Going to Turkey?! Here are my tips!
1) Do not follow strangers who try to give you directions. Always ask someone in a store.
2)Can get a 5 day museum pass (in Istanbul) since most admissions range from 5-60TL
Also one for all of Turkey (550 TL/$72). Totally worth it if you are going all over the country!
3)Duty free limit taking out of the country 430Euro, 4 liters of wine, 1 liter of spirits, cannot take out antiques, including rugs and carpets (if it’s old looking make sure it is validated by Department of Antiques
4) Don’t enter Mosques on Fridays (holy day), Women shoulders covered, long pants or skirt, cover head, usually have to take off shoes so take a shoe bag if you want to carry them with you.
5)Turkish Baths: keep underpants on and cover with their wrap (pestamal), can take along your own loofah mit and toiletries since theirs might be expensive. Make sure to take one while in Turkey!
6) Drink only bottled water, peel all fruit/veggies, don’t buy mussels, grilled meat/fish is usually safe
7) I highly recommend getting a Muze Card for all over Turkey or all over Istanbul. It will save you time and money overall! Museum & sites Muzecart: https://muze.gov.tr/urun-detay?CatalogNo=KRT-MSP01-27-002, http://dosim.kulturturizm.gov.tr/giris-ucretleri,
8) Most touristy places take Credit Cards, Euro, Dollars, Sterling?, and of course Turkish Lira (TL)
9)Tipping: restaurants round up bill by 10%, don’t tip taxis but can round up to nearest suitable figure as change can be a problem. NightClub bartenders get greedy, you don’t have to tip them at all!
10) Oct 6th is a holiday, liberation day for Istanbul city only
11) Public toilets charge 1TL, are revolting, some squatting, carry TP
12) VISA required 48 hours prior to flight US$30, www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
13) If a Shoe shiner drops his brush in front of you do NOT pick it up. They try to trap you
15) Types of Foods in Turkey:
Çiğ köfte (Raw meat ball with bulgur and spice)
Lokma (small balls stuffed with sweet water ''Sherbet'')
Kokoreç (lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal)
Kebab (Meat that grilled or braised in Turkish style). I liked these!
Turkish Delight (Try multiple if you can! I used to think I didn’t like it but then I went to a place where you could try all sorts of different flavors and actually found some that I like!)
Köfte (meatball with flavour in Turkish style) Love These!
Künefe (shredded dough baked with cheese and sweet syrup)
Sütlaç (dessert which is a mix of milk, rice, sugar, as rice pudding)
Turkish Coffee and Tea are amazing as well!
Here are the top 11 foods to eat in Turkey: Menemen. Lahmacun. Baklava. Iskender Kebap. Balik Ekmek. Gözleme. Imam Bayildi. Turkish Delight.
16) If you rent a car in Turkey, like we did in Izmir, Boycar is a great brand! www.boycar.com.tr
17) People commonly greet each other by saying “Nasilsiniz” (How are you?) or “Merhaba” (Hello).
18) Manners:In Turkey, it is rude to point your finger at someone. It is also rude to sit with the sole of your shoe raised and pointing at someone – the sole of the foot is the lowest part of the body and is considered unclean. Blowing your nose loudly in public is considered very bad manners. Another sign is meeting of your thumb and index finger forming a circle. While in most countries it means, "okay," in Turkey it means homosexual and is considered a big insult.
19) Best Souvenirs to Buy in Turkey: Nazar Boncugu : The Evil Eye. By far, one of the most popular souvenirs to buy in Turkey is the evil eye, known as the Nazar Boncugu. ... Sweet Baklava. ... Traditional Turkish Carpets. ... Clay Pottery in Cappadocia. ... Tea and Coffee. ... Exotic Spices. ... Nargile Pipes. ... Quality Leather and Gold.How to Haggle guide:https://www.propertyturkey.com/blog-turkey/10-tips-to-help-you-haggle-like-a-local-in-turkey
1) Can take the bus within the city. Use tokens or an Istanbulkart for 10TL, including 4TL of credit. Can add more to it. Can also use this to pay for Metro and Tram within the city. (METRO TAKSIM MOVIE)
2) Can get a 5 day museum pass since most admissions range from 5-60TL
Also one for all of Turkey (550 TL/$72). Totally worth it if you are going all over the country!
