Turkey Family Adventure: Istanbul, Cappadocia & the Coast

Today the family explores the storybook heart of Istanbul with a guide who brings the tales alive for children. You wander the opulent Topkapi Palace, home of the sultans, with its jewels, daggers and stories of the harem, and gaze up at the immense dome of Hagia Sophia and the blue tiles of the Blue Mosque. Best of all for children, you descend into the eerie underground Basilica Cistern, where a forest of columns rises from dark water and giant carved Medusa heads lurk in the shadows. You take in the ancient Hippodrome with its Egyptian obelisk. The adventure and wonder are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel, heads full of sultans and secret chambers. This evening, savour kebabs and Turkish delight. Rest well, for tomorrow you ride the ferries and explore the Grand Bazaar.

Today the family enjoys the colour and fun of Istanbul by boat and bazaar. You ride a ferry across the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, seagulls wheeling overhead and simit sellers on deck, with wonderful views of the city rising on both shores, a highlight for children. You explore the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, hunting for treasures among thousands of stalls of lamps, carpets, sweets and toys, and practising the art of friendly haggling. You breathe in the aromas of the Spice Bazaar, mounded with Turkish delight and dried fruit, with plenty to taste. The colour and fun are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. This evening, savour Istanbul once more. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the fairy-tale land of Cappadocia.

Today the family flies to central Anatolia and the real-life fairy-tale land of Cappadocia. After a short domestic flight, you are met and begin exploring one of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth, a surreal world of fairy chimneys, honeycombed cliffs and hidden valleys where people carved homes and churches into the soft rock. You clamber through the cave churches of the Goreme Open-Air Museum with their painted ceilings, and take in spectacular viewpoints over valleys of fairy chimneys, spotting shapes in the rock like a giant's playground. Best of all, you settle into a real cave hotel, carved into the rock itself. As the day ends, everyone marvels at their cave rooms. This evening, savour a Cappadocian dinner. Rest well, and consider an early start tomorrow to watch the magical dawn balloons rise over the valleys.

Today the family explores more of magical Cappadocia. Early risers can watch, or take an optional flight in, the hundreds of hot-air balloons that rise over the valleys at dawn, an unforgettable sight for all ages. Later, the family descends floor after floor into an astonishing underground city, exploring its tunnels, stables, kitchens and secret passages where whole communities once hid, a real adventure for children. You visit a traditional pottery workshop, where children can try their hand at the potter's wheel, and perhaps watch carpets being woven. You explore more of the surreal valleys, walking amid the fairy chimneys. The adventure and wonder are magical. As the day ends, you return to your cave hotel. This evening, savour the magical Cappadocian night. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the beach.

Today the family flies south to the beautiful Mediterranean coast for some well-earned beach time. After a short domestic flight to Antalya, you are met and transferred to your family-friendly seaside resort, set on a coast of turquoise water, pine-clad mountains and sandy and pebbly beaches. The family relaxes after the adventures of the cities and caves, splashing in the pool and the warm Mediterranean and building sandcastles on the beach. In the golden late afternoon, you might explore the charming old town of Kaleici, wandering its cobbled lanes past the Roman Hadrian's Gate to the pretty old harbour, with ice creams in hand. The sunshine, sea and relaxed fun are perfect. As the day ends, you return to your resort. This evening, dine on fresh Mediterranean food by the water. Rest well amid the beauty of the Turkish coast.

Today the family enjoys a fun day on the beautiful Mediterranean. You board a boat for a cruise along the turquoise coast, gliding past pine-clad cliffs and tumbling waterfalls, dropping anchor in hidden coves to swim, snorkel and splash in the warm, clear sea, with lunch on board and plenty of time in the water, a highlight for all ages. Back on shore, the family relaxes at the resort, enjoying the pool and beach. Older children might visit the giant ancient theatre of Aspendos, still used for concerts, or the spectacular Duden waterfalls. The turquoise sea, sunshine and fun are perfect. As the day ends, you return to your resort, glowing from a day on the water. This evening, savour a relaxed family dinner by the Mediterranean. Rest well amid the beauty of the Turkish coast, savouring your last full day of adventures.

Today the family enjoys a final, flexible day on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. You might relax entirely at the resort, lingering by the pool and the beach, or explore a little more of the coast, visiting the ancient ruins of Perge, the spectacular Duden waterfalls tumbling into the sea, or the charming old town and harbour of Kaleici once more, browsing for souvenirs and keepsakes. This flexible day lets the family simply relax together and savour the beauty and warmth of Turkey after a journey full of adventures. As the day ends, you gather your memories of caves, balloons, palaces and beaches. This evening, enjoy a final family dinner by the Mediterranean, everyone sharing their favourite moments from Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories of your Turkish family adventure.

After a final morning on the beautiful Mediterranean coast, perhaps a last splash in the sea or a lazy breakfast by the water, the family is transferred to Antalya Airport for your onward departure, connecting via Istanbul as needed. You leave having shared a wonderful family adventure through Turkey, the palaces, cisterns, ferries and bazaars of Istanbul, the caves, tunnels, cave hotel and dawn balloons of fairy-tale Cappadocia, and the beaches, boat trips and turquoise sea of the Mediterranean coast, all warmed by the genuine warmth with which Turkish people welcome families. The images stay vivid long after you land, the underground tunnels, the balloons rising over the fairy chimneys, and the turquoise coves of the coast. Turkey offers adventure, wonder, relaxation and a warm welcome for all ages, and the family departs already dreaming of a return to this extraordinary and welcoming land.