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I originally planned to visit Turkey in May 2020, but we all know how 2020 turned out, so I had to cancel my flight in hopes of visiting another time. Fast forward a year later, as soon as I was fully vaccinated, I booked my trip to Turkey. I just could not wait to get out there and travel internationally again.

At the time, Turkey was one of the few countries in Europe that allowed Americans to visit. As long as you had your negative PCR test results 72 hours prior to departure, you were able to visit the country.

I met up with my friend, Kathy, from Darling Traveler, who I met in Prague in 2019. We were both on a solo trip and instantly bonded. Ever since then, we’ve been planning this trip to Turkey.

We planned on staying in Turkey for just about two weeks and wanted to check out as many cities as we could. We were able to fit in everything we planned for, but I wish we had more time because there is still so much to see in this beautiful country.

TURKEY TWO-WEEK ITINERARY

DAY 1-3: Cappadocia 
DAY 4: Antalya
DAY 5-6: Kaş
DAY 7-8: Pamukkale (with a pitstop in Kalkan)
DAY 9-12: Istanbul

*This itinerary is just shy of two weeks because the other two days were used to travel to Turkey and back to America.

PREPPING FOR THE TRIP

There were a few things we had to take care of before traveling to Turkey.

1. Book Hotels - I know some people that book hotels last-minute or just try to find something when they’re at their actual destination, but that’s not me. I have to arrange everything beforehand. Especially since I wanted a hotel in Cappadocia with the best views of the hot air balloons. Plus, I don’t want to waste time looking for a hotel. I make sure to book hotels that have a free cancellation policy just in case plans change.

2. Book a Rental Car and Purchase Additional Flights - Since we were going to explore as much of Turkey as we could, we were going to rent a car and also fly domestically to a couple of cities. Both the car rental and domestic flights within Turkey were very affordable.

3. Purchase Visa - If you’re an American citizen, you need a visa to enter Turkey. And please make sure you buy your visa from the correct site. My friend and I both got scammed and booked at a third-party website because it looked so official! Luckily, we were partially refunded, but we still had to pay extra for the legitimate visa. The correct site is https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/.

4. Book You PCR Test 72 Hours in Advance - At the time of my trip, I had to get a PCR test 72 hours before my flight. Make sure that you get the test 72 hours before the flight to Turkey. My flight from Tampa left at 7 AM, but I had a layover in New York and that flight to Istanbul didn’t leave until 1 PM. Unfortunately, my test results expired 2 hours before my departure time, so I had to get another PCR test at the airport that cost me $200!

5. Buy Travel Insurance - This is optional, but I always like to have travel insurance just in case my luggage gets lost or stolen. It’s relatively inexpensive and it gives me peace of mind. I usually use World Nomads and it came in handy when my luggage got delayed in Prague for a few days. I was able to purchase any necessities I needed and they reimbursed me after I submitted all my receipts. Another alternative to affordable travel insurance that covers pandemics is Safety Wing.

ITINERARY DETAILS

DAY 1-3: CAPPADOCIA

To get to Cappadocia, you have to fly into one of their two airports: Kayseri Erkilet (ASR) or Nevşehir-Kapadokya (NAV).

We flew into Kayseri and from there, we rented a car. Kathy is an expert at driving in foreign countries, so she was a trooper and did all the driving (thank you, Kathy!). From there, it takes about an hour to drive to Cappadocia.

We wanted to give ourselves at least three days in Cappadocia so we could have a good chance of seeing the hot air balloons in the mornings. Cappadocia is known for those Instagram-famous hot air balloons with the gorgeous scenery in the foreground and background.

There are two sides to Cappadocia: Uchisar and Göreme. Göreme is the more popular area with affordable hotels. Uchisar is a bit more upscale with luxurious hotels and can get pricey.

We were going to stay in Göreme for the entire time at first, but at the last minute, we decided to splurge a little and spend one night in Uchisar at a gorgeous hotel called Taşkonaklar.

We booked one of their most luxurious rooms that had a huge terrace and an outdoor hot tub overlooking the unique rock formations and Mount Erciyes in the distance. It was such a wonderful stay and we were definitely treated like VIP.

Unfortunately, the balloons were canceled the next morning due to windy weather conditions, so we didn’t get to see them while we were in the hot tub as we hoped, but we still had a relaxing morning in the jacuzzi with a beautiful view.

