stayed there for a month!

Miami, Dnata has economically priced holiday packages. Call Dnata Holidays on 8008118 & they can give you packages to almost any country u want to visit. Their staff are also v friendly which is what I really like. All the best for your holiday planning.

I enjoy all the feedback. Now I am wondering if anyone out there have done Turkey/Istanbul tour package from Dubai. I went to Cairo,Aswan,Luxor and Nile cruise on a package deal and it was convenient and economical. I like recommended tour packages... so anyone?

Ooh, I'm envious. To add to all the great info you have been given, the wonderful Turkish people will make your trip. Second shaf's suggestion of the Sari Konak in Sultanhamet, family owned, I recommended it a few days ago on another thread. Enjoy Don't be envious -yet-only up to the subtle hint stage! :)

Ooh, I'm envious. To add to all the great info you have been given, the wonderful Turkish people will make your trip. Second shaf's suggestion of the Sari Konak in Sultanhamet, family owned, I recommended it a few days ago on another thread. Enjoy

Thanks for all the tips=off to nag nicely!

Thanks for all the info-have been trying to get BH to travel there with me forever-this might spur him on. Is it easy to organise day tours from the hotels once there? No kids involved. Also what time of year is best to go? Very easy to book tours from the hotels in Cappadocia. Just make sure you research online the current rates before you go as some hotels do tend to overcharge. If you don't want to book through hotels, just as easy booking direct at tour offices which are in town centre. We went in first half of June. The weather was pleasant, think by mid june being out in the sun would be too hot. 10 days in Turkey,you can do Cappadocia, Ephesus/Selcuk, Aphrodisias/ Pamukkale and Istanbul. Was one of the best holidays we've been on.

Best choice to going to Cappadocia and Istanbul.If you want to go both Istanbul and Cappadocia,you need minimum one week,3-4 days is not enough. Istanbul is a beautiful city,there are plenty of places to be seen.Cappadocia is also a nice and different place.Natural formations is a must to see.There are four or five star hotels in Cappadocia,but I advice you to stay especially cave hotel.It would be a nice experience for you and kids.There are hot air balloon tours which your kids will definitely love can also be arranged. As I am a Turkish person,who knows the area,I may assist you for hotel,plane booking,transfers,etc. Just let me know,if you are interested.

Its 12hrs overnight in a bus to cappadocia. But I went with a friend and loved it. Never take the front row seats in the bus tho. And u can sleep in the bus. Trains are too long and plane was too expensive then. Whatever u do, do not miss the Underground city of Cappadocia.. simply awesome. U need only 2 days in Cappadocia really. Best is to hire a tour for 2 days, they come and collect u from the hotel and then take u all over. Its fun and easiest.. We stayed in Urgup.. a tiny cave hotel :) I'd say go for a week! 4days in istanbul and 2 days in cappadocia! Plenty to do in istanbul, see the cisterns, the blue mosque, hagia sophie, the bosphoros, the princess islands, eat lots of doner kabab, take a tour bus of the city, see the dolmobache palace, etc etc. Lots of fun! :) Oh and u can book the tours once u r there. There r so many small travel agents, outside the hotel, u can get a good deal from them. Just go to 2 or 3 and u can figure the best rates urself. They are super friendly. The hotel we stayed in Istanbul was called Sari Konak, its got good ratings on tripadvisor.com. Very reasonable and lovely breakfast and right in the tourist areas near blue mosque. Its not 5 star, but very nice. <em>edited by shaf on 13/02/2011</em>

Thanks for all the info-have been trying to get BH to travel there with me forever-this might spur him on. Is it easy to organise day tours from the hotels once there? No kids involved. Also what time of year is best to go?