3) 10 Things You Should Avoid Doing in Istanbul
Don't stay close to the sights. Don't take the tram on Istiklal. Don't shop on Istiklal. Don't buy apple tea. Don't buy everything you see in the bazaars. Don't buy in bazaars without haggling. Don't be afraid to try street food. Don't eat close to touristic places.
Dangerous areas: Kadifekale (İzmir) / Sarıgöl District (İstanbul) / Dolapdere (İstanbul)
4) IstanbulPhoto stops: https://flybyebye.com/most-instagrammable-places-istanbul, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/793829871792481952,
*Blue Mosque: Located facing Aya Sofya across Sultanahmet Square. Most famous mosque in the old city. Best visited in the morning. Not open during prayer time. Free. Women wear headcovering. Cover up. Take a bag to put shoes in.. they make you take them off… IG: @BluemosqueTurkey
Hippodrome: Has the Obelisk of Pharaoh Thutmose, known as Column of Constatine (located beside the Blue Mosque)
*Aya Sofya: (located at the eastern end of the Hippodrome) Church of Holy Wisdom, one of the finest architectural creations in the world (dome), very pretty. Best visited in the morning. Not open during prayer time. Free. Women wear headcovering. Cover up. Take a bag to put shoes in.. they make you take them off… www.muze.gov.tr, IG: @officialTurkishmuseums
*The Yerebatan Sarayi: This was my favorite place to see! Located across from Aya Sofya, inside the underground chamber is inspiring to film sets (the third DaVinci Code, Inferno, was filmed here as well as From Russia with Love), Cathedral like ceiling and 336 columns with 2 huge medusa heads (one upside down). Looks cool. And Cistern of 1,001 Columns just a few blocks down Divan Yolu (Imperial Way). Looks totally Phantom of the Opera down there. Check out my Tik Tok of me singing the song in this location:)!
*Topkapi Palace: Palace during the Ottoman Empire. * Harem room is why a lot of people visit. Sultans. Throne Room and Treasury. Archaeology Museum is part of it with items belonging to Alexander the Great. The former imperial residence from where the Great Ottoman Empire was ruled. Today a spectacular museum that has one of the largest collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and the very famous treasury of the Royal Family. IG: @Topkapi_sarayi
The Grand Bazaar: Shopping, watch out everyone tries to get you into their store. If you want Turkish Delight and to sample some as well as herbal teas, nuts, dried fruits, etc, I highly recommend this shop inside the Bazaar: GOZDE: Miser Carsisis ici No:23, Eminonu - Fatih - Istanbul. Their WhatsApp # is +90-212-513-25-39, www.gozdemisircarsisi.com, email: [email protected],
Eyup: Mosque, Women inside wear all black, don't take photos of them. 4th most important place of pilgrimage in the Islamic World. You can walk through the back cemetery (Ottoman tombs) to get to the Pierre Loti Cafe (French author Julien Viaud dined here) view of Golden Horn.
Galata Bridge: Bridge to get from Old City Istanbul to New City Istanbul.
