Where Europe meets Asia, with balloons and ruins
Turkey, officially Turkiye, straddles Europe and Asia, with Istanbul's domes and bazaars on the Bosphorus at its heart. Inland, Cappadocia's fairy chimneys and balloon flights are world famous, and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts hold Ephesus, Pamukkale and turquoise bays. Food is a major highlight, from kebabs to mezes and baklava. It suits history lovers, beachgoers, foodies and road trippers.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
A 6th-century Byzantine church that became a mosque, then a museum, and again a mosque in 2020. Its huge dome and mosaics are a wonder.
Valleys of fairy chimneys, cave churches and underground cities, with hot-air balloon flights at dawn. Goreme Open Air Museum holds painted rock churches.
A great Greco-Roman city with the Library of Celsus, a large theatre and marble streets. The terrace houses have superb mosaics.
White travertine terraces of mineral pools above the ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis. You can bathe in the ancient pool.
The Ottoman sultans' palace for centuries, with courtyards, the harem and treasury jewels. It looks over the Bosphorus.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, with six minarets and blue tiles, faces Hagia Sophia across a square. The Basilica Cistern is nearby.
Vast covered markets of carpets, lamps, spices and sweets, among the oldest in the world. Bargaining is expected.
Ferries and boats sail the strait between Europe and Asia, past palaces, fortresses and wooden mansions. Public ferries are a cheap way to do it.
A long trail and coastline of ancient tombs, beaches and boat trips, from Fethiye to Antalya. Oludeniz lagoon and Kas are highlights.
A walled old quarter with Ottoman houses and a Roman gate above a marina. Aspendos theatre and Perge are nearby.
Carved stone pillars set in circles about 11,000 years ago, among the oldest known monumental structures. It changed ideas about early societies.
Giant stone heads of gods and kings on a mountain summit, built by a 1st-century BC king. Sunrise and sunset are spectacular.
A whitewashed resort town with a crusader castle, bays and nightlife. It is a popular summer base.
Layered remains of the city of Homer's Iliad, with an excellent new museum. Gallipoli battlefields are close.
A well-kept Ottoman town of timber houses and old caravanserais. It is known for Turkish delight.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Imperial city on two continents.
history, food, culture · Open the city guideCave hotels and balloons.
nature · Open the city guideEphesus base.
history · Guide comingOld town and beaches.
beach · Open the city guideTurquoise Coast base.
beach, hiking · Guide comingResort town.
beach, nightlife · Open the city guideAegean city.
food · Open the city guideCave hotels and balloon flights in Cappadocia.
landscape, ballooning · Open the city guideTerraces and ancient spa city.
nature, ruins · Guide comingGateway to Troy and Gallipoli.
history, gateway · Guide comingThe capital with the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
museums · Guide comingImperial capital and battlefields.
Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Bosphorus
Ancient cities and seaside towns.
Ephesus, Pamukkale, Bodrum
Turquoise coast and Roman theatres.
Antalya, Oludeniz, Kas
Volcanic landscapes and capital.
Cappadocia, Ankara, Hattusa
Ancient sites near the Syrian border; check advice.
Gobekli Tepe, Mount Nemrut
The historic heart, with Istanbul, Edirne and Bursa.
Istanbul, Bursa, Edirne
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: April to June and September to October. Pleasant weather for sightseeing and swimming without peak heat.
The coasts are hot in July and August; central Anatolia is cold and snowy in winter, and the east is harsh then.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
47°F daily high, 42°F average, 3.1 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Turkey Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, due to terrorism, armed conflict and arbitrary detentions, and says do not travel to the border region with Syria and Iraq.
Cheap domestic flights, long-distance buses and growing fast trains make travel easy.
Prices have risen, but food, transport and mid-range hotels are still good value.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check visa rules on Turkey's official e-Visa website (evisa.gov.tr) before you travel. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 220 V 50 Hz |
| Tap water | not safe |
| Tipping | Leave about 10 percent in restaurants. |
| Payments | Cards are widely accepted; carry lira for markets and taxis. |
| Emergency | 155 police, 156 gendarmerie |
| Etiquette | Remove shoes in mosques and homes. Insulting the Turkish state or Ataturk is a crime, including on social media. Accept tea when offered; it is a gesture of hospitality. |
| What to wear | Cover shoulders and knees in mosques; women need a headscarf. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Domestic flights are cheap and link Istanbul with most cities. Long-distance buses are comfortable, and fast trains link Istanbul, Ankara and Konya. Driving is useful on the coast. |
| Main airports | IST, SAW, AYT, ADB, NAV |
| Ride apps | Uber |
Anatolia was home to some of the earliest settlements, from Gobekli Tepe and Catalhoyuk to the Hittite capital at Hattusa. Greek, Roman and Byzantine cities followed, with Constantinople as the Byzantine capital for a thousand years. The Ottomans took the city in 1453 and ruled a vast empire for centuries. After World War One, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the modern republic in 1923.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.