A country steeped in history, culture, and endless cups of mint tea—Turkey leaves a lasting impression. From breathtaking landscapes to cities rich in history and warm hospitality, here’s how to make the most of a two-week trip.
By: Paul Healy | Last Updated: | Jump to Comments
Great empires have clashed in Turkey, leaving behind Roman and Greek ruins, frescoed Byzantine churches, grand mosques, and opulent palaces.
This mix of influences is everywhere, from Istanbul’s historic skyline to its buzzing café culture.
Yet, beyond the cities, time slows. Drive through the countryside, and you’ll find villages where life still moves to an ancient rhythm.
From the crumbling ruins of the past to the surreal landscapes of Pamukkale and Cappadocia, Turkey is a land shaped by history and nature alike.
This itinerary covers the main highlights we think you should see in Turkey if you only have 2 weeks.
MAP: OUR TURKEY ITINERARY
All the locations we visited in Turkey are on the map below to help get your planning underway.
USING OUR MAPS. Click on the top right corner to open in the Google Maps app. Click on the star to save to your Google account.
TURKEY ITINERARY
To begin these 2 weeks in Turkey, fly into Izmir’s Adnan Menderes International Airport, hire a car and drive to Selçuk (45 minutes), ready to start this itinerary the following day.
DAY 1: ANCIENT & BYZANTINE RUINS
TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS
This morning, stop off at the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, just outside Selçuk.
In its day, it was the largest temple in the world; today, it’s just a single column made up of debris from the site. You only need about 15 minutes.
EPHESUS
Continue to Ephesus, one of the most incredible ancient sites in Turkey.
As the capital of Roman Asia Minor, it’s packed with ancient architecture reflecting the power and wealth of the city; it’s possibly the best Roman ruin in the world.
The Library of Celsus is its iconic image of Ephesus, but pay the extra fee to go inside the covered terrace houses for the incredibly well-preserved frescoes.
Exploring the entire site takes about 2 hours.
Have lunch in Selçuk, a compact town with a relaxing vibe. You won’t find many tourists here as most stay at Kudasai on the coast, so Selçuk is a refreshing local experience.
BASILICA OF ST JOHN IN SELÇUK
After lunch, head up to the Basilica of St. John and Ayasaluk Castle. The basilica itself far outdid our expectations.
It’s built on the resting place of St John, who believers say spent his final days in Ephesus, where he wrote his gospel and died aged 100 years old.
He is buried here, according to his last request.
The ruins you see today are from the 6-domed church that was rebuilt in the 6th century and survived for almost 800 years. It was finally destroyed by a large earthquake around 1360.
AYASALUK CASTLE
From the church ruins, you can walk up to the Ayasaluk Castle. It was originally built by the Byzantines in the 6th century and then reconstructed by the Ottomans.
Finally, check out the Ephesus Museum, a remarkable collection of statues and reliefs found at Ephesus, before grabbing dinner in town.
DRIVING
There is not much driving at all today. It’s about a 10-minute drive to Ephesus.
WHERE TO STAY
We spent the first night in Selçuk; here are a few recommendations from us.
- For a great budget choice in Selçuk, we recommend Amazon Petite Palace.
- With an excellent location and cool Turkey stylings, the mid-market Ayasoluk Hotel is a great choice.
- For a splurge, try Cella Boutique Hotel.
DAY 2: ANCIENT RUINS & VILLAGES
PRIENE
This morning drive to Priene, 55 minutes’ from Selçuk.
Priene is an ancient Hellenistic hill town with fantastic views overlooking the valley and bits of ancient rubble littering the ground. Check out the theatre, the basilica and the Temple of Athena.
MILETUS
After Priene, drive a further 20 minutes to the ancient site of Miletus – a massive, sprawling site that could consume many hours.
However, most of the area is an unexciting pile of rubble stuck to the theatre, the massive Faustina Baths and the Iconic Colonnade.
TEMPLE OF APOLLO
Next, head to the Temple of Apollo (another 25 minutes drive) in Didim.
The huge columns of this ancient site are a reminder of how colossal this temple once was.
Nowhere demonstrates so clearly the size, power and might with which the Romans honoured their Gods.
KAPIKIRI & HERAKLEIA
From Didim, drive 50 minutes to Kapıkırı through the beautiful Bafa Gölü National Park. Kapikiri – a rural farming village that is slowly absorbing tourism – sits just above the lake and gives a fascinating insight into subsistence living in Turkey.
It takes less than an hour to stroll every lane and watch the local community go about their daily lives.
Around the lake are some old ruins and rock tombs from the ancient sight of Herakleia. After that, have a swim in the lake and enjoy a beer at one of the small cafes in Herakleia.
