Backpacking Turkey: 11 best places to visit
The most rewarding stops for backpackers in Turkey, ranked and mapped — and real routes through them, written by travellers who went.
Read Turkey stories1
Istanbul
Istanbul
Where two continents meet.
2
Cappadocia
Nevsehir
Balloons over fairy chimneys.
3
Pamukkale
Denizli
White travertine terraces.
4
Ephesus
Izmir
Grand Greco-Roman ruins.
5
Antalya
Antalya
Turquoise-coast resort city.
6
Fethiye
Mugla
Blue Lagoon and paragliding.
7
Bodrum
Mugla
Whitewashed Aegean party town.
8
Goreme
Nevsehir
Cave hotels of Cappadocia.
9
Izmir
Izmir
Laid-back Aegean city.
10
Mount Nemrut
Adiyaman
Giant heads on a summit.
11
Oludeniz
Mugla
Iconic lagoon beach.
Backpacking routes through Turkey
Real trips through Turkey, drawn on maps by the people who took them.
Istanbul to Cappadocia: The Classic Turkey Opener
The route almost every Turkey trip starts with: three days in Istanbul, the fast train via Ankara, then sunrise balloons and valley hikes in Goreme.
The Lycian Way Lite: Fethiye to Antalya Along the Turquoise Coast
Hiking the best sections of Turkey's Lycian Way between Fethiye and Antalya: Oludeniz, Kabak, Patara beach, Kas and the treehouses of Olympos.
Been backpacking in Turkey?
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