Cappadocia Turkey Itinerary

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Central Turkey Itinerary
– from Antalya to Cappadocia to Istanbul

Golden Goreme

You should be very excited if you are planning a trip to Turkey.  It is easy to travel on your own. For advice on how to plan and travel in an economical way, see the TripAdvisor page Turkey: Planning a Self-Guided Turkey Trip.   Now comes the hard choice of deciding where to go.  Even if you have a whole month, you cannot see everything.  Turkey is the size of Great Britain and France combined!  

The following suggestions are based on an actual 31-day trip, which was split into two parts. Stay-overs are shown in capitals followed by the number of nights.  Each destination was assigned zero to three dots to give a sense of which sites are most worthwhile seeing.  Hyperlinks will bring you to posts with more details.  This itinerary gives the best places to go for a 14-day trip through Central Turkey from Antalya to Istanbul.

  

RECOMMENDED ITINERARY

See a map of Central Turkey Itinerary
      

ANTALYA 2 nights 

Antalya is dissed by many travellers as just a big city but staying in an old Ottoman house in Kaleiçi (the old city) is worthwhile and it makes a useful base for nearby sights.  Yes, Antalya is a big city but the old quarter, Kaleiçi, is a quiet oasis. 

Ottoman Delight

Staying in an old Ottoman house is a beautiful introduction to Turkey.  It is a much easier way to start your trip than overpopulated Istanbul. 

Kaleiçi ● It is very touristy but there are not as many touts as in Istanbul.  The old town has a very clean, restored look but it is still pleasant walking, as there are few cars.  See the view of the sea framed by the snowy Taurus Mountains near the Hidirlik Tower, especially in early AM before breakfast – and few tourists wake up early so you'll have the park to yourself. 

Antalya Archaeological Museum ●●● is one of the best arranged museums anywhere.  Ancient Roman statues are set into Romanesque-style arches with romantic lighting (not good for photography)

Stupendous Aspendos

Day Trips: 
Aspendos Theatre ●
is basically a large intact Ancient Roman theatre with lots of tourists.  Climb up to the acropolis (included in the price) for more dramatic views of the theatre and the very green countryside. 

Colourful Köprülü

Köprülü Canyon ●● is a spectacular green river visible from the country road.  The Termessos ruins is another good place to go from Antalya.  On the way east from Antalya along the old highway(there will soon be a new expressway), stop along the road for...

Turquoise Treasure

Turquoise Coast ●●●
for perhaps the second most beautiful turquoise coastal views.

KIZKALESI  1 night 

  

Medieval Maiden Castle, on an offshore islet, seems to float just above the sea.  It's OK but not a must-see. The beach is very small but the sand is so soft.  Plus there were few tourists. It made for a pleasant stopover on the long drive to Cappadocia.  

Sensational Sunset

CAPPADOCIA ●●●●  4 nights 

The region of Cappadocia is probably the best must-see area for natural beauty in the country – so don’t miss it!!!  Göreme is just one of the towns in this region but it is still a wonderful base due to its central location.  

Göreme Sunset View ●●● is an easy walk up the hill to the east of the hotel area main drag for spectacular views at sunset of Rose Valley and Göreme.

Car or Dolmuş Trips: 

Not a Fairy Tale

Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys ●●●● are extraordinary even the touristy Paşabagh site.  There are too many hikes to list here. Most are fairly easy, at least at the beginning, or you could simple go for as long as you want and return when you feel like it.  the best hikes were are Love Valley, Zemi Valley, and... 

Kizilçukur

Rose Valley ●●●●
you could walk here on a car-less dirt road but you can drive on a parallel road.  This area has many side trails.  The best spot was the Kizilçukur Viewpoint, located between the "parking lot" and the dirt road below the hill. Again, it's best to come here for the late PM or sunset lighting

Çavuşin has a less touristy, old section of town at the end of the "parking lot" road to Rose Valley

Uchisar ● there is an excellent view of the volcanic plug/castle right from main highway into Göreme but this is a very touristy spot with stalls and even a camel.  There also is good viewpoint of Göreme on the right just a short way towards the town. 

