While you’re thinking about spending a vacation far away from the hubbub of your town, then you could opt for a holiday trip to Turkey. For ages, Turkey has always been a beautiful place to visit and it’s worth roaming around due to the Art, Architecture, History, Archaeology, Aesthetics, Picturesque Beaches, Scenic Islands, and wonderful cuisine. Your heart will certainly overflow with joy when you come across numerous wonders along with astounding views. So, if you still are wondering which places you need to visit, then scroll ahead and check out what could be very useful for you.
ISTANBUL
For over 1500 years, Istanbul was the capital of the East Roman (Byzantine) and Ottoman Empires. With one part reaching out to Asia and the other to Europe, Istanbul is the only metropolitan in the world built on two continents separated by a natural strait called the Bosphorus. While not the actual capital, Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with more than 17 million people.
As an imperial capital for 1500 years, Istanbul is rich in architectural monuments reflecting its past splendour, mostly located on Historical Peninsula, the region also called Sultanahmet.
The beautiful city of Istanbul is home to 110 5-star and 136 4-star hotels with the bed capacity of 60,000 and 32,000 respectively. Overall, the total number of hotels and bed capacity in Istanbul is 700 and 160,000 respectively.
Must visit places Istanbul
Sultanahmet or the Old City is where most of the famous iconic sights of Istanbul are situated. Also known as the Historical Peninsula, the area’s main sites include: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque, the Hippodrome and Basilica Cistern.
Located on the shores of the Bosphorus, Dolmabahce Palace, is the 19th century residence of Ottoman Sultans built in a diversity of European architectural styles. This Palace is now open to visitors with the best examples of Imperial Turkish carpets and chandelier from Europe, fine wood furniture and rich decoration items such as clocks, vases. A 14th century Genoese tower, Galata Tower, is the oldest standing still tower in its original form, now offering a 360-degree observing platform of the city. Suleymaniye Mosque by Sinan, the Great Imperial Architect, is a distinctive feature of Istanbul’s skyline. An Imperial Mosque of 16 th century is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture. It combines tall, slender minarets with a large dome and a vast courtyard with the best views of the city. One of Istanbul’s most exciting and historical Bazaars, Spice Bazaar, comprising of 88 stores selling spices and herbs, teas, natural remedies, dried nuts and fruits, is the center of rich scents and delicacies. There are some really good souvenir shops in the Spice Bazaar. Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and the largest covered Bazaars of the world, with over 4000 shops spread across 64 streets. It was opened in 1461, expanded to its today’s size throughout centuries. Jewelry shops, carpet and leather goods stores, tiles, towels, pashminas and local fabric stores and souvenir shops can be found in this amazing labyrinth of shops.
Experiences in Istanbul…
The Bosphorus Cruise: Separating the waterway between Asia and Europe is a unique experience of enjoying the cruise, taking photographs of the city, palaces, wooden mansions from the water while cruising below the bridges of Istanbul.
Turkish Bath/Hammam: As an Imperial city, Istanbul hosts several historical Turkish Baths, mostly in the Historical Peninsula, Sultanahmet area. Ottoman Turks inherited the Roman bath concept—architecture and tradition. Hammams serve men and women, either in separate sections or at separate hour.
Istanbul for foodies:
Istanbul is a great city for food lovers. You can find numerous eateries in the city offering a wide selection from delightful street foods, traditional Turkish fare, extraordinary flavours of the royal Ottoman food and other globally celebrated cuisines. Istanbul is known as the melting point of cultures, and that clearly reflects from the food scene.
Istanbul Neighborhood:
Taksim – Galata – Karakoy – From the city’s center, the Taksim Square, a stroll along the Istiklal Street will take you to the astonishing Galata neighborhood, a historical Genoese quarter, now a hip and artsy part of the city with artisan stores, nice cafes and restaurants and the Galata Tower. Further down from Galata are the shores of Bosphorus where a natural inlet, the Golden Horn, mixes with the main body of water. Karakoy is the port area right below Galata, across the historical peninsula, now housing the modern, brand-new cruise port, Galata port of Istanbul. This up-and-coming Istanbul neighborhood branch out to the left of the Galata Bridge and is known for its hipster vibe and nightlife.
