I traveled in Turkey from 26th April to 12th May,2013. Starting in Istanbul, I went to Selcuk,Cappadocia,Gaziantep,Nemrut Dagi, Sanliurfa and back to Istanbul. Traveled on a relativelysmall budget, but still did all the touristy things like balloon rides, day tours and shopping. So this is a brief account of my trip.
Why Turkey? That’s a question I always got from people, the answer is Turkey has the most varied and diverse sights you could see in a single country(except maybe India). You have the Byzantine monuments of Istanbul like Ayasofya, the Ottoman mosques and palaces, in Western Turkey you get to see Greek and Roman cities all intact, then you have Cappadocia, which has amazing rock formations on limestone and some really awe-inspiring cave towns and castle,straight out of Flintstones. Moving further east, you get to see atmospheric old islamic towns and cities and some pre historic stuff too. And the landscape? It’s always spectacular, huge grasslands, snowy peaks,meadows..and the food? Nothing short of fabulous, even to my tastebuds which are used to spicy and heavy food. And I haven’t even covered the mediterranean coastline of Turkey, 13 civilisations have existed in Turkey, and all of them have a significant impact on the culture, and you can see it all!! So that’s why Turkey.
Just a look at why turkey..
Hagia Sophia
Mosques of Sultanahmet.
Bazaars of Istanbul.
Getting a visa: Turkey provides an easy eVisa application for 98 countries. The visa can still be obtained upon arrival but they are supposed to phase this out soon. The Turkish Government has made an excellent website. However, if you want the help of a visa specialist that accepts payments online in any currency my recommendation is to get your Turkish Visa Online with iVisa. They provide helpful advice and the staff is knowledgeable.
How did I travel? I did not go unprepared at at all, I was armed with maps, audioguides and all the basic information I needed. I also knew which place would get me the best exchange rate, I had my rooms/dorms prebooked, had an itinerary in place,although it was pretty flexible. I traveled by overnight buses, ate food at localish places(am a vegetarian,and vegetarian food was quite abundant everywhere) and traveled in towns and cities mostly by foot,and taking the occasional ferry or bus in places like Istanbul. I did take a couple of guided tours, places which were difficult to reach,or where tours offered an economical option, but most of my traveling was solo. Travel between place to place was by overnight buses.
Where did I stay? I had all my places prebooked from booking.com and the likes, I stayed in dormitories in touristy palces like Istanbul and Cappadocia, in smaller places like Urfa or Kahta I took single rooms. Dorms cost me about 10 Euros while rooms came for about 15 Euros. I liked my stay in dorms more because I got to meet a lot of people and the facilities were pretty good too.
Where all did I go? The most important question. I landed in Istanbul, stayed for about 4 days, went to Selcuk,visited the ruins of several Greek-Ionian cities: Ephesus, Afrodisias, Priene,Miletos and Didyma. Then I proceeded towards Cappadocia, whose landscape was straight out of Flintstone’s. From Cappadocia I went eastwards to Gaziantep,then further to Nemrut Dagi basing myself at Adiyaman. The next stop was Sanliurfa,did a half day trip to Harran. Got a flight to Istanbul, spent a few hours shopping and left for India. So here we go.
Istanbul Panorama seen from the Bosporus.
The ancient Library of Ephesus
Mosaic work at Gaziantep.
Balloon ride at Cappadocia
Heads and statues at Nemrut Dagi.
The Holy city of Sanliurfa.
Istanbul
The flight to Istanbul was quite a good one, passing over the high mountain ranges of Iran and East Turkey, also got an aerial view of Van lake and the monastery island in the lake. Arrived in Istanbul and took a metro followed by a tram into the old city of Sultanahmet. I fell in love instantly with the massive Blue Mosque and Ayasofya. Istanbul’s weather was at it’s, clear skies,crisp cool weather and a constant gentle breeze. Spent a evening exploring the Blue mosque,Hippodrome and it’s surroundings. The Blue mosque’s interiors was the most brilliant thing I had ever seen, with mosaics all over and lights hanging down from the dome. The whole Hippodrome area was bursting with spring flowers(although tulips had just ended their bloom) and the fountains and the flowers and buildings made a winning combination. It was very exciting to watch the mosques being lit up,coinciding with the Muezzin’s prayer call.
