14 days in turkey for first timer

I’ve been to Istanbul several times and there’s so much to see and explore that four or five days is not too much, If you hit a heat wave, taking the ferries on the Bosporus toward the Black Sea is a great way to see even more of greater Istanbul while cooling off.

I think there are far better archaeological sites than Troy. Ephesus near Selcuk, along with the ancient cities near Antalya. are far more impressive, even if not quite as famous as Troy. In Ephesus, be sure to buy a supplemental ticket to the “Terrace Houses” which were luxurious villas of wealthy Romans. The intact frescoes and mosaics are as remarkable as the villas in Pompeii.

Airfares in Turkey are a bargain and flying saves time. So, you might want to fly from Istanbul ( The tiny Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) Airport is closer to Istanbul’s center and far more convenient for domestic flights) to Izmir and then bus to Selcuk.

Pergamon is worthwhile, although I think staying two nights in Selcuk to explore Ephesus and Selcuk’s archaeological museum—along with Selcuk’s Roman aqueducts and other ruins— will be a better use of your time. In Antalya, visit some of the ancient cities nearby ( i.e. Perge, Side, Aspendos).

Be sure to see Antalya’s archaeological museum—it’s incredible.

Stay overnight in Pamukkale because the massive ancient city of Hieropolis is adjacent to Pamukkale and can easily take 2-3 hours to explore.

I flew on a direct 1:15 flight from Antalya to Kayseri for about $50 and then took a ground transfer to Goreme. Check www.Skyscanner.com for flights. Don’t miss the underground cities of Derinkyu and Kaymakli while in Cappadocia. You can see both of them as a daytrip by taking the bus from Goreme to Nevsehir and then another bus to Derinkyu and Kaymakli.

Have fun exploring Turkey!

thanks so much for the reply!

ok, so
1. skip troy
2. i'm definitely going to ephesus
3. how many days in antalya? Is two fine?
4. would you happen to know if people do not really take trains in Turkey?
5. I have always liked the idea of night buses to save time

one last question, what do you think of the order of the trip:
istanbul to selcuk to pamukkale to antalya to cappadocia?
and you would recommend as many flights as possible? I know you already mentioned antalya to cappadocia (kayseri/goreme)

Great tips from Kenko; I'll just add a couple of things.

Check out https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/turkey/istanbul-itinerary and the At a Glance section at https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/turkey/istanbul for suggestions on how to fill your time in Istanbul. There is so much to see; you'll never have to slow down even if you spend a week there.

From Antalya I think a visit to Perge, Aspendos, and Side is worthwhile, and there are many day tour options that cover all of these. I think it would be difficult to do them via public transportation, so your best bet is to find a tour company.

Also, it may feel like "down time," but don't miss the opportunity for a Hamam (Turkish bath). There are many good options in Istanbul, some very elegant and some very simple. I really enjoyed Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı (https://kilicalipasahamami.com/), which is more on the elegant end of the scale. I also did one in Antalya that was more on the basic end, and I didn't enjoy it as much, but it was worthwhile to get a sense of the range of hamam experiences.

Overall, this looks like a good itinerary. Some brief thoughts:

• There aren't many trains in Turkey, and so busses and short haul flights are your best bet. The bus system is very good.

• You won't run out of things to do in Istanbul. I would say that three full days (4 nights) is the minimum, and you could easily do more.

• I have been to both Gallipoli and Troy, and I wouldn't go out of my way for either. Troy is interesting ... well, because it's Troy, but there really isn't much to see there. I recommend a good guide to help make sense of the rubble if you have your heart set on Troy.

• I really enjoyed Pergamon. I would recommend it if you can make the logistics work.

• A day at Ephesus is a must. It will be crowded, but it's still worth seeing.

• I have mixed feelings about Pamukkale. You need to set your expectations and realize that almost all the travertines are dry, except for a narrow strip of 8 pools going up the right hand side. It does not look like the tourist brochures. It's also insanely crowded. I spent a full day (two nights) there, and I was able to stay occupied the whole day. I stayed in the village of Pamukkale with a room overlooking the travertines. I did an early morning balloon ride, which was disappointing. (Save the balloon ride for Cappadocia; its orders of magnitude better.) I hiked up the travertines, which I really enjoyed, even though it was ~40° and they require you to hike it barefoot. Hierapolis is huge and you can spend many hours exploring it.

• I learned to love Antalya. (I have spent about five weeks there over three trips). It's a great base for a lot of exploration, and there are buses to just about anywhere. If you don't have a car, I strongly recommend staying in old town/Kaleici. Some of my favorite places in and around Antalya include Perge (easy streetcar ride from downtown), Termessos (hired a cab --- twice), and Phaeselis (took a bus). Sagalassos is another favorite place. It's a long day trip out of Antalya, and you will probably have to rent a car or do it as a tour because it's too remote for regular bus service.

• Cappadocia is worth doing. Others can comment on the details there.

I did a trip report about Pamukkale and some of my favorite places around Antalya here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/ancient-cities-of-western-turkey

Greetings to dayexday and my fellow Archaeologists, Marie and Lane,
To answer a couple of your question, you will find the train useful in travelling from Selcuk ( Ephesus) to Denizli, the closest city to Pamukkale. Denizli also has good bus route. You’ll still have to get from Denizli to Pamukkale as it’s ten miles away.

I tend to agree with Marie about Pamukkale. For years now, the water that fed the travertine terraces has been siphoned away by the businesses and the nearby town. The result has been the slow dehydration and degradation of the terraces. I found walking the ancient city of Hieropolis— which is next to the Pamukkale terraces— to be far more interesting. Give yourself a few hours here because Hieropolis is massive.

Two nights in Antalya will only be enough time to arrive and see the Archaeological Museum and Antalya’s old town center. Try to stay in Antalya’s old town as that’s the big attraction. The entrance to the old town is through Hadrian’s Gate. It and Antalya’s marina are floodlit at night. The archaeological museum is a few miles away from the old town.

You’ll need more time if you want to tour the ancient cities around Antalya which are beyond Antalya’s airport. The city had a great tram system for transit,

I also suggest flying instead of the bus to maximize your time. You can fly from Antalya to Kayseri nonstop as well as Istanbul to Izmir. I did a RS tour that stayed in Kusadasi (about an hour from Izmir), and it's close to Ephesus and has more hotel and food options than you might have in Seluk.

I ditto Lane's suggestion to visit a hammam or two. A wonderful cultural experience.

On your day 15, are you flying from Cappadocia back to the USA? Make sure you give yourself ample transfer time at Istanbul (IST) airport, especially if you have luggage. Depending on your departure time you may want to fly in the evening before and stay at the airport.