The Best Places to Visit in Turkey. A Complete Travel Guide.
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Turkey is one of the world’s most extraordinary and most underrated travel destinations. A country that straddles two continents — Europe and Asia — with eight thousand years of history layered over one of the most dramatic and most diverse landscapes on earth. Extraordinary ancient ruins. Byzantine churches converted to mosques converted to museums. Hot air balloons drifting over a lunar landscape at sunrise. The Bosphorus dividing Istanbul between two worlds. World class food at a fraction of European prices. And a warmth of hospitality that makes every visitor feel genuinely welcome. Here is a complete guide to the best places to visit in Turkey.
Why Visit Turkey
Turkey sits at the crossroads of civilisation — literally. Every great empire of the ancient and medieval world passed through this land. The Hittites. The Greeks. The Romans. The Byzantines. The Ottomans. Each left behind extraordinary monuments, ruins, and cultural traditions that make Turkey one of the most historically rich destinations on earth.
Why Turkey is extraordinary for Australian travellers: ✅ Direct flights from Australia via Dubai, Doha, or Singapore ✅ Extraordinary value — Turkish lira makes Turkey very affordable for Australians ✅ English widely spoken in all major tourist areas ✅ World class food culture — Turkish cuisine is among the world’s great culinary traditions ✅ Extraordinary variety — ancient ruins, beaches, mountains, and one of the world’s great cities all in one country ✅ Genuinely warm hospitality
Visa Requirements for Australians
Australian passport holders require an e-Visa to enter Turkey. The e-Visa is straightforward to obtain online before travel at evisa.gov.tr and costs approximately USD 50 per person. Processing takes minutes and the visa is valid for multiple entries over 180 days with stays of up to 90 days.
Important: Only apply for your Turkish e-Visa through the official government website at evisa.gov.tr — numerous third party sites charge significantly more for the same visa.
Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities — the only city on earth that spans two continents, with the European side and the Asian side divided by the extraordinary Bosphorus strait. For most visitors Turkey begins and ends in Istanbul — and with good reason. No other city on earth offers the same extraordinary combination of ancient history, world class food, extraordinary architecture, and genuine cultural depth.
The Hagia Sophia: The Hagia Sophia is one of the world’s most extraordinary buildings — a structure that has served as a cathedral, a mosque, and a museum over its 1,500 year history. The scale of the interior is breathtaking — the dome rising 55 metres above the floor was the largest in the world for nearly a thousand years. Arrive early to avoid the longest queues.
The Blue Mosque: The Sultan Ahmed Mosque — universally known as the Blue Mosque — sits directly opposite the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district. The six minarets and the extraordinary interior covered in 20,000 blue Iznik tiles make it one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. Entry is free — dress modestly and remove shoes before entering.
Topkapi Palace: The administrative heart of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years — Topkapi Palace is an extraordinary complex of courtyards, pavilions, kitchens, and treasuries overlooking the Bosphorus. The Harem section requires a separate ticket and is worth every lira.
The Grand Bazaar: One of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets — 4,000 shops across 61 covered streets selling everything from carpets and ceramics to jewellery, spices, and leather goods. Negotiating is expected and half the fun.
The Bosphorus Cruise: A boat cruise along the Bosphorus is one of Istanbul’s great experiences — seeing the city from the water, passing Ottoman palaces and wooden mansions lining both shores, and watching the extraordinary traffic of ships moving between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
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Cappadocia
Cappadocia is one of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes — a surreal lunar environment of volcanic rock formations called fairy chimneys, carved over millions of years by wind and water into shapes that seem impossible. Add ancient underground cities, cave churches covered in Byzantine frescoes, and the most extraordinary hot air balloon experience on earth — and Cappadocia becomes one of Turkey’s unmissable destinations.
Hot air balloon at sunrise: The hot air balloon experience over Cappadocia at sunrise is one of the world’s great travel experiences. Drifting silently over the fairy chimneys as the sun rises over the valleys — with dozens of other balloons floating alongside — is genuinely breathtaking. Book well in advance as demand significantly exceeds availability.
The Underground Cities: Cappadocia sits above an extraordinary network of underground cities carved by early Christians seeking shelter from persecution. Derinkuyu — the deepest — descends 18 storeys below ground and once housed 20,000 people. The scale and engineering are extraordinary.
Cave hotels: Staying in a cave hotel carved into the rock of Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s great accommodation experiences. The cave interiors maintain a constant temperature year round — cool in summer, warm in winter — and the views from the terraces over the valleys are extraordinary.
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Ephesus
Ephesus is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world — a Roman city of extraordinary scale and grandeur that once housed 250,000 people and was among the most important cities in the ancient Mediterranean world.