Along The Bosphorus – This waterfront stretch is one of the most picturesque neighborhoods of Istanbul.
Asian Side: Kadikoy – Uskudar – With a short ferry ride, the Asian side of Istanbul is worth a visit. It is mostly the residential part of the city. Colorful street market of Kadikoy, Ottoman mosques and cozy Bosphorus districts of Kuzguncuk and Cengelkoy are the prime highlights.
Golden Horn: Balat – Fener – Balat and Fener region was home to the old Greek Orthodox and Jewish neighborhoods of Istanbul. Wandering around Balat-Fener region will give you a chance to witness Istanbul as a melting pot of cultures. Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and Phanar Greek Orthodox College are the prime highlights of the region.
CAPPADOCIA
From Istanbul Airport 70-minute flight to Nevsehir Airport & 70-minute flight to Kayseri Airport and From Antalya Airport 01-hour flight to Kayseri Airport
Cappadocia is renowned for its unusual landscape which is the result of the erosion of lava from ancient volcanoes dating back to an approximate of 3 to 9 million years.The region is home to churches, houses, passages and storage carved out of volcanic rocks.
Göreme National Park and the Rock sites of Cappadocia are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, as being one of the first sites in the list from Turkey.
The province of Cappadocia is a large grape producing region of Turkey and it’s believed that wine-making has a long history here. There are numbers of wine-tasting shops where visitors can taste some of the best wines available & sample the goods. In recent years, wines from the part have won many international awards.
Music concerts are regularly held in the surrounding cave buildings of Cappadocia, which includes the week-long Cappadocia Music Festival (Cappadox) that showcases some of the best choirs and orchestras. There are a total of 530 hotels with 28,000 bed capacity in the region.
Must visit places in Cappadocia:
Goreme Open Air Museum: This UNESCO World Heritage site is an essential stop on any Cappadocian itinerary. Among many churches, the site’s highlight is the Dark Church. This church has an additional entrance fee. This stunning fresco-filled church takes its name from the lack of light, which luckily is the reason that the frescoes are still vivid.
Kaymakli or Derinkuyu Underground Cities: Built to defend the ancient inhabitants, the underground cities permitted thousands of people to live their lives secretly. Visitors today can walk through the stables, church, kitchen and wine cellar of the several opened floors in this enthralling Underground City.
Uçhisar Fortress: situated on the edge of Göreme National Park. Uçhisar Fortress is dominated by a 60 meter high castle-mountain, carved in the original rock formation. It is visible from a great distance and has the form of a large cylindrical tower making it one of the best viewpoints of the region. This massif is crisscrossed by numerous underground passageways and rooms, which are now mostly blocked or impassable.
Paşabağ (Pasha’s Vineyard / Monk’s Vineyard) and Devrent Valleys – In Cappadocia, Paşabağ is known for the most prominent fairy chimneys with twin and even triple rock caps. These formations are unique & are mushroom-shaped. Like the cave hotels in modern day Cappadocia, the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ harbor, a number of cave houses as well as chapels once used by Christian recluses.
Zelve Open Air Museum Roughly four times as big an area as Göreme’s Open Air Museum, Zelve Open Air Museum is another significant museum of this region. This museum is home to four churches. Zelve was the residential cluster of cave formations. Three valleys form the earliest-settled and last-abandoned monastic valleys in Cappadocia.
The Best Experiences Cappadocia
- Fly in a Hot Air Balloon at Sunrise
- Hike the Red Valley up to sunset viewpoint
- Walk in Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley & Love (Aşk) Valley.
- Stay at a cave hotel. A unique chance to sleep, meet, wine and swim in actual cave hotels with its numerous luxurious and budget accommodation options.
- Experience “Pottery Making”; a tradition from the Hittites of 2nd millennium BC in the town of Avanos by Red River (Kızılırmak)
- Experience Turkish carpet and ‘kilim’ weaving in local weaving cooperatives and stores.
- Indulge in horse safari: Cappadocia is the “Land of Beautiful Horses,” so you should explore the landscape by horse. The Horse passes thrugh iconic areas which includes the Kızılçukur Valley, Gulludere Valley, Aşk Valley, Bağlıdere, and Kılıçlar Valleys.
- Visit the oldest wine making region in the world with its dozens of native grapes and wine makers.
