Turkey

Places in Turkey

• Adana

  Adana is a historic Cilician city where Roman and Ottoman landmarks meet a lively food and nightlife scene. Use it as a walkable urban base for Taşköprü, mosques, museums, and day trips toward Tarsus and the Mediterranean coast.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$42

  Best months

  Jan–Jun, Sep–Nov

• Adapazarı

  Adapazarı serves as a key transit hub on the route between Istanbul and Ankara, with YHT fast trains stopping at Arifiye station. The city was devastated by the 17 August 1999 earthquake (7.6 magnitude) along the North Anatolian fault line but has been rebuilt.

  Atlas entry

• Afyonkarahisar

  Afyonkarahisar sits on a dramatic black volcanic crag crowned by an ancient fortress, offering a compact historic old town with mosques, hammams, and sweeping views. The city is also Turkey's thermal spa capital, with dozens of geothermal hotels drawing domestic visitors for weekend cures.

  Atlas entry

• Akçaabat

  Akçaabat is a working Black Sea city of 129,000 that makes a convenient stop when traveling the D010 coastal highway between Trabzon and Samsun. It's best known for its kofta dish (Akçaabat köfte), the lively Horonu folk dance, and hosting an international folklore festival since 1990.

  Atlas entry

• Akçakoca

  Akçakoca is a Black Sea beach resort with a population of 27,878, serving as a weekend getaway from Istanbul and Ankara. The town has Genoese castle ruins on a clifftop, narrow but scenic beaches, and a quirky Lenin bust story.

  Atlas entry

• Akhisar

  Akhisar is a mid-sized city in Turkey's Central Aegean region with a population of 174,850 (2020). Its main visitor attraction is the ruins of ancient Thyatira, the city mentioned in the Book of Revelation as one of the seven churches of Asia.

  Atlas entry

• Aksaray

  Aksaray is an under-visited Central Anatolian stop where Seljuk monuments, caravanserais, and the Tuz Gölü salt lake reward a short stay. Use it as a practical base for Ihlara Valley, Güzelyurt, and Cappadocia scenery.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$50

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Akşehir

  Akşehir (population ~94,000 in 2022) is a small city in Konya Province, Lakes District of Mediterranean Turkey. It is best known as the epicenter of tales about Nasreddin Hoca, a fictional "wise fool" and Sufi sage whose anecdotes of wit and satire spread from Anatolia to China, Sicily, and Kenya.

  Atlas entry

• Akyaka

  Akyaka is a low-key beach resort at the head of the Gulf of Gökova, offering a quieter alternative to the package-tour chaos of nearby Marmaris. The town centers on a narrow sandy beach backed by a promenade of bars and restaurants, with boat trips running up Çay Creek into forested canyon scenery.

  Atlas entry

• Alaçatı

  Alaçatı is a small Aegean town with well-preserved Greek stone architecture, windmills, and a relaxed bohemian vibe. It is best known for windsurfing in the sheltered southern bay, and the nearby Ilıca beach strip offers thermal spas.

  Atlas entry

• Alanya

  Alanya is a large resort on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, with a population of 364,180 in 2022. It's dominated by its ancient citadel and has a long beach strip either side.

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• Alaşehir

  Alaşehir is a working agricultural city in Turkey's Central Aegean, best known for its sultana (raisin) production and its ancient name Philadelphia. It was one of the Seven Churches of Asia addressed in Revelation, praised for its enduring faith, and one of only two of those churches still within reach of a day trip from Alaşehir.

  Atlas entry

• Amasra

  Amasra is the most attractive town on Turkey's Western Black Sea coast, sitting on a tombolo island fused to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Its old town is enclosed within Genoese citadel walls, with a photogenic single-arch bridge (Kemere Bridge) crossing to Boztepe island.

  Atlas entry

• Anamur

  Anamur sits at Turkey's southernmost point on the Anatolian peninsula, meaning "windy cape." The main draw is Mamure Castle, a stout fortification built by Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Karamanids, and Ottomans. It's also a transit stop on the D400 coast highway between Antalya and Adana, convenient for travelers heading to Cyprus ferries from Taşucu.

  Atlas entry

• Ankara

  Ankara combines republican history with museums, mosques, parks, galleries, and a broad cultural calendar. It deserves more than a transit stop on the way to Cappadocia.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$51

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Antakya

  Antakya, ancient Antioch-on-the-Orontes, is a fascinating melting pot where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism coexist. Arabs and Turks live side by side, and you'll hear prayers in many languages.

  Atlas entry

• Antalya

  Antalya pairs a historic old town and Roman remains with Mediterranean resorts, waterfalls, and a lively food scene. It also works well as a base for day trips to Perge, Aspendos, and the wider coast.

• Ardahan

  Ardahan is a small, chilly mountain city in Eastern Anatolia with a 2023 population of 42,000. It sees few tourists despite its dramatic history of being fought over by Ottoman and Russian empires.

  Atlas entry

• Armutlu, Marmara

  Armutlu is a quiet seaside town on the Armutlu Peninsula overlooking the Gulf of Gemlik, within easy reach of Istanbul. It is best known for its hot springs and has a pleasant Mediterranean climate with purple bougainvillea and a breeze that offsets summer heat.

  Atlas entry

• Avanos

  Avanos centers Cappadocia’s pottery tradition on the Kızılırmak, with workshops, showrooms, and a walkable old town. It offers a quieter base for fairy chimneys, river scenery, and nearby underground sites.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$47

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Avşa

  Avşa is the most heavily touristed of the Marmara Islands, a short ferry journey from Istanbul. Developed as a budget resort in the 1970s while other islands restricted tourist development, it offers sandy coves, affordable accommodation, and local wine-tasting.

  Atlas entry

• Ayder

  Ayder is a traditional yayla (summer highland settlement) at 1350 m altitude in the Kaçkar Mountains of Eastern Karadeniz. It attracts hikers and nature lovers from June to August, who come for the mountain trails, meadows, and cool alpine air.

  Atlas entry

• Aydıncık

  Aydıncık is a quiet Mediterranean coastal town in Turkey's Cilician Mountains with 11,500 residents as of 2022. Once an important ancient port called Celenderis, little remains of its past glory, but excavations continue uncovering Roman baths, a theatre, and mosaics.

  Atlas entry

• Ayvalık

  Ayvalık blends Greek Orthodox architecture, cobbled streets, olive culture, and seafood with road access to Cunda island. It suits travelers who want a relaxed Northern Aegean base for markets, sunset viewpoints, beaches, and nearby Pergamon.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$40

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Balıkesir

  Balıkesir is a mid-sized Turkish city on the main trade route from Istanbul to Izmir, making it a practical transit stop. The city has little remaining from antiquity due to a devastating earthquake in 1898, so most structures are modern.

