Is your price per person?

No, per vehicle. Two people and six people in the same car pay the same; the more of you there are, the less it works out per head. That is where the difference shows for larger families: hiring a car for the day often costs less than three separate taxi rides for four people. The final price is given as a fixed figure on WhatsApp according to the date, the number of people and the route.

Which month is cheaper?

April, May, October and November are noticeably kinder on both hotels and flights, and the city is far easier to move through. July and August, along with the weeks of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, are the most expensive: because they are public holidays in Türkiye, domestic demand peaks at the same time. If your dates are flexible, coming a week before or after Eid lowers the cost of the same holiday noticeably.

How to Budget a Holiday in Türkiye

Q: How much does a week in Türkiye cost?

A single figure would mislead: in the same week and the same city two families can differ by a factor of two, and both the exchange rate and seasonal prices keep moving. The four items that set the budget are accommodation, transport, food, and sightseeing and shopping; the largest is usually accommodation, at roughly half the total. Working out your own figure from those four separately is far more accurate than using a total somebody wrote last year.

Biggest item: Accommodation — usually half the budget
Most variable: Season; the same hotel can double
Most forgotten: Getting around town and museum entries
Our price: Per vehicle, not per person

Why there are no figures on this page

Most answers online to "how much does a week in Türkiye cost" give you a number. That number was approximate the day it was written; six months later it is certainly wrong. The lira moves, hotel prices double and fall back with the season, and one family's spending can differ from another family of four by a factor of two. So what is here is a method, not a figure: which items set the budget, which are within your control, and which cost never makes it into anyone's plan. Working out your own number from that frame is far more accurate than using a total somebody wrote last year. We do not put our own price here either. It varies with the date, the number of people and the route, and it is given as a fixed figure when you ask on WhatsApp — a number written into a guide would be a place where that promise goes unchecked.

The four items that set the budget

The first is accommodation, usually half the total. In the same city on the same night the gap between a four-star and a five-star hotel can be a multiple; the district sets the price too. Sultanahmet and Taksim are the most expensive, Şişli and the Asian side noticeably kinder. The second is transport — both getting there and moving around. Air fares follow the season and how far ahead you buy. Getting around town looks small, but in a city like Istanbul two or three journeys a day add up over a week; the item runs larger than expected for families with children, who prefer taxis and private cars. The third is food, and this is entirely in your control. A room with breakfast included settles the mornings; lunch and dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant costs a third of a tourist one and is usually better. The fourth is sightseeing and shopping. Museum entries, boat trips and cable cars are small one by one but visible in a week's total. Shopping is the least predictable part of the budget; nobody who goes into the Grand Bazaar "just to look" comes out empty-handed.

The costs nobody counts

The first and last journey between airport and hotel. These two are usually forgotten in a week's budget, yet on a night arrival or with a family and luggage they are the two most expensive rides. ATM and card fees. Small on one withdrawal, but two separate fees can apply each time — the machine's own and your bank's foreign transaction charge. A few large withdrawals cost less than many small ones. Water and small purchases. On a hot day a family of four buys a surprising amount of water; a stop at a supermarket cuts that to a third. Meals outside the hotel. In a room with breakfast included, two meals a day remain — fourteen over seven days. Counting that item from the start beats rebuilding the budget mid-holiday. Luggage. Having to buy extra baggage on the way home because of shopping is a frequent surprise; the airline's fee at the gate is higher than online.

Three decisions that lower the cost of the same trip

The first is the date. July, August and the Eid weeks are the most expensive; the same hotel is noticeably cheaper in April, May, October or November, and the city is far easier to move through. If your dates are flexible, the largest saving is here. The second is the district. Staying in Sultanahmet means buying walking distance, and that has a price. Şişli, the inner neighbourhoods of Fatih or the Asian side are far kinder at the same star rating; the metro reaches the historic peninsula in half an hour. An hour a day on the move can be a reasonable trade for a serious difference per night. The third is consolidating transport. For a family of four, hiring a car and driver for the day often costs less than three separate taxi journeys — no waiting, and luggage and shopping bags stay in the car. Our price is per vehicle, not per person; with larger families that is where the difference shows.