Turkey has a lot to offer and 10 days in the country are not enough to visit too many places. This itinerary leaves out the beaches and focus on Istanbul , Cappadocia and the ancient sites of Ephesus, Troy and Hieropolis.
Itinerary assumptions:
- You will be flying into Istanbul and out of Izmir
- You will be using the buses and trains to get around Turkey, but a rental car is also a good idea for the time spent visiting the ancient sites
- You will be staying in hostels or hotels , with easy access to the transportation hubs.
Day 1 -3 Istanbul
On the first day in Istanbul, get to know the most famous sights: Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque and the Spice Bazaar. On the second day, visit the Topkapi palace and allow some time for the Archeological Museum, too. Allow for a more relaxing day 3 when you can take a ferry on the Bosphorus, stopping in several ports to explore the sights and take photos.
Read about :
>>3 Days in Istanbul
>>Things to do in Istnabul
Day 4 -6 Cappadocia
Your best bet (price wise) is to catch a bus from Istanbul to Nevsehir or Göreme. Or you can catch a train to Kayseri.
Tourists come here to see the cave dwellings . Don’t miss the churches and monasteries, which are also carved in the stone. It’s best to rent a car for the stay in this area. If you like to spend time in nature, there are some interesting hiking routes here, too.
Make sure not to leave Cappadocia without trying the local food https://www.turkeylogue.com/what-to-eat-in-turkey-famous-turkish-foods.html and wine.
>>read more about Getting from Istanbul to Cappadocia
Day 7, 8 Selcuk , Ephesus , Priene, Miletus and Didyma
Fly into İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB), then catch a train (or rent a car ) to get to Selcuk , as it’s just 60 km from the airport.
Ephesus is located just 3 km from Selcuk . You can easily plan to walk to the site or catch a dolmus. You can easily cover the entire site in just 2 h. And you should check out the museum while you are here, too.
If you chose to rent a car, you can also visit other interesting sights. Priene is close to Kusadasi , which is a bit further from Ephesus. The sight is one of the most important in the area and is located close to Ephesus and Miletus. Priene is the least crowded and a bit off the beaten path. Also in the area is Didyma, containing the remains of the Sanctuary of Apollo.
>>read about the Greek and Roman ruins in Turkey
Day 9 Troy
Travel back to Izmir and catch a bus to Çanakkale, the town closest to Troy. Or you can use the rental car to get here. The site has a mix of Roman and Greek ruins. You can spend quite a lot of time here as there are many ruins to see.
Day 10 Pamukkale and Hieropolis
You can either travel by rental car to Pamukkale or catch a bus from Çanakkale. Trains are only available from Izmir. Pamukkale is known for the hot springs and the ancient site of Hieropolis. You don’t want to miss Laodikya either, which has been mentioned as one of the 7 Churches in the Book of Revelation. The site is located between Denizil and Pamukkale.
Travel to Izmir for the flight back home.
Photo creditsIstanbul , Cappadocia , Ephesus , Troy , Pamukkale