Turkey Itinerary from Sweden 2027: 7 and 10 Day Plans with Flights, Visa and Costs

A good Turkey itinerary from Sweden is 7 days in Istanbul and Cappadocia, or 10 days with Ephesus and Pamukkale added. Direct flights from Arlanda and Landvetter take about 3.5 to 4 hours, Swedish passports need no visa for up to 90 days, and a ready-made 6-day Istanbul and Cappadocia package with hotels and domestic flights starts from $1,250 (about 12,400 SEK). Below are both plans day by day, with transfer times, where to sleep and what each piece costs, plus our Turkey tour packages if you would rather book the whole thing in one go.

For many Swedes, Turkey means a charter week on the Antalya coast. This page is for the other trip: the one with Hagia Sophia, a Bosphorus ferry, balloons over Göreme and, if time allows, the marble streets of Ephesus. We have run private tours in Istanbul and across Turkey since 2010, and these are the routes we actually sell.

Do Swedes need a visa for Turkey?

No. According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.gov.tr, checked on 25 October 2026), holders of ordinary and official Swedish passports can visit Turkey without a visa for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, counted from the first entry. That covers any holiday on this page several times over. There is no e-visa to buy and no fee at the border.

Two practical notes. If you travel with a non-Swedish passport, for example a family member with another nationality, check that passport separately on evisa.gov.tr before booking, because the rules differ by country. And keep the passport you entered with for the whole trip: domestic flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia and Izmir need ID at check-in, and hotels in Turkey register every foreign guest.

Direct flights from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö

Stockholm Arlanda has the most choice. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, while Pegasus (about two flights a day according to FlightsFrom) and its rival AJet fly to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. Flight times are about 3 hours 35 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes. Which airport you land at matters: from IST to Sultanahmet is about an hour by car, from SAW often 1 hour 15 minutes or more.

From Gothenburg Landvetter, Turkish Airlines flies nonstop to Istanbul Airport, around 14 times a week in the summer 2026 schedule, in roughly 3 hours 30 minutes. From Malmö, most people take the Öresund train to Copenhagen Kastrup, where SAS has flown daily to Istanbul since 26 March 2026 alongside Turkish Airlines.

Two routes are worth knowing for the 10-day plan. SunExpress started Arlanda to Izmir in April 2025 with Thursday and Sunday flights, which lets you finish in Ephesus and fly home without going back to Istanbul. Norwegian has flown Arlanda to Antalya in recent seasons. Both are seasonal, so check the 2027 timetable before you build the trip around them.

Time difference, money and prices in SEK

Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year and does not change its clocks. Sweden does, so Turkey is 2 hours ahead in winter (from today, 25 October 2026, until the end of March) and 1 hour ahead in summer. A 07:00 departure from Arlanda lands in Istanbul around midday local time in winter, which is why Day 1 in both plans is light.

Our prices are in US dollars. At about 9.9 SEK to the dollar (exchange-rates.org, 19 October 2026), $100 is roughly 990 SEK; the krona has moved between about 8.8 and 10 to the dollar over the past year, so treat every SEK figure on this page as approximate. In Turkey you pay day-to-day costs in Turkish lira: cards work in hotels, restaurants and most shops, but carry some cash for small cafés, ferries and tips.

What Swedes like in Turkey, and when they go

Swedish guests tend to ask for the same four things: sun, food, history and the Bosphorus. A fika habit translates well to Istanbul, where Turkish coffee and tea come with every pause. Meze, grilled fish in Karaköy and a long breakfast with cheese, olives and simit are the meals people talk about afterwards. Most also want time on the water, which is why both plans below put a Bosphorus day in the middle of the Istanbul stay. See also our page: Turkey tour packages from Sweden.

Timing follows the Swedish school calendar. In 2027 sportlov falls in week 7 in Gothenburg (15 to 19 February), week 8 in Malmö (22 to 26 February) and usually week 9 around Stockholm (in Täby, for example, 1 to 5 March). Påsklov in Gothenburg is 26 March to 2 April, around Easter Sunday on 28 March. Midsommarafton is 25 June 2027, höstlov is normally week 44 (1 to 5 November in 2027), and jullov runs from about 18 December to early January.

February and early March are cold in Cappadocia, often with snow on the rock cones, and the balloons still fly on calm mornings. Easter and höstlov are the best compromise: mild in Istanbul, clear in Cappadocia, and not yet the summer crowds. July is hot and the most expensive month in Istanbul.

7-day Turkey itinerary from Sweden: Istanbul and Cappadocia

Seven days is the trip most Swedish families and couples can fit into a school holiday. Four nights in Istanbul, two in Cappadocia, one domestic flight each way. If you want to see the shorter version first, we also have a 5-day Istanbul and Cappadocia itinerary.

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul (Istanbul tours)

Afternoon: land at IST or SAW and transfer to a hotel in Sultanahmet or Karaköy (about 1 hour). Evening: walk the Hippodrome and the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, then dinner. Sleep: Istanbul.

Day 2: Old City with a private guide (Classic Istanbul private tour)

Morning: our Classic Istanbul private tour (6 to 8 hours, from $200) starts with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque before the queues build. Afternoon: Topkapı Palace (closed on Tuesdays) and the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays), so check which day Day 2 lands on. Evening: fish in Karaköy. Sleep: Istanbul.