Ogling Ortahisar

Avanos – overpriced pottery

Ürgüp – good food at local prices, except for the excellent but pricey ice cream

Ortahisar ●●
there is a spectacular view of the volcanic plug in the middle of town. 

Day Trips: requires car or tour

   
Mustafapaşa ●● is an old Greek village with interesting architecture

Soganli Valley ●●

Soganli Surprise

is full of fairy chimneys, basalt columns, rock-cut churches and frescoes without the crowds in a country atmosphere. But the best part was getting there with spectacular wide open views of snow-capped mountains in early spring.  

Ihlara Valley – is another place with rock-cut churches 

SAFRANBOLU ●●●  2 nights

Super Safranbolu

Safranbolu Çarşı ●●
You can spend a day visiting and shopping in the old city with its restored Ottoman buildings.  But the views from the ring road high above the market area (çarşı) were very special. 

 

Ottoman Yörük

Car Trips: 
Yörük ●● 
it’s 10 km away to a fairy tale village full of timber-framed Ottoman buildings that are far more nostalgic and run down than Safranbolu.  

İncekaya Aqueduct – 
is very high and in mint condition.   But it is Ottoman not ancient.  It comes with a walking trail into the countryside. 

Grand Fashion

ISTANBUL ●●●●  4 nights

 

Grand Bazaar ●
It is NOT the oldest bazaar as it was only built after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans.  But it is probably the first covered shopping mall in the world. 

Don't Look at Medusa

Basilica Cistern ●● 
is an underground forest of Byzantine columns surrounded by a pool of water.  Make sure that you do not look at the head of Medusa or you will also turn to stone!  The ancients were very superstitious.  For instance, getting up on the left (sinistra) side of your bed was a very bad omen.  This is very much part of Western culture – you don't believe it?  Guess where the English word sinister comes from?  

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia Dome-ination ●●
had the highest dome built since the Pantheon in Ancient Rome until the Duomo in Renaissance Florence. It was the model for most major mosques in the Ottoman Empire. 

Hippodrome – 
How did a horse race end with 30,000 dead? How is this related to Hagia Sophia?  That's your homework for tonight!  Hint: check the web sites below. 

the not so Blue Mosque

 Blue Mosque ●●●
is not really blue; it’s pastel patterns and graceful symmetry and definitely worth seeing. 

Music in Kadıköy

Kool Kadıköy ●●
is the real Istanbul where the locals work and play. It's a great place to hear Turkish folk music on the streets. 

Bosphorus on a Budget

Bosphorus on a Budget ●
Choose the cruise or the non-cruise (i.e. use the cheap ferries) to see the Bosphorus

Spice Bazaar, Spicy Istanbul ● come here for the spices, the Turkish Delights, and buy the Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi kahve (coffee) beans.

  

RESEARCHING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

   

There are many travel sites on the Web.  It is very useful to see what other tourists think are the best sites. Each city, region and country in TripAdvisor has a Things To Do section.  However, tourists have their own bias that may not match your interests.  Also many tourists have not travelled around the world to be able to compare places or know what is unique.  For more detailed information on each location, you can also review the Thorn Tree Turkey Forum, Turkey Travel Planner and Terra Encounters - Turkey web site.  For other countries around the world see our Terra Encounters WordPress web site. 

Kizkalesi

Maiden's Castle (Kiz Kalesi)

Gorgeous Coast

The main reasons to stop in Kizkalesi are to see the Maiden's Castle (Kiz Kalesi) that appears to float on top of the water and the exquisite, soft sand beach.  But we can now add the drop dead gorgeous coast on the way there as a big reason.  Our final reason was to have a stopover before the big trek across the Taurus Mountains to Goreme, Cappadocia.

From Kaleiçi (Antalya's former castle) we drove to Alanya, which is wall-to-wall modern hotels. I am not sure why people want to go to a town where every space is filled with modern hotels. It does have an extensive beach but it reminds me of Miami. 



Magnificent Verdant View

Our hotel hosts thought it was crazy to drive 7 hours in one day to Kizkalesi. But the point is to see the scenery and it's on the way to Goreme.  The distance is short but it is a winding, cliff-hugging road with lots of traffic.

