A country on two continents with Roman ruins nobody queues for, a coastline longer than Greece's, and prices that have swung wildly for years. Istanbul alone justifies the flight.
Istanbul is one of the great cities and most trips never leave it, which is understandable and a waste. Fifteen million people across two continents, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque facing each other, and a ferry ride between Europe and Asia that costs less than a coffee.
Beyond it, Turkey holds Roman and Greek ruins that would be the centrepiece of any other country — Ephesus, Pergamon, Aphrodisias — and almost no queues at them. Cappadocia's rock valleys and balloon flights have become the second thing everybody does, and the southwest coast has Mediterranean water at half Greek prices.
Ten days does Istanbul, Cappadocia and one coastal or ruins stop, using the excellent overnight buses or cheap domestic flights. Two weeks lets you slow down, which the country rewards.
Buses are excellent and overnight ones save a hotel. Domestic flights are cheap on the long legs.
Two continents, three empires' worth of architecture, and the best street food in Europe. Four days minimum.
The mosques were beautiful and there was something for everyone: nightlife, food, museums, history
A traveller, on Hostelworld
The Cappadocia base: rock valleys, cave hotels and the balloon flight everyone photographs.
Plenty to do and see in Goreme & the Cappadocia region. Great place to add to a trip through Turkey or just looking for a weekend getaway.
A traveller, on Hostelworld
A relaxed Aegean city, and the base for Ephesus an hour away.
İzmir is a great base for 3–5 days if you want easy day trips, good public transport, cheaper accommodation than Istanbul, and access to several ancient sites including the Seven Churches region.
A traveller, on Hostelworld
Turquoise coast, boat trips and paragliding over Ölüdeniz. The backpacker end of the south.
Fethiye is entirely what you make of it. It has lots of beautiful experiences to offer. From a lovely warm ocean to swim in, to historical sights of intrigue to see, to an immersion in some Turkish culture, and beyond. It is also a good base to make do visits and hikes in neighbouring towns. I had a magical time, enjoyed using the bicycle lane along the bay’s coast, and met some truly wonderful people.
A traveller, on Hostelworld
The Mediterranean coast, Roman harbour and the gateway to the Lycian Way.
Antalya is an amazing place to stay. Its easy to get around by bus or bike and you'll find everything you need. If you look a little closer you'll find some cheaper shops for food as well. A lot of cool and affordable activities like rafting, buggi tour, Boat trips etc.
A traveller, on Hostelworld
The base for Ephesus, the best-preserved classical city in the Mediterranean, with a village pace and storks on the aqueduct.
Selçuk feels genuinely local and lived-in. Prices are reasonable, food is good, and daily life continues normally despite being right next to major historical sites. Most tourists skip this place and go straight to Ephesus on cruise-organized day trips, so the town itself never feels overcrowded. You’re close to Ephesus and other landmarks without being surrounded by tourist traps or inflated prices. Refreshingly practical, authentic, and free of any obvious “tourist tax.”
A traveller, on Hostelworld
A Lycian coast town of diving, sea kayaking over a sunken city, and the Lycian Way passing through.
The best place in the Mediterranean shore of Turkey by far.
A traveller, on Hostelworld
A castle on a peninsula, a marina, whitewashed streets, and a nightlife that runs from May to October.
The first Ottoman capital, under a ski mountain, with green mosques, thermal baths and the original İskender kebab.
Turkey covers ruins, coast, city and landscape, usually cheaper than its neighbours.
Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman, stacked in the same places.
Four days in Istanbul, which is not enough but works.
Balloons, paragliding and a long-distance coastal trail.
The turquoise coast, at a fraction of Greek prices.
Street food, mezze and the best breakfast culture anywhere.
In Istanbul, the Sultanahmet cluster — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern — can be done in a day if you start at opening. Then leave it. The city is better in Karaköy, Balat and across the water in Kadıköy, where the ferry costs almost nothing and the view is the best in the city.
Cappadocia is about the landscape. The balloon flight at sunrise is expensive by Turkish standards and worth it; the valleys are free to walk and almost empty in the afternoon, and the underground cities at Derinkuyu go eight levels down.
