Turkey is a unique tourist destination bustling with culture, history, majestic beaches, lofty plateaus, beautiful islands, great food, and much more. All these things make Turkey the best place to visit. Turkish land witnessed different cultures like Greco-Roman, Ottoman, Ethiopian, etc.
Turkey is an ideal holiday destination for everyone. Whether you are travelling on your own or with family, there is something in Turkey for everyone where European traditions and Asian culture meet. It’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world, whether it’s the architecture, historic sites, dining, shopping, nightlife, or exotic atmosphere, Turkey has it all. It’s the dream destination of many travellers and is one of the most visited countries when it comes to tourism.
The Best Places to Visit in Turkey
Turkey is a beautiful country and includes in the list of top 20 countries where visitors visit from all over the world, so quite difficult to make a list of the top 10 best places to visit in Turkey. We have tried our best to include the top hot destinations to visit in Turkey. Here is a list of the 10 best places to visit in Turkey that should be added to your list.
Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the most famous cities in the world. Its best renowned for its rich history, notable culture, beautiful sites, and religious significance, which makes it an appealing tourist destination for a large number of travellers from all around the globe. Its beauty is reflected in every street, every neighbourhood, and every quarter.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the country’s economic, cultural, and historic centre. It is the only city in the world that stands upon two continents, where east meets west and the Bosporus strait separates the two parts.
The whole city is surrounded by the historic mosque, palaces, and many cultural sites that have a lot to offer to everyone. It’s known for being an outstanding balance between eastern tradition and western modernity. The place is full of stores, cafes, and restaurants. No doubt it’s the city of magic and all these things make it one of the top 10 best places to visit in turkey.
There are a lot of places to visit in Istanbul:
- The Blue Mosque
- Sultanahmet Square
- Galata Tower
- Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)
- Çamlıca Hill
- Dolmabahçe Palace
- Theodosian Walls
- Hagia Sophia
- Taksim square
- Princes island
- Topkapi Palace
- Istiklal Street
Ankara
Ankara is a cosmopolitan city with a population of 5.1 million, which makes it the second-largest city in Turkey. It is the capital city of Turkey and is well known as a centre of commerce, embassies, banks, huge universities, and government buildings. Due to the high elevation of 950m above sea level, it is a pleasant place to visit and explore the beauty of the city.
The city features significant tourist factors, with magnificent landscapes, great architectural design, and a pleasant environment attracting many tourists to see. In Ankara, you can find different types of cuisines from all around the country. It’s a modern city with great shopping malls and restaurants. You can enjoy all these things in this amazing city.
The following are some places to visit in Ankara, which make it one of the most visited cities in Turkey.
- Ankara Castle
- Ankara Ethnography Museum
- Mavi Gol Lake
- Roman Baths of Ankara
- Harikalar diyari park
- Museum of Anatolian civilization
- Elmadag Mount for skiing
- Kizilay square
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a place of unique charm and stunning features, Located in central Turkey in the heart of Anatolia. The place is known for its unique rock formations, underground cities, and ancient churches/cave houses.
Cappadocia is a bundle of historic cave dwellings and fairy chimneys that can be viewed from the sky in a hot air balloon soaring in the sky at sunrise. The speciality of Cappadocia is its hot air balloon flights over this unique landscape. You will enjoy panoramic views over valleys and fairy chimneys while travelling.
Fairy chimneys are tall rock formations that rise above the ground and resemble towers or mushrooms. There are thousands of fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the majority are located in Goreme National Park.
The city is perfect for hiking through valleys, horseback riding, visiting forgotten cave churches, and taking spectacular photos. Here you can find the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
Cappadocia is one of the best places to visit in Turkey, also a UNESCO world heritage site. This magical place attracts millions of tourists every year.
The beauty of Cappadocia cannot be described in words; you must be experienced it by visiting this wonderful place yourself one day soon.