Enchanting Sultanahmet.
The Blue Mosque.
Ayasofya, Hagia Sophia.
Ayasofya.
The next 4 days in Istanbul were filled with excitement and new experiences and sights, there was tremendous diversity among all sights. The Ottoman islamic architecture of the Topkapi palace had some real beautiful tile work in the Harem section and the palace was set among the most beautiful surroundings, among gardens and trees. The Eminou dock area was filled with locals, plenty of street food and the whole area was bursting with energy. The Sulemaniye mosque was drop dead gorgeous, the whole mosque exuded some kind of serenity with it’s grey-brown bricks which were glowing in the evening light. It had a huge courtyard and some really amazing interiors. And there were so few people, that enhanced the experience even more.
Inside Topkapi Palace.
Inside the Topkapi Palace.
Interiors of the Blue Mosque.
Interiors of the Sulemaniye Mosque.
The Sulemaniye Mosque.
At the Rustum Pasha Jami.
The Harem in Topkapi Palace.
Then we had the Byzantine era monuments which were even more exciting. I really have no words for the Ayasofya, the light seeping in through small windows and the marble tiles had a distinct medieval touch, and that was despite the huge number of crowds. The Basilica Cistern was a gem, an underground Cistern that had felt like a cave but had the most amazing architecture and was beautifully lit. The Chora (Kariye) church was worth the bus ride, the mosaics were simply stunning,all of them of a religious flavor and very well preserved. No one will believe they are atleast a 1000 years old. The Valens Aqueduct was an attractive structure too. The Archaeology museum too was amazing, I am not really a fan of museums, but this one blew me away. The Sarcophagi section was the best.
Sarcophagi at Archaelogical Msueum.
Mosaics at Chora church.
The Valens Aqueduct.
The Basilica Cistern.
The gorgeous interiors of the Ayasofya.
The interiors of Chora church.
The interiors of Chora church.
The interiors of Chora church.
Another feature of Istanbul was the Bosporus, the river like strait running in between the city, dividing the city into 2 continents. I took a ferry to Asia(Asian Istanbul) in the evening, and I got fabulous views of the mosques, more exciting than visiting the mosques themselves. The minarets, the golden sky, the clouds and the breeze, and a cup of apple tea. And then you see the mosques light up one by one. On another day I took a ferry down the Bosporus, the journey was filled with views of Ottoman palaces, mansions, pink jura forests on either sides of the Bosporus. While returning back to Istanbul I visited several places on the coast like tulip rich Emirgan park, turks love to picnic a lot, had some street food( Gozleme, a turkish paratha) and some nice Turkish pistachio ice-cream. The walls and watch towers of the Rumeli fortress were very very medieval, and it was fun to watch ships pass under the Bosporus bridge, the neighborhood of Ortakoy was very lively, with several vendors selling kumpir, a huge baked potato topped with salads, mayonnaise, olives, sauces,couscous and what not.
The Bosporus Bridge.
Mansions on the Bosporus.
Emirgan Park.
Vistas at Ortakoy.
Tulip season at Emirgan.
It’s fun to watch ships pass by.
The Rumeli Fortress.
The Dolmabahce Palace all lit up at night.
Dolmabahce Palace from the Bosporus cruise.
Evenings were always special in Istanbul, the Galata neighborhood was absolutely picture perfect at sunset. Cobbled streets, a little sunlight creeping in, the Galata tower, turkish music being played everywhere, bands performing on the street..the views from the Galata tower were totally worth it.
Mansions at IStiklal Street.
The vibrant Istiklal Street.
The Galata Tower.
Istanbul by the sea.
View from the Galata tower.
The vibrant Istiklal Street.
Mosques lit up.
The Blue mosque.
