West Turkey Itinerary

Terra Encounters Turkey Trip – 31 days

Göreme

Overall, this was one of our best-ever vacation trips.  This is because of the friendliness and hospitality of the people and not just the sights.  Our trip summary gives the best places to go, in our opinion, for a 31-day trip.  We have also attached stars to each destination to give a sense of what is most worthwhile seeing.  Our ratings take into account the many places we have seen around the world.

  

Because this trip report is very long, we have split our itinerary into two segments so that those of you who only have a couple of weeks can use one or the other.  Do not ask which is better: all the places we visited in Turkey were good choices.  But first, we will cover some of the logistics. 

Accommodation

Every traveller goes to hotels at the standard of living s/he desires and the budget they have.  We prefer places that provide good value.  We did not go to the cheapest places like when we backpacked around the world.  We chose to stay in family-run or small hotels (sometimes called pansiyon in Turkish).  In the off-season, we could go to places that in high season would be much more costly.  Istanbul and Bursa are more expensive: we averaged TRY 192/day in low season.  In the rest of the country, we averaged TRY 128/day for a double.

Travel Pace

Once you decide on your primary destination, you should assign at least three nights and preferably four to it.  In our case, we chose four nights in Istanbul and Göreme.  Then with the remaining days, you can determine the number of additional stopovers by using our rule of thumb of a minimum of two nights for each destination since at least half a day of that is required for travel.  Even though we had 31 days, there are always choices to be made.  Turkey is the size of Britain and France combined. 

Each place listed below is described in more detail along with photos in our posts on the Terra Encounters blog.  All underlined text below are hyperlinks that will take you directly to the most relevant post.  

For shorter trips, it is recommended that you focus on one geographic area reducing the number of places as well as travel time.  On the other hand, you may be able to add some of the other places we considered on our More Places page. 

Travel Mode

For this 3700 km trip, we rented a car.  Yes, that is very expensive, especially with the TRY 4.60/liter gas.  Some Aussie travellers had a neat idea.  They travelled between major destinations by public transport.  Then they rented a car to do side trips to national parks and more remote places.

West Turkey Itinerary

For a visual overview of the first part of our trip, see Itinerary Map 1.  

Istanbul **** 4 nights

Spent 8 nights in IST altogether: Yes, there is that much to see but on a shorter trip, you can spend less time here by reducing what you do. The following is what we saw in the first stay there. 
 

Sirkeci Mansion

AIRPORT: very inefficient, very long lineups to go through security and immigration.  Allow sufficient time.


HOTEL: Hotel Ilkay upgraded to Sirkeci Mansion **** great location, fabulous staff, like having personal travel advisors, unbelievable breakfasts.  Book directly to get free airport shuttle for a long (4 day) stay.

 

Live Like a Sultan

Topkapi Palace Paradise – definitely worth a day.  There is a separate ticket the Harem.  We would highly recommend it if you have the time.  Here you will see close up the beautiful Iznik tiles and carved wood decorations where the Sultan's family lived.  It is also useful to go there when everywhere else is so busy and then go to the jewel and weapon rooms (the most congested areas) at the end of the day.  

Hagia Sophia Dome-ination –

Dome of Dreams 

the most significant dome and building of the Byzantine era that influenced Ottoman and thus Islamic architecture

Istanbul Archaeology Museums – meet Alexander the Great, Iznik tiles, and other important artefacts that talk about the impact of Turkey on the world



St. Peter

Chora Church Mosaics – magnificent Byzantine gold mosaics

Süleymaniye Mosque Dome-ination – incredible domes of this Ottoman masterpiece

Spice Market – buy delicious Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi kahve (coffee), Turkish Delight, and hazelnuts

We did all the “museums” at one time because the weather was cold and dreary and we bought the Museum Card.  We do not recommend the card.  You are limited to five days, can only go to each museum once, and must visit all museums at one time.  Not many tourists want to spend all their time indoors.  Secondly, there is no discount if you only go to the top three places.  Any National Park card gives unlimited visits over a significant timeframe at a significant discount.
 

Bursa ** 2 nights

HOTEL: Hampton by Hilton very modern, business like, north of downtown, free parking, VG self-serve breakfast

Emerald Wonder

Green Mosque & Tomb *** – it is really Yeşil Türbe (Green Tomb)  opposite the mosque that blew us away and is the must-see with its unbelievable shades of green, so do not miss it!

Cumalikizik

Cumalikizik, Bursa – Ottoman Delight ** – the first is a small, old Ottoman village (do not expect incredible architecture like the wealthier Safranbolu but it was pleasant walk in the off-season when there were very few tourists) and the second is the old walled district of Bursa with nice views from the ramparts near the Türbe.