Not many people come here, which makes it all the more special and a highlight of our Turkey trip.
Head back to Selçuk for the evening.
DRIVING
It took us about 4 hours to drive around the ruins and back to Selçuk.
DAY 3: WILDERNES SITES & PAMUKKALE
APHRODISIAS
Today, drive to Aphrodisias, a Roman city set in the Anatolian wilderness (2 hours, 20 minutes from Selçuk).
The excellent museum has a room dedicated to the marble reliefs that used to adorn the Sebasteion, a temple to deified Roman Emperors and their Gods.
It’s a thoroughly interesting historical site and a beautiful spot to stroll around. The whole place takes about 2 hours to explore.
Returning to the car, I drive 1 hour and 20 minutes to Pamukkale through verdant green fields dotted with trees, as if designed by artists.
HIERAPOLIS & PAMUKKALE
There are two excellent sites to explore in Pamukkale: the Roman city of Hierapolis and the white calcite travertine pools.
The ruins sit windswept on the hill and contain a well-preserved theatre and the Martyrium of St Philip the Apostle.
But the Travertines – blue water set in smooth white calcite pools – are the main reason to visit Pamukkale. You can walk on the Travertines (without shoes) and bathe in them if you wish, so bring your swimmers.
We recommend you head to the balcony west of the Travertines for sunset; it’s the best place for photos, and it was one of our favourite experiences in Turkey.
The entrance ticket covers both sites, and you could spend 5 to 6 hours exploring everything. You can only enter during opening hours, but you can leave anytime you like.
DRIVING
It took us around 3 hours 40 minutes to drive from Selçuk to Pamukkale.
WHERE TO STAY?
- Venus Suite Hotel has all the facilities you could ask for in a well-equipped hotel.
- Melrose House Hotel is a thoughtful family-run establishment.
- To go up-market, we recommend Hierapark Therma.
DAY 4: EGYPTIAN & ROMAN TEMPLES
MODERN-DAY BERGAMA
This morning, take the 3 hours and 40-minute drive to Pergamon (modern-day Bergama) and grab lunch at Paksoy Pide in the centre of town for a traditional Turkish bite. It’s really good.
Most tourists who come to Bergama stay on the coast and make a day trip to Pergamon.
But on the coast, you’ll be dining on bowls of chips from overpriced tourist venues with laminated menus.
Bergama, on the other hand, is a genuine Turkish town full of friendly, engaging locals. If you don’t understand the menu, just point at something, and you’ll be set.
THE RED HALL
After lunch, head to the Red Hall. When it was completed in the 2nd Century CE, it was Pergamon’s largest complex of buildings.
Even today, its scale is impressive.
It is thought the complex originally honoured Egyptian deities, but in the 5th century, the Christians built a church inside the large Red Hall. The ruined walls are still there today.
PERGAMON ACROPOLIS
In the late afternoon, walk to the Teleferik and take the cable car up to Pergamon Acropolis.
The hillside is dotted with excellent ruins, but the unmissable highlights are the Trajan Temple, with its remaining columns holding up a well-preserved pediment, the grand theatre built into the hillside, and the discarded ruins that lay in the overgrown weeds at the base of the temple of Dionysus.
Sadly, the Pergamon Great Altar is just a heap of stones compared to what now stands in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
DRIVING
It took us around 3 hours and 40 minutes to drive from Pamukkale to Bergama.
WHERE TO STAY?
- For a small, friendly stay with great facilities, we highly recommend Attalos Suites.
- The homemade breakfast at Aristonicus Boutique Hotel is a great start to the day.
- For panoramic views of Pergamon Acropolis, Hera Hotel also has a very well-stocked wine cellar.
DAY 5: AYVALIK
AYVALIK
This morning, drive to Ayvalik, a diving centre with an atmospheric old town made up of a few lanes back from the front.
It’s full of crumbling facades, cute bohemian cafes and various flea markets.
The best area is along Barbaros Caddesi near the Aivali Food and Art shop. Parking on the front or in a car park just off the front is very straightforward.
FLY FROM İZMIR TO ISTANBUL
This afternoon drive to İzmir, drop off the hire car and fly to Istanbul.
Domestic flights arrive at either Sabiha Gokcen International Airport or the new Istanbul Airport.
The best way to get into the city from Istanbul Airport is to take the M11 Metro Line to Gayrettepe, then change trains to get to your hotel. The journey from the airport to Gayrettepe is 30 minutes.
There is also a shuttle bus which costs €5 euro. Taxis to the city centre will cost around €25. Depending on traffic, the shuttle bus or taxi could take anywhere between 1-2 hours.
