Start with the İstanbul → Tokat leg: fly only if a suitable direct service is operating on your date—schedules can be limited, and a same-day return may not line up. The flight is about 1½ hours; allow extra time for airport check-in and the roughly 25-minute taxi or rental-car ride from Tokat Airport into town. Once in Tokat, take a taxi up to Tokat Castle rather than tackling the steep climb first thing; allow 1–1½ hours for the historic hilltop and views. Continue to Tokat Mevlevihanesi, near the old town, for around 45 minutes. Check both sites’ opening hours before setting out, as museum schedules can vary.
For lunch, settle in at a city-center restaurant serving Tokat kebabı—the local specialty is traditionally cooked with lamb and vegetables. Budget roughly ₺400–900 per person, and ask what is seasonal. Then wander to Taşhan, an Ottoman caravanserai with small shops and a pleasant courtyard; 45 minutes is enough for a browse and a tea stop. The old-town sights are close enough to link by taxi or on foot, though the castle’s slope makes a taxi the easier start.
For the Tokat → İstanbul return, head back to Tokat Airport by taxi or rental car and confirm the flight timetable before committing to this day plan; if there’s no suitably timed service, you’ll need to rethink the same-day return rather than assume a late flight. Allow about 1½ hours in the air, plus the airport transfer and check-in time.
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