 

Acrophobics Avoid!

Bergama ** 1 night

HOTEL: Red Basilica very nice manager, E breakfast, good location

Pergamum Acropolis ** – loved the spectacular setting and the precipitous theatre

Selçuk *** 3 nights

HOTEL: Homeros Pension – great place, location, decor, and breakfast; can easily meet other travellers in dining/living room; we even ate supper here just for that reason

Famous building was a library

Ephesus *** – the top archaeological site of Turkey but overrun with tourists; spent all day here; actually is busiest from the opening until lunch then much less people the rest of the day

Şirince * – old Greek town famous for white-washed houses, wine, et al.; spent afternoon of our arrival day here
 

Ionic Columns are from Ionia

Priene – Connection to Architecture? *,
Miletus – What is a Vomitorium? *,
Didyma and the God Apollo – these ancient ruins are all close together but require a car or a tour; we spent all day and did not have enough time to visit Lake Bafu.

 



What's a Tetrapylon?

Afrodisias – Archaeology Aphrodisiac ***

If you have a car, you can visit nearby Afrodisias, on the way to Pamukkale.  However, it is very difficult to get to by dolmuş.  Rent a car or take a tour.  It is one of the nicest archaeological sites in Turkey with some actual buildings still standing or reconstructed!  Its’ fairly compact size gives a very good idea what an Ancient Roman city looked like.  Needs a half day.

Pamukkale – 2 nights

First day was Afrodisias and travel time; so we really had only one day here. 

HOTEL: Melrose House Hotel very warm owners, good conversations, E breakfasts and suppers

 

Where has all the water gone?

Pamukkale Terraces – notice no stars.  Only a few places in Turkey were disappointing.  The Pamukkale Terraces were very disheartening with hardly any water in the "thermal pools".  They are not worth the price of admission. 

Most of the water goes into pools that visitors can walk into.  I am sure this appeals to many tourists but it is not what a thermal area should look like.  If you want to see thermal areas go to Whakarewarewa (Rotorua), Orakei Korako (New Zealand) or Yellowstone National Park (USA). 

Theatre Stage

Hierapolis Ruins ** especially the theatre ***

However, Pamukkale admission also includes the Hierapolis Ruins, which were a pleasant surprise.  The theatre made the price of admission.

Dalyan ** 1 night

Lycian Tombs

Dalyan was one place that deserved more time – not for the laid-back town but for the places nearby.  This is a case where one day really is only a half day at your destination.  If it were beach weather, wouldn't you want to spend time swimming at one of the best beaches in Turkey? 

Iztuzu Beach ** –  Trip Advisor ranks it as one of the top 25 beaches in the world!

Kaunos Lycian Tombs *** –  spectacular, high up on a tall cliff.  But who are the Lycians?  Click the link to find the surprising answer. 
 

Kaş *** 2 nights

HOTEL: Hideaway Hotel was one of the best in TR; E breakfast with a terrace view, E coffee

On the way there: Ölüdeniz – overrated, narrow beach with the sea that is not as turquoise as in the over saturated photos in the tourist brochures

Soft Sand Patara

Patara *** – best beach we saw in Turkey, a world class beach with historically significant ruins – the site of the world's first parliament, whose constitution has influenced most democracies

Kaputaş Beach * – cute beach in a cliff-enclosed cove fringed with turquoise water; near to Kaş so probably dolmuş to get there

Off-season Kaş 

Old Kaş – small but enjoyable with overhanging balconies and plants

Kaş Market – every Friday, be sure to eat here the gözleme

View high up from park on road going down from main highway; Çukurbağ Peninsula; Old Roman Theatre

Kekova Kaarst

Day Trips: Kekova Sound *** spectacular karst scenery but need car so you can stop for views, else book a boat trip over sunken ruins

Could easily spend more time in Kaş, a great "vacation from the vacation" spot

Kiyi Hospitality

Çıralı 1 night

HOTEL: Kiyi Pension E owners, fantastic so meals, so welcoming

Çıralı itself could be skipped but we had a great stay on a farm B&B.  Beach is pebbly and overrated.

 

Turquoise Treasure

On the way to Çıralı:

 

Demre - Turquoise Coast Treasures for perhaps the most beautiful turquoise sea views **

 

 

Next Post: Spicy Istanbul
Last Post:  Kool Kadıköy

All Roads Lead to Ephesus via Selçuk

The small town of Selçuk is a good base for a three-day exploration of the surrounding sights.  It is only 3 km away from Ephesus, the capital of the Asian province of the Roman Empire, and 8 km from Şirince.  But do all roads lead to Ephesus?  