  Atlas entry

• Bandırma

  Bandırma is a large freight and ferry port city in Turkey's Southern Marmara Region with a population of 149,469 (2016). Most visitors pass through en route between Istanbul and the Aegean, but the city holds historical significance as the place where Mustafa Kemal sailed to Samsun to begin the Turkish War of Independence.

  Atlas entry

• Batman

  Batman grew from a village of a few hundred people in the 1950s to a city of several hundred thousand after petroleum was discovered in the surrounding mountains. The city name derives from Batı Raman (Western Raman Mountains) where oil was first found, and predates the Batman comic book character (first appeared in 1939); the city was renamed from Iluh in the 1950s.

  Atlas entry

• Belek

  Belek is Turkey's premier golf resort destination, with over a dozen courses lining its Mediterranean coast. The area attracts European Tour tournaments and dedicated golfers, but also appeals to families and sun-seekers who want beach access combined with upscale amenities.

  Atlas entry

• Bergama

  Bergama is a city in Northern Aegean Turkey, best known for the extensive ruins of Pergamon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It grew up as a Hellenistic city-state under the Attalid dynasty and later was embellished by Roman emperors.

  Atlas entry

• Beypazarı

  Beypazarı is a historic Ottoman market town in Central Anatolia, 100 km west of Ankara, with a well-preserved old town of traditional courtyard houses and narrow lanes. The town is famous for its carrots (celebrated with a large phallic sculpture at the foot of the old town) and mineral water springs.

  Atlas entry

• Beyşehir

  Beyşehir is a small lakeside city in Turkey's Lakes District, best known for the Eşrefoğlu Mosque—a 1296 AD Seljuk wooden hypostyle mosque inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town has a compact old quarter of cobbled lanes near the mosque, sits at 1123 m altitude on the outflow of Lake Beyşehir (45 km long by 20 km wide), and makes a quiet, unhurried stop compared to Konya or the Mediterranean resorts.

  Atlas entry

• Birgi

  Birgi is a small historic village that served as capital of the Aydınoğulları principality from the 13th to 15th century, and has been little developed since. Its original Seljuk and early Ottoman street layout remains intact, with period monuments including the 1312 Grand Mosque, two medieval tombs, a 1761 merchant mansion, and a restored Byzantine tower.

  Atlas entry

• Bodrum

  Bodrum mixes a lively marina, ancient Halikarnassos monuments, beaches, and a busy nightlife scene. It also works as a base for peninsula trips, scuba diving, and ferries to Kos.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$80

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Bolu

  Bolu sits astride the main land route between Istanbul and Ankara, making it a natural stopover 260 km east of Istanbul and 190 km northwest of Ankara. The town itself is modern and humdrum with few antiquities, but the surrounding Köroğlu Mountains are dotted with forested lakes, ski resorts, and traditional villages that have preserved their architecture.

  Atlas entry

• Boyabat

  Boyabat is a small Turkish town of 29,093 people in the Western Karadeniz region, perched in the Gökırmak River gorge. Its main draw is the clifftop Boyabat Castle, which has guarded the valley routes since ancient times.

  Atlas entry

• Bozcaada

  Bozcaada is a tiny triangular Aegean island just 5 km from the Turkish mainland, offering a slower pace than package-resort destinations. The island is known for its historic castle, traditional stone architecture, local wineries, and windswept south-coast beaches with cold freshwater springs surfacing into the sea.

  Atlas entry

• Burdur

  Burdur is a Lakes District market town with a population of 95,500, offering archaeological museums, Ottoman mosques, and access to Lake Salda's famous white travertines. The town was established by Mehmet Akif Ersoy University in 2006, giving it a youthful atmosphere.

  Atlas entry

• Bursa

  Bursa is a historic Ottoman capital with UNESCO-listed heritage, major mosques and bazaars, and a strong food culture. It also opens onto Mount Uludağ for forests and winter sports.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$61

  Best months

  Apr–Oct, Dec–Feb

• Çanakkale

  Çanakkale is a Dardanelles waterfront city with a youthful atmosphere and deep Gallipoli and Troy connections. Its compact centre, ferries, museums, and easy regional links make history-focused travel straightforward.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$63

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Çankırı

  Çankırı sits 140 km north of Ankara on the Anatolian plateau, a 90-minute drive across windswept steppes with remarkable views of eroded hillsides. It feels much further from the capital than it is—a conservative provincial backwater where Byzantines once exiled troublemakers to the place they called Gangra ("goats").

  Atlas entry

• Çatalhöyük

  Çatalhöyük is one of the oldest known towns in the world, dating from 7500 BC to 5700 BC. It offers a rare window into Neolithic life—a time when humans were abandoning nomadic existence for settled agriculture.

  Atlas entry

• Çavdarhisar

  Çavdarhisar exists for one reason: the remarkably preserved Roman ruins of Aizanoi, one of Anatolia's most complete ancient sites. The Temple of Zeus, Roman baths, stadium, and macellum (market hall) are all walkable from the village, connected by yellow-arrow waymarked trails with Turkish, English, and German signage.

  Atlas entry

• Çerkezköy

  Çerkezköy is an industrial conurbation in Eastern Thrace with a population of 174,529 (2019). It is modern, sprawling, and devoid of tourist sights.

  Atlas entry

• Çeşme

  Çeşme is a laid-back Aegean beach resort with thermal springs, windsurfing, and a walkable old town. Its port makes Chios an easy island day trip, while Alaçatı adds village streets and breezy coastal scenery.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$45

  Best months

  Mar–Oct

• Çorlu

  Çorlu is a large industrial town in Eastern Thrace, Turkey, with a population of 294,020 (2023). You'd probably only come here on business or as a transit stop between Istanbul and Edirne.

  Atlas entry

• Çorum

  Çorum is an Anatolian city of 270,000 people in the Central Karadeniz region, useful as a break on long bus journeys between Ankara and the Black Sea coast. The city has little grand architecture—most was rebuilt after earthquakes along the North Anatolian Fault—but its museum displays artifacts from several regional civilizations with English signage.

  Atlas entry

• Dalaman

  Dalaman is primarily known for its international airport, which opened in 1981 and serves resorts along a 200 km stretch of the Lycian coast. The town itself is a modest, workaday place with little to draw tourists who aren't passing through.

