Turkey Travel Guide:

Best Places to Visit in Turkey

 
Private Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
From Viator Tours

 
Private Tour: Ephesus Day Trip
From Viator Tours

 
Private Overnight Tour to Cappadocia
From Viator Tours

 
Private Tour: Pamukkale and Hierapolis
From Viator Tours

Many travelers think there is little to Turkey outside of Istanbul and Istanbul is a hard act to follow.  Crossing the Bosporus into Asia Minor, however,  leads you into an exotic and exciting country.  Read our recommendations on the best places to visit in Turkey and then make your reservations to explore this most alluring country.

See our new, detailed map of Turkey for the destinations we recommend.  The satellite imagery for Turkey is of high quality in Istanbul, but lower through much of the rest of the country.  In addition, we found the road network to be unreliable and chose not to provide routing, since most of the routes we tested were unreliable.

Read our sections on Turkey Travel Information and  Facts on Turkey to complete your basic preparation for vacationing in Turkey.

Read our Blog for travel news and Things Travelers Need To Know.

• Istanbul (click for our mini-guide)  

  • Istanbul is one of the world's most interesting cities.  Its unique history, literally bridging the gap between 'East" and "West",  is precisely what attracts tourist to the shores of the Asian Continent.  Across time, Istanbul (or is it Constantinople) has served as the capital  of the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires: the city's heritage is on display and magnificently preserved.  From its famous mosques and churches (the Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye Cami, and Hagia Sophia), through palaces (The Topkapi and Dolmbahce), and on to the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul is one memorable excursion after another.




• Aegean Coast

  • The Aegean Coast of Turkey contains fine archaeological sites, beautiful beaches, great scenery, and a host of towns that are excellent destinations. The Aegean Coast is an area of Turkey you should research, as it is a rich travel destination.

  
  

  • Ephesus (click for Ephesus mini-guide)

    Ephesus, an ancient city in the process of being restored, is a must see.  Dating from the seventh century BC (and possibly earlier) Ephesus provides an interesting view of  ancient life: the city's ruins illustrate how ancient cities worked and how the people played.  Ephesus is a site that should interest anyone but it holds special reverence for Christians who believe that the Virgin Mary lived in the area at the end of her life.

    • Ephesus is also known as the location of the Temple of Artemis (also called the Temple of Diana), which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Like all of the Wonders, except the Pyramids at Giza, there remains no trace of the temple dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess.
      It is believed that the building was partially destroyed by fire and later  by an earthquake.

     

    
    

    • Izmir ( historical Smyrna)

       

      • Izmir is a working city that serves as a convenient base to explore the Aegean coast: many  prime archaeological sites are relatively close to Izmir.  The city has limited attractions of its own.

    
    

    • Kusadasi

      • Kusadasi is a resort town with great restaurants, good hotels, and pleasant hosts.  Known for its nightlife, Kusadasi is a good place for anyone interested soaking up the sun and relaxing at the beach.  The city's harbor  is the gateway to Ephesus for many  cruise lines.

        

  
  

  • Bodrum

    • Bodrum is a scenic town whose center is the famed Castle of Saint Peter (built by the Knights of Saint John).  Bodrum has much to offer and should be considered as a base to explore the surrounding countryside. 

      • In the past, Bodrum was known as Halicarnassus and the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The tomb was destroyed by a series of violent earthquakes in the distant past.  It is said that its building materials were used to fortify the Castle of St. Peter and the city's defensive walls.

      
      

• Anatolia

  • Anatolia runs across  southern Turkey and contains numerous first class archaeological sites.  Get a quality guidebook and "dig up" the places of interest to you.  Anatolia is a wonderland!

    • Anatalya

      • A quality resort town, Anatalya is a good starting place for your explanation of Anatolia.

    
    

• Cappadocia

  • Most travelers have seen pictures of the mystical, rock chimney dwellings and man-made cave homes in eastern Turkey.  Cappadocia is the area of Turkey known for these dwellings and is a very interesting place to visit.

   

          

  
  

  • Ürgrüp is a good town to base your exploration of  the area because of its size and the quality of the facilities offered. The Goreme Valley, which is the center of the cave homes, is a must see. Take a tour or hire a guide to  benefit from the cultural richness of this area.
  
  
  
• We have some new recommendations for you that might be just the ticket if you are considering a second visit to Turkey, or are just the adventurous type.

   

• Pamukkale in Denizli Province in southwest Turkey is an extraordinary area of hot springs awash with calcium carbonate that has created a unique area of  limestone and travertine. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and noted tourist attraction.  For more information, see the Pamukkale official website. 

• Aizanoi Zeus Temple is a stunning, well preserved Roman temple in Anatolia, built in a Greco-Roman Style.  It is an amazing treasure, but one that is hard to find and out of the way.
  
  

• Nemrut Dagi, in eastern Turkey is considered by many one of the most remarkable monuments in Turkey, if not Asia Minor.  Built in the 1st century B.C. as a burial mound accompanied by incredibly huge, but lifelike statues.  It is thought that the site reflects both Greek and Persian heritage.  If you want to explore this site, we recommend a guided tour as this location is very remote.  See this non-official website for a great video recreating the original plan of Nemrut Dagi.
  
  

• Ankara 

  • Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is a gateway to the surrounding region.   Ankara and its surrounding area are not  prime tourist attractions but are worth a look if you are touring the country for  a second or third time.

If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web

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Many visitors to Turkey prefer to travel as part of a tour  or a cruise and leave the difficulty of planning vacation travel to an agency.