Galata Tower: looks down on Beyoglu St. Enjoy views. 360 degree view of Istanbul. IG: @GalataTowerOfficial,
*Galata Mevlevihanesi: Museum, has performances of whirling trance-dance form of worship. Performance times posted outside the building. #galataMevlevihanesi
Pera Palas Oteli: hotel made famous by Agatha Christie, built to accommodate passengers from the Orient Express, lobbies with 19th century items. Room 101 set aside as a museum. Close to the main street…Istiklal Caddesi www.perapalace.com, https://blog.perapalace.com/en/story-of-pera/the-story-of-room-101-ataturks-room/
Way to expensive to stay 400Euro! IG: @Perapalashotel, Also next door is the SoHo House @SohoHouseIstanbul
Istiklal Caddesi: One of the main and busiest streets in Istanbul. Crazy busy even during Covid. Lots of shops. Restaurants you can find beyond a corner..You will stroll on the exiting little side streets of Istiklal Street, see the amazing Embassy buildings, visit Armenian and Romaic churches, ancient districts, impressive walkways and much more. IG: @Istiklalcaddesibeyoglu
*Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) : Aturuk died here, place of a lot of gold that made state go bankrupt. Abdulaziz was so disgusted with it he built his own palace, Beylerbeyi, on opposite shore. Over the top. It’s so amazing and pretty to see! Great photo opportunities here! Especially for Instagram! which overlooks the Bosphorus from the European side, holds great importance to Turkey. The late19th century sultans resided here and ruled the Ottoman Empire from here. Was 150TL when we went I think. www.millisaraylar.gov.tr, IG: @dolmabahce_sarayi
*Bosphorus: Waterway (Straight), Zues and Greek Stories, 80,000 ships per year pass on this. Can take a daily cruise on the water starting close to the southern end of Galata Bridge. bosphorustour.com
We took a night one with Whirling TranceDancers. Really good! Was one of my favorite things to do in Istanbul!
Also took a daytime one for only 30TL
Bosphorus divides Istanbul’s European and Asian sides.
Beylerbeyi Palace: Abdulaziz built this across the water after seeing the Dolmabahce Palace, www.millisaraylar.gov.tr,
The Princes’Islands: There are four out of nine that are inhabited
Buyukada (Big Island): Last stop on ferry, most popular, more places to eat and drink than the others, can climb uphill to Aya Yorgi monastery which has a cluster of chapels with memorable views.
Hurrem Sultan Hamami (AyaSofyo): This is the oldest and most original Turkish Bath place! 1556. Close to AyaSofya and the Blue Mosque. www.ayasofyahamami.com, IG: @ayasofyahurremsultanhamami,
Metro station downstairs near Taksim. There are photos from this famous movie directed by Fellini, the Italian director on the bottom. It’s so weird, it’s a black/white movie, but in 1963.
Istanbul Archaeological Museums: Very interesting place. Got through all the building in one hour because everything started to look the same. Behind Topkapi Palace sort of. We were not going to go here at first but then on our free walking tour the guide mentioned to go in there to look at some parts that had been broken off of areas around Istanbul and were now inside. IG: @officialturkishmuseums, www.muze.gov.tr,
www.abelyatour.com, www.arnika.com.tr, http://genctur.com.tr/, www.plantours.com, www.sundayholiday.com.tr, www.vikingturizm.com.tr,
Get Your Guide App has some free tours as well
These IG’s are the ones we took: @localtourguideistanbul, @erlutgn, and @termatique, Erol is great! He is with all three of these IG’s! I highly recommend him!
Free Walking tour 1:30pm for 2.5hrsStart at German Fountain at HippodromeHagia Sophia (from outside)Blue Mosque (from outside)Egyptian Obelisk Serefiye Cistern (Entrance fee is 20 Try and it is up to you visit inside or not)Grand Bazaar ( Spice Bazaar on Sundays )Half Day: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome, Grand BazaarFull Day: Half Day + Topkapi Palace
Free walk tour 7pm for 2.5hrs (tram)https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/35233-lets-go-back-to-the-16th-century-free-walking-tour
Free tour 10:30am for 3hrshttps://www.freetour.com/istanbul/free-tour-in-istanbul
Free Tour Taksim and Galata 10:30am for 2.5hr
https://www.freetour.com/istanbul/free-tour-taksim-and-galata
Free walking & food tour (food 15euro if you eat all) 11am or 3pm for 3.5hr
https://www.freetour.com/istanbul/free-walking-tour-discovering-taksim-and-tasting-turkish-food
***or https://www.freetour.com/istanbul/free-walking-tour-galata-sultanahmet11am for 3.5hrBaklava
Hop On Hop Off Bus: Big Bus Tours, one of the only bus tours in the city. Charge a fee.