  Atlas entry

• Dalyan

  Dalyan is a small resort town on Turkey's Mediterranean Lycian coast, famous for the ancient port of Kaunos across the river. The main draw is wandering the rock-cut tombs, theater, and agora ruins, then cooling off at Iztuzu Beach where loggerhead and green turtles nest from May to October.

  Atlas entry

• Darende

  Darende is a small mountain town in Eastern Anatolia, primarily a transit stop between Sivas and Malatya on Highway D300. Its appeal lies in the dramatic Shrine of Somuncu Baba perched in Tohma Canyon, Hittite-era Lion Rocks 20 km southwest, and a cluster of Ottoman-era monuments.

  Atlas entry

• Datça

  Datça is a rugged Aegean-Mediterranean peninsula of coves, small stays, and ancient Knidos. It suits travelers who want hiking, boat days, and a slower coast away from package-tour development.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$71

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Demirköy

  Demirköy (literally 'iron village') is a sleepy forest town in Kırklareli Province with a 15th-century foundry that supplied iron for the Ottoman cannonballs fired during the 1453 conquest of Constantinople. The real draw is its position as a gateway to two natural spectacles: Dupnisa Cave 25 km west, and İğneada Floodplain Forests National Park stretching 15 km along the Black Sea coast.

  Atlas entry

• Demre

  Demre draws travelers as the site of ancient Myra, where St Nicholas served as bishop in the 4th century AD. His remains were stolen to Bari and Venice, but the legends of his generosity gave rise to Santa Claus, making Demre a pilgrimage site for families curious about the real Santa's origins.

  Atlas entry

• Denizli

  Denizli is a working Turkish city with a population of 347,926 (2022), primarily known as a transit hub to the UNESCO-listed Pamukkale travertines 20 km north. Most backpackers spend just one night here before continuing, but the city has its own textile heritage, the famous Denizli rooster with its distinctive 20-25 second crow, and several mosques and parks worth a half-day visit if your schedule allows.

  Atlas entry

• Didim

  Didim is a budget mass-market resort on Turkey's Southern Aegean coast, the most northerly resort served by Milas-Bodrum Airport. It attracts package tourists from north Europe, but independent travelers come for the ancient Greek ruins of Priene, Miletus and Didyma (the "PMD" circuit) plus the pleasant Altınkum beach.

  Atlas entry

• Dikili

  Dikili is a quiet Northern Aegean resort with a long sandy beach, thermal springs, and a low-key harbour food scene. Ancient Atarneus, Çandarlı castle, and easy links to Bergama and Ayvalık add history to the seaside stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$45

  Best months

  May–Oct

• Divriği

  Divriği is a small iron-mining town in the mountainous northeast of Central Anatolia that draws visitors almost exclusively for its Great Mosque and adjoining medieval hospital (Darüşşifa), a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1985 as one of Turkey's first. The complex, built in 1229 by architect Hürrem Şah, features magnificent portals with thousands of unique carved figures in a style dubbed "early Turkish Baroque".

  Atlas entry

• Diyarbakır

  Diyarbakır pairs immense basalt walls and an old city atmosphere with a lively modern café and student scene. Its history, Kurdish cultural importance, and distinctive liver kebab make it a strong southeastern base.

  Best months

  Apr–May, Sep–Oct

• Doğubayazıt

  Doğubayazıt is a windswept eastern Turkish town straddling ancient trade routes between Turkey and Iran. The main draw is İshak Paşa Palace, a 17th-century fortified complex blending Turkish, Persian, and Armenian architectural styles that looms dramatically over the town.

  Atlas entry

• Eceabat

  Eceabat is a quiet Dardanelles gateway to Gallipoli’s battlefields, memorials, and war graves. Ferries across the straits connect it with Çanakkale and provide views across the water.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$28

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Edirne

  Edirne is a former Ottoman capital near the Greek and Bulgarian borders, known for magnificent mosques. Its compact historic core gives a short stay a strong architectural and cultural focus.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$53

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Edremit

  Edremit is a practical base for the Gulf of Edremit’s long beaches, thermal springs, and the forested slopes of Kazdağı. Its less-touristed resort strip pairs outdoor escapes with affordable stays and a working olive-growing hinterland.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$56

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Elazığ

  Elazığ combines a mountain city, the hilltop heritage of Harput, and water-based escapes around Lake Hazar. Its rail, road, and air links make it a useful base for exploring Eastern Anatolia.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$50

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Elmali

  Elmalı sees little tourism despite being the chief town of a district of 40,000 people. The town sits at 1100 m altitude in the Taurus Mountains, 35 km inland from the Lycian coast and 110 km west of Antalya.

  Atlas entry

• Enez

  Enez is a sleepy border town that few tourists reach, making it an authentic Turkish Aegean experience. The town combines ancient history (Ainos was mentioned in Virgil's Iliad), a fortress with views into Greece, and wetlands teeming with flamingos.

  Atlas entry

• Ephesus

  Ephesus is a UNESCO-listed archaeological site filled with substantial Roman ruins. Its monumental streets, theatre, and Terrace Houses reward a slow, sun-aware walking visit.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$73

  Best months

  Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

• Erdek

  Erdek is a modest beach resort on the Kapıdağ Peninsula, reachable within a day's drive from Istanbul. It offers a slower pace than mainstream tourist destinations, with access to the ancient ruins of Cyzicus and ferry connections to the Marmara Islands.

  Atlas entry

• Erdemli

  Erdemli is a mid-sized coastal city of 66,000 residents (2022) in Turkey's Cilician Mountains region. For most travelers it's simply a break-of-journey stop along the D400 highway between Adana and Antalya.

  Atlas entry

• Ergani

  Ergani is a historically rich district city in Southeastern Anatolia, home to Çayönü — the first recorded ancient city in the region, dating back 8000 years. While the historic Ergani Castle no longer stands, the region preserves scattered historical heritage including ancient tombs, churches, and caves.

  Atlas entry

• Erzincan

  Erzincan sits at 1185m in a well-watered valley of Eastern Anatolia, making it a practical stop on overland routes between Turkey's Black Sea coast and eastern borders. The city was entirely rebuilt after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1939 destroyed the old settlement, giving it a rare modern grid layout without medieval chaos.

  Atlas entry

• Erzurum

  Erzurum is a historic crossroads city at 1890 m altitude in Eastern Anatolia, serving as a gateway between Anatolia and the Caucasus. Its significance comes from centuries of conquerors—the Seljuks captured it in 1071 AD, and it became the Ottoman military base in the east.

