Turkey is a country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history, it has acted as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents.

Being home to a very diverse crowd, and holding two continents together this country is known for its magnificent natural beauties, unmatched weather conditions, and deep history! The bright sun and blue sea of the dreamy Turkish Riviera welcome their tourist year-round.

The hospitality of the people of this country is overwhelming, everyone welcomes you with open arms, with their world-famous Turkish tea and loads of bread. Every citizen of this country knows the history of their country very well and to whomsoever, you talk to tries or help you with all the information you want.

The café culture of this country depicts the foody and the chill way of life the citizens of this country believe in. Thus making it the nicest and safest country to visit. This Country is even considered safer than the countries of the USA and UK.

Being a big country with a total area of  783,356 km² and a population of 8.43 Crores, The first question which often comes to mind of any travelers visiting Turkey is How Should we plan our Itinerary where we can experience the best of this Country?

This blog of mine is a complete travel guide one should keep in mind while traveling to this predominately mountainous country, Turkey.

How can we reach Turkey?

One can Now experience a direct flight from Delhi to Istanbul with a travel time journey of approximately 7 hours the carriers who provide direct travel without any halts are Indigo and Turkish airlines.

Visa for turkey?

For Indian Passport holders having a valid Schengen Visa, UK or Ireland Visa they can also apply for e Turkish visa which they easily get within 2 hours of submission of their application on https://evisa.govt.tl/ and other Indian passport holders need to get their visa by submitting the list of documents to Indian VFS . one can easily find information on info.delhi@gateway.com.tr for Turkish Visa.

Now the next most important thing is the itinerary for this country. So, according to me a person should at least visit for at least 10days to experience this beautiful country and for sure these 10 days will be the most memorable days of one lifetime. Let’s now discuss the most famous and must-visit places in turkey.

Istanbul

Istanbul is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait.the strategic location of Istanbul gave the city a cultural diversity that it retains to this day and this diversity makes this city one of the vibrant and most modern cities in turkey.

This city offers one of the best food cultures, the locals take their eating and drinking very seriously – the restaurants here are the best in the country. You can eat aromatic Asian dishes or Italian classics if you so choose, but most visitors prefer to sample the succulent kebabs, flavorsome mezes, and freshly caught fish and grilled and of course not to miss out on their sweets, especially their Baklava.

This place is full of people who work and party hard, treasure family and friendships, and have no problem melding tradition and modernity in their everyday lives.

This place is full of many attractions but I have listed only those attractions which no one should miss if traveling to Istanbul:-

Hagia Sophia Mosque and Suleman mosque should definitely be visited by tourists, the vast architecture and history related to these monuments will make you fall in love with this beautiful vast construction.

• Bosphorus river cruise is another tour that shouldn’t be missed, this river separates 2 continents from each other and the tour on this turquoise river will take your heart away.
• Turkish Hammam – One should definitely experience the famous Turkish bath, it is also an experience in itself.
• Grand Bazar – Grand Bazaar is a place that keeps lots of vanishing professions alive with their unique culture. It is the world’s oldest, the biggest bazaar where the most variable products are exhibited
• The nightlife of Istanbul – Unlike the popular beliefs, the locals here party hard and hog on to the luscious delectable delicacies way too often. The excitement of nightlife in Istanbul is indisputably the best experience you can ever have. The never-sleeping city of Istanbul in Turkey is loaded with eclectic bars, clubs, and restaurants to satiate the nightcrawler in you! 

Pamukkale

The pictures of natural-made blue mineral pools which are very famous on Instagram are present in the cotton castle of the town of Pamukkale. These pools are said to have mineral-rich thermal water in it flowing down from white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside. The water in these pools is said to have medicinal properties and this place looks spectacularly beautiful. A must-visit place in one lifetime.

How can we reach Pamukkale?

One can either choose flights from Istanbul to Denizli or one can also choose a bus journey from Istanbul to Denizli which takes approximately 11 hours of overnight journey.

