Turkey, the land of culinary delights – don’t even let me start on kebabs, baklavas and everything else – divided between Europe and Asia, where you could spend lots and lots of time exploring (and eating, obviously). But, if you only have 1-2 weeks, here is an itinerary for you.
There are lots of places to see in Turkey since the country is huge, but for our first time, we chose Istanbul and Cappadocia, due to good flight connections, balloons, great trekking options and recommendations from our friends.
Day 1: Fly to Istanbul and from there to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport in Cappadocia. Choose Göreme as your base. Depending on where you come from plan for at least 1-day to get there.
Day 2: Göreme When you’ve gotten some sleep and breakfast with a view, it’s time for your first Cappadocian hike to one of the nearby valleys.
Day 3: Around Göreme Rent a car and drive around Cappadocia, finishing your tour with the trip to one of the underground cities (Derinyuku or Kaymakli).
Day 4: Around Göreme Day two with a car can be spent exploring the amazing Ihlara Valley (which also includes some hiking so come prepared).
Day 5: Göreme Either enjoy in some R&R, take another hike or do a balloon ride. Or simply get up really early to watch balloons going into the air because it is magnificent and unforgettable. Tomorrow you return to Istanbul.
Day 6: Fly to Istanbul, you’ll land in Sabiha Gokcen airport (the domestic airport). Take the Havas bus to Taksim square and set your base in Karaköy. Take the afternoon to explore the area and visit the Galata Tower (or take a pic from below, if you’re not into crowds).
Day 7: Istanbul Walk to Eminonu and check out the Spice Bazaar and the Arasta Bazaar. At 14:30 do a short Bosphorus cruise. You’ll be back at 16:30. Have dinner on the Karaköy side of the bridge and finish the day with baklavas and çay. 🙂
Day 8: Istanbul Walk around Taksim and Istiklal Caddesi, buy some souvenirs and find the rainbow stairs. Do a rooftop cocktail bar or a jazz concert (or best case scenario – combine both). Take lots of photos with graffiti that are all around this area or just eat and enjoy the city vibe.
Day 9: Istanbul Take in the sights of Sultanahmet (choose a few because there will be long lines) and visit the Grand Bazaar.
Day 10: Istanbul Head to Eminonu pier again and do a trip to Kadıköy or alternatively head to one of the Princess islands for the day. Plan it so, that this day is a weekday. Buy some souvenir Hafiz Mustafa baklavas.
Day 11: Travel back home, wherever home is. You’ll surely want to come back because there is no limit to awesome things you can discover in Turkey.
PS: Our itinerary was a bit different than the one described here, but if we did it again we’d do it this way. Also – I am putting down Pamukkale and Kekova on our bucket list for one of the next times we visit.