*Four Seasons Hotel: Dine on the edge of the Bosphorus River. Very pretty at night. Also a great photo stop and make sure you share on their page to hopefully be featured! IG: @fsbosphorus Great place to stay as well.
Spago -rooftop Ortakoy, saw in person but didn’t have a reservation. Really cute and a local friend told us to go there:) IG: @SpagoIstanbul
No. 5 Besiktas: Or No.5 Restaurant. Really cute place and great to people watch. IG: @no5besiktas
Sultan Cafe: Right by the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome area. Really nice place to chill. IG: @Sultan.Cafe.Istanbul
Besiktas Limon: Great area to people watch. A good pub.
**The House Cafe: REALLY nice place by the water inside a hotel. Was one of my favorites. Has some great house cocktails as well. IG: @thehousecafegarden
Elma Pub: In same chic area Besiktas as No. 5 and Limon. 3 Floors. Pub and Lounge. Sometimes live music. Great food and good to people watch! IG: @ElmaPub
Locally Recommended but we didn't go to:
CafeBebek ? / Arnavutkoy? / Alenandre ? /Bodrum Manti? (spelling off?
Privato cafe - have orchid tea - breakfast/lunch, Salep - hot tea made from orchid flowers, the best drink ever. (Near Galata Tower area), www.privatocafe.com, IG: @PrivatoCafe
Mikla - in hotel off İstiklal street (lil hard to find, but worth it) 44th best restaurant in world. It has a set menu. It’s very expensive restaurant for Istanbul. It has a rooftop bar too, if you just want to go up there for drinks that’s really cool. The dinner most would probably be $60 each depending on drinks and what you get. Ours was 82 euros together. We only had one drink at dinner. Location: in The Marmara Pera hotel, it’s side road off İstiklal street. https://www.miklarestaurant.com/en make a reservation online. phone: +90 (212) 293 5656, Address: The Marmara Pera, Meşrutiyet Caddis 15, 34430, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, e-mail: [email protected]
Mikla rooftop - definitely go here at least for drinks
Firuzende rooftop in Anemon hotel next to Galata tower - a must and the food looked delicious IG: @Firuzendegalata
Nola restaurant - near Galata tower area, IG: @NolaIstanbul
Raum: Right next door to the Capital Suites if you stay there. A bit small but still fun. Note: At nightclubs you do NOT have to tip, but they do try and get greedy!
Four Seasons: Obviously really nice. Along the Bosphorus Cruise and close to Chic area. Pricey. At least swing by to take a photo and tag them on Instagram to try to get featured on their page! @FSBosphorus
The Capital Hotel: This is where we stayed. Smack dab in the middle of one of the best areas in Istanbul and at a great price too. In chic area. Small rooms but who cares because you are never gonna be in there. Nicely priced. Across the street is the W. Be careful if your driver goes by too fast they might miss it. WhatsApp #: +90-212-258-01-17, www.the-capitalsuites.com, IG: @the_capital_hotel
W: Right across from the Capital Hotel (where we stayed). In a nice chic area. Best neighborhood in Istanbul in my opinion. IG: @WIstanbul
*Pergamon: Huge theatre. Temple of Asklepios. Temple of Telesphoros. Acropolis. Asklepion. Temple of Zues/Trajan, etc. As big as Ephesus and Sardis
Sart (Sardis): Temple of Artemis.
*Ephesus: most Ancient city of Turkey. Was ranked as one of the seven wonders of the world. Been here twice! Ruins: Church of the Virgin, Library of Celsus (amazing!), Temple of Hadrian, Theatre (St. Paul drew huge crowds here, very impressive!), etc. One of three things I remember about it are their version of the toilets back then with the frogs, the stone you touch and supposed to fall in love within 48 hours if you are single, and the good that appears once you put water on it! Can stay in Selcuk which is 14 miles away with taxis and minibus station.
*Selcuk: Only 14 miles away from Ephesus. Can stay in this town when visiting Ephesus. Taxis and minibuses. Also Ephesus Museum.