 



Dilay at Red Basilica Pension

From Bergama to Ephesus

Day 8: Before we left, we had a delightful breakfast of egg, tomatoes, olives, nuts, simit (sesame seed bread) and jams and especially a luscious cheese at the Red Basilica Hotel in Bergama.  Dilay was a charming host/manager and we had a long chat.  

 

According to our Itinerary Map, it was supposed to take three hours to travel 175 km to Selçuk. But we got lost. When we approached Izmir there was no sign for either Selçuk or Ephesus. Did I mention that road signs are not geared to tourists?  Next time we will have to be aware of what is the next important towns along the highway – clearly Selçuk and Kuşadası don’t count.
 

We ended up missing the bypass expressway and had to drive through Izmir, Turkey's third largest city's. The nice surprise was that the buildings climbed dramatically up a steep and long hill giving us great view all along the expressway through the whole city of 4 million people.  By the way, the traffic moved much more smoothly than in Istanbul. 

Şirince

Şirince View from Museum Parking Lot

Selçuk by contrast is a quiet town with 28,213 people compared to the alternative, the touristy town of Kuşadası. We decided to spend the afternoon in Şirince, 8 km away.  There is a clear sign for Şirince going east off the main boulevard, Ataturk Caddesi. Unfortunately we got lost again as there was no sign to turn left at Şht. Er Yüksel Özülkü Cd.  The road soon leaves the town and travels through green farmland.  

  

Follow the Grey Stone Road



Şirince is a 19th century Greek (until 1924) hill town famous for white buildings, olive oil, and fruit wine.  Many shops offer tasters and sell bottles of wine  as well as oils and other knick-knacks.  Many restaurants line the streets, especially around the museum area.  Its 600 inhabitants are totally overwhelmed by thousands of tourists. And so will you be. 

 

 

 

Ignoring the commercialism down the main road, I walked through the narrow paths in the village.  There were some quaint buildings and stone paths that were just made for photography.  Many of the restored buildings are now pensions or restaurants. 

 

Selçuk

Homeros – Fairy Tale Bedroom or Craft Museum?

We stayed at Homeros Pension, which has an excellent location a two blocks north along the museum road behind the tourist office, then one and a half blocks NW.  The manager/chef was very friendly and we had a long chat on the roof-top terrace when we arrived. 

  

The building with the dining room is a cozy Ottoman house.   Every room was crammed full of classic furniture and crafts. 

Homeros Pension Dining Room with the Brits

We ate our suppers at Homeros: There were some very good home-made dishes.  But the best part was that this was a great time to meet and talk with other people from Argentina to Australia.

As soon as we walked into the dining room, Bob from England (on the right side) said hello and introduced himself and everyone else to us. Bob is never at a loss of words and has lots of entertaining stories.  He is a regular visitor to Homeros and Turkey.  His daughter and Turkish in-laws live nearby. 

Shirley and Ken from Australia are on an eight-month Round-The-World (RTW) trip. They are experienced travellers. Shirley writes her personal impressions on her travels in a private blog.  Ken worked in cartography and land titles and at one point their family lived in Bangkok while he worked for the Thai government. 

It felt like we were on our RTW backpack trip. Interestingly, it was the older folks that were the friendliest.

Last  Post: Pergamon Acropolis (Day 7)
Next Post: All Roads Lead to Ephesus (Day 9)

Pergamon Acropolis

What to See in Pergamon

The acropolis of the ancient Greek and Roman city of Pergamon is a small but dramatic site worth seeing on the way to the Turquoise Coast.  Many significant sculptures and architecture from Pergamon are found in museums in Turkey and Europe. 

   

Day 7: We crawled through the heavy traffic of Turkey's fourth largest city, Bursa.  Once outside the city limits, we enjoyed the easy driving on the excellent six-lane divided highway D200.
   

Along secondary road 10-51

Alas all good things have to end.  Using our Google Map to select the route, we exited the D265 and turned south on the secondary road 10-51 to Savaştepe.  Wow, we saw our first (and only) pothole but also there were very few cars.  

 

The scenery dramatically improved with rolling green hills dotted with trees.  Oh and it was our first sunny day of the trip.  But there was no place to stop to take pictures – it was a two lane road with no shoulders.  We rejoined major highway D240 near Soma, where a recent disaster took the lives of 301 coal miners.  

Note: click on any image to see a slide show of the photos in a larger size. 