Selcuk and the Aegean region:
Turkey isn’t all about Istanbul, infact most parts of Turkey are rewarding, no place is overrated. Arrived into the quaint town of Selcuk, which is a base for visiting the ancient Ionian(Greek) city of Ephesus. The scenery was perfect here, pine trees, mountains. And ruins nicely nestled among these environs. Among all the ruins, the Library of Celsius was truly a masterpiece. The theater was huge. The reason why Ephesus stands out among all other ruins is because Ephesus has some beautifully preserved villas from it’s heyday. They were terraced houses decorated with mosaic,a good peep into how people lived in those times. The town of Selcuk too was a delight, it houses the only surviving column of the Temple of Artemis, it has amazing Fort, the Ayasoluk Fort and an old surviving church, the St.John’s Basilica. A very picturesque town with farmlands and history strewn all over. And it was a “real” town,not a tourist one, so you get to see Turkish men spending hours at Kiraathanesi’s, or tea houses and you get to taste plenty of local food at great prices too.
Library at Ephesus.
Detailed work at Ephesus.
The wonderfully preserved villas at Ephesus.
An enactment at Ephesus.
Isa Bey Mosque at Selcuk,
Aqueducts at Selcuk.
The Ayasoluk Fortress in Selcuk.
Walls of the Isa Bey Mosque.
St. John’s Basilica,Selcuk.
My obsession with Greek ancient cities did not end here, I further visited the city of Priene, a city beautifully perched up on a hill among pine forests, the city of Miletos which had the most gorgeous theater I had seen, and city of Didyma which had gigantic temple dedicated to the Goddess of Apollo. A guide made these visits more worthwhile, got to know the cultural differences between Greeks and Romans, and also more about the modern turks.
The gorgeous setting of Priene.
The gigantic Miletos theatre.
The plains you can see here were once part of the sea.
At Priene.
Miletos Theatre
Temple of Didyma at Didim.
Medusa at Didyma.
Temple of Didyma at Didim.
Another gem was the city of Afrodisias set in the most beautiful locations with gorgeous mountain scenery and the entire area was carpeted with wildflowers. Totally worth the pain I took getting there(changing 3 buses). Even after visiting so many ruins, Afrodisias excited me with its stadium, long and huge , well preserved, mountains at the backdrop, perfect late afternoon light and no people around!! Cant beat that, unlike Ephesus where I had to share the space with thousands of others.
Arches at Afrodisias.
Temple of Aphrodite.
Turkish mediterranean countryside.
Stadium at Aphrodisias.
Museum at Afrodisias.
Cappadocia:
Now cappadocia lived upto it’s name, amazing landscape steeped in history and offering a variety of experiences. The rock shapes,gorges, caves, valleys were exactly like I had expected. Hiking in the Rose valley and Pigeon valley was a pleasure, the balloon ride gave some really nice views, what stood out was the view the extinct volcano at sunrise.
Just to brief about Cappadocia, it’s an area in Central Turkey with a moon like landscape formed by limestone and volcanic eruptions. The rock shapes were conducive to build cave houses and these were built by Hittites and early christians escaping Roman rule.
In the Rose Valley.
Anatolian landscape.
Goreme Panorama.
The Pigeon Valley.
Views from the Balloon ride.
Views from the Balloon ride.
The Ihlara valley or the Green valley was another delight, a huge gorge with a river and forests,cave churches with some amazing paintings, and a river restaurant,literally in the middle of a river. The entire landscape was very “Anatolian”, plateau covered with grass, with tall snow covered mountains at the horizon. The cave town of Zelve was the best example of it’s kind. Sunsets at the Uchisar castle and Cavusin church were some of the best experiences, and the Uchisar castle looked very “Flintstony” and the sunsets were the most gorgrous sunsets I’ve seen. And paintings inside the Goreme open air museum were something to be seen.
The Ihlara Valley.
Inside the cave churches.
The Ihlara Valley.
River restaurant at Ihlara.
Kaymakli underground city.
Uchisar town
Zelve monastery.
Cavusin rock church.
Uchisar fort.
Paintings inside cave churches.
Uchisar fort.
Another experience was the “whirling dervish” show at an old caravanserai,the Sarihan Caravanserai. A caravanserai is like an inn or a “vishramgruha”, these were built on the silk roads to cater to merchants. The caravanserai looked beautiful at night, lighted courtyards, arches..and clear skies and stars and cold winds, the atmosphere couldn’t have been better. The dervish ceremony was kind of soothing, turkish instrumental music being played, the whirling dervishes actions were quite repetitive, but gripping nevertheless. After the ceremony, we were served “kahve”, which was almost like our kashmiri kahva.