Tourism in Turkey is not geared towards kids. Turks love kids but there's not much to do/see that would interest kids.If your kids don't mind walking, and won't get too bored with history and scenery, then a week for Istanbul and Cappadocia is good. For Istanbul - other than the usual sights, try the sights mentioned in the link below - http://www.travelsavvymom.com/blog/five-favorites/istanbul-turkey-5-family-favorites/. We don't have kids but we did the Miniaturk and the Bosphorus cruise and there were plenty of very happy kids around ( basing that on the fact that there were no visible signs of tantrums and that kids were running around leaving parents to walk/sun in peace). Istanbul can be covered easily in 3 - 4 days without much hassle. I would advise staying in Sultanahmet. Public transport is easily available and long distances can easily be reached by ferries from the Sirkeci/Eminonu ferry station. Also check out the Toy Museum - http://www.istanbuloyuncakmuzesi.com/eng/kurumsal.asp. For Cappadocia - Goreme, Urgup, Avanos and Uchisar are the main tourist centres. Avanos is situated on the banks of a river and is a town based on pottery. Uchisar attracts more upmarket clientele and is generally quiet. Most tourists head to Goreme and Urgup. We generally prefer Goreme, as travel connections and tours seem to be more frequent there. There are flights from Istanbul to Kayseri in Cappadocia ( Turkish air, Onur Air and Pegasus Air - the latter two are from the Sabiha Gokce airport). From there, shuttle buses/taxi's/public buses are used to get to the towns you want. Kayseri to Goreme is a 45 minute minivan ride which cost us 17 Lira/ person. The scenery in Cappadocia is amazing. If your kids don't mind a bit of walking, then there are some easy hikes through some gorgeous valleys. Small streams, lots of caves to explore and funny shaped rock formations that kids are sure to be fascinated by. Also the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu ( if claustrophobia is a problem, then I would strongly advise not going to these places) as well as Uchisar Castle and the Selime Monastery are great for kids to explore. In Avanos, the pottery places will let the kids try their hand at making stuff. There are a couple of tours that you can do that will pretty much cover all that is there to see in two days. Its not too tiring but some of the places to see in Cappadocia are flung out, so it will mean a bit of travel time in minivans. 3 days will be more than enough for a visit ( you can see pretty much everything in 2 days on the tours and we used the third day for hiking on our own and visiting couple of smaller villages and a caravanserai on the outskirts of Goreme). We stayed at the Aydinli Cave hotel. They are a small hotel with only 6 rooms so their service was very personalised. We got a double room for 60 euros. Their rooms and bathrooms are big. Only problem is the hotel is built into the side of a hill, so the climb to the higher rooms with a view can be a bit of a climb. Their breakfast on the terrace is great and has a great view. Their service is excellent, Mustafa, the owner makes sure that all your requests are accommodated. Sorry for the long post but hope this helps. Ask if you need any more help.

Sorry, I hit send before I finished my message. I wanted to say that my son was about 11 when we went. Different situation, though, as we were staying in Belek and took a bus tour to Cappadocia. It was a bit of a long drive, but there were other kids on the tour, and we stopped several places, so it was OK. He thoroughly enjoyed Cappadocia, though. To be honest it would depend on the kid, i.e., if they like visiting places. 7 years old might be a little young for the long trip there, as it is quite a way to go. My son, who was very active at 7 (euphemism for hyper :D) would have struggled on the trip when he was 7. But if 7 yo is a little calmer, he/she may really enjoy it. Once there, though, they will love the underground city, the whirling dirvishes, etc. Sorry if that's a little vague, but hope it helps

We flew from Istanbul to Nevsiher airport (the main airport serving Cappadocia). Turkish Airways has very cheap domestic flights and I think it worked out to $100 USD per person for a round trip ticket. Our hotel in Goreme picked us up at the airport and ferried us to the town. We stayed in Goreme for four days and used it as our base. The hotel was absolutely fabulous as it's built right into the rocky hills perched high above the town: http://www.kelebekhotel.com/ The kids will love this place as it's so atmospheric with tunnel-like corridors and bedrooms carved out of the rocks. There were several families with children your age when we stayed there. You'll find that Turkey has a well-established network of guides and travel agents. Once in Goreme we booked day tours to the local sights, sometimes with the hotel and other times with the travel agents in the town center. In addition to the historic sights (the painted cave churches and chapels are marvelous), Cappadocia has positioned itself as a center for outdoor activities with trekking, riding, bicycling and dune buggying, among others.

Cappadocia is stunning and well worth the visit, so if you have a chance to go, do it! Definitely not be missed I'm pretty sure there is an airport in Cappadocia, so you could fly there from Istanbul. If you google it, I'm sure you'll find tour operators that will organise that for you. I would think there are bus tours from Istanbul as well, although I think it would be a long drive. Depends on how well your kids travel, I guess, if you wanted to go that route, which I'm sure would be a lot cheaper