Pergamon  Acropolis

 

Ancient Pergamon above Sunset-lit Bergama

Finally, 270.3 km and 4.5 hours later, we saw a rocky outcropping with ruins from the highway.  We had arrived at Bergama so we drove the very steep, narrow road to the top of ancient Greek city of Pergamon.  There is a very small parking area with only one other car (off-season) but those without cars can take the teleferik from the city to the same parking lot.  

 

Time Travel 2000 Years Back to the Pergamon Acropolis

It was exhilarating that when we arrived at our first ancient ruin the sun had blessed us.  But best of all, the setting was special.   I climbed just a little up the hill to get photos of the gorgeous island-studded lake formed by a dam.  I hope there is something in the charter of the UNESCO that guarantees no development within eyesight of a World Heritage Site (WHS).  This is the way things should stay.   It felt like we had been transported back to ancient times.  Well, at least until we turned around and skirted past the small tourist shop area.  

Walking up a steep new wood ramp, there was only one tour group in the central piazza and soon after they had left.  This square with views of Bergama is actually a platform supported by arches that provides a level surface for the huge Temple for Trajan and Hadrian.  

Alone in the ruins of the temple, I took my photos right way.   One of the signs shows an artist’s drawing of what the complex looked like. It must have been amazing. The three standing columns and the pediment are evocative.  

 

What is the Significance of Trajan and Hadrian?

Why is there a temple to Trajan and Hadrian?  The Romans followed the custom of deifying an emperor. This came from Alexander the Great, who in turn, adopted it from eastern cultures.  This is another example of how the East has been influencing the West and vice-versa for many centuries.

 

Trajan (ruled 98-117 CE) achieved the peak territory in 117 CE.  The Roman Empire stretched from Morocco to Mesopotamia, from Britain to Armenia.  N.B.: it is not the largest empire in world history.

 

Pergamon Temple of Trajan

  



Stand in Awe inside the Temple of Trajan

While Pergamon was originally an ancient Greek city, it rose to importance under Hadrian (ruled 117-138 CE).  His reign was the most peaceful as he stopped any further military conquests. Peacetime led to increased spending on culture and Hadrian loved the Greek culture.   The Corinthian peristyle (columns all around the temple) shows the influence of Greek architecture.  The curved retaining wall viewed from the back is the base for the massive peristyle.  

 

Hadrian had a keen interest in architecture and sponsored many monuments – such as the Pantheon (Rome), the largest dome built for a 1000 years until the Astrodome stadium!  The purpose of Pergamon was to tie Asia Minor to the Roman Empire and show off the greatness of Rome.  

 

Theatre of Pergamon

Precipitous Pergamon Theatre - Acrophobics Avoid!! 

The most spectacular ruin was the vertiginous theatre directly below the temple square.  While I am not scared of heights, looking down the 10,000 seats is breathtaking.  Do not drink and attend theatre!  It was constructed in the 3rd century BC. The Greeks used their expertise in physics to produce the highest quality sound in theatres. Our word “acoustics” comes from a Greek word akoustikos, meaning “for hearing”.
  

It's a long way down from the Acropolis Trail

It is worthwhile to walk around the whole acropolis (it’s not that large) and I only met three people until I came back to the central square. By car we drove out of town to see the theatre from below. Further down the road we saw the remains of the aqueduct that can be seen from the back of the acropolis walk.  
 

What is the Significance of Pergamon?

The most famous monument of this site – the Pergamon Altar – can only be viewed at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.  Its monumental stairs stood at the entrance to the acropolis.  Pergamon also had the original sculpture of the Laocoön, the most iconic sculpture of the agony of death.  An Ancient Roman copy in the Vatican Museums had a strong influence on Michelangelo, Raphaello, and many other artists – which in turn affected the art of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.  So this is an example for how one culture, one era has affected other cultures, other eras.  
 

Bergama

One of Our Favourite Encounters

We were cold (it started raining) so we had mercimek çorbası (lentil soup) at a small place on south side of Kinik Caddesi recommended by our hotel.  It was excellent and only TRY 4.  Adding the lemon provided made it even better.  It is delicious but very different from the Indian or Nepali lentil dish, dal.

Tonight's pièce de résistance was talking to the owner of the carpet business for at least a couple of hours.  He buys old carpets from remote villages and reuses them to make new items for sale.

He is totally fluent in English because he lived in New York City from 14 to 19 years old.  He worked in his sponsor's carpet shop.  He had lots of personal stories about his New York friends, the differences between Turkish and American cultures, and other events during his life.

Last  Post: Cumalikizik & Bursa - Ottoman Delight (Day 6)
Next Post: All Roads Lead to Ephesus via Selçuk (Day 8)