Turkey

🇹🇷 CAPITAL | ANKARA

💷 CURRENCY | LIRA – 19 = 1 USD

🙊 LANGUAGE | TURKISH

Welcome to the Ultimate Turkey Travel Guide.  Turkey is a country full of history, natural wonders and history.  A true melting pot and a giant paradox.

Turkey is located in the Middle East and Southeast Europe.  It is bordered by eight countries and is known for its diverse culture and rich history, as well as its bustling cities and beautiful landscapes.

A trip to Turkey can’t be complete without experiencing the chaos of Istanbul, being amazed by the beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia or visiting the ancient ruins of Ephesus.  

Turkish cuisine is renowned for its delicious dishes such as the traditional kebab or the tasty pastry baklava.  With its stunning beaches, grand mountains and vast valleys, Turkey is a popular destination for travelers from all over the world.  This is your Turkey travel guide to help you plan an amazing trip. 

Top 5 things to do in Turkey ↓

More Things to do in Turkey

• Explore Istanbul – Istanbul is crazy, chaotic and full of life.  There are so many things to do in Istanbul that you could spend a week and not see it all.  Highlights include Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and the Basilica Cistern.
• Turkish Cuisine – Kebabs, doners, olives and pide.
• Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cappadocia – This is a bucket list thing to do in Turkey.  It’s like floating on a cloud.  Don’t miss out on this experience.
• Discover the Ancient City of Ephesus – This is one of the most popular things to do in Turkey.  Most iconic ruins are the enormous amphitheater and the Library of Celsus.
• Cappadocia is a region in Turkey that is known for its unworldly landscapes and unique rock formations.  This area is home to many fancy “cave hotels” and lots of hiking opportunities.  Highlights include Goreme Open-Air Musuem, Uchisar Castle, Underground City of Derinkuyu and Love Valley.
• Lake Van – Turkey’s largest lake.
• Experience a Hammam.  A traditional Turkish Bath is a wet and dry sauna experience that combines relaxation and cleansing.  A must on this Turkey travel guide.
• Pamukkale Cotton Castle  is one of Turkey’s most beautiful natural wonders and is best experienced in combination with the ancient city of Hierapolis.
• Drink çay with locals.  Çay or Turkish Tea is a sign of hospitality and the answer is always yes if a local invites you for some çay.
• The capital city of Ankara – known for its outdoor parks, museums and a focal point for onward travel throughout the country.
• İshak Paşa Sarayı – a palace strategically placed on the Silk Road near the border of Armenia, that is an impressive example of Ottoman architecture.
• Monastery of Sumela – a monastery built into a side of a cliff.
• Roman Theatre at Aspendos – Anatolia’s largest and best preserved theatres.
• Go climbing in Kaçkar Dağları – Turkey’s premier trekking venue.  Think alpine lakes, craggy mountaintops and wildflowers.
• The Acropolis of Pergamon – well preserved ruins and one of the best day trips from Izmir.
• Soak up the sun on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.  Turkey’s coastline rivals Greece.
• Go Paragliding in Ölüdeniz – coastline, ocean views and one the best things to do in Turkey for an adrenalin rush.

📍 Turkey Travel Tips

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💲 Turkey Travel Guide Costs

Turkey is a very budget friendly country to travel.  You can spend $50 a day in Turkey, living comfortably and not denying yourself any comforts or pleasures.  This includes a decent hotel (if splitting the cost of the room), renting a car (again at split cost) and activities.

It is possible to get by on $20 a day traveling Turkey and this entails eating street food doner kebabs, walking to and from tourist attractions and a bed in a dorm hostel.

ATM’s are available countrywide in most cities and towns.  They are usually grouped together in the center of town.

🛖 Where to Stay in Turkey

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✈️ Getting to Turkey

Arriving in Turkey, make sure you have a visa, 6 months or more validity in your passport on arrival and a return ticket out of the country.    

By Plane:  Turkey has many international flights to and from most cities in Europe and the Middle East.  Turkish Airlines, PIA, Singapore Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways, Avianca, jetBlue and Air New Zealand all offer non-stop flights to Turkey.

Istanbul has 2 airports, one on the Asian side and the other on the European side.  The airport codes are Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW), and Istanbul International Airport (IST).

Jetradar, Skyscanner and Kayak are sites that are flexible and give you the cheapest rates.  Turkish Airlines andPegasus amongst others offer many flights daily operating to other parts of the country.

Booking with one of the search engines above ensures getting shown the latest and cheapest prices.  Just don’t expect much frills on some of these budget airlines and luggage will cost extra.

By Bus:  If you’re traveling slow throughout Turkey or Europe, it’s likely that you’ll be taking a long bus journey at some point or another. Overnight buses are uncomfortable as they don’t have buses with lay down seats.  It saves a lot of time, energy and comfortability to fly.

By Train:  Turkey has a nice train network that covers a large part of the country, and connect all the major cities.  It is also possible to enter Turkey via the train if for example you are coming from Sofia, Bulgaria or Bucharest, Romania which has routes to Istanbul.

By Boat: Turkey has a lot of coast line so it is definitely possible to get to Turkey by boat.  Izmir is a big cruise ship port and the easiest way to travel between Greece and Turkey is on a ferry from a Greek island to the mainland of Turkey.

🚌 Transportation around Turkey

Transferring between towns is plentiful and straight forward.  Download the apps Bookaway, 12Go Website and Rome2Rio to help navigate the best route.  They are very helpful to check bus, boat, and train schedules ahead of time.

Getting around in Turkey is pretty straightforward but always an adventure. 

By Bus: This will be the easiest way to travel around Turkey.  Buses are frequent within the country.  Bus rides are never the most glamorous way to travel but usually the cheapest.

Taking the bus isn’t just for tourists, most Turkish people travel via bus.  Roads are well maintained in most parts of the country.  Always plan a few extra hours on bus travel days as buses are never fully on schedule.

For shorter distances, Turkish buses are quite nice, comfortable and convenient.  You can check out these vlogs to see what bus journeys in Turkey look like. 

Ankara to Cappadocia Bus for $12

The Rough Journey on an Overnight Bus from Cappadocia to Pamukkale

Pamukkale to Izmir 

By Plane:  Domestic flights within the country are frequent and plentiful.  New budget airlines pop up every year but the most established airlines are Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines.

By Train: TCDD (Turkish Republic State Railways) operates passenger trains all over the country.  The train is a comfortable way to travel between cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

🧳 What to pack for Turkey

Packing in my opinion is always the hardest part before going on a trip.  What you pack will depend on what you are traveling to Turkey for and how long you plan on going. 

If you plan on doing some trekking, make sure you bring a warm jacket, waterproof hiking pants , rain gear and proper hiking boots.

Turkey has a beautiful coast line and on the coast in the summer you’ll have warm weather so a bathing suit, shorts and flip flops will come in handy. 

Cappadocia is cold in the morning and evenings if you are traveling to Turkey in the fall.  Long pants, a warm jacket and scarf that will cover your head (if you’re a female) always comes in handy but its cheaper to buy a scarf or hijab in Turkey.  Don’t leave home without theses Turkey travel guide essentials.

🧷 Safety in Turkey

🗺 Turkey Travel Guides