- Cycle through the valleys.
- Take a tour of the valleys on All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV).
- Experience the famous Turkish Hammam
- Spend some time watching the breathtaking Sufi Whirling Dervishes.
- Cappadocia by Night; which highlights the dance traditions of several regions of Turkey, with traditional costumes and of course, exhilarating belly dancers.
- Erciyes Ski Center during the winter holidays is the luxury of skiing freely on all ski slopes, which is one of the prime attractions in Erciyes. With the “One Ticket” you can enjoy 18 mechanical facilities in 4 different entrance covers and 34 different tracks all day long.
ANTALYA
From Istanbul – 1-hour flight from Istanbul Airport & 1-hour flight from Sabiha Gokcen Airport
From Cappadocia – 1-hour flight from Kayseri Airport, 1-hour flight from Nevsehir Airport & by road 7-hour drive
From Izmir 1-hour flight from Izmir Airport
From Konya By road 4-hour drive
From Pamukkale by road 3-hour drive
About Antalya City
- Antalya is a historically and geographically rich destination with a heritage of more than 2000 years.
- Antalya is called as the Tourism Capital of Turkey receiving more than 15 million international visitors annually.
- Antalya is renowned for its luxurious All-Inclusive 5-star hotels, most of which located in Belek, Lara and Manavgat regions.
- Antalya is also a renowned MICE and Wedding Destination of Turkey.
- There are around 2000 hotels with more than 5.5 lakh bed capacity in Antalya.
- There are more than 400 5-star hotel in Antalya which operate on All Inclusive System.
- Antalya, with more than 200 blue flag certified beaches, is the city which has the highest number of blue flag certified beaches in the world.
- Antalya City Center is located around the historical heart of the city, known as Kaleici. Old town is a citadel encircled by historic city walls and a charming historical harbour.
- Antalya features some of the Mediterranean’s cleanest beaches which makes the destination the perfect holiday destination for travelers who love to relax and sunbathe.
MUST SEE SIGHTS:
Old Town & The Old Harbour: Antalya’s Old Town (Kaleiçi) remains the heart of this modern Turkish city. The old city of Antalya has many of the city’s historic sites. Makeovers to the marina and waterfront have added several hotels, restaurants and shops, making this a popular tourist destination.The Triumphal arch of the Hadrian’s Gate built in the 2nd century, is famed for its triple arches that protect the entrance to Kaleici.
Antalya Museum: One of Turkey’s richest museums in terms of objects of antiquity. It is located in downtown Antalya within walking distance to city center. The museum contains 13 display halls, including a children’s section and open galleries. Antalya museum with 5000 works of art is one of the largest museums of the country.
Düden Waterfalls: It is approximately 7 km away from the city center and is one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the country. The falls consist of two cascades, and the upper part is nearly 50 feet (15 meters) tall and 65 feet (20 meters) wide. It is at the highest cliff of Lara Beach and Antalya’s most popular public park with picnic areas. Tourists from all over the world drove to see over to the Antalya Düden waterfall.
Kurşunlu Waterfall Natural Park: Kurşunlu Waterfall is 20 km away from the Antalya city center. It takes around 20-minute to reach the park from the city center. It is one of the preferred spots for visitors due to its amazing natural waterfall and endemic plants, wildlife and nature. Explorers would be charmed to visit the nearby caves that curve around the back and sides of the falls. More than 300.000 people call the Kurşunlu Waterfall Natural Park every year.
Aspendos Theater: Aspendos is considered as the best preserved ancient theater in the world. It is 45 km away from the city center and still acts as a major destination for concerts today. Every year the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival is held here, where artists from all over the world participate to play in one of the greatest theaters. The site is visited by approximately 400.000 people every year.
Ancient City of Perge: Archaeological Site of Perge is on the UNESCO Tentative List from 2009 & is one of the best universal values of Turkey. It is located 15 km from Antalya city Center. One can see the Basilica and Baths, City Walls and Theatre and Stadium while visiting the Ancient city of Perge.
In addition to these, “Patara Ancient City”, “Myra Ancient City” and “Church of St. Nicholas” which is also known as Santa Claus attract lots of visitors from all around the world.
