Top 10 Must-See Destinations in Turkey: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Turkey

In addition to its vibrant culture and diverse landscapes, Turkey is home to 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, encompassing both cultural and natural landmarks that captivate visitors from around the globe. Here is the list of 10 most visited cities in Turkey. This can be considered as the ultimate Turkey guide for those planning a visit to Turkey.

Topics
Istanbul; It is always best season to visit Istanbul
Izmir; a nice place to visit in Turkey
Mugla; A Journey Through Turkey’s Southwest Region: Mugla
Antalya; What can you visit in Antalya? The answer is; Everything!
Cappadocia; Why should you visit Cappadocia? Because it is a fairy tale destination
Canakkale; Visiting Gallipoli and Troy are the first things to do in Canakkale
Urfa; Abode of spirituality and the revered Gobekli Tepe
Konya; the itinerary includes a visit to Sufi mystic Mevlana
Trabzon; A cloudy destination in the Black Sea region
Mardin: A dream in the heart of Mesopotamia

1. Istanbul;

It is always best season to visit Istanbul
The city is at the top of the “must-see” lists of cultural gourmets, history buffs, and, in recent years, theme park enthusiasts. Istanbul is one of the best cities in the world to see Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman heritage. Flights to Istanbul are available for booking on various airlines hence more than 16 million traveles visit Istanbul.

Eminonu District
Galata Bridge
Halicioglu District
Private Fener Greek High School
Colored Houses in Balat
Maiden’s Tower
Umbrealla Street in Kadikoy
Hagia Sofia Museum
Arnavutkoy Historical Mansions

2. Izmir;

Izmir travel advice; Travelers should reserve at least 5 days to visit Izmir
Izmir was the capital of the ancient era. Smyrna, Pergamon, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, and more are located around the city. Visiting Izmir is like visiting one of the best ancient legacies in the world. Plus, Kusadasi and Pamukkale are close for daily visits. Also, most travelers know about Izmir beaches, which is one of the good reasons to visit Izmir.

Izmir weather is hot almost 10 months of the year, and Izmir airport is taking flights from almost all of Europe and connecting flights are available from Istanbul airport. Plus, travelers can visit Izmir by cruise ship because Izmir cruise port is one of the most visited spots in the Mediterranean.

Sirince Village
Izmir Clock Tower in Konak Square
Ephesus Ancient City-Celsus Library
Entrance of Celsus Library
Candarli District

3. Mugla;

A Journey Through Turkey’s Southwest Region: Mugla
Mugla, a captivating city in Turkey, beckons with its plethora of tourist attractions that promise unforgettable experiences. Renowned as one of the best places to visit in Mugla, Turkey, Fethiye stands out with its stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Whether you’re drawn to Fethiye, Dalaman, Datca and Cleopatra Island or eager to explore the city’s many other facets, visiting Mugla guarantees a delightful journey filled with remarkable sights and warm hospitality.

Halicarnassus Theatr
Bodrum-Street
Bodrum Castle
Fethiye District

4. Antalya;

What can you see in Antalya? – Everything!
Various outdoor activities, marvelous canyons, waterfalls, and blue-flagged, worldwide-known beaches can’t be enough to define Antalya. You can experience all those sports, visit the ancient sights of Aspendos, Perge, and Patara, and have a break with a blue cruise tour to Bodrum’s gorgeous coves, the Dead Sea, or Butterfly Valley.

Swimming on the blue-flag beaches like Kalkan, Cleopatra, Patara, and Kaputas should be the first thing to do in Antalya. Plus, rafting, ziplining, scuba diving, and paragliding are popular Antalya attractions. The region is one of the most visited holiday regions; hence, Antalya all-inclusive resorts can be found.

Side Ancient Site in Antalya
Aspendos Theater in Antalya
Antalya Coast
Antalya-Cave
Antalya Old City-Street
Manavgat Waterfall Antalya

5. Cappadocia;

Why should you visit Cappadocia? Because it is a unique destination.
Thanks to the volcanos for gifting us the fairy chimneys, these magnificent ground layers, and colors. For centuries, faithful monks carved churches, houses, and underground cities from this tuff layer. If you wonder what the best time to visit Cappadocia for a hot air balloon is, the answer is all seasons. Hot air balloon flights are among the most popular Cappadocia attractions, which dozens of travelers are experiencing as an integral part of their Cappadocia visit. The best time to visit Cappadocia is in the summer, spring, and autumn, and Cappadocia air balloon rides are held all year. Travellers can conveniently access Cappadocia by taking a domestic flights from Istanbul, Antalya and Ankara to Cappadocia airport.

Pigeon Valley – Cappadocia
Hot Air Ballons – Cappadocia
Sunset in Cappadocia
Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia
Cavusin District-Cave Homes
Fairy chimneys in Cavusin District

6. Canakkale;

Visiting Gallipoli and Troy are the first things to do in Canakkale
Canakkale is the stage of the impossible love of Helen and Paris. It is the site of two of the world’s most well-known and difficult battles: Troy and Gallipoli. Come to Canakkale for an Anzac tour; visit the Troy ruins; shop in the historical Aynali Bazaar; and swim in the ancient Assos port. Canakkale is not only the site of the Gallipoli campaign during WWI but also where visitors commemorate the brave soldiers of the battle on every anniversary by enjoying chewy Anzac biscuits. Canakkale weather tends to be hot during spring and summer, and the region is renowned for its prevailing winds. Ayazma, Akvaryum Cove, Eceabat, Geyikli, Dardanos, and Guzelyali are the best Canakkale beaches to soak up the sun.