  Atlas entry

• Eskişehir

  Eskişehir is a youthful university city with lively nightlife, compact old-town sights, and a strong tram network. Its museums and Crimean Tatar çi börek add cultural texture beyond the student scene.

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Faralya

  Faralya is a quiet Lycian village perched above Butterfly Valley, a scenic 1 km canyon that tumbles to a beach on the Mediterranean. The area is famed for its butterflies in early summer and waterfalls before the dry season.

  Atlas entry

• Fethiye

  Fethiye combines Lycian rock tombs and ancient sarcophagi with a full-service coastal resort base. Nearby Kayaköy, Ölüdeniz, and the Lycian Way make it useful for day trips and walking.

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Finike

  Finike is a quiet Mediterranean town on Turkey’s D400 coast, with 21,800 residents and modest tourist facilities. It’s absent from western package brochures due to the long transfer from Antalya and a not-very-good beach, but the real draw is the cluster of ruined Lycian and Roman cities in the surrounding hills.

  Atlas entry

• Foça

  Foça is a coastal town 60 km north of Izmir that combines ancient history with beach resort amenities. The original settlement, known as Phocaea in antiquity, was a mighty sea-power that established colonies across the Mediterranean as far as Corsica, Spain, and Marseille.

  Atlas entry

• Gaziantep

  Gaziantep is a Turkish city with Roman mosaics excavated at Zeugma. Its food culture includes spicy kebab, garlic-laced lahmacun, and locally grown pistachios.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$63

  Best months

  Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

• Gebze

  Gebze is a sprawling industrial city in Eastern Marmara, 65 km east of Istanbul, with a 2020 population of 392,945. Historically known as Dakibyza or Libyssa in the Kingdom of Bithynia, it sits on major trade routes overland from the east and by sea from the west.

  Atlas entry

• Gelibolu

  Gelibolu (Gallipoli) occupies a strategic position midway down the peninsula, at the point where the Sea of Marmara narrows into the Dardanelles. The town controls the sea route linking the Mediterranean with Istanbul and the Black Sea, giving it significance since antiquity.

  Atlas entry

• Gemlik

  Gemlik is hemmed by mountains north and south, sitting on a plain at the head of the Gulf of Gemlik, an inlet of the Sea of Marmara. Travelers between Yalova and Bursa get unexpected glimpses of the sea, which inspired the poet Orhan Veli Kanık.

  Atlas entry

• Geyikli

  Geyikli is a small village of 3284 residents on the Troad Peninsula, 50 km south of Çanakkale. Its main significance is as the ferry port for Bozcaada island, with most visitors passing through without stopping.

  Atlas entry

• Giresun

  Giresun is Turkey's cherry capital—the ancient Greek kerasos gave us both the fruit name and the city's Roman moniker cerasus. The mountain slopes also produce one-third of the world's hazelnuts, and the city spreads along a beach strip beneath a Byzantine citadel.

  Atlas entry

• Göcek

  Göcek is a small resort town on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, midway between Dalaman and Fethiye, with a population of 6590. The main attraction is the series of small coves and islands in the Gulf of Göcek, easily reached by boat.

  Atlas entry

• Gökçeada

  Gökçeada is a windswept Aegean island with Greek heritage, stone villages, rugged coasts, and a low-key travel scene. Ferries from Kabatepe lead to beaches, windsurfing at Kefalos, and historic villages including the derelict Dereköy.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$42

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Gönen

  Gönen is a spa town in Southern Marmara, Turkey, 45 km inland from the port of Bandırma. It is best known for its geothermal hot springs that have been used since Roman times for relaxation and therapy.

  Atlas entry

• Göreme

  Göreme sits among Cappadocia’s volcanic tuff, cave dwellings, frescoed churches, and fairy chimneys. Its compact town opens onto valley hikes and sunrise balloon flights.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$68

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Gümüşhane

  Gümüşhane is a small mountain town (population 39,000 in 2022) at 1153m elevation in Turkey's Eastern Karadeniz region. The main reason to visit is trekking in the surrounding mountains, particularly accessing the glacial tarns of Artabel Lakes Nature Park and the Zigana Pass area.

  Atlas entry

• Gümüşlük

  Gümüşlük is a small harbour village sandwiched between the larger resort strips of Turgutreis (south) and Yalıkavak (north) on Turkey's Bodrum peninsula. Unlike its neighbours, it has no large resort hotels and has retained more of its character as an old fishing port.

  Atlas entry

• Güzelyurt

  Güzelyurt is a quiet Cappadocian village that delivers the region's signature landscape of ancient churches carved into soft volcanic tufa, without the crowds of Göreme or Ürgüp. Its deep valleys hold over 50 Byzantine churches, and the village itself preserves Greek heritage from before the 1923 population exchange.

  Atlas entry

• Hacıbektaş

  Hacıbektaş is a small pilgrimage town in South Central Anatolia, population 5325 in 2022. It draws visitors to the shrine of Haji Bektash Veli (circa 1209-71), a 13th-century Sufi saint and philosopher who taught Alevism, a mystic form of Islam.

  Atlas entry

• Hakkâri

  Hakkâri (Kurdish: Colemêrg) is a city of about 60,000 in far southeastern Turkey, 200 km west of the Turkey-Iran-Iraq tri-point. The main reason to visit is to hike the surrounding mountains, particularly Cennet Cehennem Vadisi (Heaven and Hell Valley), a dramatic gorge accessible by high-clearance vehicles.

  Atlas entry

• Halfeti

  Halfeti is a surreal destination where the Birecik Dam (completed 2001) left much of the old town partially submerged, creating an otherworldly landscape of half-flooded mosques, bridges, and Ottoman architecture rising from the Euphrates reservoir. This scenic flooded gorge, stretching 60 km back to Atatürk Dam, has transformed a displaced community into Turkey's most unconventional tourist resort.

  Atlas entry

• Ilgaz National Park

  Ilgaz National Park is a mountainous area in Turkey's Western Karadeniz region, famous for its dark spruce forests and alpine scenery. The park sits within the Pontic Mountains and offers Nordic landscapes of deep valleys draped in emerald forests in summer, transforming to black trees against snow-white ground in winter.

  Atlas entry

• İnegöl

  İnegöl is Turkey's main furniture-producing city, but for travelers it's the gateway to Oylat Thermal Springs and a taste of Ottoman history without the crowds of Bursa. The town is strategically placed on the route from Istanbul to Ankara, making it a practical transit stop.

