Turkey Adventure Travel Guide

From its position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey offers a rich mosaic of venerable cultures stretching back thousands of years – the perfect destination for a honeymoon or holiday adventure.

Things to do and see
Explore ancient ruins from long-lost empires, set in a land of extremely diverse scenery. From rolling plains, towering mountains and isolated deserts to secluded coves, gorgeous beaches and the azure Mediterranean Sea, Turkey offers an endless choice of cities and regions for the perfect adventure.

Discover Istanbul’s intoxicating mix of sights: from the stunning basilica of Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and vast underground cisterns of Yerebatan Sarayi to the rich treasures of the Topkapi Palace, bustling Taksim Square and the frenetic Bosporus River, where an evening cruise is perfect for gaining a different perspective of the city.

Visit the memorials of Gallipoli at the Dardanelles. Discover Cappadocia’s fascinating lunar landscape at Gorême, clambering around the underground houses and Christian churches there and at Kaymakli. Then wander amid the ancient rock cones, capped pinnacles and fairy chimneys of the Karst Mountains.

Explore the sprawling ruins of Greco-Roman Ephesus, its amphitheatre where St Paul once preached and the marble streets where Anthony and Cleopatra once strolled. Visit the dazzling white limestone terraces of Pamukkale and the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Aspendos.

Then head to the Turquoise Coast to swim beneath crusader castles in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. En route discover the legendary hospitality of the Turkish people and their unique cuisine.

Best time to visit Turkey?
Spring and autumn, with temperatures between 16C and 25C, are the best times to visit Turkey – unless you love hot weather, in which case summer is best. The peak tourism season is in summer from July to mid-September, when most Turks take their holidays.

Turkey is a huge country with varying regional climates. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, wet winters. Antalya on the south coast enjoys average summer temperatures of around 30C.

In Istanbul, summer temperatures average around 28C; winters are chilly, wet and sometimes with some snow. Summer on the Anatolian plateau is very hot and very cold in winter. In Ankara, winter temperatures average -4C and summer 30C in summer.

The Black Sea coast is wet year round, mild in summer and cold in winter. Eastern Turkey is very cold with snow in winter but sweltering in mid-summer. The east of the country is mountainous with warm summers and very cold, snowy winters.