So I spent 4 days in this magical region of Cappadocia, it was quite an active holiday, a different cultural experience in Turkey. The food was good too, gozlemes, borek, boregis, manti..plenty of variety in every meal. Now I needed to explore something even more exotic in Turkey,so I headed out tot he south east(ofcourse it was preplanned).
A cave restaurant.
Cappadocias famous for its carpets.
A cave restaurant.
Entrance to Sarihan Caravanserai.
Courtyard of Sarihan Caravanserai.
The Sarihan Caravanserai.
The place where I stayed, Dorm Traveler’s cave.
South East turkey:
Now South east turkey is another turkey inside turkey,a different geographic,cultural and socioeconomic zone. Very islamic and conservative in nature, it contrasts with western turkey. However it houses some very very interesting sites and promises some good experiences for a traveler.
So I started with Gaziantep, a city famous for it’s food,bazaars, and most lately the Zeugma museum. Breakfast was really well done, pastry stuffed with cheese and spinach and baklava, the eternal turkish sweet. Met a gentleman who was fluent in english, and really helpful, he showed me around the old city and gave me a map too. The baazars were a polished version of our bazars in the old parts of Indian cities, bu ofcourse they looked very historic, no dirty “modern” construction, all of it was tasteful restoration of old buildings. Walked through the cheese,chilli,olive, spice markets, I was really happy I visited this place.
Gaziantep, the baklava city.
Notice the “since 1557”.
Middle eastern atmosphere in Gaziantep.
The Mevlevi museum in Gaziantep.
An indian shop, all the goods are indian, this gentleman showed me around the city.
Food bazaars in the old town.
But the best was yet to come, the Zuegma mosaic museum.A beautiful museum..huge huge mosaics restored from the ancient Roman city of Zeugma, these were uncovered a few years back. They were so well done you wont even think they are mosaics, the theme was mostly Roman life and their gods and heroes and their homes and palaces and gardens. Spent hours gazing at these mosaics. Then headed off to Kahta.
Mosaics at Zeugma museum.
Mosaics at Zeugma museum.
Mosaics at Zeugma museum.
Mosaics at Zeugma museum.
Mosaics at Zeugma museum.
Nothing much to write about the town of Kahta, but it’s the best base for the Nemrut Dagi, a site of Colossal statues built on top of a remote mountain. Left for Nemrut Dagi at an ungodly hour of 3 am and had to do a small trek up the mountain, and was so glad to see the sun’s first rays fall on the statues. The statues were literally glittering like gold on the early morning rays. These were built by a megalomaniac king, who loved himself so much that he had his own statues constructed with Greek and Persian gods. So I realized Megalomanaics do the world good in the long run.
Heads at Nemrut Dagi.
The way upto Nemrut.
Nemrut Dagi summit.
Summit of Nemrut.
Snow still lingers around the peak.
It seemed the entire area around Nemrut Dagi was still in the olden times since it’s heyday, small villages, huge mountains, even the bridges used were the ones built by Romans and Seljuk turks. There plenty of historic sites, gorges, bridges in the area..and then we had breakfast at a small kurdish village, and they actually served us whole wheat thick rotis, unlike elsewhere in turkey where bread was eaten. So it was a great morning, a beautiful sunrise, great historic sites, amazing landscapes and food. Then I headed towards the holy town of Sanliurfa.
Castle at Arsaemia
Breakfast at the Kurdish village.
Notice the whole wheat rotis,a rarity in Turkey.
The Seljuk bridge.
The Euphrates
The Roman Bridge.
Kurdish landscape.
Sanliurfa occupies a special place in the history of Abrahamic religions, it houses Prophet Abraham’s cave. The town is popular with Turkish tourists. Visiting Urfa(as they call it) was like stepping back in time, people with traditional attire all around, bazaars looking very “oriental, very little modern construction, narrow alleys, mosques, homes with courtyards..very middle eastern in nature.