  Atlas entry

• Iskenderun

  İskenderun is a major Mediterranean port in Hatay province with a palm-lined esplanade and French colonial architecture from its two decades under French rule after WWI. The city is named after Alexander the Great (Büyük İskender), who founded Alexandria ad Issum nearby—the site of his decisive victory over Darius III in 333 BCE.

  Atlas entry

• Isparta

  Isparta is Turkey's rose oil capital, producing roughly 25g of oil per 100kg of petals harvested May-June. The city was rebuilt after a 1914 earthquake, so it lacks an old quarter but offers a modern Turkish city experience with excellent carpet and ethnographic museums, traditional hamams, and access to ancient Sagalassos and lakeside Eğirdir.

  Atlas entry

• Istanbul

  Istanbul is a vast cross-continental city where Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks sit alongside Bosphorus ferries, bazaars, and lively neighborhoods. Public transport makes the historic peninsula, Galata, museums, and food districts practical to combine in one stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$74

  Best months

  Mar–Oct

• Izmir

  Izmir is a relaxed Aegean port with a long Smyrna history, a lively waterfront, layered bazaars, and easy access to beaches and ruins. Its food scene rewards grazing on kumru, boyoz, local cheese, and fresh fish between museum and ferry stops.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$44

  Best months

  Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

• Izmit

  İzmit (ancient Nicomedia) served as one of four co-capitals of the Roman Tetrarchy, making it historically significant. Today it's an industrial city on the Istanbul-Ankara transport corridor, unlikely to attract leisure tourists seeking beaches or nightlife.

  Atlas entry

• Iznik

  İznik is a quiet lakeside town layered over ancient Nicaea, with Roman walls and Byzantine-Ottoman history. Tile workshops and summer swimming keep the visit relaxed and hands-on.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$50

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Kahramanmaras

  Kahramanmaraş is a city of about 570,000 people in southeastern Turkey, sitting at the crossroads of Mediterranean, Eastern, and Southeastern Anatolia regions. The city lies on a plain at the foot of the Taurus Mountains and is best known for its production of salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers, and its distinctive ice cream that has become a regional specialty.

  Atlas entry

• Kâhta

  Kâhta exists as a stopover for travelers heading to Mount Nemrut, one of Turkey's most dramatic archaeological sites. The town itself has little to offer beyond basic services, but its proximity to the UNESCO-listed summit with its giant stone heads makes it essential for history and archaeology enthusiasts.

  Atlas entry

• Kalkan

  Kalkan is a small harbour town in Lycia on Turkey's Mediterranean coast with a population of 3926 in 2022. It has been well-developed for tourism but has avoided mass-market development, so it remains unspoiled.

  Atlas entry

• Karaisalı

  Karaisalı is a village of about 1200 people set in the Taurus mountain passes north of the Cilician Plains. Its main appeal is the monumental engineering of the Berlin to Baghdad railway, constructed between 1903 and 1918.

  Atlas entry

• Karaman

  Karaman is a small industrial city in central Anatolia with a well-preserved medieval centre—a rarity in Turkey where so many old towns have been rebuilt. Its compact historic core centres on Karaman Castle and several Ottoman-era mosques and museums.

  Atlas entry

• Kars

  Kars is a remote high-altitude frontier city with Russian-era architecture, Armenian history, and access to Ani. It rewards travelers who can plan around severe winter conditions and long overland distances.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$54

  Best months

  Jun–Sep

• Kaş

  Kaş is a compact Lycian coast town combining shingle coves, underwater activities, rock tombs, and long-distance hiking. It is a strong base for boat days and ancient sites without the scale of a package resort.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$83

• Kastamonu

  Kastamonu is a historic provincial capital in Turkey's Western Black Sea region, 92 km inland from the Black Sea coast at an altitude of 900 m. The city served as the capital of the Candaroğlu petty kingdom from the 13th to 15th century and later became a crucial supply hub during the Turkish War of Independence, when munitions were smuggled through the nearby port of İnebolu.

  Atlas entry

• Kayaköy

  Atlas entry

• Kayseri

  Kayseri is a Central Anatolian city with a strong Seljuk legacy of citadel, mosque-medrese complexes, and a covered bazaar. Its preserved landmarks are still in use, making the center a rewarding base for heritage-focused travel.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$44

  Best months

  Apr–Sep

• Kemaliye

  Kemaliye is a remote canyon town perched above the Karasu (Western Euphrates) River in Eastern Anatolia. Once known locally as Eğin, it preserves old architecture and traditional ways that vanished elsewhere in Turkey.

  Atlas entry

• Kemer

  Kemer is a developed Lycian coast resort combining beaches, nightlife, diving, and access to ancient ruins and the Lycian Way. Antalya is the main gateway, while Olympos, Phaselis, and Mount Tahtalı make strong day trips.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$66

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Keşan

  Keşan is a practical northwestern crossroads for the low-key Saros Bay coast. It works well as a base for cold-water beaches, pine-clad coves, and Thracian day trips.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$54

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Kınık

  Kınık exists as the modern gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient Lycian sites: Xanthos and Letoon. These ruins, dating from the 8th century BC through the Byzantine era, represent the religious and political heart of the Lycian federation.

  Atlas entry

• Kırklareli

  Kırklareli is a provincial capital in Eastern Thrace, northwestern Turkey, near the Bulgarian border. In 2021 the population was estimated at 58,223.

  Atlas entry

• Kırşehir

  Kırşehir is a compact, walkable city that rewards travelers with Hittite origins, Seljuk architecture, and connections to Sufi poets and scholars. The city produced an unusually high number of notable religious and literary figures, and Ahi Evran University keeps the scholarly tradition alive.

  Atlas entry

• Kıyıköy

  Kıyıköy is a small resort town on Turkey's Black Sea coast in Eastern Thrace. It offers a compact mix of Byzantine history (fortress ruins and a rock-hewn monastery), sandy beaches, and a calm atmosphere away from major tourist crowds.

  Atlas entry

• Kızılırmak Delta Bird Reserve

  Kızılırmak Delta is a Ramsar site and internationally important wetland where migratory birds rest and feed along the Black Sea flyway. The 30 km-wide delta supports great white egrets, storks, water buffalo, and even feral camels.

  Atlas entry

• Konya

  Konya is a calm Seljuk city where Rumi’s legacy, whirling dervish ceremonies, and ornate tilework shape the cultural experience. Its walkable center also offers distinctive wheat-and-mutton cuisine and practical rail and bus links across Türkiye.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$54

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Kula

  Kula is a small inland town in Turkey's Central Aegean region, distinguished by its UNESCO Global Geopark volcanic landscapes and a well-preserved Ottoman historic quarter. The town offers a counterpoint to coastal tourist destinations: stark black lava fields, hoodoo rock formations, and traditional Ottoman architecture with 'kissing roofs' almost touching across narrow alleys.

