( walking around Sultanahmet neighborhood ) 

After our trip to South Korea, Carmel and I decided it was finally time for Europe. For me, it felt almost inevitable. I hadn’t seen my family in three years properly and all together, and the idea of spending a full summer in Italy again felt both comforting and overdue.

My mum had time off in July, which made everything fall into place. June became the perfect window to travel with Carmel first, to find a balance between time with her and time with my family. I wanted everything to feel connected, not like separate parts of my life.

Originally, I had this idea of going all out for my 30th birthday. Bora Bora was the plan, followed by Europe. But the more I sat with it, the more it felt like too much. Too many flights, too much rushing, too much pressure to make everything perfect. So I let it go. Instead, I chose something simpler, maybe even a little overrated, but exactly what we needed: a European summer.

Carmel had never experienced Europe in the summer before. Greece had always been on her list, so that became our starting point. From there, the route came together naturally: Turkey, Greece, Spain, and then Italy.

Italy, of course, Carmel she might love it even more than I do.

Naples feels like the perfect ending to this trip. She’s never been. Plus, the Amalfi Coast is never a bad idea.

DAY 1 – Friday 05.06.26

( Night at: Oldmile Palace Hotel, Istanbul ) 

( The restaurant under the hotel where we stayed, Sultanahmet ) 

After 11 hours on the plane, we landed in Istanbul at 8:10 am. First thing, we got through passport control, activated the eSIM, and went straight to Burger King for breakfast, nothing fancy, just something easy. At 11:00 am we took the Havaist bus, number 11, getting off near our hotel at the Sirkeci stop, then walked the rest of the way. Luckily, the room was already ready, which honestly felt like a win. We checked in, took a shower, and immediately crashed for about four hours. In the evening, we finally felt human again. We headed out to Sultanahmet Square, just walking around, taking it slow, enjoying the atmosphere. Sunset was actually really beautiful, soft light, nice energy, perfect for a few pictures. We got a bit hungry and tried one of those cheap corn snacks from a street vendor, not worth it. So we ended up going to McDonald’s instead, grabbed some food, and took it back to the hotel. We had a quiet dinner on the balcony, which was honestly the best part of the night. Then straight back to sleep.

DAY 2 – Saturday 06.06.26

( Night at: Oldmile Palace Hotel, Istanbul ) 

( Old tram in İstiklal Caddesi, Istanbul ) 

We woke up at 6:30 am and headed straight to Sultanahmet Square to catch the early morning light. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy, but the atmosphere was incredibly calm and peaceful, which made it perfect for taking photos without the usual crowds.

After spending some time there, we wandered around in search of a cozy café and ended up having breakfast at Bay Bread. 

We then took a short walk along Yerebatan Street before joining a free walking tour from 10 am to 1 pm. The tour began at the Obelisk of Theodosius, where we learned about the early history of the city. From there, we explored Sultanahmet Square in more depth, guided by someone extremely knowledgeable who brought the stories of the area to life.

We continued on to Hagia Sophia, learning about its significance as one of the most important mosques, while observing it from the outside. The tour also included a stop at the İbn-i Sina Botanical Garden, known for its tulips, along with insights into the lives of the sultans and how they lived during the time of the Topkapi Palace.

Walking through lively food streets, we passed by the inner courtyard of the Yeni Mosque and eventually reached the Egyptian Bazaar, where the tour concluded in the bustling square.

After the tour, we went back for lunch at Ziya Şark Sofrası in Sirkeci, where we enjoyed a local lunch. 

In the afternoon, we visited the Rustem Pasha Mosque Rüstem Paşa Camii which is actually a blue Mosque Isolde. We then made our way walking uphill to the Süleymaniye Mosque. The view from there was absolutely stunning and one of our favorite moments of the day, even though the heat was quite intense.

Later, we headed down to the Grand Bazaar. It’s worth noting that it closes around 6 or 7 pm and is closed on Sundays, so it’s important to plan accordingly.

We returned to the hotel to recharge our phones and freshen up before heading out again for sunset at Neviye Sokağı Merdivenleri. The sunset itself was modest, but what made it special was watching everyday life unfold around us, with locals fishing and relaxing by the water.

After that, we walked back to the hotel and went to sleep.