The owner of my guest house was a nice man, he showed me around the city, told me a lot about kurdish culture and people, his views on people from various nationalities were quite amusing. Lunch and dinners in Urfa were always at the guest house since everything available outside was meat rich. I had delicious couscous, tshakshuka, bulgur soup and several vegetable based preparations. The main centre of attraction in Urfa was the Balikigol, a sacred fish pond which was next to a gorgeous mosque complex. A whole evening passed admiring this old historic city.
“Oriental” atmosphere in Urfa.
Balikigol.
Urfa’s mosques had a different charm.
Urfa is popular with Turkish tourists.
You always find parks and squares,even in the smallest and least organized towns.
Now this was the point in the trip I felt I had had enough, I needed a break from traveling. So I abandoned my plans to go to Halfeti,a beautiful riverside town, because getting there involved changing 2 buses. Instead I went to the neighboring prehistoric ruins of Harran, a town that’s been inhabited since the last 10,000 years or so. The remains of the old university were very impressive, but rest of the town, it’s mud brick houses did not really excite me, the atmosphere was a little like an islamic version of Rajasthan’s desert towns. Later, an evening was spent at the hamam getting massaged, scrubed,cleaned on a marble bed and then finishing off plates(well just 2) of Katmer, a local delicacy which is fried pastry stuffed with cheese and immersed in rich sugar syrup. And then I got lost in the maze of Urfa’s lanes,and it was raining hard, so it was kind of a panic situation. But ultimately found my way back.
University Tower of Harran.
Ruins of Harran.
Harran
Took a flight back to Istanbul early in the morning, and spent hours shopping. Most of it was food shopping, loads of Turkish delight, baklava from Karakoy Gulluoglu, dry fruits, spices, cheese( the cheese was brilliant), olives, apple tea..spent almost 3 times of what I had budgeted for shopping. I also bought some paintings, tiles and the mandatory “I love Istanbul” tees. Can’t think of many places where I would shop so much without any indifference. Gorged on my favorite Mado’s ice cream(pistachio and strawberry flavors), had a Falafel roll and a plate of pomegranate flavored Gavurdag salad,repacked all the shopping and headed off to the airport.
LAnterns at Grand Bazaar.
Porcelain work.
Tiles at the market near Kariye Church.
Turkish delight.
Grand Bazaar.
Tea for sale.
Chaiwallah.
Thus ended my Turkey trip…left Turkey, but Turkey still hasn’t left me..it probably never will. Every day was exciting, there were so many places to be seen, so much food to be tried, so many photo ops wherever I went. So I would heartily recommend everyone to go to Turkey atleast once in their lives, especially Istanbul. Hope you enjoyed reading my trip account ,and hope you make plans to visit Turkey some time soon!!
A brief summary of my Trip to Turkey.
Being Vegetarian in Turkey
4 Days in Istanbul.
Selcuk and Ephesus.
Priene-Miletus-Didyma
Afrodisias:The Best Graeco Roman Ruins
4 Days in Cappadocia.
Gaziantep
Nemrut
Sanliurfa
ashwinbahulkar 
Hi Ashwin! Amazing blog and photos , I’m trying to plan a 15 day trip around Turkey kid to end March , I really would like see Istanbul Cappadocia , pamukkale and Antalya with a possible 2-3 days at a nearby Greek island after Antalya. How do you suppose I go about this in terms of transport ( I really don’t like the idea of long bus trips and time wasted from travelling unless it’s a bus trip with beautiful pit stops and tours ) . Would love to hear your recommendations and also what you think about travelling end of March . Regards , Jenan
Hi Jenan,
You could fly to Izmir from Istanbul, then take short bus rides to Pamukale, and then onto Antalya. From there you could get a flight to Cappadocia as well.
About March,looks like it
s quite chilly, but I’m sure it would still be very beautiful,and less crowds. So go for it. Have a good trip.And let me know if you have more questions.
Thank you very much for sharing information that will be much helpful for making coursework my effective.