  Atlas entry

• Kuşadası

  Kuşadası is a busy Aegean resort whose main strengths are beaches, coastal life, and easy access to Ephesus. Ferries to Samos and trails in Dilek Peninsula widen the options beyond package-tour districts.

  Best months

  Mar–Jul, Sep–Oct

• Kütahya

  Kütahya is a mid-sized provincial city in Central Anatolia that few international tourists visit, yet it preserves a remarkable old quarter of Ottoman-era mansions and holds Turkey's other great tile-making tradition (after Iznik). Its 2022 population of 578,640 gives it a genuine Turkish urban feel rather than a packaged tourist experience.

  Atlas entry

• Lüleburgaz

  Lüleburgaz is a transit stop between Istanbul and Edirne, but its claim to tourist attention is the 16th-century Sokollu Mehmet Paşa Mosque designed by Mimar Sinan. The city is industrial and sprawling, with a population of 122,635, but the compact old center around the historic bridge offers a slower pace than the big cities.

  Atlas entry

• Malatya

  Malatya is a city of half a million people in Eastern Anatolia, serving as a practical stopover for travelers heading to Mount Nemrut and the eastern fringes of Turkey. The city is famous for apricot production, with orchards cloaking the surrounding countryside.

  Atlas entry

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$30

• Manavgat

  Manavgat is a modern market town in Pamphylia midway between Antalya and Alanya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. It's best known for its waterfalls and serves as the main city of a district with a population of 252,941 in 2022, including over a hundred outlying towns and villages.

  Atlas entry

• Manisa

  Manisa is a modern industrial city in Turkey's Central Aegean region, 65 km northeast of Izmir. It offers Ottoman-era mosques, ancient ruins near the city center, and access to Mount Spil (Spil Dağı), a 1513 m peak with national park status.

  Atlas entry

• Mardin

  Mardin is a hilltop city of cascading stone buildings, Mesopotamian views, and layered Assyrian, Islamic, and Artuqid heritage. The old city is compact enough to explore on foot, with monasteries, madrasahs, bazaars, and distinctive local food.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$43

  Best months

  Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov

• Marmara

  Marmara Island is the largest of the Marmara Islands in Turkey's Southern Marmara Region, offering a quieter alternative to the busier Aegean islands. The island's name literally means 'marble' in Greek, and its quarries supplied stone for Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

  Atlas entry

• Marmara Ereğlisi

  Marmara Ereğlisi pairs a compact Sea of Marmara resort with ancient Perinthos ruins, sandy beaches, and waterfront seafood. Its proximity to Istanbul makes it an easy coastal reset with a quieter, workaday feel.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$58

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Marmara Islands

  Atlas entry

• Marmaris

  Marmaris is a Mediterranean beach resort built around a natural harbour overlooked by a 16th-century castle. It suits sun-seekers, divers, and boat trips to Cennet Island and Cleopatra Beach.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$53

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Mersin

  Mersin is a sprawling Mediterranean port city with a working-class urban character and useful coastal connections. It makes a practical base for Pompeiopolis, Tarsus, Kızkalesi, and the D400 corridor.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$57

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Mudanya

  Mudanya is a low-key port town on the Sea of Marmara, best known as the place where the 1922 Armistice was signed ending the Turkish War of Independence. Most travelers pass through on the ferry between Istanbul and Bursa, but the town has enough Ottoman architecture, quiet seafront walks, and nearby Greek heritage villages (Tirilye) to fill a half-day stop.

  Atlas entry

• Muğla

  Muğla is a cool, quiet mountain market town with preserved Ottoman and Greek architecture, traditional eateries, and historic hans and hamams. Its inland setting makes it a useful base for day trips to Akyaka, Marmaris, Dalyan, Bodrum, and the wider Southern Aegean.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$54

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Muş

  Muş is a small regional city in Eastern Anatolia, primarily useful as a transport hub between Lake Van and Turkey's southeast. Its main appeal is historical: the city has an Armenian church converted to a mosque, an old castle, and access to remote monasteries.

  Atlas entry

• Mut

  Mut is a small Turkish town of 63,000 people in the hot, dry foothills of the Cilician Mountains. It makes a natural break on the road between the interior city of Karaman and the Mediterranean coast, with apricot groves and several historic sites worth a stop.

  Atlas entry

• Narlıkuyu

  Narlıkuyu is a tiny fishing village on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, best known for the extraordinary Heaven & Hell chasms (Cennet-Cehennem) carved into the limestone. Its population was just 2500 in 2022, yet it sits on the ancient trade route of the D400 coastal highway, making it a convenient stop between Mersin and Silifke.

  Atlas entry

• Nevşehir

  Nevşehir is a practical, less-touristed Cappadocian base for underground cities, castle views, and everyday Central Anatolian life. Dolmuşes connect the city to Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu, while Göreme, Ürgüp, and Avanos broaden the region's hiking and cultural options.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$47

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Niğde

  Niğde offers a glimpse into provincial Turkish life away from tourist crowds. The city preserves Seljuk-era architecture including the carved eastern gate of Ak Medrese (built 1233) and several ornate tombs from the 13th-14th centuries.

  Atlas entry

• Nizip

  Nizip is a mid-sized agricultural city of 150,000 people in Southeastern Anatolia, best known as the gateway to Zeugma—one of the most significant Roman archaeological sites in Turkey, famous for its brilliant mosaics. The city itself is a quiet pistachio-farming hub with a handful of Ottoman-era mosques and a charming pistachio statue marking the city centre.

  Atlas entry

• Nusaybin

  Nusaybin (ancient Nisibis) is one of Turkey's most historically layered cities, with continuous settlement dating back to at least 901 BC. The city has been part of the Assyrian Empire, Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, Roman Empire, and Sasanian Empire before being conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate in 639.

  Atlas entry

• Ölüdeniz

  Ölüdeniz is a busy Mediterranean resort built around the Blue Lagoon, with sandy Belceğiz, paragliding from Babadağ, and easy access to Lycian hiking routes. Boat trips, diving, and nearby ghost-village ruins add variety beyond the beach.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$64

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Olympos

  Olympos blends forested Lycian ruins, beach access, and distinctive treehouse lodging on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Çıralı, Mount Chimaera, and the Lycian Way add quieter beaches, night hikes, and long-distance walking nearby.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$71

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Ordu

  Ordu is a relaxed Black Sea port city known for producing about a quarter of the world's hazelnuts. The old town cascades down a hillside from a Greek Orthodox church to the sea, with traditional houses, some extremely elaborate.