DAY 3 – Sunday 07.06.26

( Night at: Oldmile Palace Hotel, Istanbul ) 

( Basilica Cistern, Istanbul ) 

Tour with: https://gyg.me/qgA5u8vs

We woke up early and made our way to Sultanahmet Square, where we grabbed breakfast from a street vendor. We tried açma and simit, one filled with cheese and the other with chocolate, and enjoyed them while sitting and watching the mosque come to life in the early morning light.

After breakfast, we headed to the Basilica Cistern for 9 am. We quickly realized it was much busier than expected, and there was also free entry due to maintenance work in the previous days, which made the experience a bit more chaotic but still interesting.

From there, we took the bus to the Balat district, a colorful and charming area perfect for wandering and getting lost among its streets. Every corner felt like a photo opportunity, especially the famous Renkli Merdivenler, the Colorful Stairs. We stopped here for lunch at Balat Tantunicisi, which was simple but really good and fitting for the area.

In the afternoon, we took another bus to İstiklal Caddesi, the main street filled with shops, street life, and the iconic old red tram running through it. The atmosphere was lively and full of energy, with people everywhere and music coming from different corners.

We also stopped at H&M, where I bought a pair of long pants and shorts for the rest of the trip, since I realized that Carmel cargo pants were getting too big.

Later in the day, we made our way to Galata Tower in the late afternoon, around 5 pm. We had flexible tickets that allowed us to enter whenever we wanted, but still needed to queue. After 3 pm, the crowds were slightly smaller. We originally planned to stay for sunset, but we were quite tired and decided not to wait, so we visited earlier instead. Afterwards, we took the tram back and tried to head home a bit earlier than the previous days. With the early 6 am wake-up calls and the jet lag still affecting us, we really needed the rest.

DAY 4 – Monday 08.06 

( Night at: Oldmile Palace Hotel, Istanbul )

( Houses in Kuzguncuk Evleri, Istanbul ) 

Tour with: https://gyg.me/6uJhxvTh

In the morning, we woke up early and went to Sultanahmet to grab simit for breakfast, just like the previous day. We ate there in the square, enjoying the calm atmosphere before starting another full day in the city.

After breakfast, we took the tram to Galata Tower to take photos, since the day before it had been too crowded and we had not managed to get good shots. This time we had better luck and could finally enjoy the area properly.

From there, we took two buses to Yıldız Palace. The visit turned out to be a really nice surprise. While the palace itself is quite simple compared to others in the city, what made it special was how quiet and underrated it felt. There were almost no tourists, and at moments it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. On the way there, I also bought some cherries, which were finally in season again after almost a year without having them.

After that, we continued by bus to Ortaköy Square, where we stopped for lunch at a small local spot called Ortaköy Jest Döner. Afterwards, we walked around Ortaköy Meydanı to take a few photos, but it was extremely hot and very crowded, so we didn’t stay long.

From Ortaköy, we took the ferry over to the Asian side and then a bus to Kuzguncuk. It was a really charming neighborhood, and we stopped for ice cream while walking around the colorful streets before heading back by ferry and tram to the hotel. In the afternoon, we relaxed, took a shower, and spent some time planning the next days, packing a few things, and resting.

We started the evening around 8 pm with a Bosphorus dinner and sunset cruise. The experience itself was beautiful, especially the views along the water, even though the food wasn’t great. The cruise ended quite late, after 11 pm, and by the time we got back to the hotel by tram and settled in, it was well past midnight when we finally fell asleep.

DAY 5 – Tuesday 09.06  

( Night at: Mia Cappadocia Cave Hotel ) 

( Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet square ) 

We woke up at 6 am, packed everything, and got ready for check-out. Before leaving, we went again to buy our usual breakfast from the street vendors, the same simit and açma we had been enjoying over the previous days. We spent a few final moments in Sultanahmet Square, taking some last pictures and soaking in the atmosphere of the area. At 8:30 am, we entered the Blue Mosque. The visit was truly beautiful, with its stunning interior and peaceful atmosphere, a perfect final memory of Istanbul.

Afterwards, we walked to the bus stop and made our way towards the airport with the same direct bus. Our flight from Istanbul Airport was at 13:45, landing in Nevşehir at 15:05.

