What to do in Turkey? The 20 most beautiful places to visit in 2026

Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world split between Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphorus which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. Its history is that of Byzantium, then Constantinople, then the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and this famous layering can still be read in every neighborhood. It is the logical starting point for any trip.

The Sultanahmet district concentrates the essentials: Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine basilica completed in 537 that became a mosque, the Blue Mosque and its six minarets, and the Topkapi Palace, the residence of sultans for nearly four centuries. The Basilica Cistern, right next door, offers a cool break between visits.

Also head over to Karaköy and Beyoğlu for the vibrant side of the city, full of cafes and galleries. The Galata Tower, located on the northern shore of the Golden Horn, remains the most iconic viewpoint over the city. The Grand Bazaar, with its thousands of shops, is best visited in the morning to avoid the crowds. Plan for at least three days, or four if you want to take the time for a Bosphorus cruise.

Cappadocia is this volcanic plateau in central Anatolia, sculpted by erosion into fairy chimneys. The Göreme National Park and its rock-cut churches are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The signature experience remains the sunrise hot air balloon flight, when dozens of balloons take off over the valleys. Departures depend on the weather, so plan for several mornings in a row in your schedule rather than just one.

On the ground, the Love, Rose, and Devrent valleys are explored on foot. The underground cities of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı, carved across several levels, served as shelters for local populations. Allow two to three days.

Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish, and the name is self-explanatory at first glance. Limestone-rich thermal springs have formed brilliant white terraces on the hillside, filled with turquoise waters. The cascade of tiered basins is magnificent at the end of the day.

Just above lies Hierapolis, an ancient Greco-Roman city with its remarkably preserved theater and vast necropolis. The entire site has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.

We walk barefoot on the travertine; it's mandatory to protect the site. Come at the end of the day: the low light on the white limestone is well worth the detour, and the groups have already left.

Ephesus is probably the most impressive archaeological site in Turkey. This Greek then Roman city was once among the largest cities in Asia Minor and the ancient Mediterranean, and its ruins can still be read street by street.

The Library of Celsus and its two-story facade, the great theater capable of hosting several thousand spectators, the Courètes Way paved in marble: the entire site can be explored in two or three hours. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ephesus can be visited from Selçuk or Izmir in a single day. The terraced houses, which require a separate ticket, preserve frescoes and mosaics that are well worth the extra cost.

Antalya is the gateway to the Turkish Riviera, that Mediterranean coast that hosts the country's seaside resorts. The old town, Kaleiçi, preserves its Ottoman streets, its Roman harbor, and Hadrian's Gate.

The Antalya Archaeological Museum is one of the richest in Turkey, featuring a collection of Roman sculptures from Perge. The Düden Waterfalls, located right in the middle of the city, flow directly into the sea.

The city also serves as a base for exploring Lycian sites and the beaches of the west coast. It is the practical compromise between culture and the seaside.

Fethiye is the starting point of the Lycian Way, a long-distance hiking trail of over 500 km that runs along the Mediterranean coast between Fethiye and Antalya. You can complete a few stages without being a seasoned hiker.

The city itself preserves the Lycian rock tombs carved into the cliff, visible from the center. The port hosts departures for schooner cruises to coves inaccessible by road.

Boat excursions in Fethiye Bay, with its twelve islands, are among the most popular outings on the coast. A full day to admire the coves from the deck.

About fifteen kilometers from Fethiye, Ölüdeniz is this enclosed lagoon where the water shifts from turquoise to deep blue depending on the depth. It is likely the image of coastal Turkey you have already seen.

The site is primarily known for paragliding from Mount Babadağ, which peaks at nearly 2,000 meters above the beach. Tandem flights are accessible without any experience, and it is one of the most memorable outdoor activities to discover on this coast.

The Butterfly Valley, accessible by boat from the beach, offers a cove nestled between two cliffs. It certainly lives up to its name in the spring.

