So, where to travel in Turkey?

I hope my earlier blog has raised enough curiosity for you to peel the next layers on where, when, and how to travel in Turkey. In this blog, I’ll help you make a choice on where all to travel. Let’s start with geography.

Geography 101

Turkey is situated in Western Asia bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria. It extends more than 1,600 km (994 mi) from west to east but generally less than 800 km (497 mi) from north to south. 

Despite ¼ the size of India, Turkey packs all kinds treasures, landscapes, flora and fauna within in its 783,562 sq km boundary.

•          It is surrounded by water on three sides and boasts of 7,200 kms of coastline. The coastal areas are divided into the Black Sea region, the Marmara region, the Aegean region, and the Mediterranean region.
•          The interior areas are divided into three regions: Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia.
•         Turkey has one peak of over 5000 meters in altitude (Mt. Ararat), three over 4000 meters and 129 peaks exceeding 3000 meters. Also, it is home to several dormant volcanoes.

Watch a short video to help get a grasp of what the country has to offer.

From Kings, spiritualists, conquerors to traders across many civilizations have made Turkey their home. They came to here to prosper monetarily and spiritually. Even today there is something for everyone, from history buffs, archaeologists, city planners, epicureans, adventure junkies, beach lovers to mountain climbers.

You will need months to thoroughly explore this country; 10 to 15 days is a reasonable duration to experience the culture and landscape and may be come back for more. So, where all did I go?

-        Istanbul (Marama region) – To enjoy the city that spans across both continents Asia and Europe and enjoy the culture and cuisine

-        Kusadasi and Ephesus (Aegean region) – Explore the beautiful coastline, understand the Biblical connections and visit the Roman ruins

-        Pamukkale and Cappadoccia (Central Anatolia) – Enjoy stark landscape and understand the lifestyle and history of the earlier civilizations (Hittites, Romans, Christians, Ottomans)

Date	Place	Travel details	No of Days
Sep 21 – Sep 23	Istanbul (Grand Bazaar, Bosporus Cruise, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower, Basilica Cistern, Museums)	Fly into Istanbul and keep an evening for acclimatization, if you are taking a long flight.	3 days
Sep 24 – 26	Pamukkale (Travertines, Hierapolis – Roman Ruins)	Fly into Denizili and take an hour-long bus ride to Pamukkale. I took a rest day to relax and enjoy my vacation	3 days
Sep 27	Kusadasi (seaside town)	4-hour bus ride from Pamukkale. First bus at 10 am.	1 day
Sep 28	Ephesus (Biblical connections and Roman ruins)	15 mins bus ride and engage a cab to visit Ephesus aka Selcuk	1 day
Sep 29	Kusadasi	My second rest day to absorb and understand all that I saw. Took an afternoon bus to Izmir to catch evening flight to Kayseri and then an hour-long bus ride to Nevsehir.	1 day
Sep 30 – Oct 2	Nevsehir (Places in Red and Green Tour)	Goreme is 15 mins bus ride from Nevsehir	3 days
Oct 2-4	Istanbul (Balat District, Whirling Dervishes, Shopping at Egyptian and Eminonu Markets)	Fly out of Istanbul to your home or next destination	2 days

In my next blog, I’ll walk you through the first stop in my itinerary, Istanbul.

•          When to go?
•          Where to stay?
•          Packing the right landing gear
•      Where to change currency?
•          How to get to and from Airport (cheapest way)
•          How to travel within the city? 
•      Best time to visit monuments
•          About the people
•          Popular tourist traps and how to avoid them
•      Should you buy Museum pass or not?
•         Where to eat?
•         Where to shop?
•          What to bring home?