10-Day Turkey Itinerary: The Perfect Route for First-Time Visitors

10-day Turkey itinerary

Days 1-3: Istanbul

Start with spending 3 days in Istanbul. It is a bustling metropolis where the old and the modern beautifully exist side by side. It’s a super interesting city steeped in history and stunning architecture, as it was once not only the capital of the Ottoman Empire, but also of the Eastern Roman Empire. But it is also a fantastic city for delicious food, parties, and shopping.

How to Get Around Istanbul

Istanbul is very well connected by public transport. You can take the tram, ferry, metro, bus or cab to get to all of Istanbul’s tourist spots. The two main tips for public transport would be to get an Istanbulkart card near a tram or metro stop to access public transport in the city. And also to download the Bitaksi (iOS | Android) app to hire cabs if need be.

Where to stay in Istanbul

For your first time in Istanbul, it is best to base yourself in Sultanahmet/Fatih (to be close to most of the sightseeing) or in Beyoglu/Karakoy (if you like partying and good food). Just ensure your stay is within walking distance (less than 500 m) of a tram station. This will make getting around that much easier!

Great View: Mest Hotel Istanbul
Luxury: AJWA Sultanahmet
Mid-Range: Romance Hotel
Budget: Riverland Suites– We stayed at here
Hostel: Hostel Le Banc (Beyoglu)

Day 1: Historical Istanbul

Start with the historical side of Istanbul because this area gives you a true feel of the olden days. It used to be the walled city of Constantinople, now referred to as the Sultanahmet/Fatih area.

Take a tram to Sultanahmet Tram Station, then walk about 350 metres to the Hagia Sophia. You’ll see carts of Simit (hard pretzel-type bread with sesame seeds) and roasted chestnuts (they’re delicious) on the road. Gorge on some on the way.

Hagia Sophia: Start your day by seeing the most iconic building in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia, which was constructed as a cathedral and is not a mosque.

The Basilica Cistern, just a 3-minute walk from the exit of Hagia Sophia, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city of Istanbul. The interiors are lit up in different colours and decorated with several sculptures and the effect created is very eerie yet pretty cool.

Note: The entrance cost of attractions in Istabul has gone up significantly, so if you’d like to some some attraction, I would recommend skipping the Basilica Cistern.

Lunch: For lunch, you can go to the Seven Hills Restaurant, from which you can see a beautiful view of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and the sea from the rooftop. The activity that is famous here is feeding the seagulls, if you like. You don’t necessarily need to eat here to enjoy the view, as they have a separate section to shoot photos, feed seagulls, etc. Other restaurant options include Gulhane Sark Sofrası, Olive Anatolian Restaurant, Gulhane Sark Sofrası

Topkapi Place: The palace gives a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the Ottoman sultans as it served as their main residence and administrative headquarters for four centuries. Go here to see vibrant pavilions, a jewel-filled Treasury, a sprawling Harem and get beautiful views of Istanbul.

Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Square): Walk through this beautiful area towards the Blue Mosque. Back in the days of Constantinople, the Hippodrome area was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, which was decorated with art from across the Roman Empire. Today, you’ll see the remnants of some of this art throughout your walk: Serpent Column, Obelisk of Thutmose III, and the Walled Obelisk.

Blue Mosque: The blue mosque has 6 minarets and beautiful blue interiors. The scaffolding which was there previously has been removed and now you can see the striking central dome from the inside too!

Hamam: It’s time to pamper yourself with a spa experience at Cagaloglu Hamam, a 300-year-old hamam that is also pretty popular with celebrities. So what is a Hamam? A hamam is a Turkish bath where you are given a sauna, a scrub, and a massage after being doused with foam. All of this is done in a communal setting, with separate sections for men and women. If you’re staying on the Beyoglu side of the city, you can also opt for Kilic Ali Pasa Hamam. However, do note that they have different timings for men and women.

Book your hamam experience:

Dinner: Have dinner at Old Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant. It is just a 1 min walk from Cagaloglu Hamam and is very famous for its Turkish food. Another good option is the Secret Garden Restaurant. After dinner, you can walk 500 m to Hafiz Mustafa for some delicious Baklava, Baklava desserts, and puddings.

Tip: While choosing places to eat in the area of Fatih, ensure they have a good rating on Google/TripAdvisor. This is the main tourist area, you’ll find restaurants with overpriced, mediocre food. Plus, some restaurant hosts will offer you free appetisers and desserts. Don’t go for it no matter how much they insist. The food will, in all probability, suck!

Day 2: European Istanbul

Take a tram to Kabataş Tramvay Istasyonu and then a bus/cab to Ortakoy Mosque.

Ortakoy Mosque: The Ortakoy mosque is built right beside the water, with a bridge in the background. You don’t necessarily need to go inside the mosque but the area is so beautiful you’ll want to spend some time here to take it all in, click a few photos, and grab some street food.

Dolmabahce Palace: Take a cab or bus to Dolmabahce Palace, the first European-style palace built by Ottoman Sultans in the 19th century in a very elaborate and ornate fashion that cost a lot—35 tonnes of gold. It was later used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey and is also where he died.

