Turkey
Travel destinations and tourist attractions in Turkey blend ancient history, Mediterranean resorts, and unique landscapes. Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia with the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, Cappadocia is famous for its fairy chimneys and hot-air balloons, and coastal resorts such as Antalya and Alanya offer beaches and ancient ruins.
General information
Turkey is a vast, transcontinental country bridging Europe and Asia, where ancient civilisations, Mediterranean beaches and dramatic landscapes come together. From the mosques and bazaars of Istanbul to the fairy-chimney valleys of Cappadocia, the Roman ruins of Ephesus and the turquoise coast around Antalya, it offers extraordinary variety and famously warm hospitality. Rich cuisine, thousands of years of history and remarkable value for Western visitors have made it one of the world's most visited countries. Turkish is the language, English is common in tourist areas, and Turkey rewards both culture seekers and beach lovers.
Transport and how to get there
The main gateways are Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW), with major coastal hubs at Antalya (AYT) and Izmir (ADB) serving the resorts. Turkey has an extensive and inexpensive network of domestic flights, making it easy to combine Istanbul with Cappadocia or the coast, plus modern long-distance buses and some high-speed trains (Ankara-Istanbul). Distances are large, so internal flights save a lot of time.
Prices
Turkey is very affordable for Western visitors, though the Turkish lira has seen high inflation, so lira prices change quickly — it is easiest to gauge costs in euros. Roughly, a mid-range hotel runs about 40-90 EUR per night, with resort and budget options widely available. A casual meal is around 6-14 EUR, a Turkish tea barely 1 EUR and a coffee 2-3 EUR. Domestic flights are cheap, and headline experiences like a Cappadocia balloon ride cost considerably more (often 150-250 EUR). All figures are approximate and shift with the exchange rate.
Main attractions
Istanbul spans two continents with its Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar, but Turkey's wonders reach far beyond it. Cappadocia's surreal rock valleys are best seen from a dawn hot-air balloon, the marble streets of ancient Ephesus rank among the finest Roman ruins anywhere, and the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale cascade beside the ruins of Hierapolis. Along the Mediterranean and Aegean, resorts like Antalya, Bodrum and Fethiye offer beaches, boat trips and turquoise coves — a country of history and sun in equal measure.