Bodrum occupies the site of ancient Halicarnassus, the birthplace of Herodotus and the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the mausoleum, of which only the foundations remain.

Saint Pierre Castle, built by the Knights of Rhodes in the 15th century, overlooks the harbor. Today, it houses the underwater archaeology museum, renowned for its reconstructed ancient shipwrecks.

The city has a reputation for being festive, but the surrounding peninsula, with Gümüşlük and Yalıkavak, features quiet fishing villages where you can enjoy a more peaceful holiday. Two days are enough.

The country's third-largest city, Izmir is more laid-back than Istanbul and serves as an ideal base for the Aegean region. The Kordon promenade, along the bay, is where locals gather at the end of the day.

The Kemeraltı bazaar, less touristy than the one in Istanbul, can be explored without being solicited every thirty seconds. The historic Asansör elevator offers a viewpoint over the bay.

From Izmir, Ephesus, Pergamum, and the villages of the Çeşme peninsula are all accessible for a day trip. It is the best base camp in the west of the country.

Kaş is a small port on the Lycian coast that has kept its human scale, with its white houses and bougainvillea. It is one of the best diving spots in Turkey.

The must-see excursion leads to Kekova, where the ruins of an ancient city swallowed by an earthquake emerge just beneath the surface. They can be observed from a transparent-bottom boat, as swimming is prohibited above the site.

The village of Kaleköy, accessible only by sea, involves climbing up to its fortress for a view over the entire bay. A boat excursion to this roadless hamlet remains a unique experience on this coast.

Konya is the city of Rumi, the 13th-century mystic poet and founder of the Whirling Dervish order. The Mevlâna Museum, with its turquoise ceramic dome, houses his mausoleum and remains a place of pilgrimage.

The sema ceremony, this ritual whirling dance, is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Performances are offered regularly in the city.

Konya was also the former capital of the Seljuk Sultanate, which explains the density of ancient monuments in the city center. One day is enough, as a stopover between Cappadocia and the coast.

Ankara has been the capital of Turkey since 1923, and travelers almost systematically skip it. This is a mistake for two reasons.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations traces 10,000 years of the region's history, from Neolithic sites to the Hittites. It is the best possible introduction to everything you will see later in the field.

Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, provides insight into the country's relationship with its founder. One day, ideally at the beginning of your trip to provide historical context.

At the summit of Mount Nemrut, at an altitude of 2,134 meters in the southeast of the country, a king of Commagene had a tumulus surrounded by monumental statues erected in the 1st century BCE.

The stone heads, detached from their bodies by earthquakes, lie on the ground and form one of the most striking sights in Turkey. The site has been a World Heritage site since 1987.

We climb there for the sunrise or sunset, when the low light gives depth to the faces. It is cold at the summit even in summer, so plan for a jacket.

Safranbolu, in the north of the country, has preserved an exceptional collection of 18th and 19th-century Ottoman timber and wattle-and-daub houses. The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The name comes from saffron, which is still cultivated in the surrounding areas and sold in the stalls of the old bazaar. It is one of the few places where Ottoman domestic architecture can still be seen across an entire neighborhood.

Many of these houses have been converted into charming hotels, allowing you to sleep right in the heart of the scenery. One night on-site is more than enough.

On the Black Sea coast, Trabzon offers a completely different side of Turkey: green mountains, fog, and tea plantations. The contrast with the Mediterranean coast is absolute.

The Sumela Monastery, perched on a high-altitude cliff in the Altındere Valley, is the region's major site. Founded in the Byzantine era, it preserves remarkable frescoes.

The region is perfect for a road trip, with the high-altitude plateaus of Ayder and Pokut. This is the Turkey that classic tours overlook.

The site of Troy, near Çanakkale, is the setting of the Iliad. Nine successive cities were built one atop another over more than three millennia, making the reading of the site demanding yet fascinating.

