3 weeks in Türkiye: is it worth it? Our honest review of every stop
Türkiye completely caught us off guard. Three weeks driving from the southern coast up to Cappadocia and Istanbul turned into one of the most underrated trips we've ever done: cove beaches, a gulet cruise on the Turkish Riviera, an ancient wonder of the world, cave hotels and a sky full of balloons. Here's a quick, honest review of every stop, with a rating out of 10.
Antalya, the perfect soft landing 9.5/10
Hidden cove beaches, pretty old streets and cafes you want to move into. Easy, walkable and totally unintimidating, the perfect place to ease into the country.
A gulet cruise on the Turkish Riviera 10/10
Days on a traditional wooden sailing boat, swimming in water bluer than seems real and sleeping out on deck under the stars. The highlight of the whole trip, hands down.
Fethiye, beautiful even when you're sick 7/10
Full honesty, I got sick here so we didn't see it at its best. Even then it's a gorgeous old town with some of the best jewellery shops in the country.
Bodrum, the bougie one 8.5/10
The glossy, treat-yourself side of Türkiye. Beach clubs, long lazy lunches and sunsets you'll remember for years. Come ready to splurge a little.
Çeşme and Alaçatı, our absolute favourite 1000/10
The surprise of the trip. Cobbled streets and boutique hotels, white-rock beaches against impossibly blue water, and a whole ancient Roman city, Ephesus, on the way in.
Cappadocia, worth every bit of the hype 100,000/10
Cave hotels carved into the rock and a sky that fills with hundreds of balloons at sunrise. Every bit as magical as the photos, and more affordable than you'd think.
Istanbul, a feast for the senses 7/10
We finished here for the food, the history and the best Basque cheesecake of our lives. Busy and a little pricey, but unmissable for the Blue Mosque, the bazaars and the buzz.
So, is Türkiye worth it? Completely.
This blog is the inspiration. The guide is the plan. Inside you get every hotel we stayed in with our honest rating, every restaurant we ate at, the prices we actually paid, and a clickable Google Maps link on every single spot. A live, interactive Notion guide you can use on the go, for $9.99.
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