TOP EXPERIENCES IN ANTALYA
Boat trip: As a city with almost 600 km coastline, boat trips is available from almost every town Marina from west to east. While in the city center a two-hour boat trip from the Old Harbour is a must from Kaleici Marina.
Private boat tours are also available where one can have the unique experience of the Turkish Riviera and visiting some of the ancient cities such as Phaselis ancient city.
Tahtalı Mountain Cable Car Riding: Standing 2365 meters above the sea leveI, Tahtali Mountain is located 50 km. From the city center of Antalya. One can see the beautiful coastline of Antalya region, gorgeous mountains, pine forests and turquoise Mediterranean sea while having the cable car riding experience. It takes around 10-minute to ride to the mountain’s summit and is available every day all year around.
The cable-car establishment which is built with the most up-to-date CEN norms is suitable with the slogan ‘’Sea to Sky’’ and combines the classical sea and mountain vacation activities.
Golfing: In addition to being home to the best-of- the-class luxury hotels, Belek region in Antalya is also known as one of the most favorite golf destinations of the world. Belek offers top quality golf courses, not only for hotel guests, for all golfers, including beginners’ courses. Luxury Belek Hotels has 15 golf courses where one can indulge in a good game of golf. More than 150.000 international visitors came to the region for playing golf in 2019. The preferable season for golf in Antalya is the time between October to May.
Rafting in Koprulu Canyon National Park: It is the most popular rafting area of the country. The rafting area is around 80 km away from Antalya center and can be reached in 80-minute. It is a daily tour including lunch and transfers where one can have the rafting experience with his/her family and friends.
Jeep Safari: Striking contrast between the beaches and the towering Taurus Mountains in the background makes Antalya and surrounding areas so attractive.
Jeep Safari helps you to explore the hidden beauties of Antalya. It is a one day event which you can experience together with your family and friends while traveling through the region in an off-road vehicle.
Land of Legends Theme parks and Aqua parks: Located in the Belek region, Land of Legends is 30 km away from the city center. It is a complex of aqua parks, restaurants, and famous brands. The place offers a good opportunity of spending time by shopping or dining for parents while children have entertainment in aqua parks or theme parks.
Pamukkale (White Marvel)
- How to Reach
- Closest airport to Pamukkale is Denizli – Cardak Airport, which is 65 km away from Pamukkale.
- 1-hour flight from Istanbul, From the airport you can take a shuttle to Pamukkale.
- Pamukkale is a 3.5-hour drive away from Izmir city, approximately 225 km from the airport.
- Another popular drive to Pamukkale is from Antalya. It is a scenic 3-hour drive over the mountains from Antalya city center.
About Pamukkale.
- Pamukkale is located in Southwestern Turkey and visited by more than 2 million tourists every year.
- It is a natural site which appears in almost every list of places to be seen once in a lifetime.
- Pamukkale, the so-called ‘Cotton Castle’ is formed of white calcite travertines (terraces) overrunning with warm, mineral-rich waters on the mountain above the village.
- The magnificent Hierapolis ancient city was established near the travertine by Romans. Those unique travertines and the ancient ruins were inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List.
- The Hierapolis city of antiquity has reached our times in a quite well preserved state. The most frequented structure of antiquity should have been the Roman Baht House, and at present the same building is used as the archeological museum.
- As a destination which attracts more than 2 million tourists Pamukkale houses quality hotels.
- Hot air ballooning is also available in Pamukkale. As it is a case in Cappadocia hot air balloons take off in the morning time and it can be cancelled sometimes due to the security concerns.
- Pamukkale provides several unique experiences to its visitors. Enjoying the magnificent sight created by the sunset coloring the travertine in beautiful hues, is an experience worth extending your visit.
TURQUIOSE COAST – THE AEGEAN BODRUM
1-hour flight from Istanbul and Sabiha Gokcen Airport
6-hour drive from Antalya
4-hour drive from Izmir
3.5-hour drive from Pamukkale
Bodrum is a popular resort town on the southern west corner of Turkey, on the hores of the Aegean. It is a luxury destination and known as the host to numerous big Indian weddings. Bodrum is the birthplace of blue cruising and the blue voyage in Turkey.
**One can have the experience of luxury cruises on indigenous Turkish wooden sailboats called “Gulets” with a private chef and crew in Bodrum.
