From the domes of Istanbul to sunrise balloons over Cappadocia, the marble streets of Ephesus, the white terraces of Pamukkale, and a ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bursa and snowy Uludağ.
Türkiye is where continents, empires and landscapes meet, and we tried to see them all. We said "Hello Istanbul" over the Golden Horn and stood under Hagia Sophia's chandeliers. Then we flew above the clouds to Cappadocia, where we opened our cave-hotel door at dawn to a sky full of hot-air balloons. Out west we walked the 2,000-year-old streets of Ephesus, stood beside the last column of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and waded through the warm white pools of Pamukkale. We finished by ferry to Bursa and the first snow on Uludağ, then had one last night on Istanbul's tram-lit streets.
- Duration
- 11 days (2 to 12 December 2022)
- Route
- Istanbul → Cappadocia (Göreme) → Selçuk & Ephesus → Pamukkale → İzmir → Istanbul → Bursa & Uludağ → Istanbul
- Getting around
- Domestic flights, a tourist bus between Cappadocia, Selçuk, Pamukkale and İzmir, a Sea of Marmara ferry, and city trams
- Places pinned
- 13 cities on our travel map
- Biggest milestone
- Waking up to hot-air balloons over Cappadocia
- Key stay
- Hera Cave Suites, Cappadocia
Route
6 stops
Tap a pin to jump to that stop.
Day by day
The itinerary
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1 Istanbul Hello Istanbul: Where Two Continents Meet
We started with autumn colours over the Golden Horn and the Galata Tower on the skyline. Inside Hagia Sophia we stood under its enormous dome and the glowing ring of chandeliers, 1,500 years of history over our heads.
“Hello Istanbul. Where Europe and Asia share a skyline.”
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2 Cappadocia (Göreme) Above the Clouds, Among the Balloons
We flew into Cappadocia at sunrise, above a sea of clouds. Waking up in our cave hotel, Hera Cave Suites, we opened the door to a sky full of hot-air balloons drifting over the fairy chimneys, an experience of a lifetime. We walked the rose-tinted valleys of the "land of beautiful horses," watched the balloons launch from the frosty fields, and ended the day with a cosy Turkish evening in a candlelit cave restaurant.
“I woke up, opened my door, and this is what I found.”
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3 Ephesus & the Temple of Artemis (Selçuk) Walking Through 2,000 Years
Heading west to the Aegean by tourist bus, we explored Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. We sat under its stone arches and looked up at the two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus. Nearby stood the last column of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
“History nerd, fully activated at the Library of Celsus.”
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4 Pamukkale Cotton Castle Terraces
Pamukkale means "cotton castle," and the white travertine terraces really do look like snow. We kicked off our shoes and waded through the warm, milky-blue thermal pools on top.
“Barefoot on the cotton castle. Pamukkale's thermal pools.”
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5 Bursa & Uludağ Ferry Crossings, Ancient Trees & First Snow
Back in Istanbul, we took the ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bursa, with gulls following the boat. In İnkaya we stood under a historic plane tree that is more than 600 years old. Then we rode the cable car up Uludağ to find our first snow of the winter, with pine forest and ski lifts all around.
“En route to Bursa, with the Sea of Marmara and a few seagull escorts.”
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6 Istanbul farewell Teşekkür Ederim, Türkiye
On our last days in Istanbul we visited the grand Çamlıca Mosque and walked the tram-lit streets of the old city at night. We finished under the Turkish flag and the moon, saying teşekkür ederim, thank you, to a country that gave us everything.
“Teşekkür ederim, Türkiye. Until next time.”
Photos from this stop are coming soon.
More from this trip
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