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Travel guide · Istanbul and Cappadocia

Travelling to Turkey

Istanbul spanning two continents, balloons at sunrise over Cappadocia, Roman ruins and turquoise coves. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from April to June and from September to November
  • Where to eat: the lokanta (canteen-style eatery)
Photo: Unsplash

Turkey in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Turkey are from April to June and from September to November.
  • Istanbulkart.
  • To eat like a local: the lokanta (canteen-style eatery). Don’t leave without trying: Kebab, Meze, Pide.

Turkey in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Turkey. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Turkey

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Turkey are from April to June and from September to November.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar with warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June · where to travel in September

  • from December to February

    Winter in Cappadocia

    Bitter cold and snow; the balloons fly on fewer days because of the wind.

    What to do: Snowy Cappadocia is beautiful: wrap up warm and leave spare days in case the balloon flight is cancelled.

  • February, March

    Ramadan (approximate dates)

    During the day many restaurants close or open less and museum and shop hours change. The evenings, with iftar, are very special.

    What to do: Out of respect, don’t eat or drink in the street during the day; book dinner for after sunset.

  • July, August

    Heat on the coast and at the ruins

    In July and August it’s very hot in Antalya, Pamukkale and Ephesus, and the coast fills up.

    What to do: Visit the ruins first thing; to see them in peace, spring or autumn is better.

What to see in Turkey

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Istanbul
    Istanbul

    Istanbul

    Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the Bosphorus: a city between Europe and Asia.

    • Hagia Sophia
    • Blue Mosque
    • Grand Bazaar
    • Bosphorus
    Istanbul guide
  • Cappadocia
    Cappadocia

    Cappadocia

    Fairy chimneys, churches carved into the rock and hundreds of balloons at sunrise.

    • Göreme Open Air Museum
    • Pigeon Valley
    • Uçhisar
    • Kaymaklı
    Cappadocia guide
  • Antalya

    Antalya

    The capital of the Turkish Riviera, with an old town, waterfalls and Roman ruins nearby.

    • Kaleiçi
    • Hadrian’s Gate
    • Düden Waterfalls
    • Konyaaltı Beach
    Antalya guide
  • Pamukkale

    Pamukkale

    The “cotton castle”: white travertine terraces with thermal water and a Roman city on top.

    • Travertine terraces
    • Hierapolis
    • Antique Pool
    • Theatre of Hierapolis
    Pamukkale guide
  • Ephesus

    Ephesus

    One of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean, next to Selçuk.

    • Library of Celsus
    • Great Theatre
    • Terrace Houses
    • Temple of Artemis
    Ephesus guide
  • Bodrum
    Aegean coast

    Bodrum

    White houses, a Crusader castle and coves on the Aegean.

    • Castle
    • Bitez
    • Ephesus
    • Pamukkale
    Bodrum guide
  • Izmir

    Izmir

    Turkey’s third city, open to the Aegean and very close to Ephesus.

    • Kordon
    • Konak Clock Tower
    • Kemeraltı Bazaar
    • Historic Lift
    Izmir guide
  • Fethiye

    Fethiye

    Lycian tombs in the rock, the Ölüdeniz lagoon and paragliding over the sea.

    • Ölüdeniz
    • Valley of the Butterflies
    • Tomb of Amyntas
    • Kayaköy
    Fethiye guide
  • Ankara

    Ankara

    The capital of modern Turkey, with Atatürk’s mausoleum and a great museum of Anatolia.

    • Anıtkabir
    • Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
    • Ankara Citadel
    • Hamamönü
    Ankara guide
  • Alanya

    Alanya

    Long beaches below a castle at the top of a peninsula.

    • Alanya Castle
    • Red Tower
    • Cleopatra Beach
    • Damlataş Cave
    Alanya guide
  • Kaş

    Kaş

    A white town by the sea on the Lycian coast, with diving, coves and rock-cut tombs.

    • Kaş harbour
    • Kekova
    • Ancient theatre
    • Kaputaş Beach
    Kaş guide
  • Bursa

    Bursa

    The first Ottoman capital, with mosques, silk bazaars and Mount Uludağ, Turkey’s best-known ski resort.

    • Grand Mosque
    • Green Tomb
    • Koza Han
    • Cumalıkızık
    Bursa guide
  • Konya

    Konya

    The city of Rumi and the whirling dervishes, in the heart of Anatolia.

    • Mevlana Museum
    • Sema ceremony
    • Karatay Madrasa
    • Çatalhöyük
    Konya guide
  • Trabzon

    Trabzon

    The Black Sea coast: green tea-covered mountains, a monastery clinging to a cliff and high summer pastures.

