Turkey

Where East meets West, by way of Byzantium.

US travel advisory: Level 2 · checked 2026-11-02
Photo: Hunanuk · CC0
This is a first draft of the Turkey list. The full region guide is being written, and tiers may still change.

The Short List

Must-See

Must-See
Cities · UNESCO

Istanbul

Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the Bosphorus, on two continents.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Nature · UNESCO

Cappadocia

Fairy chimneys, cave hotels and hot-air balloons at dawn.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Heritage · UNESCO

Ephesus

One of the finest Roman cities, with the Library of Celsus.

Guide Coming Soon
Must-See
Nature · UNESCO

Pamukkale

White travertine pools above the ruins of Hierapolis.

Guide Coming Soon

Worth a Detour

Worth a Detour
Heritage · UNESCO

Gallipoli and Troy

The ancient city, and the 1915 battlefield.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · UNESCO

Mount Nemrut

Giant stone heads on a mountaintop at sunrise.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · UNESCO

Göbekli Tepe

The world's oldest known temple, at about 11,000 years old.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Mountains · Hiking

Mount Ararat

Turkey's highest peak, the traditional landing place of Noah's Ark.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Beaches · Paragliding

Fethiye and Ölüdeniz

The Blue Lagoon, from above on a paraglider.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · UNESCO

Pergamon

A hilltop Greek city with the steepest ancient theater.

Guide Coming Soon

If You're Nearby

If You're Nearby
Beaches · Hiking

Bodrum and Lycian Way

A long coastal trail and a whitewashed resort.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Heritage · UNESCO

Ani

A ruined medieval Armenian city, on the Armenian border.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Old towns

Mardin and Lake Van

Honey-stone houses above Mesopotamia.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Skiing

Bursa and Uludağ

The Ottomans' first capital, under Turkey's main ski mountain.

Guide Coming Soon
If You're Nearby
Cities · Museums

Ankara

The capital, with Atatürk's tomb and the Anatolian Civilizations Museum.

Guide Coming Soon

On the Map

Grey pins: guides still being written.