> Does it make sense to spend 5 full days in Istanbul and give up a couple of days on the Mediterranean or Aegean Coast? But if travel is not too difficult from Cappadocia, I could see giving up a day in Istanbul.

It depends on what you want to see and experience, but FWIW, I spent 5 full days in Istanbul on my recent trip and could easily have enjoyed more time there. I thought Cappadocia worth a minimum of 3 full days. So with time to get from one place to another and time to get over jet lag, you could easily use all your time in just these 2 destinations.

If you think you might return to Turkey one day, you would likely fly into/out of Istanbul, and if that were the case, you might have time to "finish" exploring Istanbul on that future trip. So you could spend a day or two somewhere along the coast if that's a priority for you, with the recognition that you will have to be very selective about what you do in Istanbul on this particular trip.

Too, I see that you say "We like to walk but are not hikers" and that might affect your planning for Cappadocia. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, but know that I don't consider myself a hiker. I did, however, take several LONG "walks" in Cappadocia - as I recall, (a) about 2 or 2.5 hours in Goreme for the outdoor museum, Zimi Valley, and then back into town, (b) about 6 hours staring at the Zelvi open air museum and ending in Goreme, (c) about 1 or 1.5 hours in the Soganli Valley, and (d) about 4.5 or 5 hours in the Ihlara Valley. Most of these "walks" included some climbing up to and down from various rock-hewn churches (etc.) - something you can easily skip - and were otherwise mostly (but not entirely) flat. Nothing that was unavoidable was unusually steep or difficult. (I avoided the dreaded staircase into the Ihlara Valley by entering near Ihlara Village and exiting at Beliserma.) I stopped frequently to take pictures on each "walk", so many people would probably cover the same distance much more quickly. If walks of this sort are not something you want to do, you may "need" less time in Cappadocia.

If you haven't already seen it, you might find some helpful information in my trip report. Just click on my name to find it.

You'll have a great trip no matter what you decide!

VERY helpful, thanks.

Istanbul is aso very beautiful early June, and you will get full advantage of it if you stay at possibly Hotel Sumahan on the Asian side. the nearby ferry landing in Cengelkoy makes trips across to Europe and other spots on the Asian side possible. Cengelkoy is also a very local and pleasant area with a large number of cafes and restaurants.

There are more choices for staying on the European side with similar and other types of advantages. Bebek Hotel at Bebek is in a very busy local upscale area. Radisson Blue, at Ortakoy and House Hotel at Ortakoy are other possibilities I would recommend. Both are on ferry boat lines and Ortakoy also has short Bosphorus tours along with its street market and cafes and restaurants from the very upscale hip ones to fast food jacket potatoes with a large choice of fillings.

All these options are very popular and need reservation as early as possible.

You should not need a guide in Istanbul, however, if you wish, I can recommend arranging a culture or Jewish heritage tour with Fest Turism. This may not be cheap but it is definitely the best tour operator in Turkey.

Another option could be Burak at allaboutturkey.com We utilized his services two and a half years ago for family and friends who were happy but he may also be expensive.

I like your travel style and your itinerary is excellent. I would not focus on coast for a day, again if you did an extra 3 I would recommend
Have a great trip,
Murat

OC, the hotels you suggested on the Asian side really look stunning. Do you have suggestions for the Sultanahmet area?

<<<Do you have suggestions for the Sultanahmet area?>>>

I'm interested in that as well. We'll be there in June as well, with our late 20s son and his wife.

This is my thread from several days ago asking about Istanbul hotels:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/istanbul-hotels-262177-2.cfm

I am sorry but I have no suggestions for the Sultanahmet area. The area is not the type I would choose when traveling. It only has tourists and the locals who handle the tourist trade. There is nothing after hours. The restaurants serve ersatz food, usually at inflated prices and too many streets are pedestrianized with the remaining ones almost always jammed.

getting there by ferry and tram from other parts of Istanbul allows you to enjoy the local color without feeling the eternal tourist.

However, I do understand the desire to spend a night or two at Sultanahmet since almost all major historic sites are right there and you can go back to your hotel for a siesta or a quick rest in between your sightseeing.

Check various trip reports where names like Empress Zoe, Nena and the cheaper but friendly Apricot hotels somehow stuck in my mind.

Thanks for your insights, I am reconsidering how to arrange the stay. We will only visit Istanbul and Cappadocia. Does it make sense to stay in IST for 5-6 nights; stay on the Asian side for the entire time in one but get "help" with the Sultanahmet area by making arrangements with a tour guide; then go to Cappadocia for 3 days and fly to Tel Aviv through IST? How would you rate the tradeoff between going back and forth to IST from the airport twice (if we did Cappadocia in the middle) vs. transferring within IST (Kayseri-IST-TelAviv)?

I think the answer to your question has to do a great deal with personal preferences.

We sandwiched South of Spain between visits to Madrid and it was fine. But we also have done London- Essex without going back to Heathrow. Either worked OK.

If you are flying THY Kayseri-IST and IST-Telaviv, you can probably check in your baggage all the way to Telaviv which should be quite handy. The distance from domestic to international at IST is reasonably short and there is a walkway. A good connection will save you some time, expense and energy.

One advantage of the sandwich is that you will have some ideas of what you want to do in Istanbul after Cappadocia and may be more practical about it instead of the mad rush you may feel like on your first stay no matter how long that is.

By the way, Bebek Hotel, House Hotel and Radisson Blue are not on the Asian side.

I am prejudiced and would prefer to stay at one of the above three hotels and take the commuter ferry to get to the old city and to get back (only available in the morning and evening), so that I can enjoy the Bosphorus and the neighborhood when I wake up and when I get back to the area after sightseeing.

You can even get a water taxi from your hotel down to the old city for a price that will not break you.

> but get "help" with the Sultanahmet area by making arrangements with a tour guide

I thought it very easy to visit the Sultanahmet area on my own, so I'm not sure you would need a tour guide unless your really want to have one.

BTW, I have a strong preference for being in a city from which I will be flying the night before my flight - I dread the idea of unexpected problems that would interfere with catching a flight! So if you are considering putting all your time in Istanbul together, you might want it to be at the end of your trip rather than the start. Just a thought.