2 Week Turkey Itinerary: Our Honest 18-Night Road Trip Route
We spent 18 nights travelling through Türkiye and it completely caught us off guard.
This is the route we actually took, from Antalya and a gulet cruise along the Turkish Riviera to Bodrum, Alaçatı, Ephesus, Cappadocia and Istanbul. Below are the nights we would recommend, what each stop was really like, and exactly how we would trim it into a two week Turkey itinerary.
Our Two Week Turkey Itinerary at a Glance
Two columns in the table on purpose. What we actually did, and what we would tell you to do, because they are not quite the same.
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| Stop | We did | We recommend | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antalya | 2 | 3 | Old town, coves and an easy arrival |
| Turkish Riviera gulet | 2 | 3 | Swimming, sailing and sleeping under the stars |
| Fethiye | 2 | 1 | Harbour town and a reset after the cruise |
| Bodrum | 3 | 2 | Beach clubs, restaurants and sunsets |
| Alaçatı and Ephesus | 3 | 3 | Our favourite town plus an ancient city |
| Cappadocia | 2 | 3 | Balloon weather buffer and cave hotels |
| Istanbul | 4 | 3 | Mosques, bazaars, food and history |
Eighteen nights as we travelled it, and the recommended column comes to eighteen too. It is the same trip with the nights moved to where we wished we had them.
To make it fourteen days, cut a night each from Fethiye, Bodrum and Istanbul, then one more from wherever you care least about. The shape of the route still works.
How We Travelled Around Türkiye
We hired a car for the coastal road trip because it gave us the freedom to reach beaches and smaller towns without planning our day around buses. Within towns we mostly walked or used trams, which cost about two dollars fifty a ride in Antalya. For the longest jumps, flying saved a full day of travel.
If you only have 14 days, this mixed approach is what makes the route realistic. A small hire car out of Bodrum runs around €38 to €48 a day depending on season, so it is worth comparing car rental prices before you commit to buses.
Getting around was the cheapest part of the whole trip. We spent about nine dollars a day each on transport across seven bases, which is covered properly in what 18 nights actually cost us.
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.
Where to Stay in Antalya
We stayed in an Airbnb in a great location with wonderfully helpful hosts. If you prefer Booking.com, Oli Hotel and Suites and Audo Local are the two options we would compare. We have not stayed at either property, but both stood out for their exceptional guest feedback, modern rooms and value.
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.
We booked the Demre to Fethiye route with Far Out Cruises. This was a collaboration, so we did not pay for it, which means I cannot tell you honestly whether it was good value. What I can tell you is that it was our favourite two nights in Türkiye and that we should have taken the three night option.
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.
We stayed in an Airbnb in the perfect location. Because we did not experience enough of Fethiye to confidently compare hotels, we would rather leave this one honest than add a random recommendation.
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.
Bodrum was comfortably the most expensive base of our trip, at nearly double what Antalya cost us per day. There is a full breakdown in is Bodrum expensive, and if you are choosing between the two, we compared them directly in Antalya or Bodrum.
Where We Stayed in Bodrum: Costa Maya Bodrum
We stayed at Costa Maya Bodrum, which was called Maya Otel when we booked it. This is a first-hand recommendation. It gave us a more budget-friendly base in an expensive part of Türkiye, and the pool was perfect when we wanted a slower afternoon between beach clubs and dinners.
Çeşme and Alaçatı, Our Absolute Favourite 100/10
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.
Where to Stay in Alaçatı
We stayed at a lovely casual homestay in Çeşme with the kindest owners, daily parking and home-cooked meals. If we did the trip again, we would stay in Alaçatı itself. GAIA ALAÇATI is the researched option we would compare. We have not stayed there, but the central location, boutique feel and exceptional guest feedback fit what we loved about this town.
Ephesus, the Road Trip Stop Worth Making
We visited Ephesus while travelling between Bodrum and Alaçatı. It is one of those places where the scale only makes sense once you are standing inside it.
The entrance was around €40, or roughly A$70, when we visited. It is not a cheap stop, but walking through the ancient streets and seeing the Library of Celsus made it worth adding to the route.
Cappadocia, Worth Every Bit of the Hype 10000/10
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.
We did not go up in a balloon, because we loved our hotel so much that we watched from the rooftop instead, and it was one of the best views we have ever had. If you do want to fly, book it early: the balloons are weather dependent and may not go up on one of your mornings.
Where We Stayed in Cappadocia: Cappadocia Cave Lodge
Cappadocia Cave Lodge was honestly one of the best stays of our entire trip. This is a first-hand recommendation. It was surprisingly affordable for such a beautiful cave hotel, and watching the balloons from the rooftop made those early mornings feel completely unreal. We would stay here again without hesitation.
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.
The lowest rating of the trip, and not because it is not worth going. It is a little too touristy, prices have clearly moved with inflation, and the Grand Bazaar was so overwhelming that we lasted about thirty minutes.
Where to Stay in Istanbul
We stayed in an Airbnb that let us walk almost everywhere. If you prefer a hotel, The Westist Hotel & Spa is the researched option we would compare. We have not stayed there, but its Pera location, huge number of strong guest reviews and access to the parts of Istanbul we enjoyed make it a practical base.
Every Place We Slept in Türkiye
The three properties we can put a name to, plus the Antalya options we would compare. Four of our seven bases were Airbnbs, and those are all listed on the stays page rather than here.
Cappadocia Cave Lodge
Cappadocia. The most expensive bed of our trip at A$170 a night, and the rooftop is where we watched the balloons go up.
Costa Maya Bodrum
Bodrum. Where we actually stayed, A$160 a night for the two of us in June, with a pool we used every day.
Oli Hotel and Suites
Antalya. Walkable to the old town and the cove beaches, which is the whole reason to stay central here.
Every base from all 18 nights, Airbnbs included, is on our Türkiye stays page.
Still planning? Here is how we would plan the whole trip and every bed and what it cost.
FAQs About This Turkey Itinerary
Is two weeks enough for Turkey?
Yes. You will not see the whole country, but two weeks is enough for a rewarding coast, Cappadocia and Istanbul route. Our 18-night trip felt comfortable. To make it 14 days, we would remove one night from Fethiye, Bodrum and Istanbul.
How long should you stay in Cappadocia?
Book at least three nights. We only did two and it was not enough. Balloon flights are weather dependent, so a buffer gives you another chance if your first morning is cancelled.
Would we do this Turkey route again?
Absolutely. We would keep the same shape, add a longer gulet cruise and stay in Alaçatı rather than Çeşme.
How much does two weeks in Turkey cost?
We averaged A$164.55 per person per day all in across 18 nights. A more careful trip would sit closer to A$110. The full transaction-level breakdown is in is Türkiye expensive.
What is the best time to visit Turkey?
We went mid-June to early July, which is peak season: hot, busy and beautiful. It is also the most expensive stretch for car hire, with August the peak of the peak.
Want your Türkiye itinerary planned in a couple of clicks?
Tell it how long you have got, and it lays the days out from everywhere we actually went.
- Two lengths, one week or the full fortnight
- Only places we actually went, never a generic list
- Both flights inland worked out for you
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