Where in the world can you find a place that resides on two continents? That destination is Turkiye. While this country may be unexpected for some – we hope this itinerary will shed light on the magic, beauty, and culture of Turkiye and why it should be on your bucket list if it isn’t yet!
Our Viator Shop for Excursions and Experiences
Getting to Istanbul – 2 Days
Compared to some of the other destinations we travel to, Istanbul was a direct flight from the US! We flew from Denver International to Dallas and then onward to Istanbul, Turkiye! We even got to fly business class due to flexible credit card points that we transferred to a partner airline. 88K points roundtrip – a steal!
We arrived in Turkiye in the evening and spent the night at an airport hotel to catch an early flight to another part of the country in the morning!
Hotel: Elysian Airport hotel – very affordable + some rooms have saunas and hot tubs, how fun! Book through us and we receive a small commission: https://expedia.tp.st/2ayGYJ2R
Travel Hack – We used a “positioning” flight for this trip…what is that you ask? Well, it is the concept of finding a flight deal out of a different airport than your home airport! We booked this trip on points and the flight was a steal from Dallas to Istanbul direct so we used a few extra points and flew Southwest from Denver to Dallas in our to “position” for our flight.
The next morning we flew from Istanbult to Cappadocia, Turkiye – a region in the dead center of the country and over to the continent of Asia (we flew from Europe to Asia!). We bought flights for this through Turkish Airlines.
Cappadocia, Turkiye – 3 Days
We stayed in Goreme, Turkiye, the fairy chimney capital of the world! What are those you might ask? Hoodoos that have been created by erosion over thousands of years from volcanic activity, but people in this area LIVED in the them! They are full of colorful art – monasteries, wineries, etc. They were AMAZING!
Where we stayed: Artemis Cave Suites – we got sleep in a cave! Plus, their Turkish bath experience is LUXURIOUS and cheap for the region, highly recommend. https://expedia.tp.st/FjZ6yuja
We used this transfer service to get to and from the airport: https://www.viator.com/tours/Goreme/Cappadocia-Shared-Transfer-Nevsehir-Airport-and-From-To-Kayseri/d23271-207268P3?pid=P00151140&mcid=42383&medium=link
Tours We Did:
Hot Air Balloons (our was cancelled due to weather – but highly reccomend the company!): vi.me/cRkO5 – the only downside to going in winter is weather can be more of an issue for this experience. The trade off is less people!
Private Tour of the Region and Hoodoos: vi.me/JyUWF
Şanlıurfa, Turkiye – 2 Days
We were told by several locals and guides during our trip that by visiting this region we got to see and experience the real Turkiye, always something we aim for in our travels! This was a highlight of the trip between the people, history and food of the region.
A lot of people are “scared” to visit because the city is close to the Syrian border. We felt very safe the entire time we were there and met a lot of really friendly Syrian people who have migrated to Turkiye to escape conflict in their home country. Turkiye really is a melting pot of so many cultures and you will get to experience it first hand by visiting this region.
This part of Turkiye is being coined as the start of human civiliation as we know of with archeological findings dating back 12,000 years ago! History really comes alive as this was part of Mesopotamia and on the edge of the Fertile Crescent.
How to get there: We took a plane from Istanbul to Şanlıurfa (about 2.5 hours) and hailed a taxi to our local hotel: https://expedia.tp.st/1e5YGdON
Palmyra Boutique hotel was very affordable, comfortable and the courtyard was so beautiful, even in the winter weather!
For our time in Şanlıurfa, we had one free day and one full day guided tour. During our first day, here is what we did:
- Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum (if you are visiting multiple parts of Turkiye, make sure to get yourself the Museum pass – most of the historic sites and museums are on this pass and can save you some $$)
- Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum
- Kizilkoyun Necropolis
- Dinner at: Cevahir Han (make sure to try Mira coffee!!) https://cevahirhan.com/
Our 2nd day was a guided tour and Ibrahim, our guide, was fantastic. He picked us up at our hotel and we spent the entire day together to get dropped off for our evening flight back to Istanbul.
Here is a link to the tour: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-gobeklitepe-and-harran-day-trip-with-flights-t706930/?partner_id=LIUUU3Q&utm_medium=online_publisher
Here is what we did:
Fish Lake & Historic Şanlıurfa – Read the legend here –https://turkishmuseums.com/blog/detail/sanliurfa-and-the-legend-of-balikligol/10116/4
Gobeklitepe (the world’s first human civilation that we know of!) https://sanliurfa.bel.tr/icerik/226/624/gobeklitepe
Ancient City of Harran – the city of Prophets and ancient Beehive houses
Overall, this part of the trip had to be Chris and I’s favorite and we highly reccomend putting it on your Turkiye destination list.
Istanbul, Turkiye – 4 Days
The last part of our trip we visited one of the largest cities in the world, home to 20 million people, Istanbul. The city spans half on the European continent and half on the Asian continent and is a unique blend of West meets East. The culture here was one our favorite parts of Istanbul and you can really immerse yourself in it by walking around the city.
We do want to say that there is SO MUCH to do in this city but most of the historical sites will cost you somewhere between $20-$50 USD per person so budget and plan accordingly. The Museum pass we mentioned earlier will help and there are other “passes” around that could save money if they have all the spots you want to visit included (we found that wasn’t always the case).
Also, you will likely get confronted in the Sultahamet neighborood with men selling carpets, either roll with it and have a conversation with them or ignore them completely. Sometimes you will need to be assertive in order to get the point across if you don’t want what they are selling.
Here is what we did:
- A food tour (what better way to get to a know a city and culture than through their food!) – here is one we reccomend: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-guided-food-tour-of-street-food-and-markets-t433969/?partner_id=LIUUU3Q&utm_medium=online_publisher
- Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia – The Hagia Sophia has an entrance fee and the Blue Mosque is free. Be mindful of when you visit because they do close often for prayer so you many need to be flexible – Fridays are a holy day for them as well so the mosques don’t open to the public until after 2:30 pm. Women and men need to dress modestly but women will need to cover their hair.
- Basilica Sisterns – ancient Roman times infrastructure of storing the city water. May sound boring, but boy, are they a work of art!
- Taking the ferry to Asia! – Experience food and culture on this side of Istanbul – the ferry is only a $1 to cross and you can swipe your credit card to pay for it (no need for a metro pass!)
- Turkish Bath in a 500 year old Hammam: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-gedikpasa-historical-hammam-with-privacy-add-on-t841161/?partner_id=LIUUU3Q&utm_medium=online_publisher
- Cruise on the Bosphorous River: https://www.viator.com/tours/Istanbul/Bosphorus-Yacht-Cruise-Shorth-Circle-Morning-Bosphoru-Cruise/d585-69435P26?pid=P00151140&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector
- Walk around the Egyptian (Spice) & Grand Bazaars and take in the street life of Istanbul
- Get Turkish ice cream (it is more for the experience, trust us!)
Turkiye is a wonderful destination with so much to see and do (and eat!). It may not be on the radar for some, but, we hope with this itinerary, it makes its way onto your bucket list! There is also a benefit to visiting in the off-season. We went in February and though weather was cooler and rainy (sometimes snow!) the crowds were minimal and prices were more affordable for hotels and flights.
MC Exploring 