Here are some top places to visit in Cappadocia:
- Göreme Open-Air Museum
- Ürgüp,
- The village of Göreme,
- Ihlara Valley,
- Selime Monastery
- Guzelyurt
- Uçhisar
- Avanos
- Zelve Valley
- Derinkuyu and Kaymakli Underground City
- The Churches at Çavusin
- Visit Kayseri
Pamukkale
Pamukkale is a Turkish city in Denizli province. The name means “Cotton Castle” in Turkish, because of the white terraces that look like snow-capped cotton tufts. Famous for its thermal pools with pure blue basins filled with calcium-rich water.
UNESCO declared this incredible phenomenon part of the world heritage site in 1998. This place looks like iced waterfalls but they are thermal springs that emerged to the surface by the technical movements of the mountains. Its whitish colour is due to the accumulation of minerals in this natural pool. You can walk from the base of the mountain and go up to the water wells. Sit for a while and enjoy healing waters.
The city also has the remains of Greek time. Another exciting place to visit is Hierapolis also declared by UNESCO a world heritage site. The ruins of the old theatre of Hierapolis the temples and the graveyard will amaze you.
It is a lifetime experience you must visit it, just like a painting also called “white wonder”. It is one of the best places to visit in Turkey, a lot of visitors from all over the world visit here to enjoy its natural beauty and wonders.
You can also visit other nearby attractions such as Aphrodisias or Selcuk which are only a short distance away from this area.
- Hierapolis City
- Hierapolis Theater
- Hieropolis Museum
- The Ruins of Laodikeia
- Aphrodisias
- Ride the Denizli Cable Car
Izmir
Izmir is a bustling city, located in western Turkey along the Aegean Sea. It’s the major port and third-largest city in turkey with over three million inhabitants. The city offers a mix of cultural, historical, and archaeological sites. Thus, it’s a great place to visit if you want to immerse yourself in Turkish culture and enjoy the unique local cuisine.
The city is home to a wide variety of attractions, including the vibrant shopping district of Karşıyaka, the ancient ruins at Ephesus, and the stunning Aegean coast. so, come and explore the city, go to the seaside, take a boat trip, and check out the ancient city because Izmir has 8500 years of history.
Izmir is famous for being the most important commercial and industrial centre. It’s also home to a vibrant nightlife scene and some of the country’s best restaurants.
From the city’s ancient sites to its modern attractions, we’ve put together a list of places you should visit on your trip to Izmir.
- Konak Square
- Izmir clock tower
- Mount Kadifekale
- Hisar Mosque
- Alacati
- Kemeralti Market
- Pergamon Acropolis
- Ephesus
- Izmir Agora
- Temple of Artemis
- Karsiyaka Town
- Bornova Beach
Antalya
Antalya is one of the country’s most significant hotspots. It is located on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey and is famous for its beaches, resorts, and historical and archaeological sites. The city of Antalya has everything that you need during your stay here. From shopping malls to museums and art galleries; this city offers everything that you may want.
It’s the capital of Antalya Province and the fifth-most populous city in Turkey. The city has been able to attract tourists from all over the world because of its historical sites such as Aspendos Theater built during the Roman Empire period, so they have been preserved very well until today.
It is hot and one of the best places to visit in Turkey. There are many places to visit while you are here, including:
- Konyaalti beach
- Yat Limani
- Antalya aquarium
- Duden waterfalls
- Markantalya
- The land of legends
- Kaleici (Old Town)
- Lara Beach
Konya
Konya is known as the city of the mystic Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi. It is the capital of Konya Province, home to some of the most incredible architecture, great food, and the oldest mosques in Turkey. you feel some sort of inner peace and silence here, also called the city of spirituality.
Konya has many cultural sites, the most famous is the mausoleum of Rumi, which is the biggest thing to see. You must visit Selimiye Mosque, which was built in the 16th century and is very close to Maulana Rumi’s tomb. The Sufi dance show is held at the Mevlana Cultural Center, which is just a short distance away.
The city is a charismatic blend of ancient and modern architecture with antique mosques, beautiful buildings, museums, shopping malls, and a maze of narrow colourful market streets. Konya was a historic city in the ottoman empire. Here is a list of Attractions in Konya:
- Mevlana Museum
- Tropical butterfly Garden
- Kyoto Japanese Park
- The Mosque and the Gardens on Allaadin hill Park
- The ancient town of Çatalhöyük
- Bedesten Bazar
- Konya science centre
- Aziziye Mosque
- The Village of Sille
Bodrum
Bodrum is a lovely place to visit. The town is very beautiful with its colourful shops, restaurants, stunning beaches, greenery, and dramatic coastline., which makes it an excellent place for anyone who wants to relax and enjoy themselves. It has a lot of things to do and see, from historical sites to the many beaches that surround it.