Priene: This town has the Temple of Athena Polias (5 columns re-erected, others scattered around)
*Pamukkale: Icy area, mineral-rich “waterfalls” Roman Hierapolis up top. With hot springs up top. Great place for some amazing photos! Only a few pools remain open, thermal baths, antique pool. On the plateau above is the ancient ruins Hierapolis (theater) IG: @PamukkaleTurkey. We stayed at Melrose Viewpoint Hotel while we were there. www.MelroseViewpoint.com
**Alacati: Located an hour north of Ismar within the Cesme peninsula area. Such a cute great place! My friend said it reminded her of Mikinos Greece, which I have never been to so I wouldn’t know, but was super pretty. Find a hotel close to downtown area.
Bizim EV Restaurant: BEST restaurant in Alacati and only one you should DEFINITELY go to! Has the Umbrellas above. Great photo op. Great staff. Our waiter was the HOTTEST guy I have ever seen so if you don’t go for the food, which is amazing by the way, go for the ‘scenery’! We wanted our fish de-boned and with no head on it so the waiter did it for us himself. Very helpful! IG: @BizimEvRestaurantAlacati
Eldoris Otel: Where we stayed. Right in the midst of the downtown. Great location! IG: Eldorisotel www.eldorisotel.com
Bodrum: one of most popular places in Turkey, big yachting, opposite Greek island of Kos. Visit Bodrum Castle (peacocks wander around the castle) and Museum of Underwater Archaeology where they have the first shipwreck ever. (they are the same building/castle) Scuba diving and Kite Surfing are popular here. Shopping on the main strip is typically crowded alongside restaurants and bars. Also trips to Epheses and Pammukale can be taken from here.
*Blue Cruise: Can catch in along the street. Goes to all the ports south side of Turkey (Med) Would be a cool way to see all that coast! When I went it was too windy and we couldn’t go. Gotta go back!
Here are some of the tour options….
Helinim Tour Travel Agency: www.helinimtour.com, Boat tours and scuba diving, dolphins, also trips to Ephesus and Pamukale.
Heaven Tour Travel Agency: Boat trips, dolphins, catamaran, trips to Pamukkale and Ephesus, scuba diving. IG: @ahmet8023heaven_tour,
Yalipark Otel: Close to everything walking distance (shops restaurants and yachts), great price for being new (2020). In Yalikavak part of Bodrum. Great rooms, pool, right on the beach, great wifi! IG: @bodrumyalipark, [email protected]
Atrium Hotel: Close walking distance to everything that is ‘happening,’ the restaurants, shops, bars, etc. Good location but pretty small. Cool pool. Parking on location as well! IG: @atrium.hotel, www.atriumbodrum.com,
Ipek Otel Beach Turkbuku: Super pretty with a great restaurant inside. www.ipekotel.com,
***Cafe Del Mar: Really nice place and nice people by the water in the main area of Bodrum. IG: @CafeDelMar.Bodurm
Mavi Yelken: IG: @Maviyelkennagme, by the water in Mugla. Let us try things. Was amazing!
**Melange Gumusluk: One of the best places we went to. Great food and great view of the water and also one of the best places for photo ops! IG: @GumuslukMelengec In Mugla area of Bodrum.
Cardakli Restaurant: In Yalikavak area of Bodrum. Best seafood in the area!
Ipek Otel Beach Turkbuku: Inside a hotel but outside by the beach/bar. Such good drinks and food with a nice view!
(These are all different cities in Turkey)
Demre and Myra: Church of St. Nicholas and the Myra tombs (lycian cliff tombs/closed) Go early morning…
Antalya/Kaleici: The Archaelogical Museum (Bronze age), Caves of Karain Magarasi www.antalyarafting.com.tr
Anamur: Anamur Castle closed till late 2020
Cennet Ve Cehennem (Corycian Caves): Heaven and hell, 452 stairs down to chapel, gloomy pit of hell where Zues imprisoned Typhon
Adana: Sabanci Merkez Camii: mosque modeled after the Blue Mosque opened in 1999
*Antakya: Sen Piyer Kilisisi (St. Peters Cave): was said to be the first official Christian Church
*Monastery of Semula: Near city of Trabzon (that’s where you’d have to stay)(closest city to Russian and Georgia and can tell), Looks so cool. Black Sea’s biggest attraction. Might be hard to get a hotel, tourism not promoted and lodging is scarce, overpriced and full of tour groups. Research how to get there (27miles south of Trabzon) and see if it’s even doable to get a guide… I wish we had had time to go but we ran out. Turkey is so big!