Thanks for trip and informations , Hope to see you in Bodrum and also read your experiences here
What time of year was it when you traveled in Turkey. I am considering going for 3 weeks from April 20-May 10, 2017. I have a flight from the U.S. to Rome on April 20 and then would fly to Istanbul from there. I am like you – a budget travel. Is there an airline you would recommend to fly from rome to Istanbul and for Inter-Turkey travel? Thanks for sharing your itinerary and all the amazing photos. Michelle
hi! It’s a very helpful blog 🙂 I would like to know how much will it cost me for a 4 day trip to Turkey? I just wanted to see Istanbul, Selcuk and Cappadocia.
Thanks!
Thanks, with 4 days I would recommend only Istanbul. Depends on your traveling style, but 60$ a day maybe enough for staying in dorms, eating well and going to all the attractions in Istanbul.
With 4 days you can see only Istanbul or cappadocia. Generally a budget of 70-80$ is decent enough if you stay in hostels, eat at cheap places and travel by public transport.
Hi Ashwin, lovely blogpost and much needed direction as I plan my trip. Ashwin, could you recommend hotels/bnb’s for a stay for four (travelling with family)
Hi Meenakshi, thanks a lot. I would definitely check places on booking.com or airbnb, since most hostels aren’t really made for families. But in IStanbul, make sure to get a place close in Sultanahmet or Sirkeci.
Hi Ashwin,
Impressive blog!! Thank you for sharing the wonderful experience. May I know how much you spent for the whole trip (excluding shopping) in USD? I’m planning to visit Turkey later in October for 7 nights with 3 more buddies but am still contemplating whether to join a group tour or travel on my own. What would you suggest?
Thanks! I would budget around 80 USD a day for eating at budget places, traveling by bus, sleeping in dorms and taking occasional tours. I think it’s pretty easy to plan on your own, rather than go with a tour, transportation is very straightforward. You can ask me for more specific help.
Hi
I’m going ther in April for 6Nites 3 off us girls trip with limited budget
Interested to go to Istanbul Pamukalle Cappoducia
Kindlt assist us & email me the best itinerary
Thank you
Hi Nora, with 6 days, I would do 3 days each in Cappadocia and Istanbul, or 4 in Istanbul and 2 in Pamukkale and Ephesus, nothing more.
Hello, i would like to ask how did you travel from istanbul to ephesus? do you have coach/bus website that i can book my coach?
Hi, you could book it through metroturizm
Hi Ashwin, very nice blog!
I will be in Istanbul last week of April, my 4th time. I would like to catch a balloon ride and some beach during this time. Any suggestions would be appreciated. How much was the cost of balloon ride and getting to cappadocia? Thanks
Thanks, getting to cappadocia by bus might cost around 70 tl one way, you should check flight tickets as well. About the balloon rides, prices must have changed since I went , so better to to
Look at the reputed companies websites.
can find more information about turkey there http://tourismturkeytr.blogspot.com/
amazing post about Turkey Thank you very much for sharing information,
Hi. You mentioned you joined group guided tours? May I know which tours and the company you went with? Thanks.
My sister and I will be travelling there next month and we’re doing the DIY trip to Turkey. Your blog is really helpful.
Very impressive, you have explored it so well and have described in such an interesting way that I feel like flying off to Turkey right now..
Thanks a lot, you should visit it once!
Hi Ashwin, Nice blog bro. I am travelling in Oct from 12th to 20th this year. Done with my bookings. Need u r help in which part of the city on most tourist spots should I stay will help me see most part by walking. Also how safe is the country in late hours while walking on streets. Best & cheap transport for airport transfer ?
Waiting to hear from u bro…
Hi Raj, as of Istanbul , I really like the Sultanahmet area, it’s certainly safe around there, just be careful of people inviting you for a drink with them. For airport transfer, I used the metro and tram.
Hi Ashwin, am planning to visit Turkey in Nov. How did you travel between Istanbul to Ephesus & Cappadocia and back to Istanbul again? Advisable by coach or train or bus? Which is more economical? Thank you
I traveled by bus, bus to Ephesus from IStanbul, and then another bus to Cappadocia, worked well for me, but you have to be comfortable with overnight bus travel. I don’t think trains are an option here.
What a wonderful travelogue and the photos and awesome. I never ever read such an elaborated travelogue before. Thanks Ashwin. I am travelling to Istanbul this weekend. These write ups are definitely very useful to me.
