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Interesting Day Trips From Istanbul, Turkey

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    What are the best day trips from Istanbul, Turkey?

    Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It’s also the largest city in Europe. And one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Europe. Well, half of the city is in Europe and the other half — in Asia. More than 15 million people call Istanbul their home. This city is huge, it’s bustling with life and there are a lot of cool things to do in Istanbul.

    Here you can see some of our favorite walks in Istanbul.

    But below are 6 great Istanbul day trips you can book online.

    More: Best Hotels in Istanbul For Every Budget (For Independent Travelers)

    Interesting Day Trips From Istanbul, Turkey

    What are the options? What Istanbul trips you must not miss?

    Check out some of the coolest day trips Istanbul has to offer.

    1. Istanbul Guided Tour (click for more details)

    Inside Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
    Inside Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

    A beautiful Istanbul half day tour with a guide.

    Overall, one of the very best day trips from Istanbul.

    Istanbul has some very impressive ancient architecture. On this day tour you are going to see some of its best examples — from the enormous Hagia Sophia, which may as well be the most impressive ancient building you’ll ever visit, to the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. The latter is one of the largest and oldest markets in the world.

    DURATION: 4-6 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Hagia Sophia
    • Visiting the Blue Mosque
    • Wandering around in the Grand Bazaar
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    Book private airport transfer to your hotel in Istanbul online! Airport bus ride from Istanbul airport is super long.

    2. Day Trip to Cappadocia With Flight (click for more details)

    Cappadocia mountain view
    Cappadocia mountain view | Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

    A guided Istanbul to Cappadocia tour (includes flights).

    One of the more tiring and adventurous day trips in Istanbul.

    Cappadocia is known for two things. These things are hot air balloons and its mountains. And even though there aren’t that many tours from Istanbul to Cappadocia (because of the distance), it’s still possible to go on a Cappadocia day trip from Istanbul. On this guided tour you are going to visit the highlights of Cappadocia, and return back to Istanbul the same day.

    DURATION: 16 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • The famous rock-cut churches of Cappadocia
    • Visiting the Devrent Valley
    • Uchisar Rock Castle
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    Disclaimer. Itineraries may change at some point. And prices may change too. What’s 50 euro today, might be 100 euro tomorrow. Check the latest price. And ALWAYS read the description of the day trip you are booking.

    3. Bursa and Mt. Uludağ Full-Day Tour (click for more details)

    Mountains near Antalya

    A full day Bursa tour from Istanbul.

    Nature and history, on this day trip you get both. The tour also includes a Turkish lunch. Once the Ottoman capital, Bursa now is a popular tourist destination in Turkey. You see, Turkey is a very big country. Hence, many of the best Istanbul day tours are long.

    DURATION: 14 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Cable car ride to the Mt. Uludağ
    • Visiting Bursa
    • Visiting the ancient Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque)
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    4. Private Pamukkale and Hierapolis Day Tour (click for more details)

    Couple walking in Pamukkale, Turkey
    Pamukkale | Photo by beyzahzah from Pexels

    A private Pamukkale tour from Istanbul (includes flights).

    One of the most beautiful day tours from Istanbul. During the day trip you stop at several ancient sites. You may have heard of the the ruins of Hierapolis. However, the highlight of the trip is Pamukkale with its impressive snow-white cliffs. The only other similar place in the world is in Oaxaca, Mexico (Hierve el Agua).

    DURATION: 15 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Snow-white cliffs of Pamukkale
    • Swimming in the thermal pools (Pamukkale)
    • Visiting the ruins of Hierapolis
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    5. Gallipoli Full-Day Tour from Istanbul (click for more details)

    A lonely ship in the sea

    An educational Gallipoli tour from Istanbul.

    Gallipoli is a seaside town in Turkey, 126 miles (203 km) southwest of Istanbul. It’s also a place where an important battle took place during the First World War. In the end, it proved to be greatest victory of the war for Turks. On this day trip, you will visit some of the most important war memorials of the region, and learn more about the historical importance of this event.

    DURATION: 18 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • War memorials of the Gallipoli Peninsula
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    6. Day Trip to the Princes’ Islands (click for more details)

    Ferry to Asian side of Istanbul
    Ferry in Istanbul

    One of the most popular day tours in Istanbul.

    Also, one of the most popular boat trips Istanbul has to offer. Most of people who have been to Istanbul, have been on a boat ride to Princes’ Islands. You can easily book a boat ride already in Istanbul, these tours are being sold everywhere. Or you can book it online in advance.

    DURATION: 7 hours

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    • Cruising the Marmara Sea
    • Visiting the islands of Heybeliada and Buyuk Ada
    See on GetYourGuide.com

    Have you been to Turkey? Did you visit Istanbul? Did you do any day excursions from Istanbul? Which, in your opinion, are the best day trips from Istanbul you could recommend? 

    1. Book Your Flight. Find cheap flights using Kiwi.com, Momondo.com. Or subscribe to Dollar Flight Club, if you don’t want to be searching for the flights yourself. Kiwi currently is my first choice.

    2. Book Your Accommodation. Booking.com, Agoda.com and Airbnb. I use Booking and Agoda at least a dozen times a year, and Airbnb – when looking for a long-term stay. My best tip is to ALWAYS compare the price. Sometimes the same hotel is cheaper on Booking.com, other times – on Agoda. Always compare the price!

    3. Buy Your Travel Insurance. Ekta and SafetyWings are two companies I can recommend. Ekta offers some extra benefits, that will be important for those doing some higher risk activities (make sure to choose the right plan!), while SafetyWings is better for digital nomads. SafetyWings is also very affordable.


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