Nemrut Dagi: Mount Nemut: Statues of the gods are scattered.
Sanliurfa: birthplace of Abraham (but Abraham and his family lived in Harran, 30 miles south, according to Genesis
CAPPADOCIA (Do not miss this one!)
*Cappadocia Area: Best explored by foot, car, or bicycle. Can get some official drivers. I can tell you who! Give yourself more than just a couple of days here! At least 5! My favorite place in all of Turkey!
-Hot air balloon: can book tours from Goreme,Urgup, Uchisar, + Cavusin
www.ButterflyBalloons.com are the safest
Cities within Cappadocia Area:
-Uchisar: highest point in Cappadocia. Myriad chambers/tower of volcanic tufa
-Goreme: One of the most popular cities to stay in Cappadocia. This is where we stayed majority of the time.
-Kaymakli underground city tour, connects with Derinkuyu
-Derinkuyu underground city tour, connects with Kaymakli
www.goreme.com, www.middleearthtravel.com, www.redvalleytours.com, www.yukitour.com,
Cappadocia:
Kayseri airport to Goreme (where you want to stay for the balloons is 1 hr and 4 mins drive from the hotels).
1 Get your guide app for shuttles from cappadocia or istanbul - $38 - 2 people (can find less, but reviews weren’t great) will have your name on sign at exit gate at Kayseri airport
2 Go to Goreme bus station for like $6 hop on bus to ASR airport or places.
3 Mustafa - Taxi driver can give you a good deal probably, we just had ours booked already. You will notice the km (miles) are about the same price as the liras for the km. It’s about .55 cents a mile in the taxi, but you can ask him for a deal for airport. IG: @m.gencturkk If he isn’t available, his cousin Bryan, is also a driver IG: @cappadociabb. Also Shukran, is also very good for tours (she speaks better English).
4 On way back, we got shuttle from Yunak Evleri hotel in Ürgüp and it was only $20 - 2 people
Koza hotel:
Aydinli Mahallesi Cakmakli Sokak No:49, 50180, Göreme
#+90 384 271 2466
Check in: 1-10pm
Check out: 11am
Breakfast included 8:30am-10:30am (but will make at 8am, it need it earlier)
Free WIFI everywhere
Baggage Hold
***Find out what time balloons take off in the morning- 5am on roof normally, but was 6am when we were there & we went up to the roof by 5:45am.
Where I stayed: Nice rooftop for hot air balloon pics in the morning
Wifi everywhere and included
Nice big rooms and nice lighting
Front staff is super nice and very helpful! Especially Eren! IG: @ozkirlieren
Pool, Spa, and and Restaurant
Will set up tours for you
Trip Advisor: Sultan Cave Suites
Whats App +90-530-576-69-50
Also stayed here a couple nights on the weekend because it was cheaper than Sultan Caves.
Free breakfast (best breakfast we had in Turkey!)
Rooftop to see the hot air balloons in the morning and take photos
Front desk Max is also a photographer (IG: @max_nouri) you can hire to take photos of you if you like. I have his Whats App if you like and on Instagram
Only thing was the lighting in the room was not so good
• Real big cave experience, really pretty! We stayed there one night.
