15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey

Turkey sits where Europe meets Asia, and it packs in more variety than almost any country its size: a 2,000-year-old imperial capital, fairy-tale rock landscapes, some of the best-preserved Greek and Roman cities in the world and a coastline of turquoise coves. These are the 15 places that shouldn't be missed.

Istanbul and the north-west

1. Istanbul

Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Grand Bazaar and a ferry ride on the Bosphorus between two continents – Istanbul deserves at least three days. Our Istanbul guide has the details.

Seagulls cry over the ferries, the call to prayer echoes between two continents and the smell of grilled fish and fresh simit fills the air at the waterfront. Istanbul is overwhelming in the best way.

2. Bursa

The first Ottoman capital, an easy trip from Istanbul, is famous for its Green Mosque and tomb, historic silk market, thermal baths and İskender kebab. In winter, the cable car runs up to the ski slopes of Uludağ.

Green Mount Uludağ rises behind the city, the Grand Mosque is cool and peaceful inside and the old silk market is full of scarves and fabrics. Don't leave without trying İskender kebab where it was invented.

Central Anatolia

3. Cappadocia

Hundreds of hot-air balloons drift at dawn over valleys of "fairy chimneys", rock-cut churches and underground cities. Stay in a cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar. See our full Cappadocia guide.

At dawn the sky fills with balloons drifting over fairy chimneys and pink valleys – a sight that makes the early alarm completely worth it.

4. Konya

The spiritual home of the Sufi poet Rumi and the whirling dervishes. Visit the Mevlana Museum with its turquoise-tiled dome, and – if your timing is right – watch a sema ceremony.

The turquoise-domed Mevlana Museum is calm and moving, and if you can see the whirling dervishes perform, the slow turning to soft music is hypnotic.

The Aegean coast

5. Ephesus

One of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean, Ephesus has marble streets, terraced houses with mosaics and the magnificent Library of Celsus. Arrive at opening time to avoid the cruise crowds.

Walk the marble street past temples and fountains to the Library of Celsus – it's one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world, and it's hot and busy in summer, so go early.

6. Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Brilliant white travertine terraces filled with warm, turquoise pools spill down a hillside above the ruins of Hierapolis. Walk the terraces barefoot – shoes aren't allowed – and swim in the Antique Pool among fallen columns.

Barefoot on the white travertine terraces, warm mineral water trickles over your feet while the pools glow turquoise below you. At sunset the terraces turn pink. Swim in the ancient Cleopatra Pool among sunken columns.

7. Izmir and Çeşme

Turkey's laid-back third city has a seafront promenade and a historic bazaar, while the nearby Çeşme Peninsula is known for its sandy beaches, windsurfing and the stone streets of Alaçatı. Read our Izmir guide.

Seafront promenades, bustling bazaars and fresh seafood in İzmir, then the windy bays and pastel stone houses of Alaçatı and Çeşme.

8. Bodrum

Whitewashed houses, a Crusader castle housing a museum of underwater archaeology and a lively marina make Bodrum the Aegean's most glamorous resort.

Gulets bob in the harbour beneath the castle, whitewashed houses climb the hills and the evenings are long and lively.

The Turquoise Coast

9. Ölüdeniz and Butterfly Valley

Ölüdeniz's sheltered Blue Lagoon is one of Turkey's most photographed beaches, and paragliders float down from Babadağ mountain above it. Boats run to Butterfly Valley, a secluded beach at the foot of a gorge.

Look down from the mountain and the lagoon is a perfect curve of turquoise and white – and from a paraglider, it's even more breathtaking.

10. Kaş and Kekova

Kaş is a relaxed harbour town, great for diving and kayaking. Boat trips explore the sunken ancient city off Kekova Island and the castle village of Kaleköy (Simena).

A small harbour town with bougainvillea lanes and clear water for swimming and diving, and a sunken city you can see from a kayak.

11. Antalya

Antalya's old town, Kaleiçi, has Ottoman houses, a Roman gate and a pretty harbour, with long beaches on either side and the ancient theatre of Aspendos nearby.

Ottoman lanes, Roman gates, a busy harbour and the Taurus Mountains rising straight out of the sea.

12. Dalyan

Boats glide through the reed-lined river past Lycian rock tombs carved into the cliffs to İztuzu Beach, a protected nesting site for loggerhead turtles.

River boats glide through reed beds beneath ancient tombs carved into the cliffs, heading to the turtle beach and mud baths.

The east and the Black Sea

13. Mount Nemrut

Giant stone heads of gods and kings, built by a 1st-century BC king, sit on top of a 2,134-metre mountain in south-eastern Turkey. Sunrise and sunset there are unforgettable.

After a cold climb in the dark, the sun rises over the giant stone heads of gods and kings scattered on the summit – eerie, silent and unforgettable. Bring warm clothes, even in summer.

14. Sümela Monastery

Clinging to a cliff in a forested valley near Trabzon on the Black Sea, this Byzantine monastery is one of Turkey's most dramatic sights.

Clinging to a sheer cliff above a misty, forested valley, the monastery appears suddenly through the trees – a breathtaking sight after the walk up.

15. Lake Van and Akdamar

On an island in vast, blue Lake Van, the 10th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross is decorated with remarkable stone carvings.

The lake is a deep, almost unreal blue, and the small boat to Akdamar Island lands you at a carved red sandstone church framed by snowy mountains.

Getting around

Turkey is big: use domestic flights for long distances, high-speed trains between Istanbul, Ankara and Konya, and comfortable long-distance buses for the rest. Hire a car for the coast.