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Istanbul's magnificence, Cappadocia's balloons, turquoise coast sailing, and food that will ruin you for everywhere else.
Turkey straddles two continents and delivers the best of both — Istanbul is one of the world's great cities, the Aegean coast rivals Greece at half the price, and Cappadocia is like nowhere else on earth.
Each region has a completely different character. Here is what to expect.
One of the world's great cities — Hagia Sophia (open as a mosque, remove shoes and visit early morning), the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar (go early Tuesday morning), and the Bosphorus ferry (the best £1 boat trip in the world). Stay in Beyoglu or Karakoy rather than Sultanahmet.
Fairy chimneys, cave hotels and the most extraordinary hot air balloon experience on earth — 6am dawn flights over the volcanic landscape. Goreme is the main base. Book balloons months ahead with Royal Balloon or Butterfly Balloons.
Bodrum's white cube town around a Crusader castle, the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz (paragliding from Babadag mountain is one of the world's best tandem sites), and Ephesus (ancient Greek and Roman city, one of the best preserved in the Mediterranean).
The world's oldest known temple complex at Gobekli Tepe (12,000 years old, predating Stonehenge by 7,000 years) and the black basalt walls of Diyarbakir (UNESCO). Eastern Turkey is largely off the tourist trail with distinct Kurdish cuisine.
Turkey has experienced significant inflation but remains good value for Western travellers due to the weak lira.
Street food (simit, gozleme, balik ekmek fish sandwich) £0.50-2.
Restaurant mezes and main course £5-12.
Hostel dorm £7-15.
Istanbul metro and tram £0.50.
Turkey's coastline is under enormous development pressure — choose small family-owned pansiyons over large resort hotels. Artisan crafts (Turkish ceramics from Kutahya, kilim rugs from Konya) bought directly from craftspeople support disappearing skills. Turkey is on the flyway for millions of migratory birds — birdwatching tourism in eastern Turkey supports conservation.
Tell us where you want to go and your budget — we'll build a personalised quote with routes, hostels, and transport sorted.
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