Copy linkEmailFacebookWhatsAppXLinkedInBlueskyThreadsImpact Link
SaveSaved
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
With a past that predates recorded history, shores that straddle both Europe and Asia, and 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Turkey has long held an undeniable allure for travelers.
2016-06-30
From touring underground cities and ornate temples to exploring National Parks and bazaars, here are 33 things all travelers should do in Turkey.
Drift over the “fairy chimneys” of Göreme National Park in Cappadocia. Take a sunrise flight for an extra special experience above these mesmerizing rock formations.
Shutterstock
Take a dip in the Pamukkale hot springs, which are just below the ruins of Roman-era spa Hieropolis. Known to locals as the “sacred pool” or “cotton castle,” the 17-tier springs overlook the city of Denizil.
Shutterstock
Turn your thumb a full circle in a hole inside of a bronze-plated column inside of the Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine mosque. Doing this is said to heal any ailments.
White water raft through the breathtaking Köprülü Canyon, a Turkish National Park in Antalya.
Shutterstock
Try a Turkish pizza, a flatbread topped with minced meat and vegetables known as lahmacun.
Shutterstock
Get some sun at Ölüdeniz’s white sand beaches, which stretch along a vibrant blue bay.
Shutterstock
Dip into a historic Turkish bath at Suleymaniye Hamam in Istanbul. Sultans used to bathe here after it was built in 1557.
Shutterstock
Visit the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, which was designed by famed Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan in the 16th century. The colorfully tiled grand dome is a beautiful example of Islamic art.
Shutterstock
Take the Bursa Teleferik (a type of gondola) up to a ski resort at the top of Mt. Uludağ.
Shutterstock
Visit the the Library of Celsius in the ancient city of Ephesus. Once a Roman Port City, Ephesus was home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Shutterstock
Hike to the ancient city of Kaunos, where tombs have been carved into the mountainside.
Shutterstock
Check out the ornate Dolmabahce Palace, which was built for a sultan. It sits along the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, and now operates as a museum.
Shutterstock
Spend time at Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and second largest in the Middle East. Though it is a sodium carbonate lake, otherwise known as a “soda lake,” it’s completely safe to swim in.
Shutterstock
Drive to Varda Viaduct in Karaisali, which was featured in the James Bond movie “Skyfall”.
Shutterstock
Buy a souvenir at the famed Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. Browse over 5,000 stalls for Turkish rugs, lamps, and pottery.
Shutterstock
Visit Sazova Castle in Eskisehir, which sort of looks like a Disney castle. Unlike Disney though, admission is free.
Shutterstock
Marvel at the archaeological site of Hattusha, the former capital of the Hittite Empire. The UNESCO World Heritage Site’s Lion Gate was used between 1343 and 1200 BC.
Shutterstock
Cool off in the turquoise waters underneath the Düden Waterfalls in Antalya, Turkey.
Shutterstock
Step into Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque, formally named Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
Shutterstock
View the beheaded statues of Mount Nemrut that date back to the 1st century BC.
Shutterstock
Nosh on some sweet Turkish Delight, a dessert perhaps made most famous by the character Edmund in “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis.
Shutterstock
See where part of the "Iliad" takes place. The Archaeological Site of Troy dates back 4,000 years, and marks an important event in the Trojan War, when the Spartans took the city from the Greeks around the 12th century BC.
Shutterstock
Spend the night in a cave dwelling in Cappadocia, and explore the area’s ancient underground cities.
Shutterstock
Take a Bosphorus sightseeing cruise in Istanbul for a quiet and relaxing tour of the city, with Europe on one side and Asia on the other.
Shutterstock
View the great Aspendos amphitheater, one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in the world.
Shutterstock
Brave the rough ascent to Sumela Monastery, which is worth it once you reach the incredible structure tucked within a Turkish hillside.
Shutterstock
Eat Tavuk göğsü, a signature dish in Turkey. The unique dessert was once served exclusively to Ottoman sultans, and is a type of milk pudding made of chicken breast pounded in sugar, rice flour, and cinnamon.
Shutterstock
Hop on a water taxi from Dalyan to Iztuzu Beach, which is also known as Turtle Beach because it is a major breeding site for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle.
Shutterstock
Walk up the steep path to Mardin Castle, the only castle in Turkey that was never conquered by invading armies.
Shutterstock
Spend time in Camlihemsin, a small town in the Black Sea region locals like to summer in.
Shutterstock
Visit Gobekli Tepe, near Sanliurfa. The archaeological site predates Stonehenge by 6,000 years, and may be the site of the oldest temple in the world.
Shutterstock
Wander the grounds of Sivas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was built in 1288, and is home to the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği.
Shutterstock
Travel to the ruins of Phaselis in Tekirova, which sits on the coast of the Mediterranean and was once an important Greek and Roman port city.