Ephesus is the best-preserved classical city in the Mediterranean and receives a fraction of the Colosseum's visitors. Pamukkale's terraces and Hierapolis above them make another strong day.
Turkish breakfast is the meal to build a morning around: a table covered in cheeses, olives, eggs, honey, bread and tomatoes, for €6 to €10, eaten slowly. Nothing else is expected of you afterwards.
Lokantas — canteen restaurants with trays of stews behind glass — are the everyday option. Point at two or three dishes, get rice and bread, pay €4 to €7. The food is home cooking and it is what locals eat at lunch.
Street food is excellent and cheap: simit for breakfast, balık ekmek fish sandwiches by the Galata bridge, lahmacun, and kokoreç if you are feeling brave. Alcohol is the expensive exception — heavily taxed, so a beer costs more than a meal.
Istanbul's nightlife is concentrated in Beyoğlu around Istiklal Street, in Karaköy's rooftop bars and, increasingly, on the Asian side in Kadıköy, which is where young Istanbulites actually drink and where prices are half of the European side.
Alcohol is taxed heavily, so a night out costs more relative to everything else than anywhere in this guide. A beer runs €4 to €6 in a bar — cheap by European standards, expensive against a €5 dinner.
Meyhanes are the traditional alternative: long tables, mezze, rakı and often live music, and an evening rather than a drink. The coastal resorts run a separate, more international club scene in summer.
Overnight buses are the backbone: modern, comfortable, with a steward serving tea, and they save a night's accommodation. Istanbul to Cappadocia is about eleven hours; Istanbul to Izmir eight.
Domestic flights are the alternative and often cost little more. Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet connect the whole country, and a flight to Cappadocia turns a night bus into an hour.
In Istanbul, get an Istanbulkart for the metro, trams, buses and ferries. The ferries are the best value transport in Europe — a crossing between continents for a euro or two, with a view people pay for on cruises.
Turkey is still good value for visitors holding euros or pounds, though prices in euro terms have risen sharply since 2023, because lira inflation has outpaced the fall in the exchange rate — Istanbul in particular is no longer the bargain it was. Dorms start around €12, a lokanta meal is €4 to €7, and museum entries have risen but remain modest.
The inflation is the thing to plan around rather than fear. Prices in lira change quickly, so any figure written more than a few months ago is likely wrong, and card payments often give a better rate than exchange booths. Withdraw from bank ATMs and decline the machine's conversion.
Alcohol is the one category that is not cheap, thanks to tax, and the Cappadocia balloon flight is the single biggest discretionary cost most people pay here.
Istanbul and the tourist west are safe for travellers, with the usual big-city pickpocketing around Istiklal Street, the Grand Bazaar and on busy trams.
The scams are specific and well known. The shoeshine man who drops his brush; the friendly local who invites you to a bar where the bill arrives at hundreds of euros; carpet shops that take a long time to let you leave. None are dangerous, all are avoidable by declining invitations from strangers to go somewhere.
Government travel advice for parts of the southeast, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, is restrictive and changes. Check it before planning anything in that region. The west, the coast and Cappadocia are not affected.
Turkey is not in the EU or Schengen, so time here does not count against the 90-day Schengen allowance — useful for anyone on a long European trip.
Most EU citizens enter visa-free for 90 days. UK, US, Canadian and Australian rules have changed repeatedly in recent years, with the e-visa requirement lifted for some nationalities. Check the official Turkish e-visa site before booking rather than relying on any article, including this one.
Passports generally need at least 150 days' validity from entry, which is stricter than the EU's three months and catches people out.
Spring and autumn are the answer almost everywhere. Summer on the southern coast passes 40°C, and central Anatolia including Cappadocia gets genuinely cold in winter.
Average highs for Istanbul. The Mediterranean coast runs much hotter in summer, and Cappadocia, at 1,000m, is colder year-round than the coast.
Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, excluding alcohol, which is taxed heavily.
Excludes the Cappadocia balloon flight and domestic transport. Lira inflation moves prices quickly, so treat these as a guide rather than a quote.
Religious dates move each year against the Western calendar, and they change how the country runs for a week or more.
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