Itinerary Critique or Comments

Wow! I am jealous! Overall, it's a great looking itinerary.

I agree that Pamukkale is sort of a toss up. On the one hand, I am absolutely glad that I went. On the other hand, I don't particularly care to return. If you are going to do it, though, you have the right idea in spending two nights there, which will give you the opportunity to start an early hike up the travertines. I really, truly enjoyed the walk up the travertines, even though I had to hike barefoot in the almost freezing weather. The crowds at the top of the travertines, however, were a buzzkill. If I had to do it over again, I would have packed a swimsuit for the thermal pool at the top. Pamukkale/Hierapolis will eat up pretty much a whole day. With two nights, though, you can easily squeeze in trips to Aphrodisias and Laodicea, both of which are well worth visiting, at the front and back ends of your stay.

Not being much of a beach person, I would probably vote for fewer days in Kas and Fetiye and another day or two in Antalya. Antalya itself is kind of touristy, but it's a great base for some of the ancient sites. Perge is a magnificent site, and it's accessible by streetcar from Antalya. Termessos, about a 30 minute drive from Antalya, is the kind of site that I could return to again and again. You can also visit Sagalassos, possibly my favorite of all ancient sites, as a day trip. Phaselis is also beautiful and not far from Antalya.

Fly from Izmir back to Istanbul for 1 night and home

Depending on where home is and which airline you use, you may be able to get a 1 stop return directly from Izmir. I bought a United ticket that booked me on a SunExpress flight from Izmir to Munich and from there on United back to the US.

Thanks so much for the advice we really appreciate it. This is our first time traveling to Turkey, I actually considered another day in Antalya to visit some of the sites you mentioned but not sure I would want a car there but will consider that option. Also appreciate the advice about looking for a flight home from Izmir. We are from the Phoenix area and our best option from here is British Air.

Driving is okay in Antalya. Parking is another matter, especially if you stay in Kaleici/Old Town, which is what I would recommend. If you have a rental car in Antalya, I would definitely factor that in to your choice of hotels. Some hotels provide parking; some don't.

You are going to have a great trip. When I got back from three weeks in Turkey (mostly Antalya) last spring, I immediately started noodling ideas for my next visit.

Wonderful itinerary!

Since you have 5 nights in Kas, you could visit the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo via day trip by ferry. Choose a sunny day & see the gorgeous blue cave.

If you’re interested in ruins & beach, I recommend spending a few days at Patara, just north of Kas. The ruins of the ancient seaport of Patara are interesting & no crowds. My favorite hotel on our trip to Turkey was the Akay Pension in Patara. Simple, inexpensive rooms but the best food on our trip. Patara also has a gorgeous sandy beach, several miles long, if you’re looking for a beach break.

We also enjoyed our stay in Dalyan, a lovely little town south of Bodrum. It has a sea turtle nesting beach & hospital and a great riverboat trip to see the Lycean tombs & visit a mud bath, if you wish. Lots of British visitors— you’ll see restaurants offering full English breakfasts. We stayed at Kilim Hotel, right on the river.

More ruins? Between Dalyan and Bodrum is the small town of Datca, which you can use as a base to see the ruins of Knidos. Not as spectacular as Ephesus but interesting — and again no crowds. We stayed at the seaside Fuda Hotel.

I’m curious — will you just park the car in Fethiye while you visit Rhodes??

We loved Turkey — you’ll have a great time.

Thanks Christine, We're planning to spend a day in Kastellorizo and most things you mentioned are on my radar I really appreciate your feed back as its provided other places to add. Just booked my airfare yesterday so I'll be dropping back to fill in our itinerary over the next month. I've been wanting to do this trip for a few years. Funny you mentioned the car when we go to Rhodes as I'm trying to figure that one out. My preference would be to turn the car in and rent it again but not sure if thats doable might just have to park it but we'll see.

oops sorry Charlene