After we checked out of Taşkonaklar, we headed to our second hotel in Cappadocia at Mithra Cave Hotel. It was a short 10-minute drive to Göreme with some gorgeous views along the way.

Mithra Cave Hotel is one of the more popular cave hotels in Cappadocia because they have a beautifully decorated terrace perfect for that Instagram photo with the hot air balloons. They’re situated on top of a hill, so you get the best views up there as well.

After we got everything situated in our new room, we headed out to visit Göreme Open Air Museum. This museum is within the UNESCO national park with a bunch of little cave churches from the 11th century.

Christianity was a fairly new religion during this time and Turkey was a safe haven to practice it in these man-made caves. Since people were not able to read back then, they painted the stories from the bible on the walls and we saw so many beautiful, historic paintings inside these caves.

The next day, we woke up early for the sunrise but again, the hot air balloons were canceled. We were informed the night before that they were going to be canceled, but we woke up early anyway to take in the views and take some pictures.

Later in the morning, we drove to Derinkuyu, which was about a 40-minute drive. Derinkuyu is where they have one of Cappadocia’s famous underground cities from the 8th to 7th centuries BCE.

The underground city is massive with a depth of 85 meters (279 feet) and at one time, it housed up to 20,000 people. It’s believed that the Christian population used the underground city to escape persecution from the Romans.

It was also used during the Byzantine period from 780 to 1180 when Muslim Arabs hid in the underground city during the Arab-Byzantine wars.

If you’re scared of narrow, confined spaces, this is not the place for you. I’m usually fine with tunnels, but this was on a whole other level. The deeper we went underground, the more scared I got. I actually couldn’t stay in there long because I got too spooked out. But I’m glad I explored at least some of it to see what it was like to live in such a dark place.

For the rest of our time in Cappadocia, we ate some delicious food (most notably at Turkish Ravioli and Seten Restaurant) and explored various areas like Pasabag, Rose Valley, and Red Valley. We also stopped by Love Valley but didn’t stay there long because it felt a little too gimmicky to us.

DAY 4: ANTALYA

We drove back to Kayseri Airport and hopped on a plane to Antalya Airport. On some days, there are direct flights from Kayseri to Antalya, but on the particular day we flew out, we weren’t able to get any direct flights, so we had a layover in Istanbul. This still saved us some time and energy driving (4 hours versus 7-8 hours).

We rented another car from the airport and drove to Antalya, which took about 20 minutes. The drive is relatively easy until you get to Old Town. The streets are very narrow, so you have to be extra careful driving around here. The GPS actually took us into a very narrow street that we weren’t supposed to be on, so make sure you don’t do that!

We stayed in the charming old town of Antalya at a boutique hotel called Bacchus Pension. It was centrally located and super cheap to stay here. Under $50 with complimentary breakfast!

Kecili Park was just around the corner and it was the perfect place to get photos of their beautiful flower garden and admire the stunning view overlooking the harbor.

We also found the cutest cafe nearby called Velespit Cafe that had a colorful outdoor seating area and a variety of entrees to choose from. We ordered some appetizers and chicken salad and everything was pretty decent.

The next morning, before we headed to Kaş, we stopped by Perge Ancient City. It was a 20-minute drive going the other direction, but it was totally worth the stop.

Perge was a lot larger than I had imagined and it was amazing to see how well preserved the ruins were from the 12th to 13th centuries BC. We even saw some ancient Greek letters marked on some of the stones which were fascinating to see.

Perge’s ancient amphitheater was also in fantastic condition considering its age and we practically had the whole place to ourselves.

DAY 5-6: KAS

From Perge, it was a beautiful 3-hour drive to Kas along the coast. About halfway through the drive, we started getting hungry, so we stopped at a restaurant on the river called Yarıkpınar Meydan Restaurant. It was right off the highway, so it was super easy to find.

I wasn’t sure if anyone spoke English here, but the manager spoke English very well and helped us choose our entrees for lunch. He recommended the meze, which is a Turkish appetizer and it came with flatbread along with numerous spreads, cheeses, and toppings. Everything was delicious.

Once we started approaching Kas, we couldn’t believe the stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. The water was bright blue and so clear. We were in such awe that we had to pull over a couple of times to take in the views.

We stayed at an adorable hotel called Hotel Luna Kaş. We mainly chose to stay here so we could have a balcony with stunning views overlooking the town and sea. It was a cute boutique hotel and centrally located to shops and restaurants nearby.