  Atlas entry

• Osmaneli

  Osmaneli is a small Turkish town in the Eastern Marmara region that rewards visitors with a preserved old town of traditional Ottoman whitewashed two-storey houses. The town was once a stop on overland trade routes to Constantinople, and although much was lost to an 1874 fire, the remaining architecture in the Camii Kebir and Camii Cedid neighborhoods offers a glimpse into 19th-century Ottoman provincial life.

  Atlas entry

• Osmaniye

  Osmaniye is a provincial capital of 252,000 people with few visitor attractions in town, but it serves as a practical base for exploring outlying archaeological sites. The city lies at the foot of the Nur Mountains on the Cilician Plains, offering access to Neo-Hittite fortresses, ancient ruins, and mountain villages.

  Atlas entry

• Pamukkale

  Pamukkale combines dazzling travertine terraces and thermal pools with the Roman ruins of Hierapolis. Visit in late spring or early autumn for more comfortable conditions and more manageable crowds.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$64

  Best months

  Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

• Patara

  Patara pairs ancient Lycian ruins with a long sandy beach on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The archaeological landscape and protected loggerhead nesting ground suit travelers who want history and quiet shore time.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$67

  Best months

  May–Oct

• Polatlı

  Polatlı is primarily significant for two reasons: the 1921 Battle of the Sakarya, which halted the Greek advance on Ankara and determined Turkey's modern borders, and the nearby ancient city of Gordion, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. The town itself is agricultural and functional rather than picturesque, but the battle memorials scattered across the countryside are powerful and moving.

  Atlas entry

• Pozantı

  Pozantı sits at 780 m elevation at the north edge of the Cilician Plains, astride the only practical route through the Taurus Mountains. The Cilician Gates mountain pass crests at 1000 m, and for millennia armies, pilgrims, traders and tourists have traversed this corridor between central Anatolia and the Mediterranean coast.

  Atlas entry

• Rize

  Rize is Turkey's tea capital, producing nearly all the country's tea in the lush Green Mountains that rise sharply from the Black Sea coast. The city itself has modest attractions—mosques, a castle ruin, a couple of museums—but it serves as the practical gateway to the Kaçkar Mountains and the beautiful northeastern coastline.

  Atlas entry

• Safranbolu

  Safranbolu is one of Turkey's best-preserved Ottoman towns, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 18th and 19th century merchants built elegant mansions. The town prospered from trade and saffron production, with wealthy families maintaining winter residences in the sheltered Çarşı gully and summer homes in the Bağlar vineyards.

  Atlas entry

• Samsun

  Samsun offers a domestic-facing Black Sea coast, long beaches, and a strong connection to Atatürk’s independence campaign. Pide, museums, cycling, and the nearby Kızılırmak Delta give the city a varied stopover.

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Saray

  Saray is a small town in the foothills of the Istranca Mountains in Eastern Thrace, Turkey. With a population of 24,960 (2014), it serves primarily as a transport hub for travelers heading to Black Sea beach resorts like Kıyıköy and İğneada.

  Atlas entry

• Sardis

  Sardis (Turkish: Sart) is the ruined capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom, home to one of Turkey's most significant archaeological sites. The UNESCO-listed complex includes a massive Roman gymnasium, a well-preserved Ionic temple of Artemis, city walls, a pyramid-style tumulus, and a Byzantine castle with mountain views.

  Atlas entry

• Selçuk

  Selçuk is the affordable, relaxed base for Ephesus, with a Byzantine citadel, İsa Bey Mosque, and an excellent archaeology museum. Trains, dolmuşes, and nearby Şirince make it easy to combine major ruins with village streets, wine, and Aegean coast time.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$51

  Best months

  Mar–Oct

• Side

  Side places preserved Roman ruins between a working harbour, beaches, and modern resort districts. Its compact archaeology, diving operators, and coastal bus links make it easy to combine culture with a beach stay.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$58

  Best months

  Mar–Nov

• Silifke

  Silifke is a modest Turkish city in the Cilician Mountains, 15 km inland from the Mediterranean coast, serving primarily as a transit hub and touring base. Its main draws are the Göksu Delta bird reserve and ancient ruins scattered throughout the area, including the hilltop Silifke Castle and the Roman Temple of Jupiter.

  Atlas entry

• Sinop

  Sinop is a compact Black Sea harbor city with a medieval fortress, ancient roots, and a quieter beach-resort feel. Its old town is walkable, while Hamsilos, İnceburun, and Boyabat open up nearby nature and history.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$41

  Best months

  May–Oct

• Şirince

  Şirince is one of Turkey's few remaining authentic Ottoman villages, with original Greek-influenced architecture that has been remarkably well preserved. Set among olive groves, peach orchards, and vineyards on rolling hillsides, it offers a Tuscan-like landscape without the crowds of more famous destinations.

  Atlas entry

• Sivas

  Sivas is a high-altitude Seljuk city and major eastbound transport junction. Its madrasas, congress museum, and winter landscapes suit history-minded travelers comfortable with cold.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$52

  Best months

  May–Sep

• Sivrihisar

  Sivrihisar is an off-the-beaten-path Anatolian town that few tourists visit, despite being on the main highway between Ankara and Eskişehir. The town has a well-preserved historic quarter with traditional Ottoman houses, a 1275 AD Grand Mosque that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, and unexpected cultural cachet from the TV comedy Gönül Dağı (Mountain of Hearts), filmed here since 2020.

  Atlas entry

• Sındırgı

  Sındırgı is a small spa town in Southern Marmara best known for its traditional Yağcı Bedir carpets and geothermal hot springs. The town grew from 1854 when spa waters became fashionable, and today the main thermal area is at Hisaralan, 10 km east.

  Atlas entry

• Söğüt

  Söğüt is a quiet provincial town with a monumental claim: from 1299 to 1335 it was the first powerbase of the Ottoman dynasty that would rule an empire for 600 years. The main draw is the modest but moving Ertuğrul Gazi tomb complex, marking where the Kayı tribe settled among willows and founded what became the Ottoman state.

  Atlas entry

• Tarsus

  Tarsus is a historic city on Turkey's Çukurova (Cilician Plains) with a population of 631,000 in 2022. Its main appeal to international travelers is as the birthplace of St Paul the Apostle, with several sites related to his life.