Thanks a lot, have a great trip!
Hi Ashwin! How did you plan your bus trips in Turkey? Were they pre-planned whereby you booked the coaches/bus trips? Thank you (:
Hi Maisarah,
I booked the overnight buses a day before beginning my journeys, although on many routes it might be possible to board just before the departure as well.
Hi Ashwin. Been through your extensive and excellent trip details. I am planning Turkey trip soon. But need some help regarding e-visa application. There is column asking for “Supporting travel documents” as either “Visa” or “Residence permit”. If I am applying for e-visa then why should I need a prior valid visa? Kindly clarify and help.
Hi Subhajit, I haven’t personally done the e-visa application, but my guess is the “visa” means a valid US/UK/EU visa, while residence permit asks for you for a residence permit for any of those countries, however you should get this verified from someone else.
Sorry Ashwin for my reply to Subhajit;s query in your forum. Indian nationals who have either US, UK or Schengen valid visa on their passport can apply Turkish e-visa. I have been to Istanbul last month by applying e-visa and it took only few minutes to get the visa.
great work for any travel tips to turkey you can always whats app me on 00917509648456
Hi Ashwin,
Amazing blog! Love the way you have covered all the details so minutely. I am planning to travel turkey in
July this year. I wanted to know what is the process of applying for Turkish visa for an Indian not having a US/UK/Schengen visa? Also is Visa-on-arrival available for Indian passport holders?
Thanks a lot, as far as I know, you need to apply it through the consulates in India, but you should check again.
Fantastic . I’m 4 years in Turkey. I have gone many times. but there are plenty of places to go
Can’t agree with you more! I too could do multiple trips to Turkey.
Sabrina… Tell us more about it.. Many are interested to know. Roji Jacob
Hi Ashwin,
Loved how you have documented Turkey ! 🙂
What would be the must go places in Turkey if i have a week in hand? Istanbul and Capadoccia ? Will squeezing in Antalya be too much?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Saloni,
Thanks a lot. With one week, yes I would spend 4 days Istanbul, 3 days Cappadocia. Or maybe Ephesus and area instead, if you find it interesting. I would reserve Antalya and the coast for another trip.
Hi Ashwin
lovely details of your travel. we have been to turkey with a group tour, but did not do all as you have done.
when are you planning your next trip I would like to hear from you as you plan and research your trip.
I prefer to travel more off the beaten track then following the tourist route, as this becomes more expensive.
regards
Ahmed Kajee
Dear Ashwin
I have a doubt to ask you about your Zurich travel.
Quote from your write-up – “Arvenbuel
I saw this gem of a place while returning to Zurich from the south. The villages of Amden and Arvenbuel look well perched above the dramatic Wallensee lake. On a warm summer evening, I took a bus/train to Amden, and walked up to Arvenbuel and then took a small hike to the Chapf viewpoint”
I am planning to visit Zurich after two months and would like to go to Amden and Arvenbuel. While serving on their train time table there are many Amden stations are shown. Would you please let me know the correct train station where should i get down at Amden and walk to Arvenbuel.
Thanks and regards
RK
Hi Radhakrishnan, I remember taking the train to Ziegelbrücke and then taking the bus, which was right infront of the train station. So it was very straightforward. However, I would recommend installing the SBB app, will be very helpful while on the go, since there are typically several routes you can take to get to any destination in Switzerland. At Arvenbuel, I stopped at the last stop of the bus, and took walked around the village.
Hi Ashwin, thanks for your quick reply.
The newly added photos of your Turkey trip are wonderful and very professional.
hi Ashwin,
Great Blog.
I am looking forward to travel to Turkey in July for 10 days.
What places do you suggest ? For all the places in between did you do just day tours or stayed for few days like in Ephesus & Cappadocia.
Please help as i am keen on booking myself for this tour? Do you recommend travelling around on my own or book it through travel agencies ?
Hi Roshi, you could go to Ephesus cappadocia and Istanbul in 10
Days, I did day tours at a few places, but that’s not necessary, for example in cappadocia you can get your own vehicle and drive around. You can go to most places in your own, except maybe Priene , Miletus , where public transportation is not so great.
