Türkiye

Classic routes

• 🎈Cappadocia to Istanbul10 days · Goreme → Pamukkale → Selcuk (Ephesus) → Istanbul
• 🏺Santorini, Athens, Istanbul & Cappadocia12 days · Santorini → Athens → Istanbul → Goreme

🕌 Istanbul & Marmara

Istanbul on the Bosphorus, where nearly every flight from India lands; Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, across the Sea of Marmara; and Çanakkale on the Dardanelles for Troy and the Gallipoli battlefields.

• IstanbulTwo Continents, Hagia Sophia and the Bosphorus4 days · best April – May, September – November
• BursaFirst Ottoman Capital under Mount Uludağ1 day · best April – June, September – October
• Canakkale (Troy & Gallipoli)Troy and the Gallipoli Battlefields on the Dardanelles2 days · best April – June, September – October

🌲 Black Sea Coast

Green, rainy mountains above the sea in the far north-east: Trabzon and Sumela Monastery on its cliff, tea gardens, and the lake village of Uzungöl. Best June to September; rain is common all year.

• TrabzonSumela Monastery on the Green Black Sea Coast2 days · best May – September
• UzungolMountain Lake Village among Spruce Forests1 day · best May – September

🏘️ South-East Anatolia

Mardin's honey-stone old city above the Mesopotamian plain, with Syriac monasteries and Midyat nearby, and Şanlıurfa, the city of Abraham's sacred pools and the base for Göbekli Tepe, the world's oldest known temple, 2.5 hours west by bus. Two hours by air from Istanbul; very hot in midsummer.

• MardinHoney-Stone Old City above the Mesopotamian Plain2 days · best April – May, September – November
• Sanliurfa (Gobekli Tepe)Göbekli Tepe, the World's Oldest Temple, and the City of Prophets2 days · best March – May, October – November

🌀 Ankara, Konya & Safranbolu

The Anatolian heartland on the high-speed rail line: Ankara, the capital, for Atatürk's mausoleum and the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations; Konya, Rumi's city and home of the whirling dervishes; and, three hours north of Ankara by bus, the Ottoman timber mansions of Safranbolu.

• AnkaraThe Capital, Atatürk's Mausoleum and Anatolian Civilisations1 day · best April – June, September – October
• KonyaRumi's City and the Whirling Dervishes1 day · best April – June, September – December
• SafranboluOttoman Timber Mansions in a Saffron Town2 days · best April – June, September – October

🎈 Cappadocia

Valleys of fairy chimneys and rock-cut churches on the Anatolian plateau, famous for hot-air balloons at sunrise and cave hotels: Göreme in the middle of it all, and quieter Ürgüp. Fly from Istanbul to Nevşehir or Kayseri, or ride the overnight bus. Cold, sometimes snowy winters; balloons fly most often from April to October.

• GoremeFairy Chimneys, Cave Hotels and Balloons at Dawn3 days · best April – June, September – October
• UrgupCappadocia's Quieter Town of Stone Mansions and Wine2 days · best April – June, September – October

🏛️ Aegean Coast

Ephesus and the Roman ruins round Selçuk, the white travertines of Pamukkale inland, and the beach towns of the Aegean: Kuşadası, Bodrum, and Çeşme with Alaçatı. Izmir's airport and trains tie it together; ferries cross to the Greek islands in season.

• Selcuk (Ephesus)The Roman City of Ephesus on Your Doorstep2 days · best April – June, September – November
• KusadasiAegean Resort and Cruise Port near Ephesus2 days · best May – October
• IzmirTurkey's Easy-Going Third City on the Aegean1 day · best April – June, September – November
• PamukkaleWhite Travertine Terraces and the Ruins of Hierapolis1 day · best April – June, September – October
• BodrumWhite Houses, a Crusader Castle and Aegean Nightlife3 days · best May – October
• CesmeWindsurfing Beaches and Stone Alaçatı2 days · best June – September

🏖️ Turquoise Coast

The Mediterranean coast from Marmaris to Alanya: Dalyan's river and turtle beach, Fethiye and the Blue Lagoon at Ölüdeniz, little Kaş and Kalkan on the Lycian shore, and Antalya, Side and Alanya on the Riviera. Gulet cruises, paragliding and Roman theatres. Swimming May to October; many resort hotels close in winter.

• MarmarisPine-Backed Bay, Boat Trips and Bar Street2 days · best May – October
• DalyanRock Tombs, River Boats and the Turtle Beach2 days · best May – October
• Fethiye & OludenizThe Blue Lagoon, Paragliding and the Lycian Way3 days · best May – October
• KasSmall Harbour, Clear Water and the Sunken City3 days · best May – October
• KalkanHillside Villas Above a Quiet Bay2 days · best May – October
• AntalyaKaleiçi Old Town, Waterfalls and the Riviera's Airport3 days · best April – June, September – November
• SideRoman Ruins on a Beach Peninsula2 days · best May – October
• AlanyaSeljuk Castle above Cleopatra Beach2 days · best April – November