    • Sumela Monastery
    • Hagia Sophia of Trabzon
    • Lake Uzungöl
    • Ayder Plateau
    Trabzon guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Istanbul

From Cappadocia

From Antalya

From Pamukkale

From Ephesus

From Bodrum

From Izmir

From Fethiye

From Ankara

From Alanya

From Kaş

From Bursa

From Konya

From Trabzon

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What to eat in Turkey

To eat like a local: the lokanta (canteen-style eatery), and order meze or a kebab from the grill. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Kebab

    From grilled döner to İskender, with tomato sauce and yoghurt over bread.

  • Meze

    Small plates to share: hummus, aubergine, yoghurt with cucumber…

  • Pide

    Boat-shaped bread topped with cheese, meat or egg.

  • Turkish breakfast

    Cheeses, olives, tomatoes, eggs, honey, kaymak and plenty of tea.

  • Baklava

    Filo pastry with pistachios or walnuts and syrup.

  • Simit

    A sesame-covered bread ring, the street breakfast.

The typical dish of Turkey, at home

Baklava
Photo: Kultigin · Public domain

Baklava

Turkey’s most famous sweet: wafer-thin layers of filo pastry with pistachios or walnuts, baked with butter and soaked in syrup. Gaziantep’s pistachio version has protected designation of origin.

  • Serves 12
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 500 g filo pastry
  • 250 g clarified butter
  • 300 g chopped pistachios or walnuts
  • For the syrup: 400 g sugar, 300 ml water and the juice of 1/2 lemon

How to make it at home

  1. Make the syrup by boiling the water with the sugar for 10 minutes; add the lemon and leave to cool.
  2. In a greased tray, lay half the filo sheets, brushing each one with butter.
  3. Scatter over the nuts and cover with the rest of the sheets, also brushed with butter.
  4. Cut into diamonds before baking, pour over the remaining butter and bake at 170 °C for about 50 minutes, until golden.
  5. Pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava and leave it to soak in for several hours.

The trick: Cold syrup on hot baklava (or the other way round): that’s how it stays crisp.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Turkey

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Istanbul is one of the few great cities spread across two continents.
  • Turkish coffee is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and its grounds are used to read the future.
  • St Nicholas, the saint who inspired Father Christmas, was bishop of Myra, on the Turkish coast.
  • Tea (çay) is served in little tulip-shaped glasses at all hours.
  • It’s the world’s largest producer of hazelnuts.
  • Cappadocia’s balloons fly at sunrise almost all year round, whenever the wind allows.

Traditions of Turkey

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • Çay

    Offering tea is the way to make you welcome, even in shops.

  • Hammam

    The Turkish bath: steam, a scrub and a foam massage.

  • Date varies (lunar calendar) Ramadan and Bayram

    A month of fasting that ends with the Sugar Bayram, with sweets and family visits.

  • December (Konya) Whirling dervishes

    The Sufi ceremony of the whirling dervishes; in December, the great festival in Konya.

What not to do in Turkey

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t enter mosques during prayer time or without covering up (women should also cover their hair).
  • Don’t speak badly of Atatürk: he’s protected by law.
  • Don’t drink tap water.
  • Don’t get into a taxi without a meter or without agreeing the price.
  • Don’t let yourself be taken to a carpet shop if you don’t want to buy: saying “no” with a smile is enough.
  • Don’t go into someone’s home with your shoes on.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Turkey

What people search for most before travelling to Turkey.

What’s the best time to travel to Turkey?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Turkey are from April to June and from September to November.

What to see in Turkey in a week?

The essentials of Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale and Ephesus. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Turkey?

Kebab, Meze, Pide, Turkish breakfast, Baklava, Simit. To eat like a local: the lokanta (canteen-style eatery).

What is the typical dish of Turkey?

Baklava. Turkey’s most famous sweet: wafer-thin layers of filo pastry with pistachios or walnuts, baked with butter and soaked in syrup. Gaziantep’s pistachio version has protected designation of origin.

What should you not do in Turkey?

Don’t enter mosques during prayer time or without covering up (women should also cover their hair). Don’t speak badly of Atatürk: he’s protected by law. Don’t drink tap water.

Is it worth travelling to Turkey in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Turkey. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. Istanbul, Alexxx Malev (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cappadocia, MusikAnimal (CC BY-SA 4.0). Antalya, Esginmurat (CC BY-SA 4.0). Pamukkale, Biologg (CC BY-SA 4.0). Ephesus, Benh LIEU SONG (CC BY-SA 3.0). Bodrum, Mehmet Cankaya (CC BY-SA 3.0). Izmir, BerkeKayalarr (CC BY-SA 4.0). Fethiye, https://www.flickr.com/photos/astolath/ (CC BY 2.0). Ankara, William Neuheisel from DC, US (CC BY 2.0). Alanya, Ozgurmulazimoglu (CC BY-SA 3.0). Kaş, Esginmurat (CC BY-SA 4.0). Bursa, Beñat Irasuegi (CC BY-SA 4.0). Konya, Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0). Trabzon, Bjørn Christian Tørrissen (CC BY-SA 3.0).