Day 3: Dolmabahçe and the Bosphorus (private Istanbul tour)

Morning: Dolmabahçe Palace with a guide (our private tour is from $150 per person). Afternoon: Ortaköy, the Bosphorus Bridge and a ferry ride. Evening: the Bosphorus dinner cruise with a Turkish night show ($90, dinner and hotel transfer included). It is a touristy show; a public ferry from Eminönü at sunset is the quiet alternative. Sleep: Istanbul.

Day 4: Fly to Cappadocia, Red Tour (Cappadocia tours)

Morning: a flight of about 1 hour 15 minutes to Nevşehir (45 minutes to Göreme) or Kayseri (about 1 hour 10 minutes). Afternoon: the Red Tour ($60 with lunch): Göreme Open Air Museum, Paşabağ and Avanos. Evening: sunset from Uçhisar. Sleep: Göreme cave hotel.

Day 5: Balloon at sunrise, Green Tour (Cappadocia tours)

Dawn: pickup about an hour before sunrise for a standard balloon flight ($199), if the aviation authority allows flights that morning. Day: the Green Tour ($70 with lunch): Derinkuyu underground city, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery. Sleep: Göreme.

Day 6: Spare balloon morning, fly back to Istanbul (Istanbul and Cappadocia packages)

Dawn: the reserve balloon morning if Day 5 was cancelled. Afternoon: fly back to Istanbul. Evening: Istiklal Street or a rooftop in Galata. Sleep: Istanbul, close to your departure airport.

Day 7: Fly home (Turkey tour packages)

Morning: a last Turkish breakfast, then about 1 hour to the airport. You land in Sweden in the afternoon, local time.

10-day Turkey itinerary from Sweden: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale

Ten days lets you add the Aegean, and it is the route of our Private Grand Turkey package. The order is Istanbul, Cappadocia, then Kuşadası for Ephesus and Pamukkale. For an eight-day version with a different balance, see our Turkey itinerary for 8 days.

Days 1 to 3: Istanbul (Istanbul tours)

Day 1: arrive, transfer and a short evening walk. Day 2: the Old City with a private guide: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı and the Grand Bazaar. Day 3: free morning, a Bosphorus cruise in the afternoon and a Turkish hammam in the evening. Sleep: Istanbul, three nights.

Day 4: Istanbul your way, evening flight (Cappadocia tours)

Morning and afternoon: a private vehicle and driver for whatever you missed: Balat and Fener, Galata, or shopping in Nişantaşı. Evening: flight to Cappadocia. Sleep: Göreme or Ürgüp.

Days 5 and 6: Green Tour, balloon and Red Tour (Cappadocia tours)

Day 5: the Green Tour: Kaymaklı underground city, Ihlara Valley and Selime. Day 6: an optional sunrise balloon, then the Red Tour of Göreme, Uçhisar, Paşabağ and Devrent Valley, with a Turkish night show in the evening. Sleep: Cappadocia, three nights in total.

Day 7: Fly to Izmir, free time in Kuşadası (Ephesus and Kuşadası tours)

Morning: flight to Izmir, then about 1 hour by road to Kuşadası. Afternoon and evening: the sea front. In May, June or September this is the first swim of the trip. Sleep: Kuşadası.

Day 8: Ephesus (Ephesus tours)

Morning: Ephesus with the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre; go early, it has almost no shade. Afternoon: the House of the Virgin Mary. Sleep: Kuşadası.

Day 9: Pamukkale (Grand Turkey package)

Day: about 3 hours each way to Pamukkale for the white terraces (barefoot only) and Hierapolis. A long day, but the one people remember. Sleep: Kuşadası.

Day 10: Fly home (Turkey tour packages)

Morning: transfer to Izmir and fly to Istanbul for your flight to Sweden. On a Thursday or Sunday, check SunExpress for a direct Izmir to Arlanda flight instead.

How much does a Turkey trip from Sweden cost?

Your return flight from Sweden is separate and changes daily; Swedish fare sites showed Stockholm to Istanbul returns of roughly 1,700 to 2,600 SEK in autumn 2026, cheaper on weekdays. On the ground, these are our current prices in US dollars per person, with an approximate SEK figure at 9.9 kronor to the dollar.

The ready-made packages include hotels, domestic flights, transfers and the guided days, which is why the 6-day package can work out cheaper than buying the 7-day pieces one by one. Prices vary by season, hotel and what's included, so ask us for today's price for your dates. A balloon flight is optional in every package.

Book this plan as a package

For the 7-day plan, the closest match is our Premium Istanbul and Cappadocia package, 6 days from $1,250 (about 12,400 SEK): hotels in both places, domestic flights, the Old City, a Bosphorus cruise and the Red and Green Tours. Add one night in Istanbul and you have Day 7. For the 10-day plan, book the Grand Turkey package from $2,800 (about 27,700 SEK), which follows the same route day by day.

Every trip is private, so we move days around your flights from Arlanda, Landvetter or Kastrup, and around sportlov or påsklov dates. All our routes are on the Turkey tour packages page; for single days in the city, see our Istanbul tours, and for balloon and valley tours, our Cappadocia tours.

Send us your dates and how many are travelling through the contact form, or message us on WhatsApp. We reply in English with a written programme and price, and a Swedish-speaking guide can be arranged on request.

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