The great city
Almost every trip begins in Istanbul, the old imperial capital spread across two continents on the Bosphorus. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar sit within walking distance of each other in the old city, while ferries carry you to the Asian side for markets and seafront walks. Plan three or four days, more if you love food and museums.
The heart of Anatolia
An hour's flight east, Cappadocia is a landscape of soft volcanic rock carved by wind into fairy chimneys, and by people into cave churches, dovecotes and whole underground cities. Most visitors stay in a cave hotel in Göreme, Uçhisar or Ürgüp and rise before dawn to watch, or ride, the hot air balloons. Two or three nights is ideal. Ankara, the modern capital, is a few hours west and worth a stop for the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and Atatürk's mausoleum.
The Aegean
Izmir is Türkiye's relaxed third city, with a long seafront promenade, a lively bazaar and the best base for **Ephesus**, the finest Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean. From here you can also reach the white travertine terraces of **Pamukkale**, the seaside town of Çeşme and the stone villages of the hinterland. Three or four days suits most people.
The Mediterranean
Antalya is the gateway to the Turkish Riviera, with a walled harbour old town, beaches, waterfalls and ancient cities such as Perge, Aspendos and Termessos close by. Further west, Fethiye sits on a bay of islands, with the lagoon at Ölüdeniz, paragliding from Babadağ, the ghost village of Kayaköy and the start of the Lycian Way coastal trail. A week split between the two is a classic summer trip.
Putting it together
A first ten days often runs Istanbul, Cappadocia, then one coast. With two weeks you can add a second coastal base. Distances are long, so use domestic flights for big jumps and comfortable intercity buses for shorter ones. Our places to visit list covers restaurants, sights and stays in each base, and the free trip planner helps you set the pace.