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If you’re planning on exploring Turkey for two weeks or more, you will need to pack a variety of clothing since each area of Turkey has different climates. May is a great time to travel to Turkey as the weather is perfect and it’s right before the peak travel season during the summer, so there’s less of a crowd.

I often get asked what women should wear in Turkey or if there is some sort of dress code for women. In general, you can pretty much wear whatever you want. The only places where you need to dress a certain way is at the mosques.

At the mosques, you’ll need to cover your head with a headscarf and also cover your shoulders and knees (no shorts or sleeveless tops). You’ll also need to take off your shoes when you enter mosques, so make sure you are wearing socks to walk on the carpets.

To give you a better idea on what you should pack, here’s what I wore in these regions of Turkey:

What to Wear in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is known for its unique shaped rocks and those Instagram-famous hot air balloons with the gorgeous scenery in the foreground and background.

The mornings and evenings could get a bit chilly in the low 60s (Fahrenheit) and the afternoons could get pretty warm in the low 80s.

There’s a lot of different activities you can do in Cappadocia such as hiking, flying in hot air balloons, or relaxing at a resort, so my outfits changed drastically depending on where I went.

One of the items I packed was a beautiful, long dress to wear when viewing the hot air balloons from our hotel rooftop. Unfortunately, at the time I went, the hot air balloons were cancelled due to the windy weather conditions, but the views were still gorgeous.

Another item that I needed to pack was a bathing suit for the jacuzzi hot tub we had in our room at Taskonaklar Hotel. Uchisar is a more upscale region of Cappadocia with luxurious hotels and many of them have fancy pools and jacuzzis that make for a gorgeous photo.

The hot air balloons normally fly early in the mornings at sunrise, so make sure you have a jacket as well. I had a light jean jacket to cover my arms when I wasn’t posing for a photo.

During the afternoons, I explored the cave churches and underground cities and I had to dress differently for both locations.

If you plan on visiting one of the underground cities of Cappadocia, you will need to dress in layers. It may be warm outside but once you enter the underground cave, it gets pretty chilly.

There was also a day where there was some light rain and the temperatures stayed in the high 60s. I had the perfect layered outfit from Anatomie that is made for weather like this.

I wore my Ipant Hybrid Pant, Flo Sleeveless Top, and Stormi Hybrid Jacket that kept me warm, flexible, and protected whenever it started drizzling. I also wore this outfit when flying from the U.S. to Turkey because the fabric is lightweight and stretchy. Plus, the jacket had multiple zippered pockets where I can store many things like my chapstick and passport.

On another day, I was exploring the ancient cave churches at the Göreme Open Air Museum and the temperatures were in the mid 80s, so it was pretty hot. I wore my smocked top from Lulu’s, white shorts, and sandals. This outfit kept me as cool as can be, but it was still pretty hot on this day. It’ll probably be a good idea to wear a hat as well since it was hard to find shaded areas.

For Pasabag, I wore a light, midi dress with long sleeves and white sneakers. This dress also had pockets, so it was very convenient to store things like my chapstick or cash.

What to Wear in Antalya

Antalya is located on the southern coast of Turkey and the temperatures are generally warm. The mornings were in the mid-70s and the afternoons were in the mid-80s.

I stayed in Kaleiçi, the historic center of Antalya, and wore light dresses or sorts with a print robe to walk around the town.

In the afternoon, I visited the ancient city of Perge, which is about a 20-minute drive from Kaleiçi, and it was very hot in the high 80s with no shade. I wore a sporty dress, sneakers, and sometimes wore a hat to cover my face from the harsh sun.

What to Wear in Kas

Kas is small beach town also located on the southern coast of Turkey and has some of the most brilliant, clear beaches I have ever seen.

The temperatures are similar to Antalya since it is only 187 kilometers away in the same region. It was always warm with a nice breeze coming off the coast.

I knew I wanted to wear light clothing that had a beach vibe and also something colorful to match the character of Kas.