One of the many beautiful sights overlooking Bodrum is the windmills that are located just outside of town. It’s one of the most famous attractions of the whole Bodrum Peninsula. You can visit the windmills on the hills and enjoy the spectacular views of the Bodrum. These windmills have been used from the 18th century till the 1970s.
There are many different places to visit in Bodrum. Some of these are:
- The ancient city of Halicarnassus
- Bodrum Castle
- Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology
- Zeki Müren Arts Museum
- Bitez Beach
- Pedasa
- Aquarium Cove
- Orak Island Boat Trip
- Yalikavak Marina
Mardin
Mardin is a historically and culturally very rich city, that was first settled around the 11th century BC. The city’s name in roman time was Marida which means fortress in the Assyrian language. It’s full of landmarks and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mardin’s architecture is very beautiful and strategically located on a steep hill. This is a very important city in the Mesopotamian region. Mardin has been home to many cultures and religions over the centuries like Assyrians, Romans, Syrians, Catholics, Mongols, Turks, and so many more.
The city is a sight to see with the rich architecture of the Artuqid dynasty in old madrassas, mosques, churches, and monasteries. Here are very popular Monastery Assyrian people where Assyrian people come from all over the world.
When you will walk into Mardin, you will get to hear different languages and will see people from many countries. The hotels here are in a good balance between modern and ancient times.
Places to visit:
- Mardin Castle
- Zinciriye Medresesi
- Kasımiye Medresesi
- Forty Martyrs Church
- Mardin Museum
- Mardin Bazaar
- Deyrulzafaran Monastery
- Midyat town
Burdur
Burdur is a city in southwestern Turkey, known as the city of lakes. It is home to lake Salda which has white sand beaches with crystal clear waters and is one of the five cleanest lakes in the world. The lake resembles the Maldives with its excellent views but it’s not the only attraction, the city has endless lavender fields and the 2300 years old Kibyra ancient city known as the “city of gladiators”.
Burdur Museum is one of Burdur’s most famous tourist attractions. Burdur is worth visiting place including lakes, caves, ancient cities, mounds and mansions are just part of its historical heritage. It is an ideal place for anyone who wants to spend some time relaxing or enjoying their holidays.
There is a list of some attractions in Burdur city:
- Archelogical Museum
- Insuyu Magarsi
- Lisinia Doga
- Karacaoren Baraji
- Doga Tarihi Muzesi
- Burdur saat kulesi
- Burdur lake beach
- Susamlik tepesi
Oludeniz
Oludeniz is a beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, Turkey, located about a 15-minute drive south of Fethiye’s old city. It’s an incredible tourist destination, you find one of the most famous beaches in Turkey. Here you can visit the deep blue lagoon which is a natural reserve and also enjoys delicious seafood. The place is best known for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine seawater. It’s one of Turkey’s most visited beach towns which holds you tightly.
Oludeniz offers the world’s best paragliding opportunities in the world due to its unique panoramic views. The natural environment of makes this place a favourite destination to visit in turkey. Best place for hiking, water sports, and outdoor activities. so, come and see this amazing city.
here is a list of places to see in Oludeniz:
- Oludeniz mountains
- butterfly valley
- Fethiye city
- the ruins of the valley of Kayakoy
- Discover Ancient Xanthos
- Saklıkent Gorge
- Tombs in Pınara
- Letoön ruins
So this was our list of best places to visit in Turkey, do let us know by commenting below which place you like the most and going to visit this year. Turkey is a beautiful country with much to offer tourists. Whether you are interested in history, nature, or culture, there is something for everyone. I highly recommend visiting these ten best places during your visit to Turkey. Also, check the top 15 best cities to live in Europe and the top 10 best places to visit in Pakistan.