The Troy Museum, located nearby, reorganizes the archaeological layers and makes the visit much easier to understand. Do it before the site, not after.

An hour's drive away, Assos overlooks the sea from its acropolis, where Aristotle once taught. The Temple of Athena offers a view of the Greek island of Lesbos.

Pergamum, present-day Bergama, was the capital of a Hellenistic kingdom and a major intellectual center, featuring a library that rivaled that of Alexandria.

Its theater is the steepest in the ancient world, built against the side of the acropolis with a plunging view over the plain. It is accessible via a cable car from the lower town.

The Asclepieion, a healing sanctuary located below, was one of the great medical centers of Antiquity. The site is a World Heritage site. A half-day trip from Izmir.

Patara features a sandy beach stretching nearly 18 kilometers, one of the longest in the Mediterranean. It is a protected area because loggerhead turtles come here to nest, which limits construction and prohibits night access during the season.

Behind the beach lies the Patara archaeological site, the former capital of the Lycian League. Its bouleuterion, the hall where the assembly met, has been restored.

The combination of a wild beach and an ancient city in the same place is rare on this coast. Spend the day exploring the ruins in the morning and the beach in the afternoon.

Tuz Gölü, the Salt Lake, is located in the middle of the Anatolian plateau. It is the second largest lake in Turkey and one of the saltiest in the world. In summer, it largely dries up, leaving a white salt crust as far as the eye can see.

When a thin film of water remains, the surface becomes a perfect mirror reflecting the sky. It is a natural stop on the road between Ankara and Cappadocia.

The lake also hosts colonies of pink flamingos in spring and summer. Bring sunglasses; the glare off the salt is intense.

Mardin dominates the Mesopotamian plain from its hill, with its ochre limestone houses and madrasas. The atmosphere there is very different from the rest of the country, feeling much closer to the Middle East.

Less than a two-hour drive away, Göbekli Tepe has overturned everything we thought we knew about prehistory. This megalithic sanctuary dates back to approximately 9,500 BCE, several millennia before Stonehenge and the pyramids.

The site has been listed as a World Heritage site since 2018. It requires a real detour in the southeast of the country, but it is the oldest monument of this type ever unearthed.

Turkey is a vast country, roughly one and a half times the size of France, and it's the classic mistake of a first trip: trying to do everything at once. Here are three itineraries that work depending on how much time you have.

1. One week:Istanbul for four days, then Cappadocia for three. It's the most efficient way to pack in art and culture, with just a single domestic flight.
2. Ten to twelve days:add Pamukkale and Ephesus as you head towards Izmir. You will then cover the city, the volcanic landscapes, and the great ancient cities.
3. Two to three weeks:extend your trip along the Lycian coast, from Fethiye to Kaş, with a few days of relaxation between visits. It's the ideal itinerary for families.

For a rarer discovery, the southeast deserves a trip on its own. This is where you will find Mardin, Göbekli Tepe and, further east, Mount Ararat, which peaks at 5,137 meters and remains the highest summit in the country.

To prepare your itinerary, book domestic flights and overnight stays in Cappadocia well in advance during high season, as demand far exceeds supply. The list above already gives you an idea of the pace to maintain. Travel insurance covering sports activities is useful if you plan on paragliding, diving, or high-altitude hiking. Finally, check recent reviews of local agencies before booking any excursions, as quality can vary greatly.

To get around, a rental vehicle makes sense on the coast and in the southeast, but much less so elsewhere: the bus network covers most of the country for just a few euros per trip.

Gastronomy is one of the reasons to visit, and Turkish cuisine is not limited to kebab. Each region has its own traditions and flavors, from the spicy southeast to Aegean seafood. Breakfast, known as kahvaltı, is a complete meal in itself: cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, honey, kaymak, and eggs, served in a multitude of small plates.

As for the dishes, taste the pide, a type of boat-shaped dough, the thinner and crispier lahmacun, and mantı, Turkish ravioli served with garlic yogurt. Menemen, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers, can be eaten at any time.

