Turkey by car: Istanbul, Cappadocia by hot-air balloon and Pamukkale

Route and stops of the trip © OpenStreetMap contributors

Travel log

Istanbul, Sultanahmet28 May 2026Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque
Istanbul, Galata29 May 2026The climb up to the tower
Rose Valley30 May 2026Fairy chimneys and cave houses
Derinkuyu31 May 2026After the balloon, 85 metres underground
Pamukkale1 Jun 2026Sunset over the travertine pools

Late May 2026, five days in Turkey with Giulia, my girlfriend. All by car, Istanbul included, which on its own counts as a driving test.

Istanbul

I told Istanbul mostly through its interiors. The Basilica Cistern, with columns reflected in the water and the head of Medusa in the half-light. The Blue Mosque, with its decorated domes and stained glass. The next day, the climb up towards the Galata Tower and a palace on the Bosphorus full of giant chandeliers, with a staircase with crystal balusters and a white gate opening straight onto the water.

The columns of the Basilica Cistern reflected in the water — The Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque

The courtyard and domes of the Blue Mosque — The Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque

Towards Cappadocia

Then a long drive east, with a stop at a salt lake, white all the way to the horizon, and the car parked on its edge. In Cappadocia, valleys full of fairy chimneys, houses and churches carved into the rock, wooden ladders leading up to windows cut into the stone, and the pink ridges of the Rose Valley.

Tuff chimneys and the pink ridges of the Rose Valley in Cappadocia — The Rose Valley, in Cappadocia

The balloon

The best moment of the trip was the hot-air balloon flight. Up before five, the balloons inflating on the ground while it was still dark, and then dozens of them drifting over the valleys as the sun came up. The same day we went underground at Derinkuyu, a city dug down to 85 metres that was home to more than twenty thousand people, all narrow tunnels and worn-down steps. To finish, a potter at work on a kick wheel.

Two hot-air balloons lifting off the ground in Cappadocia — Take-off, and a quarter of an hour later the sun

Balloon silhouettes against the rising sun — Take-off, and a quarter of an hour later the sun

Pamukkale

On the way west we stopped at an old caravanserai, with a hall full of carpets. On the last evening, sunset over the white travertine pools of Pamukkale.

The arched hall of the Sultanhanı caravanserai with carpets on display — The carpets at Sultanhanı and the last sunset, at Pamukkale

Sunset over the travertine terraces of Pamukkale — The carpets at Sultanhanı and the last sunset, at Pamukkale

Practical notes

The balloon at dawn is worth every minute of lost sleep.
Driving in Istanbul is doable: we did it and came out in one piece.
At Derinkuyu the tunnels are narrow: if you’re claustrophobic, bear that in mind.