From Sabiha Gokcen, take the M4 Metro Line to Kadıköy to get to the city centre. From here you can connect to your hotel.
DRIVING
It’s around 1 hour, 20 minute’s drive from Bergama to Ayvalik, then 2 hours from Ayvalik to Izmir.
DAY 6-10: ISTANBUL
We have a detailed guide on how to spend 5 days in Istanbul, but here is a summary.
DAY 6: HISTORIC ISTANBUL
- Istanbul Archaeological Museum
- Aya İrini
- Basilica Cistern
- Little Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Hagia Sophia
DAY 7: MODERN ISTANBUL
- İstiklal Caddesi
- Spice Market
- Kadıköy
DAY 8: ISTANBUL CULTURE
- Ortaköy
- Dolmabahçe Palace
- Whirling Dervishes
- Galata Tower
DAY 9: OTTOMAN & ROMAN LANDMARKS
- Panorama 1453 Museum
- Chora Church
- Karaköy
- Istanbul Modern
- Tophane-I Amire Culture and Art Centre
- Beyoğlu
DAY 10: GRAND ISTANBUL
- Süleymaniye Mosque
- Grand Bazaar
- Topkapı Palace
DAY 11-14: CAPPADOCIA
Today, fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia to start the final segment of this itinerary.
ISTANBUL TO CAPPADOCIA
There are several flights daily from Istanbul to Nevşehir and Kayseri Airports.
If you’re not hiring your own car to explore Cappadocia, private or shared transfers are available from both airports to Göreme in air-conditioned minivans.
Your hotel will be able to organise transfers for you, or you could book a shared airport transfer or private airport transfer in advance.
We suggest you spend what is left of this afternoon exploring Goreme then catch the sunset at Sunset Point.
All the details are in our Cappadocia Itinerary, but here is a summary of what you could get up to over the next couple of days.
DAY 12: BALLOON RIDES & HIKING
Start with a Balloon Ride, followed by a our Pigeon Valley and Love Valley hike. Finish at Panorama Point for sunset.
DAY 13: IHLARA VALLEY & KAYMAKLI
On the second day in Cappadocia, head over to the Ihlara Valley, which is about 1 hour southwest of Göreme. Hike the valley then visit Kaymakli Underground City on the way back to Göreme.
DAY 14: RED & ROSE VALLEY
For your final day in Cappadocia, do our hikes of the Red & Rose Valley (from the post linked in Day 12, then visit the Göreme Open Air Museum.
HOW TO GET TO TURKEY?
Most travellers will need an entry visa for Turkey, which can easily be organised online.
For this itinerary, we arrived in Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport to explore the ancient ruin sites, before flying to Istanbul, then flying to Cappadocia.
Rental cars can be collected from, and returned to Izmir Airport and all major car rental companies operating there.
Car rental booths are in the international and domestic arrivals halls.
In Cappadocia, Kayseri Airport has a better range of hire cars than the airport at Nevşehir.
HOW TO GET AROUND TURKEY?
Istanbul’s public transport system is excellent. Metro, funiculars, and trams all interconnect providing cheap, easy and quick access across town. Buy an Istanbul Travel card and just keep topping it up as you go.
Outside of Istanbul, the public transport system is set up for locals and not for tourists and driving in Turkey is much easier than many think.
Hiring your own car for the 5 days travelling around the ancient ruins and the 4 days in Cappadocia will save a lot of time.
We use rentalcars.com who compare prices across all the major car rental companies.
WHEN TO GO?
Many official museums in Turkey have summer and winter opening times.
In winter the sites shut 2 hours earlier, which significantly curtails how much you can see, so it is better to do this 2-week Turkey itinerary between late April and Oct.
Turkey gets very hot in summer, so the best time to visit is the shoulder seasons of April/May or Sep/Oct.
If you want the big sites to yourself, coincide your trip with Ramadan. Very few Turks travel during Ramadan, so everything is much less busy.
MORE TURKEY GUIDES
- More great things to do can be found in our guide to visiting Istanbul.
- Travelling around? Read our guide to the best places to visit in Turkey.
- Try these incredible hikes in Cappadocia (maps included).
- Here are the best things to do in Antalya.
- Take the ultimate scenic voyage in a Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon ride.
- Plan your trip with our Turkey Itinerary.
- Here are the best things to do in Cappadocia.
- Relive history in the best ancient ruins in Turkey.
- Plan the ultimate 4-days in Cappadocia with our detailed itinerary.
READER-SUPPORTED
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Thanks for your support. Paul & Mark