Street food is everywhere: simit, that round sesame bread sold on the street, balık ekmek, the grilled fish sandwich from the Istanbul quays, and kumpir, a large loaded baked potato.

For sweets, baklava and künefe (melted cheese between layers of kataifi) are the favorites. Everything is accompanied by çay, black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, or Turkish coffee. The true pleasure lies in enjoying all this in a neighborhood lokanta, which is more authentic than terraces with translated menus.

The two best windows are April to June and September to October. The climate is pleasant everywhere, the light is beautiful, and the main sites are not overcrowded.

July and August are very hot inland and on the Mediterranean coast, where the thermometer frequently exceeds 35 degrees. This is the period to book if you are coming solely for swimming, accepting the crowds and high prices.

Winter completely changes the game. Istanbul is very easy to visit in the rain and sometimes the snow, with much smaller crowds. Cappadocia under the snow is spectacular, but hot air balloon flights are more frequently canceled.

The month of September is probably the best compromise: the sea is still warm after summer, archaeological sites become easier to visit again, and prices drop.

The currency is the Turkish lira. Bank cards work everywhere in the cities, but keep cash for small shops, taxis in rural areas, and entrance fees to certain sites.

For transportation, the long-distance bus network is dense, comfortable, and inexpensive. Domestic flights remain affordable and save a lot of time over long distances, typically from Istanbul to Antalya or the southeast. Car rental is mostly justified for the Lycian coast and the Black Sea, but less so for Istanbul where traffic is difficult.

Regarding formalities, no visa is required for French citizens on tourist stays of less than 90 days. Take a passport valid for at least six months after your return. The time difference is one hour ahead of France in summer, and two hours in winter.

For connection, you have three options on-site: roaming from your French operator, often the most expensive outside the European Union since Turkey is not part of it, local Turkish SIM cards which require a visit to a store with your passport, or the eSIM purchased before departure.

Also, keep in mind that foreign phones used for more than 120 days with a Turkish SIM can be blocked by the national device registry. This doesn't apply to typical tourist stays, but it's one more reason not to complicate your life with a local line. If you are traveling in a group, pocket WiFi remains an alternative, with the device to carry and recharge.

WiFi is common in hotels, cafes, and restaurants in tourist areas, but it becomes rare as soon as you go off the beaten path. In Cappadocia, on the Lycian Way, or in the southeast, you will need your own data to navigate, book, and stay reachable.

The eSIM is the simplest solution today. You buy it before you leave, install it in a few minutes from home, and it activates upon landing, without needing to visit a shop or present a passport. With voilà, installation happens in three steps and managing your data usage is done through an app designed to be readable at a glance.

The value for money is another key argument. Our eSIM dedicated to Turkey starts at $0.80 for 1 GB valid for 7 days, and the 20 GB plan for 30 days costs $12.20, which is significantly less than a single day of classic roaming outside the European Union. The network used on-site is Vodafone.

And if something goes wrong, you have human support reachable 24/7, not an unresponsive form. That's what makes the difference when you land in Istanbul at 2 a.m. and your plan doesn't activate.

Regarding the most frequently asked question, namely the legality of the device, we have detailed what is actually permitted on-site.

For a complete overview of connectivity solutions, internet access in Turkey covers everything.

Turkey rewards those who don't settle for just Istanbul. Three days in the historic capital, three in Cappadocia, and one week on the Aegean coast make for a balanced first trip, between ancient cities, volcanic landscapes, and swimming. Just note that every region deserves a longer stay than you might plan.

If you've already done this classic, aim for the southeast, Mardin, Göbekli Tepe and Mount Nemrut, or the Black Sea and its green plateaus. This is where the country most surprises those seeking a true adventure, far from the once-photographed tourist circuits. You can explore these regions in two weeks and stay there without ever running into an organized group.