Can pay on MC/Visa or Euros
Check in 2pm (can get early check in it ask ahead of time)
check out 12pm
Breakfast is included:
07:00 until 10:30, table service during Covid
Has a nice restaurant at night as well! @CavernaRestaurant
• WiFi in the room, not so great, only works on balcony
Address:
Yunak Mahallesi, Ürgüp, 50400
Property #: +903843416920
IG: YunakEvleri
#YunakEvleri, #YunakEvlerikapadokya, Many more
**Sacred House Hotel Suites:
AMAZING HOTEL! I wish we had stayed here but we didn’t know about it till the end. In the Urgup area. Every room is different. Amazing statues and art everywhere. Spa looks so cool! They will not let you in unless you stay there but we snuck in looking like we were. They have an amazing in house restaurant and bar and garden as well. When I go back I want to stay in each different room! IG: @SacredExperience, #SacredHouse, #SacredExperience, www.sacredhouse.com.tr/
Dutlucami Mah. Barbaros Hayrettin Sokak No: 25, Urgup
Activities: http://goreme.com/index.php
1 Hot Air Balloon Ride!: #1 thing to do in Cappadocia! Butterfly Balloons is the best! www.butterflyballoons.com, Ask for Gokhan Aydin as your captain! He was great! IG: @ButterflyBalloons
1 Goreme air museum - Goreme Acik Hava Müzesi - everyday open 8a-7p - Address: Göreme National Park Müze Caddesi 64 50400 Ürgüp Nevşehir, Turkey you can walk from Koza hotel (I think it was 80 liras between us, which is about $16 for 2 people - 29 min walk, it wasn’t bad (Part of Red Tour, see below)
2 Zelve Open Air Museum - 10am-6:15pm - We didn’t go to this one. The Zelve Monastery is a Byzantine-era monastery that was carved into the rock in pre-iconoclastic times. Address: Aydınlı Mahallesi, Yavuz Sokak D:No:1, Nevşehir, Turkey
3 Pasabag - Mushroom chimneys - formations - is one of the most popular spots in Goreme Really great! — 34 min walk from Koza and 10 min drive - $ to get in, but really cheap. (Part of Red Tour, see below)
4 Uchisar castle - 7 lira each to get in. Really cool place! Went back and did some more photos there. (Part of Red Tour, see below)
5 Love Valley - free with heart seats, you can take photo in overlooking the valley, not big area, but called Love Valley because 2 lovers killed themselves Romeo and Juliet Style. (Part of Red Tour, see below)
6 Rose Valley - free, see fairy chimneys
7 Avanos - old city with pottery shops, can walk around, traditional
8 Cavusin city -free - John the Baptist church - over 1000 yrs old, 5th century cave Church of St. John the Baptist, the oldest and largest in Cappadocia. You need to hike up there it’s in a cave, little dangerous, past the really tiny homemade wooden bridge, right past that is the cave. The wooden bridge has large nails sticking out of the bottom where you hold onto, so be careful. You need to help each other over. https://hellojetlag.com/cavusin-cappadocia/, Also (Part of Red Tour, see below)
9 Pottery class - https://abnb.me/zuYzy60hZ9 Pottery is all in the city of Avanos. 2 people cost: $54.56 for pottery class. Carpets store for photos - Galerie Ikman- 5 min walk from Koza - $12 to take photos or pay in Lira, need cash. Address: hakkı paşa meydanı. roma kalesi yanı, 50180 Kasabası /merkez/Nevşehir, Turkey. There is a Pottery Demonstration as part of the Red Tour as well.
10 Carpets through Turkish Govt. - if interested in buying real Turkish carpet, Shukran can arrange, but expensive. They can do a huge demonstration
11 Winery - Turasan - wine tasting/little tour in Ürgüp (17 min taxi from Koza, will be like $3.60) Address: Yunak Mah. Tevfik Fikret Cad. Ürgüp/Nevşehir #0 384 341 49 61 email: [email protected] (The Cabernet is the best but then I like Cab’s) Bottles of wine at the winery are only $5-6 and so good. Best to do it as part of the Red Tour.
12 Turkish Night - Around 180₺ (18 pounds, $20 something) per person (includes all you can eat and drink and the show) Best to ask your hotel or travel agent and/or go straight to the location and make the reservation yourself. Note: Evranos gives a discount for CaptivatingCappadocia.com readers. It’s also belly dancers etc.
14 Horse back riding and Quads: you can rent - but rental places everywhere walking down the street, I suggest not because their saddles are NOT the safest.