 

Stunning Sand

A new expressway will eventually take most of the traffic away from this coastal road. If your schedule is tight then you can bypass this long drive along the coast and head directly from Antalya to Cappadocia.  But this rugged coastal scenery is gorgeous and probably second only to the turquoise-fringed beaches of Demre.

 

Terrific Turquoise

The only thing missing is pullovers at the view of the turquoise-etched coves from high up on this ledge road. When there was a decent size space to stop, we took photos of the coastal views. Unfortunately, we never found any place for lunch (again).   We are going to have to complain to the tour operator!  It was only 420 km to Kizkalesi but it actually took nine hours to drive there. 



Kizkalesi Castle

On the plus side, we arrived just in time to see the Maiden's Castle (Kiz Kalesi) in sunset lighting. It is located on a shallow island located just 150 m off shore so that it appears to be floating on the sea.  It dates from Byzantine era and was used as a fort during the Crusades. There is a second castle at the end of the beach.

Rain Hotel

We were worried when we got to the hotel and the doors were locked.  The hotel manager from across the street came over and reassured us that the manager probably went shopping.  So he kept us company.  He spoke perfect English having worked in Britain for a while.

We are the only guests at the Rain Hotel in Kizkalesi!  It is a very modern place.  We spent a lot of time speaking with the owner, Mehmet Shirin, who speaks perfect English.  My sister 'Umet' thinks he looks like he could be our cousin.



Narlikuyu Nosh

Mehmet drove with us to a nearby town of Narlikuyu (west of Kizkalesi) that has several seafood restaurants at the harbour.  Since he was a regular customer there he made sure they prepared a special meal for us. We had the best sea bass as it was grilled rather than fried. We had so much food we made up for not eating lunch.   We had seaweed of some kind and a delish green salad as well as a version of fried potatoes plus a banana and desert with yummy Turkish coffee.  We ate while admiring the views of the sea.

The rest of the evening we spent talking with Mehmet and finding out all about him. He is Kurdish and his family moved here when the Turkish army burned down their village. The Kurdish language is related to the Farsi (Iranian) branch of the Indo-European language group. He said 39,000 people died over the last 30 years.  The situation appears to have been resolved peacefully last year.  He showed us pictures of his son (he is separated).  Now we are watching Istanbul playing Chelsea in an EU football game.

Busy Beach

The next morning before breakfast we walked from our hotel just half a block to the beach. None of the hotels are actually on the shore. All beaches and shoreline are owned by the government so there are no private beaches. The sand was very soft but the size was small. Otherwise this ranks up there as one of the top five beaches on the Turquoise Coast.

 

Mehmet

 

There were some small bits of garbage dropped on the beach - I assume by the locals since there were no tourists.  Mehmet said during the season they will use a vehicle to clean the beach. They get very few foreigners as most of their guests are Turkish.  We had a nice breakfast outside the hotel on the road-side terrace.  Again the Turkish coffee was to die for.



Next Post: Happy Saturnalia
Last Post:  Stupendous Aspendos and Köprülü Kanyon
 

Cirali and Demre

Turquoise Coast Treasures

Don't Stare and Drive

Today was a very long drive time-wise along the Turquoise Coast.  Çıralı was a pleasurable one night stand.  The main highlights of the day were (1) the best view of emerald waters on the Turquoise Coast at Demre and (2) the pension in Çıralı where we felt like we were guests of a family. 

 

Turquoise Coast – Demre

Our Turquoise Treasure

Large stretches of the main D400 highway are inland. When we finally reached the coast not only did we find our favourite “turquoise view” in all of Turkey but there were several viewpoints built along the highway where you can actually pull over.  The best scenic spot was 50.8 km east of Kaş just before Demre with probably the most turquoise water lapping long beaches and no civilization. 

 

Demre's Turquoise Treasure

Demre also has a beautiful long turquoise-tinged beach all along the town.  Along cliffs can be found Lycian Tombs from the ancient Lycian town, Myra.   Demre is also the city where a famous bishop St. Nicolas became Santa Claus.  The church of St. Nicolas is a "pilgrimage site" for many of the Russian Orthodox faith.