The Library of Celsus: The two storey facade of the Library of Celsus is one of the most iconic images in all of archaeology — an extraordinarily well preserved Roman building that once held 12,000 scrolls and served as a mausoleum for its patron.
The Great Theatre: The Great Theatre of Ephesus held 25,000 spectators and is still used for concerts today. Walking out onto the stage and looking up at the tiered seating rising into the hillside gives a genuine sense of the scale and ambition of the Roman world.
Practical tip: Visit Ephesus in the early morning before the cruise ship crowds arrive — the site is significantly more enjoyable with fewer people. The nearby House of the Virgin Mary — believed by Catholics to be where Mary spent her final years — is a moving and peaceful complement to the ruins.
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Pamukkale
Pamukkale — meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish — is one of Turkey’s most extraordinary natural wonders. A hillside of brilliant white calcium carbonate terraces — formed by mineral rich thermal spring water flowing down the hillside over thousands of years — that looks from a distance like snow covering the slope above the valley.
The travertine terraces: The white terraces of Pamukkale are genuinely extraordinary — shallow pools of warm mineral water cascading down brilliant white terraces in an almost impossibly beautiful formation. Visitors walk barefoot across the terraces — shoes must be removed before entering.
Hierapolis: The ancient city of Hierapolis sits immediately above the Pamukkale terraces — a Roman spa city built around the thermal springs whose waters were believed to have healing properties. The extraordinarily well preserved theatre, the colonnaded street, and the extensive necropolis are all worth exploring.
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The Turquoise Coast
Turkey’s southwestern coastline — known as the Turquoise Coast for the extraordinary colour of the Aegean and Mediterranean waters — is one of the Mediterranean’s great sailing and beach destinations. The towns of Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, and Antalya each offer extraordinary access to the turquoise waters, hidden coves, and ancient ruins of this spectacular coastline.
Bodrum: Bodrum is one of Turkey’s most sophisticated coastal towns — a beautiful whitewashed harbour town overlooked by a Crusader castle, with excellent restaurants, a vibrant marina, and beautiful beaches on both sides of the peninsula.
The Blue Voyage: The Blue Voyage — a multi-day sailing trip along the Turquoise Coast on a traditional Turkish gulet — is one of Turkey’s great travel experiences. Anchoring in hidden coves, swimming in crystal clear water, dining on fresh seafood, and sleeping on deck under the stars.
Fethiye and Oludeniz: Fethiye is the gateway to the extraordinary Oludeniz lagoon — one of the most photographed beaches in all of Turkey — and the Lycian Way, one of the world’s great long distance hiking trails.
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Anzac Cove and Gallipoli
For Australian visitors Gallipoli holds a special significance that no other destination in Turkey can match. The Gallipoli Peninsula — a narrow finger of land on the European side of the Dardanelles strait — was the site of one of the most significant and most costly campaigns of the First World War. Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and fought for eight months in conditions of extraordinary hardship.
Anzac Cove: The small beach where Australian and New Zealand troops landed in the early hours of 25 April 1915 is a deeply moving place. The narrow strip of beach backed by steep scrubby cliffs makes the scale of what was attempted there almost incomprehensible.
Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair: The Australian memorial at Lone Pine and the New Zealand memorial at Chunuk Bair are among the most moving war memorials anywhere in the world. The cemeteries are extraordinarily well maintained and the silence and beauty of the setting make a visit genuinely profound.
Practical tip: Many Australian visitors choose to attend the Dawn Service at Anzac Cove on 25 April — one of the most moving commemorative events in the Australian calendar. Book accommodation well in advance as demand is extraordinary.
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Practical Tips for Visiting Turkey
Best time to visit: April to June and September to November are Turkey’s best travel seasons. Spring brings wildflowers and mild temperatures. Autumn is warm, clear, and less crowded than summer. July and August are extremely hot in most of Turkey and very crowded in coastal areas.
Getting around: Turkey has an excellent domestic flight network connecting Istanbul with Cappadocia, Bodrum, Antalya, and other major destinations. The intercity bus network is extensive and comfortable. Hire cars are available at all major airports.
Turkish food: Turkish food is extraordinary — and eating well in Turkey is both easy and affordable. Fresh bread, meze, grilled meats, extraordinary seafood on the coast, baklava, Turkish delight, and the best breakfast spread in the world. Never skip breakfast at a Turkish hotel.
Currency: The Turkish lira makes Turkey excellent value for Australian visitors. Credit cards are widely accepted in tourist areas. ATMs are readily available.
Book Your Turkey Trip
| Destination | Trip.com |
|---|---|
| Turkey | Browse hotels |
| Istanbul | Browse hotels |
| Cappadocia | Browse hotels |
| Bodrum | Browse hotels |
| Fethiye | Browse hotels |
| Pamukkale | Browse hotels |
| Kusadasi | Browse hotels |
| Canakkale | Browse hotels |
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