*15 Green Tour: was really good, 55 Euros each, $65, was really good! Pick up from your hotel at 09:30-5pm. Has some of the stuff listed above included!
• Kaymakli Underground City: so amazing and worth it! Where Christian used to hide. This is a must no matter whether or not you do a tour! So fun!
• Ihlara Valley: Get ready for some hiking with this one, with a nice place to sit in the water and eat in the middle.
• Selime Monastery: Huge! Great photo Opportunities and a BIG climb!
• Onyx Demonstration: Really great! www.goremeonyx.com, IG: @Goremeonyx
• Pigeon Valley vista point
*16 Red Tour: There is a Red tour too, has some of the stuff listed above included. 55 euros/$65 each -Main red tour attractions:
Pottery Workshop with Kapadokya Seramik: www.cappadociaceramic.com.
• Shukran was our guide. I suggest contacting her for both tours and a great deal.
I highly recommend doing both the Red and Green Tours in order to get most everything in! So much easier!
1 Lila Restaurant: The BEST restaurant in Cappadocia! Great view morning and night but best dinner we had on our whole trip! Inside the @museumhotel. Owner Omer is basically Mr. Cappadocia himself having come up with the hot air balloon idea. IG: @LilaCappadocia, www.lol-a.com.tr/
2 Top Deck Restaurant: In Goreme, really good, down in a cave, cute places to sit. Closed on Tuesdays. Good lamb and wine! IG: @TopDeckCaveRestaurant Reservation: WhatsApp: +90-384-271-24-74
3 Caverna Restaurant: Inside the Yunak Evleri Cave hotel, well outside in the open I should say! Very great steak, pasta, wine, and everything! IG: @CavernaRestaurant
4 Mozaik restaurant - says wine tasting on banner in Goreme on Main Street has very good food!
5 VIEWPOINT - we had a drink on the rooftop, but you can get food there too. Don’t eat at place underneath, Mother’s, not good. It looked better from the ground at night.
6 Mado Restaurant - in Avanos on the water.
7 Areni: in Ürgüp, open till 12am ate on rooftop http://www.arenicappadocia.com
8 Lagarto Restaurant in Dere Suites Cave Hotel in Ürgüp open till 12am, ate on rooftop.
1 Turasan- Buy Misket wine like Riesling
2 High Hi 5 five - we bought a Turkish lamp really cheap prices, guy really nice and not pushy, has jewelry too in there. Those lamps in UK are priced at 200 pounds and like $8-30 for a huge one in Turkey. Ours was like under $10. Address: Müze Yolu Cad. No: 26/B Goreme/Nevşehir
3 Turkish carpet store owned by Government: Shukran - In the green tour guide - can arrange for them to pick you up and show you authentic carpets. They will give you deals if you bargain with them all the way down to $350-600 with payment plans and some cost way more. Some are like over $10,000. But there are still nice ones, you will only get these prices during Covid probably if having a Turkish rug is your thing. Just make sure they give you a form of authenticity so you can get it back to the country.
Airlines to get into Istanbul:
Airlines (domestic for Turkey/within Turkey)
Can connect btw these cities: Adana, Ankara, Antakya, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edremit, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Izmar, Kars, Kayseri, Konya, Malatya, Mardin, Nevsehir, Samsun, Sanlurfa, SIvas, Trabzon, and Van. (some routes could be dropped)
Security is strict and you have to point out your baggage from a pile on the runway before it is transported… so weird….
Ferries: sail between these Turkish ports at least once daily through mid-Oct:
Ayvalik, Kusadasi, Cesme, Bodrum, Marmaris, Kas, and the Greek islands of Lesvos, Hios, Samos, Kos, Rhodes, and Kastellorizo. www.feribot.net
Ulusoy, Varan, and Metro are some of the best ones.
Can get from Ankara 10pm to south coast by 8am
Also from Istanbul to Cappadocia on overnight bus
3 largest cities (Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir) connected by Turkish State Railways, can book tickets/sleepers up to 15 days in advance
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