Turkey has been on my bucket list for so long, and it must be on yours too.. The landscapes are amazingly unbelievable, food is incredible and history is everywhere, be it Old town of Istanbul or the ruins of Ephesus or troy.
A fascinating mix of modern and ancient, where East meets West, Turkey is one of the most incredible countries in the world.
After doing months of research, finally i was able to fix an itinerary for 10 days, and i believe it should be the one of every first time traveler to turkey.
I took an early morning flight from Dubai to Istanbul.
Travel Time- 4 hours approx. & Travel Cost- Return ticket 19000 INR
Arrive at your Hostel, Check-in and head out to explore.
Stop at Hafiz Mustafa for "Baklawa" & their turkish coffee.
Eat Kumpir, when you are in the ortakoy neighborhood.
End your day with donor kebab or Shawarma..
Start your day early with a turkish breakfast and start exploring Old town of Istanbul.
Blue Mosque
Other places to visit:
- Topkapi Palace - most photo worthy room in the entire palace is the Topkapi Palace Harem. Cost: 40 TL + an additional 25 TL to visit the Harem. Closed on Tuesdays
- Dolmabache Palace - in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. It is a short tram ride away from Hagia Sofia.
- Galata Tower
Evening at Grand Bazaar
This bazaar should be on every tourist's itinerary, and for all the good reasons.
One of the largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world, the Grand Bazaar is 30,700 sqm with over 60 streets and alleys and 4,000 shops.
Explore the neighborhood of Balat.
This old district filled with beautiful colorful wooden houses and cafes will instantly give the feel-good vibes.
Check out from Hostel, and head to the airport.
Take an afternoon flight to kayseri, Kayseri Erkilet Airport is 75 km far from Goreme and driving between Kayseri and Cappadocia takes around 1 hr.
Book your shuttle from the airport to your hotel in Goreme.
Overnight in Goreme.
Things to do on first day in Cappadocia:
1. Early morning on a hot air balloon.
2. Goreme Open Air Museum
3. Sunset Point in Red Valley, Near Ortahisar
4. Ortahisar castle viewpoint- seyir tepesi ethem ustanın yeri
2. Uchisar- 10 mins drive by car from Goreme, On your way, stop and take in the amazing view from Esentepe Panoramic Viewpoint. Entrance fee Uchisar castle is 5 TL.
3. Underground City- Derinkuyu and Kaymakli - about a 20-30 minute drive from Uchisar.
4. Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley)
5. The Carpet Shops.
If budget allows you to stay in one of the cave suits, do book one for at least one night. Recommended Sultan Cave Suites.
Wake up early around 5:30 to watch 100 of hot air balloons go up, truly a magical experience.
Alternatively you can go hot air balloon watching from many spots in Goreme, one of them is sunset point in goreme.
After chasing the balloons, have your breakfast and check-out from hotel.
Head to kayseri airport to board the flight to Izmir, and transfer to kusadasi hotel.
There is no direct flight, so it's going to be Kayseri (ASR) to Istanbul (SAW), then Istanbul (SAW) - Izmir (ADB). You can also opt for bus travel too.
Check-in at Kusadasi hostel and head to the beach for sunset. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Wake up early to visit the Ephesus Ancient City (The ruins of Ephesus is 18km away from Kusadasi)
Places to visit in Ephesus:
1. Ephesus Antique Theatre
2. Temple of Hadrian and Serapis
3. Library of Celsus
4. House of Virgin Mary
Check-out from hotel and take a train to Pamukkale (4.5 hrs journey).
Things to do in Pamukkale:
1. Pamukkale Travertines calcium terrace - Enter through the gate nearest to the town and the Gendarma (police station), Go at opening time 7:30 AM.
2. Ancient city of Hierapolis- it's walking distance from the travertines.
3. Cleopatra pools
Transfer to Denizli airport to board the flight to Istanbul. Denizli airport is an hour drive from Pamukkale.
Finally leave for your home country from Istanbul international airport.
To conclude, 10 days are too less to cover everything Turkey has to offer, and it's hard not to fall in love with this place to visit again.
See you again soon Turkey!!
If you have any query regarding the ititnerary, DM me on instagram @ lostwithaman
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