About 16 days, adjustable
Cumalikizik Village, Gordion Ancient City, Abant Lake, Golcuk Lake and Yedigoller National Park and more
- Length
- About 7 days, adjustable
- Start / end
- Istanbul → Antalya
- Travel style
- Self-drive
- Plan
- Tailor-made for you
Overview
Your self-driving adventure will start from Istanbul. You have two different accommodation alternatives on this route. You can stay overnight in Ankara, the capital of Istanbul, or Safranbolu, famous for its historical houses. Once you’ve made wonderful discoveries and beautiful tours in Cappadocia, you will head to one of most famous holiday resorts in Turkey. Antalya will wellcome you. If you are ready let’s start.
Highlights
- Cumalikizik Village UNESCO
- Gordion Ancient City UNESCO tentative
- Abant Lake
- Golcuk Lake
- Yedigoller National Park
- Salt Lake UNESCO tentative
- Hattusas Ancient City UNESCO
- Ankara
- Anitkabir
- Safranbolu UNESCO
- Cappadocia UNESCO
- Ihlara Valley
- Çatalhöyük UNESCO
- Mevlana Museum
- Great Karatay Madrasa UNESCO tentative
- Side Ancient City
- Perge Ancient City UNESCO tentative
- Aspendos Ancient City UNESCO tentative
- Antalya
- Termessos Ancient City UNESCO tentative
- Karain Caves UNESCO tentative
Photos from the route
Sample itinerary
A starting point, not a fixed package. Every day can be changed, shortened or extended to suit you.
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Day 1
İstanbul to Ankara
- 450 km
- 4 hrs 45 mins
See the capital of Turkey on this self-drive tour. Pick up your car and start your journey! You can visit the village of Cumalikizik on the way. This is the only village in Turkey where the rural architecture of early Ottoman period is well preserved. The ancient city Gordion, the historical capital of Phrygia, can also be seen en route to Ankara. The legendary king of Phrygia Donkey Ears Midas once lived in this ancient city.
Dinner and overnight in Ankara.
-
Day 1 · alternative
Istanbul to Safranbolu
- 410 km
- 4 hrs 20 mins
Safranbolu has a unique and well-preserved texture. You will be enjoying the old Turkish architecture of a peaceful small village in this selfdrive tour. You may take a break at Abant Lake or Gölcük Lake, located on the Safranbolu road. Depending on the season you may also visit the Yedigöller National Park which is famous with its breath-taking landscape in Turkey. Eat in the local restaurants in the center of Bolu or one of the restaurants we will be recommending you on the road.
Dinner and overnight in Safranbolu.
-
Day 2
Ankara to Cappadocia
- 350 km
- 4hrs 20 mins
You can take a break at Salt Lake on the road while self-driving tour through Cappadocia. Salt Lake is the second largest lake in terms of surface area of Turkey. You would enjoy amazing views there. You may also visit Hattusas Ancient City. Hattusas, the capital of the Hittite State, is one of the important cities in history in the field of art and architecture.
Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
-
Day 2 · alternative
Safranbolu to Cappadocia
- 510 km
- 6 hrs 20 mins
You can take a break at Salt Lake on the road. Salt Lake is the second largest lake in terms of surface area of Turkey. You would enjoy amazing views there. If you wish, you may also visit Hattusas Ancient City. Hattusas, the capital of the Hittite State, is one of the important cities in history in the field of art and architecture.
Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
-
Day 3-4
Cappadocia
After a local breakfast, leave the hotel to discover Cappadocia. There are many activities and unlimited options available. Here you can plan your time as you wish. We will always be by you with our recommendations in this self-drive tour. We will take care of your dinner reservations as well if necessary. Below are some of your options.
• Take a tour the Goreme Open Air Museum
• Explore Goreme valleys with guided valley tours
• Bicycle tours, trekking or horseback riding is possible
• Explore the surrounding villages
• Visit underground cities
• Take the hot air balloon tour
• Cappadocia is a very ancient wine production center. Visit the local wine producers.Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
-
Day 5
Cappadocia to Konya
- 235 km
- 2 hrs 45 mins
If you wish you can spend more time in Cappadocia if you haven’t found enough time for some activities. When ready, set out to go to Konya where you would be visiting the Mevlana Museum and The Great Karatay Madrasa. A trip to Catalhoyuk should be made on the road. Catalhoyuk is a large Neolithic Age and Chalcolithic Age settlement in Central Anatolia, which has been inhabited 9 thousand years ago. You will stay in a small village near Konya. In this village, you will eat local food and stay in a local village house.
Dinner and overnight in Konya
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Day 6
Konya to Antalya
- 300 km
- 4 hrs
Take your first break in the holiday town Side, which is also famous for the ancient city. Perge Ancient City, which is only 18 km away from Antalya city center, can also be visited on the way. Exploring the ancient city of Aspendos, famous for its well-preserved ancient theater, is possible, too. You may also enjoy one of the beautiful beaches around Antalya before the sunset.
Dinner and overnight in Antalya
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Day 7
Antalya
There are many activities to be done in Antalya. After breakfast, you can choose any of the following and have a fun-filled day. A visit to Kaleici, Antalya City Center, Termessos Ancient City, Karain Caves or Duden Waterfall are all among your options. If you are a nature sports person you can have have a Jeep Safari, take a trekking or rafting tour or go for rock climbing. You may also enjoy one of the beautiful beaches around Antalya. We will be by your side to assist you to make sure that you have a great last day.
We hope you enjoyed your journey and see you on your next trip.
Usually included
Inclusions are confirmed in your personal itinerary.
Included
- Accommodation
- Daily Breakfast
- Rental Car with unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver and VAT
- Roadtripturkey’s Turkey Travel Guide
- 24/7 support
- Taxes & Service Fees
Not included
- Flights to/from Turkey
- Personal travel insurance
- Gasoline/Petrol
- Driving-Related Fees
- Meals, drinks & entrance fees, unless otherwise stated
Tour's location
Guides for this road trip
Driving, car rental and the places on this route.
Istanbul to Cappadocia by Car: Route, Stops and Tips
About 730–750 km and 8–9 hours of driving. Compare the Ankara, Safranbolu and Bolu lakes routes, the best stops on the way and how to drive in Cappadocia.
What to do in Cappadocia?
If you ask yourself what to do in Cappadocia, your answer is endless! Even simple activities such as taking a walk in the magical atmosphere of Cappadocia can turn into deep experiences. Therefore, our recommendation is that you do the Cappadocia activities that we mentioned here while making your trip plan about Cappadocia. In addition, …
Driving in Turkey: Rules and Tips for Tourists
Licences, speed limits, tolls, police checks, Istanbul traffic and mountain roads: the practical rules and tips tourists need before driving in Turkey.
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