**Sunbathe on the Bodrum Peninsula Beaches, Camel Beach, Bodrum Peninsula is so popular for the tourists. Shopping at Yalıkavak Marina and experiencing Bodrum’s Nightlife is a must.
**Visiting the Museum of Underwater Archaeology and the Bodrum Castle is among the main activities in Bodrum.
Kuşadası
Thanks a lot to Kusadasi’s beautiful nature, clear sea, harbour and proximity to the ancient cities, Kuşadası is one of the earliest tourism destinations and continues to be popular with its lovely beaches, sun, sand, surf, and the restaurants serving delicious Aegean food. Kuşadası Cruise Port is one of Turkey’s major cruise stops and the main access to ancient Ephesus.
Besides, many outdoor activities such as Sunset cruising, Boating day picnics, Jeep safaris, trekking and scuba-diving, Kuşadası with its entertainment facilities is a lovely holiday resort to suit all expectations.
As one of the oldest tourism destinations of the country Kuşadası features high quality hotels some of which operate in All Inclusive System. One can explore Pigeon Island and visit the museum. Going on a Jeep safari and exploring the surrounding areas of Kusadasi, spending the day whizzing down the slides at Adaland or Aqua Fantasy is among the top experiences in Kusadasi. Enjoying a delicious meal on Ladies Beach whilst watching the beautiful sunset is a must.
Excursions:
**Ephesus, the World renowned ancient city is only 15 minutes away from Kusadasi. Ephesus is one of the top preserved and restored sites as well. It contains numerous outstanding public buildings such as the striking Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the theatre, and the lavish Temple of Artemis which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ephesus is one of the most important centers of the ancient era that is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. Almost 2 million tourists visit the Ephesus Antique city every year.
**Kusadasi is surrounded by many other historical sites which can be visited in a day excursions, Namely Pamukkale, Priene, Miletos, 7 churches, and Pergamon.
**The Aegean coast of Turkey is also very important at the history of Christianity. St John, St Paul, Mother Mary, St Philip were in the area and 7 churches in Revelation (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea) are located on the Aegean part of Turkey. For Religious visits or pilgrimage people come here and mostly prefer to stay in Kusadasi because it is nearby all this sites.
IZMIR
The third largest city of Turkey after Istanbul and Ankara.
It is easily accessible with an almost one-hour flight from Istanbul, Ankara, or Antalya.
In addition to the numerous places you can visit in Izmir; famous nearby destinations such as Bodrum, Marmaris, Pamukkale, Kuşadası are also easily accessible.
With its unique bays, blue flag beaches, facilities that offer all kinds of water sports.
The Multi-Faith City: İzmir has hosted several different faiths from past to present for thousands of years. The fact that the House of Virgin Mary (Ephesus) which has been declared as the place of “pilgrimage” by the Christians, “Church of the Ecumenical Councils”, the first church to have been built for Virgin Mary, and the Saint John Basilica is located in İzmir, makes the city an attractive district for faith tourism.
The City of Flavors: İzmir has a multicultural and rich cuisine just like its history. This delicious cuisine is another reason to visit İzmir. The most prominent feature of Izmir’s cuisine is healthy. Both the Aegean Sea itself and the climate softened by the Aegean Sea provide İzmir with the freshest seafood and the freshest vegetables. İzmir is a city where you can enjoy authentic breakfasts, the famous kumru, local foods that include thousands of various herbs and seafood with a side of various mezes
Çeşme – Alaçatı: The district of Çeşme is a very popular summer resort, 45-minute drive on a highway from İzmir downtown on the Aegean coast surrounded by clear blue waters and accessible dive sites. The beauty of Çeşme is that it hasn’t quite hit the international radar and is mostly frequented by Turkish vacationers, giving it that untouched-by-tourists sort of charm. The white sandy seashores are lined with beautifully built houses, quite a few large hotels and a number of bistros, serving brilliant seafood and Turkish specialties. In Çeşme it is possible to have a complete spa treatment as the hotels have their own spas, making use of the area’s mineral waters of natural hot springs.
We hope after reading all about their enthralling vacation, you are tempted to plan yours soon. And when you have made up your mind, pick your dates, pack all that you can, plan a vacation in Turkey and get ready to spend your days in Turkey!