Terrific Turkey Road Trip!

Turkey is quickly turning into one of the most popular holiday destinations, partly for its competitive prices, but also for its rich diversity with something for all the family. Of course there are the famous mosques, steeped with history and very much sacred places. Then there are many other sites of historical interest; some amazing shopping experiences; rides on the river ferries; some cracking nightlife; plenty of art for culture vultures; relaxing spas and springs; a bit of caving of an afternoon; and don’t forget the beaches!

You will fly into Istanbul International Airport, the world’s largest airport, on the European side of the city. and you will be able to pick up your Indigo hire car here. It is a 60 minute ride to the city centre and now you can brace yourself for a full and fun 3-day itinerary in Istanbul.

Aya Sofya (Turkish for Holy Wisdom)

The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque was once a church and later a mosque and is one of the masterpieces in the entire history of architecture. Its domes will take your breath away, the marble columns are a sight to behold and the mosaics are simply superb. Dating back to 360, rulers were crowned here and during the Byzantine period there was really no match to it. It continued to be a mosque during the Ottoman period and despite previous disasters to its structure, after Sinan the Architect’s work it withstood many an earthquake. Now a Unesco World Heritage Site it is a landmark in Istanbul and one of the country’s most visited venues.

Blue Mosque

Nearby is the Ottoman-era Blue Mosque with its immaculate blue tiles lit up all in blue at night. As with Aya Sofya you need to take off your shoes upon entering and women must wear a head cover. If you avoid prayer time things are more relaxed and there are photo opportunities galore.

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace and Harem was the main residence and working HQ for the Ottoman sultans. Between the 15^th and 19^th centuries it was a place of which you could tell many stories, though not for a family blog like ours! Passing through the two courts into the Harem itself reveals opulence and it has been argued that this space was just a ‘private’ or ‘forbidden’ space for the family.Then there are two more courts including the resplendent Imperial Treasury.

Entertainment – The Bazaar and Beyond!

Bazaar District

Having spent some time in these gems of world architecture you may want to shop till you drop in this famous bazaar that houses 4,000 shops on some 60 lanes. Here you will find spices, ceramics, beautiful lamps, tapestries and gorgeous soaps.

Ferries

You have a choice of public ferry (a tad full of locals), private boat or yacht for some incredible views of the city’s wonders including Ottoman palaces, fortresses, museums and the ornate bridges.

Nightlife

Take in Taksim Square and nearby Istiklal Caddesi for authentic local cuisine, and a great number of clubs, bars and hotels for drinking and dancing the night away. There is also the Bosphorus area with its own brewery, Taps Bebek, the romantic Galata Bridge, or Meyhane with its heady mixture of folk music and seafood.

Contemporary art

Then for culture vultures there is Istanbul Modern, in the Beyoglu district, opened in 2004 and home to contemporary work by Turkish up and coming artists as well as those of some renown. If you are visiting between September 27 to October 1 2023 you can witness the spectacular art festival CI – Contemporary Istanbul in its 18^th edition. Apel Gallery is another venue for emerging Turkish artists while Dirimart exhibits established and new Turkish artists and an international selection too.

If, after all this tourism, you feel like a relaxing bath there is Cagaloglu Hammam tiled with tulip lillies, Cemberlitas Hammam built by Sinan in 1584, and The Four Seasons on the Bosphorus, a modern take on the art of bathing.

Onto Cappadocia

Uchisar

Here you will find an amazing rock castle that offers a great vista across the whole area. The kids will love the caves to explore!

Goreme Open Air Museum

Next and nearby you will come across a series of Catholic churches carved into the side of a mountain that go back 1000 years. The artwork is in a good state of renovation, ironically caused by being covered in pigeon poop!

Love Valley Hike

We know this is a family blog but it has to be said that the hike in Love Valley culminated in rock formations of a phallic nature. The kids may be inquisitive but mums the word!

Devrent Valley

Once you’ve calmed the kids down a bit Devrent Valley offers rock formations of far more interesting shapes: camels, seals, lions and other imagined bestiary.

Pamukkale

Here you can enjoy the calcium rich hot springs that go back to Roman times. If you are interested in its history the Hierapolis museum reveals all.

Antalya – The “Capital of Tourism”

Antalya is known as the “capital of tourism” in Turkey, and with its rich history it’s easy to see why! It’s home to many ancient monuments, such as the Roman Hadrian’s Gate and Hidirlik Tower. It’s also famous for its many waterfalls too!

Antalya Muzesi is made up of 13 halls with examples of items from the Paleolithic Age to the Ottoman era. Has a special kiddie-friendly area for exploring the antiques.

Duden Waterfalls

The Lower Duden Waterfalls are where the Duden River pours off the Antalya City cliffs into the sea. You can either venture along Duden Park for a view from above or take a boat tour from the marina in Kaleici. And just a 20 minute drive away is the companion Upper Duden Waterfalls.

Crossing the Finish Line

Dalaman

Dalaman is definitely worth a quick stop over with it’s long beach strip and mediterranean climate. You’d definitely be in need of a good beach rest after the last few days of excitement!

Bodrum

Near the southern Aegean coast this town is very popular with the tourists from across the globe. It is built on the site of the ancient city of Halikarnassus where there was the Mausoleum of Halikarnassus, one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. There is a bit of everything here from bars and restaurants to some steamy nightclubs and, of course, the beaches Yahsi and Bitez.

And with that the road trip unfortunately comes to an end – but worry not as we’ve barely scratched the surface! Turkey is never short on new things to do, and hopefully we’ve given you some ideas to get you started!

With Turkey being such a large country also, hiring a car is an absolute must – and that’s where we come in! Check out our main Turkey car hire page and look at some of the services we offer there, including:

If you have any questions at all though of course we are always available to contact here, and we will do our utmost to ensure you have the smoothest holiday possible. Feel free to take a look at some of our other road trip ideas for further inspiration too:

Rich Jevons was first published in the Yorkshire Post at the tender age of fifteen. After graduating at University of Humberside, Rich covered the visual and performing arts for a wide range of regional, national and international magazines, journals and newspapers. He has interviewed the likes of Patrick Stewart, Colin Baker and Christopher Eccleston. Currently, he is writing copy on road trips around the world, all from his office in Wortley, Leeds