Have you been to Turkey yet? No? Why not? Turkey is a country that’ll charm you with its rich and varied geography, its incredibly complex history and its warm and rich cultural heritage. The geography ranges from high plateaus to incredible mountain ranges to sugar-white-sand beaches and bluer than blue seas. Add to that an endless summer, a long winding coastline that begs to be explored, distance hiking trails, amazing sights, historical monuments, and museums—ok, we need to take a breath here. And did we tell you about Turkey’s food? Yes—that alone should be reason enough to travel to this incredible gem of a nation. Let's start with things to do in Turkey below.
Go
Adventuring!
Turkey’s landscape
and coastline lend themselves to
some amazing adventures and adventure sports. The rocky mountain ranges are perfect for biking, trekking, caving,
canyoning, rock climbing, and paragliding. Top
places for paragliding and other adventure
sports are Ölüdeniz and Pamukkale.
Ölüdeniz is the perfect place to head to for some
world-renowned tandem paragliding tours. The enviable backdrops of craggy mountains surrounded by pine
trees with the blue seas looming up
as you come down—simply mind-blowing. Over Pamukkale, you’ll be gliding over exquisitely preserved Roman city ruins. There’s more fun to be had in the waters too! Deep-sea
fishing, swimming, and sea kayaking in KaÅŸ, where you can kayak over the Kekova Island area,
peering down at underwater Sunken City ruins.
1. Ballooning Over
Fabulous Rock Formations
Cappadocia is a blissful region comprising amazing rock formations. Balloons can fly very close to the ground here, as there is no wildlife in the area. That makes it possible for you to enjoy fabulous views both from high above and up close. A globally famous ballooning destination, Cappadocia is best viewed after sunrise when you fly over the tall, chimney-like rock formations and the very alien-like craggy formations of hills and valleys. The red stones and even redder earth gleam in the early morning light, when the sun is just about ready to bathe the entire area in its orange glow. For 45 minutes, you’ll be suspended both high and low, along with other people, enjoying one of the rarest spectacles in the world.
2. Head Out On a Food
Tour
The whole of Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, are absolute foodie destinations. What better way is
there to get to know a country and its people than through its food? You can
take a preset food tour, which
introduces you to Turkey’s most important meals and food items, or you can
choose to explore on your own. A food tour will take you through food markets, local restaurants, street food stalls,
and even some homes where you can watch the meze being arranged. You’ll get to
meet vendors and purveyors of cheese,
vegetables, coffee roasters, confectioners, and more. And at each stage, you’ll
get to sample some truly amazing food. If you’re exploring on your own, be sure
to check out the Bazaar district, either Kadıköy or Beyoğlu, and
check out European and Asian influences in Turkish food. It is one of the top things
to do in Turkey.
3. Roman Ruin
Explorations
If you’re into exploring ruins, Ephesus should be on
top of your list. It’s an amazing, well-preserved
Roman ruin, once home to about
250,000 people. It was once the capital city of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor.
Be sure to take selfies in front of the Library
of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and
the 25,000-seat Great Theatre. There’s a Terraced Houses complex, where you
can actually see the original mosaic floors that the Romans walked on, plus the
amazing frescoes on the walls of the
rich that are still vibrant. Check out how the Romans used to bathe through
the Roman bathing houses. As with
the Greeks, the Romans believed in a whole pantheon of gods and goddesses, and
you can see temples dedicated to many of these.
4. Sail to 12 Islands
One of the best ways to enjoy Turkey’s coastline and landscape is to go off on a yachting trip
from Fethiye. There’s a trip that takes you on a tour of the 12 islands that are scattered around Fethiye Bay. You can
complete this tour in a single, sunny day with plenty of stops to enjoy some fishing, diving, and swimming. There are other tours, such as the Blue Cruise tour, which takes you away for three full days all the way
from Fethiye to Olympos. This cruise
stops for long breaks at Gemiler (St
Nicholas) Island, Butterfly Valley, KaÅŸ, and Kekova Island. July and August, though trips are
possible from April through October. Sailing to all the 12 islands is such
an amazing experience that you’ll be lining up for a Turkey visa again soon!
5. Eastern Express
Winter Landscape Tours
Turkey is warm throughout the year in the south, but
the Northeast sees more European weather. The Eastern Express (DoÄŸu Ekspresi) train connects Ankara with Kars, taking you through
some of the most rugged mountains,
pine forests, and high plateaus in Anatolia.
For 24 hours, you will enjoy a beautiful winter landscape of rugged mountains, rocks, and plateaus covered
with a deep layer of snow. The historic cities of Sivas and Erzurum feature train stops, so you can explore the
historic monuments and ruins here.
6. Hit the
Long-distance Hiking Trail
Turkey's fascinating coastline draws people from all
over the world. It’s a long, long walk, stretching
all the way from Fethiye down to
Antalya, on the Mediterranean Coast. It’s literally a 540-kilometre-long walk, passing some of the most enchanting of Turkey's ruins. As you trek
along, you’ll see Xanthos and Letoön, two of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lycian city ruins, apart from several
others. The views are to die for, from enchanting coves surrounded by rocky
pine forests to craggy Taurus Mountain vistas, and all the while, the blue Mediterranean Sea
laps against your feet. It takes 29 long days to walk the entire hike. You
can walk the entire length or do a section hike, depending on how much time
you have. If you can only manage a shorter hike, try the Fethiye, Patara, Kalkan, and KaÅŸ Lycian
hikes.
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7. Enjoy a Bath in a
Traditional Hammam
We’ve all had baths at home, and some of us are lucky
enough to experience regular Jacuzzis.
However, nothing can prepare you for the utterly decadent experience of a genuine Turkish hamam. A hamam is a public bathhouse. In the Islamic religion, maintaining physical hygiene is
considered godly, and during the Ottoman era, a number of hammams went up in
Turkey. Sign up for the pampering of your life at an ornate hammam, where
you’ll first undergo a steam bath and then get scrubbed within an inch of your life with a traditional kese mitten.
Then comes the welcome cold water to combat the heat of the steam, followed by
an oil rub, a soapy wash, and an aromatherapy massage. Try the CaÄŸaloÄŸlu
Hamam, which was opened in 1741 in Istanbul. The other fab option is the hammam
that was Ayasofya Hürrem. Sultan Hamam, built by the famed Ottoman
architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan
Süleyman the Magnificent, is one of the best hammams to scrub up in.
There are any number of reasons to visit Turkey and any number of things to do in Turkey. From stunning views to splendid adventures to incredible food to a wonderful culture that you will remember long after, Turkey has it all. It’s a unique mix of the prehistoric, the historic, the old and the modern. A trip to this fabulous country will leave you longing to return, time and again. Check our other blogs on travel.
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