Türkiye, the way we'd do it again

Coast, cruise, cave hotels & Istanbul

This is the exact route we travelled across Türkiye, roughly south to north, from the cove beaches of the Mediterranean coast to a gulet cruise on the Turkish Riviera, the bougie buzz of Bodrum, our favourite spot Alaçatı, the cave hotels and balloons of Cappadocia, and finishing in Istanbul. Where to stay, where to eat, what to do and all the local tips we wish we'd known, plus our honest rating out of 10 for every single stop. Use it as a guide, not a rulebook, and stay longer where you fall in love.

The route

• Antalya, 2 nights. Cove beaches, beautiful streets and the best cafes. Our rating 9.5/10.
• The Far Out gulet cruise, 2 nights. A boat cruise on the Turkish Riviera, Demre to Fethiye. A 10/10.
• Fethiye, 2 nights. A beautiful city with incredible jewellery shops.
• Bodrum, 3 nights. Beach clubs, sunsets and bougie fun. Our rating 8.5/10.
• Çeşme & Alaçatı, 4 nights. Our favourite, with a stop at ancient Ephesus on the way. A 1000/10.
• Cappadocia, 2 nights. Cave hotels, the Hammam and the hot air balloons.
• Istanbul, 3 to 4 nights. Vintage shopping, the Blue Mosque and the best cheesecake of your life.

What's inside the guide

• A stop-by-stop plan: where to stay, where to eat and what to do
• Our honest rating out of 10 for every single place
• Every spot with a clickable Google Maps link in the interactive Notion guide
• The Far Out gulet cruise, Cappadocia's balloons and ancient Ephesus, all sorted
• Getting around: car hire tips and the driving legs
• Lifetime updates

A glimpse inside