Antalya

Antalya is the eighth-most populous city in Turkey . It is one of the stunning cities that’s steeped in an ancient past and plays host to numerous religious traditions and customs, it’s got loads for history buffs and culture vultures, But it’s not just the history of this place which attracts the tourists it also comprises of world-class beaches which offers oodles of sun, sea, and sand for those wanting a relaxing beach holiday, all set along Antalya’s whopping great big, 640-kilometer coastline.

Antalya is brimming with history. Considered one of the most ancient cities in Turkey, there are ruins and remains of all sorts to get through. The obvious place to begin is the Old Town. That’s a maze of cobbled streets that converge on Ottoman buildings and minarets that have stood for centuries. The Old Harbor is right beside that – it’s been a bustling port since the 2nd century AD, no less!

Most of the tourists visit Antalya for its beaches and nightlife, the most famous beaches in Antalya are Lara Public Beach, Olympos Beach, Kleopatra Beach and Konyaalti Beach.

The nightlife of Antalya is another major factor why it is frequently visited by tourists There are countless nightclubs and pubs in the city center as well as the surrounding area. In addition to the clubs and pubs, there are several taverns, discos, and bars that are all heaving during the summer months if visiting during their annual Orange Film Festival you will see that the nightlight atmosphere is even more lively and fun.

How can one reach Antalya?

From Istanbul there are many domestic flights for Antalya or one can also take the bus from Istanbul which takes around 14 hours to reach Antalya.

Cappadocia

Whenever we search about turkey which is the first thing which google shows us? Is “the hot air balloon ride”. Yeah, this ride happens in this semi-arid region of central turkey called Cappadocia which means the” Land of Beautiful Horses.

It’s not just this balloon ride this place offers, Cappadocia looks like a fairytale kingdom, with rock chimneys and winding valleys, hidden churches and underground cities, and luxurious cave hotels.

So, the cultural tour of Cappadocia which is totally recommended is divided into 2 parts the Green Tour and the Red Tour:-

Green Tour– This tour is a full-day tour that helps you to visit and learn South of Cappadocia which includes several destinations and one of which is the underground city of Cappadocia with over 5000 years of history.

 Here Are Destinations In Green Tour:

1. Pigeon Valley
2. Onyx Atelier
3. Kaymaklı Undergroundcity
4. Ihlara Canyon
5. Belisırma Village (Lunch)
6. Selime Monastry

Derinkuyu Underground City – It is believed that the underground cities of Cappadocia were initially built during the eighth and seventh centuries BC by the Phrygians.The idea behind this was  to protect the inhabitants from foreign invasion, allowing thousands of people to live their lives in total secrecy. During the 14th century, the caves provided Christians with a safe haven from the threat of the Mongolians during the assaults on Timur.

You will witness that in that time also these people have kept minute things in mind regarding the welfare of their people. This underground city tour is a most recommended visit from our side.

Red Tour – The Red tour comprises of the northern part of Cappadocia, such as valleys, fairy chimneys, viewpoints, villages, castles, Avanos pottery workshops and Goreme Open Air Museum.

Hot air balloon ride – the most famous and Instagram-able hot air balloon ride of Cappadocia is an experience of a lifetime. When you sway above the beautiful landscape of Cappadocia it will be an unforgettable moment you will cherish for a lifetime.

Ancient cities, centuries-old culture, and some of the Mediterranean’s best coastlines are what Turkey offers. The breathtaking natural beauty, with a history to match Istanbul, of course, is a bucket list city — a place where layers of history are stacked up along the sides of the Bosphorus and there is far more to that in Turkey, from the capital Ankara, with its blend of ancient and modern, to Antalya, which combines Ottoman mansions and modern skyscrapers with a spectacular coastline and Cappadocia’s lunar-like landscape certainly make their visitors to revisit this country again and again.