Turkey is an amalgamation of continents, with European, Islamic Asian influences seamlessly blending into local culture. Cotton castle of Pamukkale, hoodos at Cappadocia, ruins at Ephesus, Istanbul ,Antalya, Konya, Bodrum are best places to visit in Turkey
Turkey and Greece have been my dream destinations. It was my “Queen” movie moment to go on a solo trip as my family couldn’t make it this time
Best time to visit
Spring, Autumn and to some extent Winters are the best time to visit Turkiye. I went on a solo trip in October, it was pleasant without too much heat or cold
Visa
There was an option to get e-Visa if we had a valid Schengen visa. I had clubbed my travel to Greece along with Turkey, ended up using the Schengen visa to get the e-visa.
You can now apply for e-visa without a Schengen visa here
Getting In
I had taken Mumbai- Athens- Istanbul- Mumbai route. Istanbul is a major travel hub for all Turkish airway flights. There are two airports in the city. Ensure your flights are in the same terminal if booking a short connection
Currency: Lira
You can use zero charges credit or debit card for withdrawing from ATMs. I had taken Euros and got it converted at airport
Getting around
Public transport is decent within and across cities. I had taken flights for longer routes like Istanbul- Kayseri, Izmir- Istanbul, Istanbul- Denizli, and covered other routs through buses. You will find good buses that are clean, with some refreshments and toilets within each bus. The drivers dress up in suits, seems like a well-respected profession there
Turkish Airways domestic flights had vegetarian options surprisingly, with a sandwich and drink. I opted for Ayran (buttermilk)
Places to see
- Istanbul
- Pamukkale
- Ephesus
- Kusadasi
- Cappadocia
We cover details in a separate post here
Things to know
Spot the cats here!
- Cats reign Turkish cities. You can find healthy, well-fed cats in stations, streets, inside shops and all around. The city considers them as their own! You can watch a lovely video of “Kedi“
- Take an inter-city bus just for the experience. They are comfortable, clean, punctual
- Istanbul is one of the most colorful and happening cities. Visit Grand Bazaar to see the colors in action
- Take a balloon ride in Cappadocia. It is the best and one of the cheapest places after Luxor
- It is completely safe to travel as a solo woman if you maintain your guard. I was not scammed anywhere
- Try out Turkish delights and other sweets like Baklava, Ice-creams. Caution- they are quite sugar rich
How much does it cost
I spent $1500 for 10 days across Greece and Turkey. You can expect to spend $1200-1500 if visiting Turkey standalone now with inflation and currency depreciation
- Flights were on redemption from India. Expect to pay $500 for revenue tickets. Domestic flights in Turkey costed $170 for 3 flights
- Hotel: $200 at $25-30 per night
- Transport: $110
- Balloon ride: $100
- Food: $30
- Entry fee: $50