Canakkale-Clock Tower
Canakkale – Assos
Canakkale-Assos Ancient City
Canakkale-Aynali Bazaar
Canakkale-Kilitbahir Castle

See Also;

6 Day Magic Line Turkey Escorted Tour

7. Urfa;

Visit Gobekli tepe, a neolithic site in southeastern Anatolia and the first of its kind

Visit the history-changer city on the upper coast of Mesopotamia in Turkey. Visit Gobeklitepe, which is the world’s oldest religious center, and have a boat trip to a town in Halfeti where the Birecik dam swallows it. A tour from Sanliurfa to Mount Nemrut (Nimrod) to witness one of the most magnificent sunrises in the world or a Mardin city tour, which is like a gate to a magical world, can allure you too. Consider it. Add a visit to Bilecik Dam, which swallowed a village, Eyyup Mosque, and Gobeklitepe to your Urfa things to do list.

Gobeklitepe is a 12.000 years old temple, and when we compare Gobekli Tepe age vs. pyramids, Gobelitepe is 7500 years older than pyramids.

Balikli Lake
Halil-ul Rahman Mosque
Gobeklitepe-Known as the first temple in the world
An animal figure in Gobeklitepe
Urfa Castle

See Also;

3 Day Sanliurfa City Tour

8. Konya;

Any Konya itinerary should includes a visit to Sufi mystic Mevlana

Discover the spiritual dimension of Sufism, reach the secrets of whirling dervishes, and have a day with different kinds of butterflies in the Tropical Butterfly Garden, called as

Kelebekler Vadisi-Konya. After you see one of the best kinds of cut stone method mosques, visit Catalhoyuk and go back to the Neolithic era. Konya carpets are the most rare one in mid-Anatolia. The best time to visit Konya may summer and December because Seb-i Aruz events are held to remember Sufi mystic Mevlana. Konya is located in the center of Anatolia, and the distance between Konya and Antalya is approximately 50 minutes by flight, and the distance between Konya and Istanbul is about 1.5 hours by flight.

Konya Panaroma
Mevlana Museum
Aziziye Mosque-Pray Time
Konya at Night

9. Trabzon;

Visiting cloudy peaks, foggy plateaus, and Sumela Monastery are the most popular Trabzon attractions

All the coolest highlands of Blacksea, a wonder of nature, Uzungol, and the sky of Zigana Sky Center. Visit Sumela Monastery and get enchanted both with the interior and exterior landscape. It can be said that a Trabzon itinerary is full of forests, plateaus, and a variety of amazing local dishes. Trabzon’s weather is always cool and rainy, which makes it a popular destination for those who prefer to roam in nature instead of on hot beaches. The most popular Trabzon attractions are Sumela Monastery, Uzungol Lake, Hamsikoy Village, Firtina Valley, and Ayder Plateau. The best times to visit Trabzon are summer, spring, and autumn. Thanks to its airport, the distance from Antalya to Trabzon is 1 hour and 40 minutes, the same as in Istanbul.

Trabzon-Iconic Uzungol Lake
Sumela Monastery
Hagia Sofia in Trabzon
Trabzon Plateau
Firtine Valley (Rize) is so close to Trabzon

10. Mardin;

A dream in the heart of Mesopotamia
Mardin, situated in southeastern Turkey, boasts a captivating history and a tapestry of cultures. The best places to visit in Mardin encompass exploring the enchanting winding pathways of the Old Town, catching your breath at the awe-inspiring vistas from Mardin Castle, becoming enthralled by the intricate beauty of Zinciriye Medrese dating back to the 14th century, and taking a tranquil stroll at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Deyrulzafaran Monastery.The best time to visit Mardin is spring and summer. If you’re planning a trip to Turkey, you might be wondering, “How far is Mardin from Istanbul?” It is 2 hours flight from Istanbul.

Mardin-Old City
Midyat District
Zinciriye Madrasa
Sunset in Mardin-Old City
Mardin Archeological Musuem

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Antalya, Best destination in Turkey: Izmir, best destinations in Turkey, Best places to see in Canakkale, Istanbul, Mardin, Muğla, Mugla, Trabzon, Visit Konya, What can you see in Antalya?, Why should you visit Cappadocia

Latest Reviews from Trustpilot

We had a wonderful tour of Turkey

We had a wonderful tour of Turkey, which included Anzac day at Anzac cove, our guide & driver were excellent & we only had a small number on our bus. Hotels were 4 star or more, but were out of towns. Food was good mainly buffets. Great value for money. Turkish people were lovely.

JULIE & ADRIAN ROBERTS

Excellent value and comprehensive tour of top sights.

Excellent and experienced guide Oscar was a wealth of knowledge and fun to travel with.
The airport pickup and departures were smooth and well organized. Hotels were all of good quality though some were a distance from the cities visited. Lunch/dinner buffets were fairly repetitive in content, but you could always find something good and one never goes hungry. The vehicle used, a minibus, was modern, clean and “Fati” was a safe and excellent driver. There are some quite long driving days to cover so much territory, but in 10 days you will have seen many of Türkiye’s most famous and beautiful sights. Very good value for money and a responsive and communicative travel company to work with. I look forward to future adventures with TravelShop.

A trip of a i will never forget with Travelshop Turkey

What an amazing experience with TravelShop Turkey .We did a Cappadocia and Istanbul tour and Loved every moment of it. From the Airport meet and Greets and Transfers to the Hotel which ran smoothly in aircon vans. The Selection of hotels which where suberb with amazing breakfasts and clean spacious rooms. The private guides where very knowledgable , friendly and accommodating to everyones needs . This was a trip i will never forget and will definately recommend Travelshop Turkey without hesitation.

Kim Moir

TravelShopBooking is the best

Thank you so much for arranging top notch tour.
I must say TravelShopBooking is the best for turkey. And Special thanks to Ms Gulizar. She was very helpful in arranging and helping the package as well as she takes daily updates too.

Aman Ahtasam