I found the perfect pair of beach pants at Revolve that was super comfy and stylish. I would wear my bikini underneath or a cute crop top.

On the days I relaxed at the hotel, I would lounge around in a long dress that was also very comfortable and the dress I specifically wore came at a great price too.

Not too far from Kas, is a little town called Kalkan. We made a quick visit here on our way to Pamukkale and I wore my off-the-shoulder bell sleeve top from Lulu’s with white shorts. I originally wanted to wear blue jean shorts with it, but forgot to bring the shorts with me. I think the white shorts worked too.

What to Wear in Pamukkale

Pamukkale is more inland but the weather was pretty much the same as Antalya and Kas. Mornings were in the mid-70s and the afternoons were in the mid-80s.

This location is known for it’s thermal springs that look like snow, so I wanted to have a bright bathing suit that would stand out in pictures. Amazon had the cutest bikini with ruffles on top and high-waisted polka dot bottom that fit real nicely and came out great in the photos. Just like I wanted.

After the thermal springs, I wanted to explore the ancient city of Heirapolis, which is located in the same area. Instead of changing into another outfit, I decided to cover myself with a sheer wrap skirt - another great find on Amazon!

For the rest of my time in Pamukkale I wore another pair of colorful beach pants and the same crop top or bikini top I wore in Kas.

What to Wear in Istanbul

The mornings in Istanbul were surprisingly cool in the high 60s, but quickly warmed up to the high 70s in the afternoons, which was perfect. I chose to wear dresses to all the locations we visited since it was the most comfortable and lightweight. Plus, dresses always look great in photos.

For the hotel I stayed at in Istanbul, I wore a beautiful, long dress since they had a stunning rooftop terrace with Hagia Sophia in the background. There are several rooftops like this in Istanbul, but I think this is the best one and less touristy.

Istanbul has many mosques you can visit including the popular Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. At all mosques, women are expected to wear a scarf over their head and make sure that your shoulders and knees are covered. You also need to take off your shoes, so make sure you have some socks handy with you.

You can buy a headscarf while you’re in Istanbul, but I decided to buy mine on Amazon since I wanted a particular design and color scheme. I wore my silk scarf in various ways to match with different outfits that made it fun for photos with a pop of color.

Other Items

On this entire trip, I only brought three pairs of shoes and that’s all I needed. I brought a pair of white sneakers, comfortable sandals, and flip flops. I wore the sneakers while traveling, so I only had to pack my sandals and flip flops which don’t take up too much room.

I will note that your sneakers might get a little dirty in some areas of Cappadocia where there is fine sand or dirt, so if you want to keep your white pair of sneakers clean, wear some fitness sneakers.

A couple of essential items I always have with me on all of my travels are my Bandolier and Pacsafe backpack.

The Bandolier is great for carrying your phone in a stylish way and even has a pouch in the back to keep your credit cards and identification. Plus, you can easily take pictures without ever dropping your phone since it’s secured on you.

The Pacsafe Citysafe CX Anti-Theft Backpack is a fantastic backpack for women. I always carry my camera in this backpack and use the nifty anti-theft features it comes with. It definitely makes me feel like my items are more secure and safe in this bag.

Packing List

To summarize, here is what I packed for my two-week trip to Turkey:

• Jackets x 2 - one with a hoodie in case of rain

• Tops x 6

• Shorts x 1

• Kimono Robe x 1

• Bikinis x 2

• Beach Pants or Coverups x 2

• Wrap Skirt Coverup x 1

• Dresses x 7

• Midi Skirt x 1

• Hat x 1

• Sneakers x 1

• Sandals x 1

• Flip Flops x 1

I packed everything in my Away suitcases - the Medium and Expandable Carry-On Away Suitcase, along with my Pacsafe Citysafe CX Backpack. I think this is the perfect combination of luggage to travel with in Europe if you are traveling to multiple places. It was a breeze walking around with the luggage - even in tough situations where I had to walk up a hill or climb up stairs (okay, not exactly a breeze, but it could have been worse).