Travel in Turkey: when to go, places and advice

Straddling two continents, Turkey stacks up worlds: Hagia Sophia and the mosques of Istanbul above the Bosphorus, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia overflown by a hundred hot-air balloons, the white pools of Pamukkale, the ruins of Ephesus and the turquoise coves of the Lycian coast. You eat divinely, get around easily, and the value remains among the best in the Mediterranean.

Capital: Ankara
Currency: Turkish lira (₺)
Language: Turkish
Direct flight: ≈ 3 hr 30 from Paris
Time difference: +2 hr in winter, +1 hr in summer

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Turkey

The itineraries in Turkey are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Turkey?

April-June and September-October offer the best: gentle heat, a sea already (or still) swimmable, luminous Cappadocia. July-August crush the interior with heat and fill the coast, without making it unpleasant for a beach stay. Winter, cold and sometimes snowy in Anatolia, turns Cappadocia into a fairy-tale set and empties Istanbul of its crowds.

January : In-between
February : In-between
March : Pleasant
April : Ideal
May : Ideal
June : Pleasant
July : In-between
August : In-between
September : Ideal
October : Ideal
November : Pleasant
December : In-between

Ideal
Pleasant
In-between
Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Turkey

Getting around

Domestic flights are cheap and cover the whole country; the comfortable night buses do the rest. In Istanbul, the Istanbulkart pays for tram, ferry and metro. A rental car is king on the Lycian coast.

Money

The Turkish lira (₺), whose rate moves fast: withdraw small amounts regularly. Cards work almost everywhere, but the bazaars and small lokantas prefer cash. Customary tip, 5 to 10%.

Language

Turkish, in the Latin alphabet, is easy to decipher. English is common in the tourist areas, rarer in Anatolia. A few words of Turkish (merhaba, teşekkürler) change the welcome.

Useful apps

BiTaksi or Uber for Istanbul taxis, the digital Istanbulkart for transport, Obilet to book long-distance buses and domestic flights.

Accommodation

Cave hotels of Cappadocia, characterful pensions on the Bosphorus, wooden gulets on the coast: Turkey takes care of the setting. Book the cave hotels with a terrace early for the balloon sunrises.

Etiquette

Shoes off in the mosques, shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women. The offered tea is rarely refused, and bargaining in the bazaar is done with a smile.

The iconic places

Hagia Sophia

Istanbul

Byzantine basilica, Ottoman mosque, a mosque again today: fifteen centuries of history under a 56 m dome that defies time.

Cappadocia

Göreme

Fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches and underground cities, overflown by hot-air balloon at sunrise. One of the most surreal landscapes in the world.

Pamukkale

Denizli

The cotton castle: pools of white travertine filled with turquoise thermal water, with the ruins of Hierapolis at the top.

Ephesus

Selçuk

The great ancient city of Asia Minor, its Library of Celsus and its 25,000-seat theatre. The Rome of the East, remarkably preserved.

Ölüdeniz

Fethiye

The blue lagoon at the foot of Mount Babadag, the finest paragliding spot in Europe. The Lycian Way trail starts just above.

Mount Nemrut

Adiyaman

Colossal toppled heads of gods on the summit of a tumulus, at 2,150 m. Grandiose at sunrise or sunset.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

Hagia Sophia : Fifteen centuries of history in Istanbul
Blue Mosque : The six minarets of Sultanahmet
Göreme : The heart of Cappadocia
Pamukkale : The white pools and Hierapolis
Ephesus : The Library of Celsus
Ölüdeniz : The blue lagoon of the Lycian coast
Antalya old town : Kaleiçi and its Roman harbour
Mount Nemrut : The colossal heads of king Antiochus
Sumela Monastery : Clinging to the cliff above Trabzon