Sadly, all the restaurants in town were closed due to the lockdown, so we weren’t able to dine in at the adorable cafes, but we were able to order takeout at some of the restaurants. Our hotel also ordered food for us at restaurants nearby and served it to us in the outdoor dining area.

Voyn Meyhane and Ehl-i Keyf Meyhanesi Kaş were the two restaurants I noted that had a great atmosphere and fantastic reviews, so if I ever make it back to this area of Turkey, I hope to visit those restaurants next time.

We spent most of our time relaxing and enjoying the beaches nearby in Kaş. Kaputaş Beach was one of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve ever seen. The crystal clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea were just magnificent. I could not get over how gorgeous the area was.

It’s a 20-minute drive to Kaputaş Beach from Kaş and parking can be tricky. If you visit at peak times, you will most likely have to park on the side of the road and walk a bit further. We got extremely lucky and found a parking spot right in front of the stairs leading down to the beach.

Speaking of stairs, you’ll have to go down 187 steps, but it really wasn’t as bad as it looked. They are tiny steps, so it’s an easy climb.

We also spent some time at Büyük Çakıl Plajı, also known as Big Pebble Beach, which was close to the town center of Kaş. It was an easy 5-minute drive from our hotel. We could have also walked there, but it would have taken us about 30 minutes and there’s a steep hill you have to conquer with no sidewalks.

Big Pebble Beach was a small beach area but had the same gorgeous crystal clear waters. There were also numerous beach chairs to relax in and I believe as long as you order food from one of the restaurants, the chairs are free to use.

DAY 7-8: KALKAN & PAMUKKALE

From Kaş, it was a 3.5-hour drive to Pamukkale and on the way, we stopped by Kalkan, which was 30 minutes away from Kaş.

Kalkan is another small beach town that is known for its crystal clear waters and is famous for diving and snorkeling. It also has many historical sites like the ancient Lycian city.

We only had time to walk briefly around Kalkan to take some pictures. Along our stroll, some nice shop owners asked if we wanted to have their homemade apple pie and carrot cake.

Since we weren’t allowed to dine in at the coffee shop, they suggested sitting outdoors across the street with them at the jewelry shop. I loved this spontaneous moment so much because we got to talk to the locals and get to know a little bit more about the town and the country as a whole.

The desserts were amazing and probably the best apple pie I’ve ever had. I would even go far as to say that it was better than the fresh apple pie that I had in Vienna (and they are known for their delicious apple strudels). When you’re in Kalkan, make sure to visit Cafe Del-Mar Kalkan and Black & White Jewellery. These shop owners are the best!

After taking a few more photos in Kalkan, we continued our drive to Pamukkale. We checked into Venus Suite Hotel around 3PM and then headed to the famous thermal springs to catch the sunset.

Pamukkale is famous for the white travertine terraces that have bright blue pools of thermal springs draping down a hill. It is breathtaking and actually looks like snow. The formations of the rocks look like cotton, hence the name Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish.

You have to walk barefoot on the terraces and this was a bit of a challenge for me. Some areas are smooth and slippery while other areas are rigid and sharp. The sharp areas were killing my feet and I ended up getting bruises on the bottom of my feet. I have no idea how others walk on it with no problems. I must have really sensitive feet.

We returned to the thermal springs the next morning as soon as they opened at 6:30 AM so that we could take pictures with fewer people around. We practically had the place to ourselves for two hours, which was wonderful.

Many people think that the thermal springs open at 8 AM but that’s at the Main Gate (even the hotel staff will tell you this). The South Gate opens at 6:30 AM.

Afterward, we took a guided tour of Hierapolis, the ancient city located within the same area as the thermal springs. The guided tour is an extra fee, but worth it in my opinion. You’ll get a tour via golf cart and you can find them after you enter the South Gate entrance.

Hierapolis is an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. and our tour guide took us to various spots in the city including the tombs, the bazaar, and the ancient theatre. The ancient theatre was definitely the most popular site to visit, but I was equally fascinated by the grand entrance into the ancient bazaar and learning little tidbits about that.

DAY 9-12: ISTANBUL

We dropped off our rental car at Denizli Airport, about an hour drive from Pamukkale, and flew to Istanbul from there. The drive was relatively easy and it was a short 1-hour flight.

