Super Seven
Istanbul
You just can't visit Turkey without a trip to Istanbul. The city offers a huge amount, so ideal to allocate a couple of days. The architectural beauty of The Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are not to be missed. Closely followed by the iconic Galata Tower and the unique underground Basilica Cistern. For photographers, the Grand Bazaar is the place to be for those colourful market seller shots, which will lead onto a walk through Sultanahmet Square. As sunset approaches, hop on a boat to cruise the Bosphorus Strait, where you'll cross between the continents of Asia and Europe, as Istanbul straddles both.
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is regarded as the number one spot in the country for spectacular landscapes and it's easy to see why. I was driving from the airport to Goreme, where I was staying, and I must've stopped 3-4 times en route, as I was in awe of the landscapes. If you're limited with time, definitely visit Goreme Open Air Museum where you've got rocky landscape combined with churches carved into the rock faces, which is fascinating to see. The other spot would be Love Valley, which was my personal fave due to the unique fairy chimney rocks, which you can also hike down to. You're essentially viewing the valley from a ridge, which operates as a large viewing platform. Final recommendation is to spend an hour in Uchisar where you have traditional houses stepped up into the landscape, along with Uchisar Castle in the background which offers great panoramic views.
Note: The hot air balloon is a huge draw, but mine was cancelled, so I can't give a review on this aspect.
Antalya
In my opinion, Antalya has a great blend of the old and the new. I stayed in the old city within walking distance of the marina. You have quaint cobblestone streets with local carpet sellers, then cafes overlooking the marina, combined with the historical site of Hadrian's Gate and Antalya Saat Kulesi. A couple of recommendations outside the city would be the Expo 2016 site which is still in relatively good condition, then further afield is Köprülü Canyon National Park, which offers spectacular beauty. There's a stone bridge overlooking the canyon where you can admire the turquoise colour water and watch the water rafting day trippers pass by.
Ankara
The unloved capital of Ankara definitely wasn't my favourite stop, especially when you can't help but compare it to Istanbul, but I think it's still worth a day of sightseeing. Use Ataturk Statue as a central start point, as you can then walk to The Museum of the War of Independence, Gençlik Park, Melike Hatun Mosque, and the remains of Temple of Augustus located next to Haci Bayram Mosque. There's also the highly rated museum of Ankara Painting & Sculpture Museum which hosts some impressive modern art. The. final stop I'd recommend is Anitkabir, which includes the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
If you have a rental car and and you're a fan of abandoned locations, then I can 100% recommend the abandoned housing development of Burj al Babas. You can hardly believe your eyes when you see 732 storybook castles by a Dubai-based developer, than now sits in ruin.
Trabzon
Set in the north of Turkey on the Black Sea is the city of Trabzon. The first thing I noticed was that this place had a completely different vibe to the rest of the country. The main draw is Sumela Monastery, which is a Greek Orthodox Monastery nestled on a steep cliff at about 1,200 metres. It's very picturesque and worth the vist! You can drive majority of the way up, then the tourism authority have buses going back and forth to the entrance. Whilst you're out of the city, you can also combine Cal Cave with the monastery. The centre of the city is pleasant to walk around, with Trabzon Square Park offering plenty of museums, restaurants, coffee shops, and monuments. My final recommendation would be to visit Ataturk Pavilion.
Adana
One of the largest cities in Southern Turkey, only 35km from the Mediterranean sea is Adana. The centre of the city is walkable, so I would start off at Seyhan Merkez Park which is the home of Sabanci Central Mosque and head further into the city from there. Adana Cinema Museum is a unique worthwhile stop, albeit focussed solely around Turkey. You'll then pass the iconic Stone Bridge as you head towards the Great Clock Tower, followed by the historical market of Kazancilar Carsisi.
My number one attraction in Adana involved a 3 hour return trip inland, passing through some small towns in the countryside to the spectacular Varda Viaduct. This is a real gem of engineering, especially given the fact it was built by the Germans all the way back in 1912. There's a cafe with a viewing deck, but you can also walk right the way up to the viaduct, albeit still an active rail line. This is ideal territory for drone owners.
Izmir & Ephesus
Izmir is an interesting city to visit for history lovers as it was founded by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans, then formed part of the Ottoman Empire. Konak Square is the central point of the city where you have a beautiful mosque and the Izmir Clock Tower, followed by winding streets that will lead you to Agora of Smyrna. This is an ancient Roman Agora originally built by the greeks, destroyed by an earthquake, then re-built by the Romans. The underground network of curved stone arches are hugely impressive and very photogenic.
Another main attraction is of course, the UNESCO site of Ephesus, which is a 2-3 hour round trip. Ephesus is an ancient city in the Aegean region with the excavated remains reflecting centuries of history from both the Greeks and Romans. It was actually the second biggest city in the entire Roman Empire and the ruins are in exceptional condition. The main spots are The Great Theatre of Ephesus, The Temple of Artemis, and the Library of Celsus. I'm not a massive history tourist, but this place is definitely worth the visit.
Accommodation Advice
I stayed in some great hotels during my road trip and I'd label all of them as "inexpensive" in my opinion. The one that stands out and will be my recommendation is Terra Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. It's family run with very helpful owners, parking in what's a very confined location, beautiful rooms carved directly into the cave, and a fantastic rooftop terrace that's perfect for sunset.
Food Factor
Seten Restaurant in Cappadocia is my recommendation, and this place is actually within walking distance to Terra Cave Hotel. This is a picturesque rooftop setting that's also a very popular spot to watch sunset. The menu is mainly local dishes, but there are some international options available too. I can highly recommend the ravioli, which is a dish they specialise in. There's also a great selection of wine, as well as a chill out terrace for those only wanting a drink.
Good Guide
Turkey is a very simple country to travel around, so no guide is really needed. Although, I'd definitely recommend a rental car to make things easier. Depending on the region you're travelling, the rental companies differ quite significantly in price. For Ankara, Trabzon, and Adana I found that the international company Sixt were most competitive. However, it was B2Car for Cappadocia.
If you don't drive and want to book guided tours in each place, then Get Your Guide is always a winner due to their global coverage.
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