Turquoise Coast – Olympos 

About 78 km (1.5 hours) later, we went off the main highway down to the coast at Olympos.  It felt like a backpacker’s oasis with many young people hiking into the Lycian ruins.  It is also the end of the 540 km Lycian Trail, which starts at Ölüdeniz.  It is hard to believe that back in the first century BC, Olympos was one of the main cities of the Lycian Assembly, the federation that is the foundation of many of  today's democracies.   

 

Road to Olympos

Now it feels like a tiny one-street Nepali village with unpaved roads and many pensions all along the road to sleep/eat.  The road to the national park even required driving across a shallow river – there is a photo for that. 

Çıralı – Fruits, Friends & Fire

Çıralı Beach

After a short drive from Olympos, Çıralı was also a strange place.  Seven km off the D400 highway, it was less a town and more a farmland with wall to wall signs advertising for tourists.  Again the narrow, rough streets reminded us of Costa Rica with too many cars.  There was a political rally going on with loudspeakers blasting slogans and music from the tops of a caravan of cars and buses.  Çıralı was also a very spread out village and our destination was nearly at the end of the road. 

Snowy Contrast to Green Hills

Located two hours before (west) of Antalya, it is, I believe, the last place to stop on the Turquoise Coast before getting to the big city. One reason to come here was the long unspoilt beach between low cliffs at one end and a tree clad mountain on the other side plus behind the beach a snowy peak emerges above some impressive large trees.  The beach was not as special as various travel forums and travel articles make out.  Yes there is sand but then you have to cross a band of gravel to get to the sea.  The area is protected because of the loggerhead sea turtles so there are no resorts or other major developments. 

 

Our Chimaera Fireplace

The other reason to come here was to see the eternal flame at Chimaera. This is natural gas (mainly methane) seeping through the cracks that had the ancients in awe, especially at night when it contrasts with the dark surroundings.  The ancients thought it was a lion-headed monster, Chimaera, which sprouted fire.

 

Our Rustic Wood Cabin

But what was most special was staying with a family on their orchard farm.    Our cabin on the right was ultra clean and very rustic with an all wood interior.  Kiyi Pansiyon was very simple but nice.  The hosts were so friendly and welcoming.  The very first thing they did was to serve apple tea and a bowl of fruit.  We sat on our front porch amongst all kinds of fruit trees.  The fresh oranges were the best we have ever eaten. 

 

Suleyman

The only person who spoke English well was the brother-in-law, Suleyman.  His wife was living in Demre so their child could go to school.   Since it was cold they made a fire in a wood stove.  Then the power went out so this became very romantic lighting, our personal Chimaera fire dragon (see photo above).  Then they brought a LED lantern and spoiled the atmosphere - just kidding.

 



Top Chef

The hosts were eager to please though the wife spoke no English – but what a smile.  The pension included supper as well as breakfast. This was a true home-cooked meal with sea bass and lots of fresh vegetables from their farm.  It was really good.  We ate in a huge dining "tent" next to their house.  

 

My sister "Sevinç" asked how we liked having coffee with the chickens as she remembered her time at the café at the Archaeological Museum in Antalya.  Well, we had breakfast with the chickens in Çıralı!!!  We are used to seeing animals roaming the streets in Asia.  On our Round The World trip, we ate at an Indian restaurant with author Rick Steves.  He said you know you've been in India too long when a cow walks into the restaurant and you don't even react.

 

Last Post:  Kaş, Karst and Kekova

Next Post: Antalya Archaeology Museum

Kaş and Kekova

Kaş Delights

Spectacular Kekova Coast

Kaş is one of those towns that is made for relaxing.  In itself there are no spectacular sights but it is surrounded by plenty of outdoor delights. Kaş Karst-embedded Kekova coast takes your breath away.  We couldn't have picked a better vacation from the vacation. 

Kaş Market



Talk Time at the Kaş Market

On Friday we went to the Kaş market, a short walk from the Hideaway Hotel.  It was a great place for photography since people, many of them from the countryside, are dressed more traditionally – this is not Istanbul.  There were few tourists other than the British expats who live in Kaş. The market has many types of good for sale as well as food and spices.

Gözleme Time at Kaş Market

There are also food stalls with tiny tables and stools.  We had authentic gözleme. Göz means "compartment" and indeed this is a kind of crepe stuffed with cheese and/or spinach and various other fillings and cooked on a large pan.  The women come from villages and cook for Kaş literally!!  Definitely have the very reasonably priced gözleme here.

