2 week Turkey itinerary: our honest 17-day road trip route

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. Click either photo to check your dates and current price.

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. The full route and cruise details are inside our Türkiye guide.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.