  Atlas entry

• Taşucu

  Taşucu is a small Mediterranean town of 17,000 people whose main reason to exist is the ferry to Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus. Beyond the ferry terminal, it offers a modest beach strip, a marina area with restaurants, and access to the Göksu Delta bird reserve.

  Atlas entry

• Tatvan

  Tatvan is a modest Turkish town on the western shore of Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey at 1640 m altitude. Its main appeal lies in its transport connections—it is the eastern terminus of the railway from Ankara—and as a staging point for Mount Nemrut, a dormant volcano with a crater lake warmed by geothermal springs.

  Atlas entry

• Tekirdağ

  Tekirdağ is a historic Thracian port on the Sea of Marmara with a slower pace than Istanbul. Ottoman architecture, Hungarian exile heritage, and cylindrical grilled meatballs give this off-the-beaten-path city a distinctive local character.

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Termessos

  Termessos is one of Turkey's most dramatic ancient sites, perched at 1150 m on Mount Solymos (Güllük Dağı) in the Taurus Mountains. The city was never conquered—not even by Alexander the Great in 333 BC—and its remote location meant the stone was never looted for other building projects.

  Atlas entry

• Tokat

  Tokat is a city of almost 200,000 in Turkey's Central Karadeniz region, hemmed in by hills at the head of a broad fertile valley. It preserves many old mosques and Ottoman mansions that modern development has largely spared, making it a compelling destination for travelers interested in Seljuk and Ottoman architecture.

  Atlas entry

• Tonya

  Tonya is a small mountain town in Eastern Karadeniz (Black Sea region) with a 2022 population of 13,500. The mountains draw rain and snow, making the terrain ideal for dairy farming, and Tonya produces butter and cheese rather than fresh milk due to the distance from coastal cities.

  Atlas entry

• Trabzon

  Trabzon blends Black Sea city life with Byzantine heritage, mountain villages, and a route toward Georgia. Hagia Sophia, Sümela Monastery, and hamsi-focused cuisine give the stop a distinct regional character.

  Best months

  Apr–Aug

• Tunceli

  Tunceli is a small, remote mountain city in Eastern Anatolia with a population of 36,000 (2022), mostly Kurdish Alevis whose religion follows the Sufi tradition of Islam. It's a quiet counterpoint to larger Turkish cities, offering access to Munzur Valley National Park, mountain scenery, and lakeside beaches at Pülümür River.

  Atlas entry

• Turgutreis

  Turgutreis is a sprawling resort on Turkey's Southern Aegean coast, named for the Ottoman admiral Turgut Reis (1485-1565), born in the nearby village of Karatoprak (renamed Turgutreis in his honor in 1972). The town is the largest of the resorts clustered around Bodrum, offering sandy beaches, windsurfing conditions, and easy access to Greek islands visible on the horizon.

  Atlas entry

• Uçhisar

  Uçhisar is a small Cappadocian town where soft volcanic tuff was hollowed into dwellings and bastions. Its name means "outermost fort" — Uç hisar — referring to the main 60 m pinnacle crowned by Uçhisar Castle.

  Atlas entry

• Uludağ

  Uludağ is Turkey's premier alpine destination, combining a national park of forests, ridges, and glacial tarns with one of the country's best ski resorts. The mountain rises dramatically above the Southern Marmara plain, visible from Istanbul on exceptionally clear days.

  Atlas entry

• Urfa

  Urfa combines Islamic pilgrimage traditions with yellow-stone bazaars, sacred pools, and Göbekli Tepe's deep-time archaeology. Its regional table is known for çiğ köfte and pistachio desserts.

  Best months

  Mar–May, Sep–Oct

• Ürgüp

  Ürgüp pairs Cappadocia's fairy-chimney landscape with cave hotels, valley walks, and a more relaxed base than nearby Göreme. Sunrise balloon rides, Saturday markets, wineries, and Ottoman-era mansions give the town plenty to do beyond the rock formations.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$50

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Uşak

  Uşak is a compact inland base for Lydian archaeology, Ottoman-era streets, and canyon and geopark day trips. Its museums and uncrowded cultural scene reward travelers who enjoy history over nightlife.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$52

  Best months

  Apr–Sep

• Uzunköprü

  Uzunköprü is a quiet Thracian stop whose defining sight is a 1.3 km Ottoman stone bridge still carrying traffic. The bridge district adds Friday-market energy and local köfte character to the Istanbul–Edirne route.

  Daily budget (USD)

  ~$47

  Best months

  Apr–Oct

• Van

  Van is a lakeside stop for Urartian and Armenian heritage, an ancient fortress, nearby island monasteries, and routes toward Iran. Its setting and layered history make it worth a multi-day visit.

  Best months

  May–Oct

• Vize

  Vize is a small market town in Eastern Thrace, standing on the ancient Roman route between Byzantium and Europe. Its modest sights—the 550 AD Gazi Süleyman Paşa Mosque, a Roman citadel from 72–76 BC, and a 2nd-century amphitheatre only discovered in 1998—appeal to history-minded travelers.

  Atlas entry

• Yalıkavak

  Yalıkavak is a modern resort on Turkey's Bodrum peninsula, built up from quiet fishing and sponge-diving villages in the 1980s. The area now includes the neighboring villages of Gündoğan and Göltürkbükü, forming a sprawling resort complex.

  Atlas entry

• Yalova

  Yalova is a ferry port on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara, at the narrowest point where it narrows into the Gulf of Izmit. Most visitors pass through en route between Istanbul and Izmir, but the city rewards those who linger with geothermal hot springs at Termal, nearby beach resorts at Çınarcık, and access to the scenic Green-Blue Road along the peninsula.

  Atlas entry

• Yalvaç

  Yalvaç is a small provincial town of 22,500 people, unremarkable in itself, but the draw is the extensive ruins of Antioch of Pisidia on its northeastern edge. This was one of 16 cities named for the Seleucid ruler Antiochus, and in 46 AD Saint Paul preached here before being run out of town.

  Atlas entry

• Yumurtalık

  Yumurtalık is the most easterly resort on Turkey's Mediterranean coast before that coastline swings south toward Egypt. In 2022 it had 17,600 permanent residents, a figure that more than doubles in summer when day-trippers and holiday-home owners descend from Adana.

  Atlas entry

• Zonguldak

  Zonguldak is a working port and Turkey's coal capital, a place where the country's industrial heritage is etched into every conveyor belt and rusting hopper. It's not conventionally pretty, but for travelers interested in late-stage coal mining, post-industrial landscapes, or just the texture of real Turkey away from the resort trail, it offers an unusual window.

  Atlas entry