Is the Water Safe?




Was This Distinguished Man Posing?

Before going to Turkey, we heard and read so often that you cannot drink the water.  Water bottles were given for free in Istanbul.  Now it costs 2TL per bottle.  Have you eaten uncooked vegetables during your travels?  Brushed you teeth and toothbrush using the tap water?  Used ice in drinks?  If the water is bad, anything washed with that water would quickly make you sick!  Having travelled for three years in Asia we know from experience. 

 

 

Yummy Time at Kaş Market

We realized that we had been eating the raw veggies that are served with the kebabs, et al.  We never got sick.  It dawned on us that the water problem cannot be that bad.  Perhaps we have built up a better immune system. 

If the water is unsafe where you are going to travel or you just want to be sure then read about the steri-pen in the Drinking Water Tips page.  What a superb invention used by development agencies throughout the developing world! 

Kekova

   

Karst-embedded Kekova Coast

After lunch we drove past snowy coastal mountains to the side road to Kekova region (now a maritime park). We were stunned by the surprising surreal karst scenery of the Uçagiz (village) area. Unfortunately this is a narrow road with non-existent shoulders and heavy tour bus traffic though not too many cars.  So we looked for places to pull off the road and enjoy the views.  Even if they built some pullovers there would never be enough room.  There was a one km stretch that had the best views.

 

Near the Ancient Lycian Ruins of Kaleköy

We were told to go to the right by locals probably so we can but later we went the other way where the tour buses go and there was parking near some cafes and craft stores. All of these places were overpriced. However there are nice views of the coast. 
 

Cruise Time in Üçağız

We parked and walked along the harbour with lots of tour boats to view the underwater ancient Lycian ruins of Kaleköy - underwater due to an earthquake during the 2nd century.  It's located just past those jagged rocks in the middle of the water. Also note the many islands that were just to the right of the jagged rocks.  If you want to go on the boat cruise drive here in the morning or book the cruise from Kaş.

Çukurbağ Peninsula



Castle Time in Çukurbağ Peninsula

Towards dusk, we took a self-guided "tour" of the Çukurbağ Peninsula.  This is where wealthy expats and locals buy villas.  According to a real estate storefront, houses sell from GBP 300,000 to 700,000 – yes in British Pounds as a lot of Brits retire here.  The house I want to buy is the one with a turret in the photo -- your personal castle on the coast.

 

This is also the location of the most expensive hotels.  My sister Umet (code name) asked if we were staying at the Peninsula Gardens Hotel that she saw on the Internet.  The rooms start at EUR 1190!!  That's way beyond our league. 
 

Our Turkey Trip Planning page shows that it is possible to economize simply by going in the off-season.  Now that we have left Istanbul and Bursa (expensive cities), we paid on average $65 per night including breakfast.  From mid-May to mid-Sep prices can sometimes triple or quadruple. 

 

Ionia

Greek Theatre, Kaş with Kastellorizo

We woke up in the morning to beautiful views of Greece outside our window. Yes, I said Greece, as in the Greek Isles. This one is called Kastellorizo.  In other words the Ionian Islands synonymous with Ionic temples such as the ones in Priene, now Turkey, where Ionic Architecture originated.  Some of the most famous Greek Islands are just 6 to 18 km off the Turkish coast – Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodos, better known to Anglos as Rhodes.  Rhodes was famous in ancient times as it held one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes.  Take a look at the artist's drawing on that web page.  Its arm stretched out in welcome, its head held a crown of sun beams, and its purpose was to welcome maritime visitors.  Does that sound familiar?  This statue was used as the design for the Statue of Liberty.

Yes, you can easily go by ferry to any of the islands.  But we decided that the focus of this trip was Turkey.  If you have unlimited time or have limited the geographical distances you are travelling then a Greek side trip is definitely feasible. Keep in mind the rule of thumb described on the Itinerary Planning page. 

I went to the ancient theatre outside our window in Kaş (see picture above). The outer wall was visible in the picture of the view from our window.  This is all that is left of the Ancient Greek city of Antiphellos.

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