We did not rent a car in Istanbul since their transportation is superb. Plus, we’ve heard that traffic is insane in Istanbul, so it’s better not to drive.

We took a taxi to Sultanahmet where our hotel was located. Henna Hotel Istanbul was fairly new at the time of our stay and this place was by far the best hotel we stayed at in all of Turkey.

Not only is it centrally located with excellent rooftop views, but the service at Henna Hotel Istanbul is impeccable. They were all genuinely friendly, helpful, and professional. We became great friends with most of the staff and I almost enjoyed staying at the hotel more than visiting the attractions around Istanbul.

Istanbul has a lot to offer and we started off visiting Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque since it was right around the corner from our hotel.

Hagia Sophia was built as a Christian church in the 6th century and later became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. You’ll see the changes reflected in the building with mosaics of Christianity and inscriptions of Islam.

This was my first time visiting a mosque and it was so beautiful inside. Female visitors must wear a headscarf. If you don’t have one, there are many shops nearby that sell them. I’ve also heard that some popular mosques like Hagia Sophia let you borrow a headscarf, but that is currently not offered due to the pandemic.

The Blue Mosque was located right across from Hagia Sophia, but at the time of our visit, it was under construction, so we did not get to see much.

The Grand Bazaar is another significant part of history in Istanbul as it is one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets with over 4,000 shops. It was a short 15-minute walk from the mosques.

Truthfully, the Grand Bazaar was my least favorite attraction of Istanbul. I got tired of shop owners constantly trying to sell us stuff and I’m not much of a shopper anyway.

Along the way to the Grand Bazaar, there are many shops and restaurants and we particularly loved the pastries and desserts from Çiğdem Pastanesi. Their pastries were fresh and so delicious. Plus, the prices were great as well. We got a whole bag of pastries and desserts for less than $5.

Another great restaurant on this street was Firuz Kebap House. Coincidentally, it’s owned by the same owner of the hotel we were staying at and he saw us passing by the restaurant and invited us in. I’m so glad he did because I had the pleasure of tasting one of the best dishes of Turkey, the gözleme.

There is a woman making fresh gözleme at the front of the restaurant and it was fascinating to watch her make this traditional Turkish dish. You can add anything you’d like including minced meat, potatoes, onions, cheese, etc. Our gözleme was so tasty and it instantly became my most favorite dish in Turkey. I wish I had room to eat more because I’m still dreaming of them.

On the topic of restaurants, Seven Hills is one of the most popular restaurants of Istanbul because they have awesome rooftop views of Hagia Sophia, but I was disappointed with the food. It was average at best and it was pretty pricey compared to other restaurants in the area.

Instead of going there, I highly recommend going to Palatium Cafe instead. Not only is their food fantastic, but they have a cool atmosphere and an underground ancient palace right underneath the restaurant!

The owners of the restaurant pay for the excavation of the ancient Magnaura Palace themselves and we were able to go down and explore ourselves after we had our dinner. It was one of the coolest discoveries in Istanbul.

Some other areas of Istanbul we explored were Balat and Ortaköy. Balat is a colorful neighborhood full of hip cafes and galleries. One of the most popular spots in Balat is a row of colorful houses where many tourists come to snap that Instagram-famous photo.

Finding these rows of houses was a little tricky. We were walking around for a while before we finally found it after asking many locals around the area. We later noted that the houses are located on Kiremit Cd., close to Smelt & Co.

Ortaköy is a beautiful place where the Ortaköy Mosque is located with many cafes and restaurants around the square. We also got a beautiful view of the Bosphorus Strait and the Bosphorus Bridge. This is where you can clearly see the European side and Asian side of Istanbul. Seeing two continents in one place was pretty incredible.

We also stopped by some places in the morning while it was still quiet like the Galata Tower and the umbrella street of Karakoy.

Of course, there are numerous other things to do in Istanbul, but we didn’t have time for it all, or some locations were closed due to the pandemic. Some of these include Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, the Walls of Constantinople, the spice market, cruising the Bosphorus River, and more.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If Turkey isn’t on your bucket list, you must add it now. It is truly a beautiful country with so much to offer and along with the gorgeous landscapes, charming coastal towns, and delicious food, the most memorable part of Turkey were the people. Everyone I met was genuinely friendly and so wonderful.

I would love to go back to Turkey and visit all the places I missed like Izmir and the ancient city of Ephesus. It would also be nice to go back to Cappadocia and actually see the hot air balloons too.

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