Once we arrived  we had the pick up organized by the hotel and we went straight to the hotel, checked in, and took a short nap after the travel day. In the evening, we watched the sunset from the hotel, enjoying a quiet moment and preparing for the days ahead. We booked a sunrise tour for the following morning and spent some time organizing everything for the rest of the trip. Later, we took a short walk around the city at night, didn’t have dinner, and went to bed quite early to rest for the next day.

DAY 6 – Wednesday 10.06

( Night at: Mia Cappadocia Cave Hotel ) 

( Sunrise in the Love Valley, Cappadocia ) 

We woke up at 3:50 am and got ready for a very early start to the day. We left the hotel at 4:30 am, and the driver took us first to Rose Valley to watch the hot air balloons take off. The sky slowly filled with balloons as the sun began to rise, creating an unforgettable scene. After that, we continued to a short stop and then to Love Valley, where we were given some free time to explore and take photos. The driver left us there for a while so we could enjoy it at our own pace. Later, we were picked up again by the hotel, as arranged the day before, so we could spend more time in Love Valley and save on a return transfer.

After getting back, we had breakfast and then went back to sleep from around 10 am until 1 pm to recover from the early wake-up.

In the afternoon, we took a few photos on the terrace, and then walked around the city but the weather started to turn bad, which made it less enjoyable to walk around. We still explored the town a bit and visited Galerie Ikman.

We were supposed to do a horse riding tour at 5:20 pm, but it started to rain, so we asked to reschedule it for the following day. Instead, we decided to go out for dinner and finally try the pottery kebab that Carmel really wanted. We went to PİZZA HOUSE & KEBAP, where we also had lentil soup. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

DAY 7 – Thursday 11.06 

( Night at: Mia Cappadocia Cave Hotel ) 

( Horse riding activity in Cappadocia ) 

Tour with: https://gyg.me/wl85QptD

Tour with: https://gyg.me/mFHjiTMq

Tour with: https://gyg.me/4iyFOBmH

We woke up at 3:30 am to get picked up for the hot air balloon ride, something I had decided to book just the day before even though I was quite scared. The experience was incredible, but also intense. At one point we reached around 900 meters in the air, and I felt quite nervous while we were up there, even though the views were absolutely breathtaking.

After the flight, we returned to the hotel and took a nap before having breakfast. Later, at around 10:30 am, we were picked up again for a hammam experience. It was a very different and unexpected experience, being washed in a traditional bath setting by staff members in a very intimate and cultural ritual. We went back to the hotel afterwards and slept again for a second nap to recover from the early morning and full schedule. In the late afternoon, at around 5:20 pm, we were picked up for horse riding. The ride through the mountains at sunset was really beautiful and peaceful, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.

Later, we ended the evening at the rooftop bar of our hotel, watching the sunset with a completely clear sky and no clouds. It was an amazing view and the perfect way to close the day before going back to the room and heading to sleep.

DAY 8 – Friday 12.06 

( Night at: Athens Commercial ) 

We woke up at 4:30 am, got ready, and walked up to the viewpoint just behind our hotel, the Sunset and Sunrise Balloon Viewpoint (Gün Batımı ve Doğumu / Balon Seyir Noktası). Our original plan was to watch the balloons from the hotel terrace, but we quickly realized the view was much better from the hill, where you can see them rising in the distance across the valley. We took a few photos and enjoyed the quiet morning atmosphere.

Afterwards, we decided to go for a walk toward the Göreme Open Air Museum. It was a bit of a walk, but enjoyable, especially since a small dog joined us along the way and accompanied us for part of the route. We arrived around 7 am, but the museum was still closed, so we decided not to wait and simply explored the area from the outside, taking few pictures before walking back.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast around 8:30 am and then rested with a three-hour nap. Later, we checked out around noon and took the bus to the airport at 1 pm. Fortunately, the transfer ended up being free, even though it was supposed to cost around €15 per person each way. Our flight was at 3:50 pm to Istanbul, landing at 17:25 with Turkish Airlines. From there, we took our connection flight at 20:55 to Athens, arriving around 22:25.

Once in Athens, we took metro Line 3 at 11:34 pm, made our way to the center, completed a self check-in, and finally went to sleep around 1 am after a very long travel day.