Hi Ashwin!
I enjoyed going through your blog.Great pictures too.
I’m travelling solo to Turkey this September and I’m in a dilemma whether to do the trip on my own or join a tour(16 day tour for hostel accommodation is about ₹96k)I will have about 16/17 days to travel in Turkey.I want to cover Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya,Kas,Pamukkale,Ephesus,Fethiye.Any help planning it.I want to know the budget that I might need so as to compare it to the group tour.Planned to keep the eastern Turkey for my next visit.Any inputs will be appreciated.Thank you!
Hi Shreyas, the price doesn’t sound too bad. You can go with them if you like their itinerary and if you don’t mind traveling in a group. Otherwise, you can do it on your own and the price shouldn’t be too different, maybe even a little less. I am not updated with the current costs and exchange rates, so doing a few calculations will help you come up with a better estimates.
That’s a reallly quick reply.
Thank you so much Ashwin.
Will ping you if I have any further doubts.
Hi Ashwin, your one trip to turkey has raised so much interest for so many years. How about another great place that you must visit and give your superb feedback
Thank you! There are several ones, do check them out, especially, Georgia, Switzerland, Spain, ITaly, another one on Egypt coming soon.
Hi ashwin! lovely blog. I am planning to visit turkey as next month too. I love the part about south east turkey, do you think it is safe for a solo female traveller to go there too and do all the trekking by myself?
Hi Imdalvarez, Thanks a lot! Considering the situation today, I wouldn’t recommend going there alone, but rather with a trusted and good travel agency.
How about eastern Turkey? Gaziantep and Urfa..heard they are unsafe..Terrorists al quaeda..from Syria coming over to Turkey??
As far as I know there have been a few regional disturbances. Perhaps a better idea would be to book with a reputable travel agent.
Love that you got beyond the traditional touristic places and got to places like Antep and Adıyaman! most blogs that I’ve checked out havent gotten much past Istanbul and the beaches. If you ever come back check out our blog!
Thanks a lot Josh! I enjoyed your blog as well, plenty of interesting places for me to visit the next time I visit.
Wonderful blog post.
Your provided information is valuable for us.
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Hi,
Such a wonderful and thoughtful blog on Turkey .. but can you please help me deciding about food . I am a Jain . A pure vegetarian, I don’t eat egg,fish , meat etc .. will it be difficult for me to find pure vegetarian food in turkey ??
Thanks
Ranjan
Certainly, however you would have to be careful with pastries and maybe even pide bread.
Hi ,
A very thoughtful and detailed blog on turkey . Can you please let me know if pure Indian vegetarian food will be available in turkey?? I am Jain .
wonderful blog Ashwing. I am planning to trip Turkey for 9-10 days end of Jan 18 or early feb. I want to know your thoughts on which locations should i visit given that it will still be winters?
In the winters you could still go to most places, except the east, the weather would be different but you should be able to still enjoy.
This is beautiful blog to share to read to get information. Thanks
Thank you!
Hi ashwin ,
I m going to greece for my honeymoon and i want to add another country to my itinerary, i m confused between swiss-paris And turkey??? I m not much fond of history, i like cool weather scenic places
period june july
Hi Vasu, I would suggest a detour to Istanbul and Cappadocia, very scenic and beautiful. Or you can just spend more time in Greece and keep everything else for another trip.
Hi Ashwin,
Thanks for this informative blog and would be a great help while planning this tour….Did you face any challenge in terms of language there as in communicating with locals
A little, however, people are very helpful and you should manage to get by. People in the hospitality industry are usually well versed though.
Hi, I’m planning a trip to Turkey for 8-10 days…what are the places that I shouldn’t miss..and also is December a good time to visit Turkey.. I’m planning from 18th-28th
Hey ashwin it’s such an awesome blog…. ❤❤
I really want to go there can you please tell me that how much money I take with myself…. because am so confused about that…. from india… actually it’s my dream to go there and meets burak deniz… but it’s not happened but I really want to go please reply me… thank you so much for this awesome blog it’s really helpful for me…. ❤❤❤
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