Plan your inspirational Turkey travel to discover the merging beauty of the Agean, Mediterranean and the Black Sea treasures. Experience a dreamy holiday with warm climate, golden sands, luxury accommodation and a long list of touristic activities. Keep reading our expert recommendations for Turkey to have an unforgettable trip.
How to Get to Turkey
You can get to Turkey from almost all European capitals, Arabian Peninsula and Near East Asia at affordable prices. The most commonly preferred route is to find a cheap flight to Istanbul, the liveliest metropolitan city at Bosphorus. You can get an Istanbul flight ticket from Pegasus Airlines from 47 countries. Your Istanbul flight from Paris will land at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in 3 hours and 25 minutes, from Dubai in 4 hours and 25 minutes, from Prague in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
In summer time, another option is to find a cheap flight to Antalya and Bodrum, the most popular summer destinations. To compare flight time for those cities, consider that you can get to Antalya from Hamburg in 2 hours and 30 minutes, from Moscow to Bodrum in 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Best Time to Visit Turkey
The country is an all-year-long destination as the Mediterranean climate, observed in the west and south, offers long sunny days. Continental features seen in the eastern and inner regions make winter another vacation time. From December to February, snow is common in Erzurum, Ağrı and Kars where you can have skiing, snowboarding and winter sports June, July and August are the best months for the southern coasts like Bodrum, Alanya and Fethiye where you will enjoy sunbathing, diving and all kinds of water sports. If you prefer sightseeing tours on acropolises and modern cities, you should travel to Aephesus, Pergamon and Cappadocia in spring and early autumn. You can explore Istanbul at any time of the year as winter is never freezing.
Walk around Antique Cities
Historic landmarks open the gates of almost ten thousand-year-old civilizations. You should include several of those World Heritage sites to your sightseeing list. You can witness how people lived in Paleolithic and Neolithic ages in those well-preserved sites.
- Çatalhöyük – visit the most advanced Neolithic site standing since 7000 BC. It shows how human efforts shaped metals and stone for daily needs. You can reach the ancient city after a short ride from Konya.
- Gordion – visit the political and cultural capital of Phyrigians to hear King Midas pronounced the Phrygian Knot. Located close to Ankara, this antique city dates back to the Early Bronze Age (3000 BC) while giving you hints of the Great Alexander’s conquest attempts in 333 AD.
- Birgi – go to Ödemiş for a 10-km drive to the site. See the beautiful town of Birgi where you can explore the traces of Phyrigians, Lydians, Persians and the well-known Aydınoğlu Sultanate of pre-Ottoman era.
- Troy – have a short ride from Çanakkale towards Troy to visualize the legendary Trojan War which was ended by the warriors hidden in the Trojan Horse. The antique ruins are not far from the Gelibolu Battle Zone where you can send a salutation to the soldiers of the First World War.
Enjoy the Turkish Urban Architecture
If you would like to see how a historic town is still alive, you should put these recommendations to your sightseeing tour list. In each one, you can visit typical Ottoman houses, observe the architectural forms of previous centuries and their peculiar rooms serving the needs of families. You can stay for a night in a historic house, have home-made breakfast and buy lots of handicrafts as souvenirs. Here are the best options of historic houses:
- Cumalıkızık Village in Bursa
- City of Safranbolu near Karabük
- Odunpazarı District in Eskişehir
- Beypazarı Timber Houses close to Ankara
- İnebolu Mansion Houses in Kastamonu
Discover the Natural Beauties
Meet the pastorale muse to feel the peaceful atmosphere in Turkey. The most popular summer resorts in Antalya and Fethiye will make you highly satisfied with miles of sandy beaches, lonely bays for diving and Blue Boat Cruises to see steep cliffs meeting turquoise water. Do not forget to see the endangered species of carretta carretta in one of their conservation habitats near Ölüdeniz.
If you are a fan of naturally formed rocks and stones, you should travel to Cappadocia and Göreme National Park. You can watch the panorama of rock valleys called ¨peribacaları¨ in beautiful landscapes, especially at sunset. The underground citadels remaining from the Roman times will amaze you in Ihlara Valley.
If you book a direct flight to Trabzon, you should visit Uzungöl and Ayder where the Black Sea forests give their hands to green plateaus. Do not miss the chance to attend a local ¨yayla¨ fest in Rize during early autumn.
What You Need to Know Before Traveling to Turkey
- The Turkish economic system uses Turkish liras (TRY or TL) in bank transactions and trading. It means you will need some cash in Turkish liras to pay for taxi, public transport tickets and urgent shopping. You can change money at the airport. Visa and MasterCard type credit and debit cards are widely used for shopping.
- In Turkey, electricity plug sockets are type C and type F which are compatible with any EU originated devices. If you arrive from the US, UK and Canada, you will need a type C adapter to make your mobile, laptop and electrical devices work with 220 V.
- Mobile operators and wifi internet are high speed and widespread in Turkish cities. When you arrive, you can get a SIM or e-SIM card from the largest mobile operators including Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom. You will see their trademarks and logos on kiosks and shops. The majority of hotels offer free wifi to their guests. In public places, you may need the wifi passcode in order to login your email or surf on the Internet.
Affordable Travel Options in Turkey
Turkey travel is easy and comfortable with budget friendly transportation. If you plan a journey to Anatolian cities, you can check direct flights to Turkey or make connections to Istanbul. After getting your Istanbul flight ticket from Pegasus Airlines, you can rent a car to enjoy a self-directed route to visit our recommendations in Turkey.