Galata Tower: Built as a watchtower at the highest point of the Walls of Galata, this tower has served as a jail as well and was rebuilt a few times. It is now an exhibition space and museum. Just walk around the area and maybe even head up the tower for fantastic views over the city of Istanbul. Buy tickets to Galata Tower to skip the enormous queue

Lunch: Have lunch around Galata Tower or at your next stop, Taksim Square. You’ll find plenty of options at both. We actually ate food at Velvet Cafe near Galata Tower and the food was excellent. They provided complimentary Helwa, which was so good. Their great-grandfather was the African Coffee Maker of the Palace so you are guaranteed amazing Turkish coffee! Later, have the San Sebastian cake at Sirin Firin Bakery.

Taksim Square and Istiklal Street: You’ve got nothing else on today’s agenda except walking around Istiklal Street, shopping, eating and enjoying the vibe. The street is lined with restaurants, bars, cafes, clubs and shops. Walk the length of it to Taksim Square or ride the historic tram. In the evening, have dinner at Ficcin, go bar hopping or head to one of the clubs.

Day 3: European and Asian Istanbul

Today is your last day in Istanbul and you’ve still got a lot to see. However, if you have only 2.5 days in Istanbul due to flight timings, I’d suggest skipping the first half of this day and only doing the cruise/ferry and the Asian side of Istanbul.

Breakfast in Balat: Start your morning around 7-8 AM and head to Balat for breakfast. Balat is lined with colourful houses and beautiful cafes. Spend your morning walking around from Merdivenli Yokuş Evleri to Balatte Gelato and grabbing a bite at a cafe of your choice.

Sulimaniye Mosque: The Süleymaniye Mosque crowns one of Istanbul’s seven hills, providing a landmark for the entire city. It is one of the grandest and most beautiful mosques in Istanbul commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent- the longest-ruling Sultan.

Shopping in Grand Bazar: Constructed in 1455, the Grand Bazar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. You’ll find everything here, from souvenirs to counterfeit luxury brands (Turkey is the third largest producer of counterfeit goods). The Grand Bazaar is huge and the lanes are confusing; don’t get lost 😛

Ferry ride to Moda/Bosphorus Cruise: You have a few options for this evening. Decide based on what you like more – relaxation and entertainment, or exploring the Asian Side.

Option 1: Ferry to the Asian Side- Take the ferry from Eminonu to explore Kadikoy and Moda. Enter Kadife street on Google Maps and just walk towards it enjoying the vibe of Istanbul’s Asian side. There will be cute stores, lots of eateries, bars, clubs, restaurants and people just chilling. It’s a total vibe and not to be missed.

Option 2: Bosphorus Night Dinner Cruise (departing from Kabatas on the Beyoglu side) or Bosphorus Dinner Cruise ( departing from Eminonu on the Fatih side) for a night of entertainment, food and brilliant views.

Read our Complete Guide to Istanbul

Days 4-6: Cappadocia

For most people, Cappadocia equals a dreamy hot air balloon flight. But Cappadocia is so much more than that; it’s also about the strange volcanic rock formations called fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave churches, epic hikes, interesting history, cave hotels and more.

The reason we are recommending 3 days in Cappadocia is the hot air balloon flights. These are weather-dependent and can be cancelled on the day of the flight. Hence, it is best to have at least 2-3 mornings in Cappadocia. And don’t worry, there is lots to do in Cappadocia during this time.

How to reach Cappadocia

You can reach Cappacodica by taking a flight to the Kayseri or Nevsehir airports or by taking an overnight bus from Istanbul or other locations. It is also possible to get there by car from Istanbul, which will be about a 730 km and 7 to 8-hour drive.

How to reach your hotel in Cappadocia

You can either rent a car at the airport, take a taxi (expensive unless you’re 3 people or more), or take a shuttle (best option). The shuttle is arranged by the hotel and approximately costs 4–10 euros per person (the price depends on your hotel). Please tell the hotel to reserve your space on the shuttle beforehand.

Where to stay in Cappadocia

Cappadocia is not a city but a vast region comprising various towns. Most tourists stay in Goreme as there are plenty of restaurants and shops and hot air balloons fly close by in the morning. It is the most centrally located as well. You could also consider the towns of Uchisar and Urgup to stay away from all this. But do so only if you’re renting a car.

One unique thing to do in Cappadocia is to stay in a cave hotel—in an actual cave dug into a fairy chimney. But do note that cave hotels may also have rooms made of stone so not all rooms are cave rooms. If you’re staying in a cave room, ensure the room has AC or you are provided with a fan; otherwise, it’ll be very suffocating. Read this list of the best cave hotels!

How to get around Cappadocia

Public transport isn’t the most flexible in Cappadocia so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re on a shoestring budget. Most people take tours to see Cappadocia. These tours pick you up from the hotel and drop you off back there so typically, you don’t need a vehicle. The most famous full-day tours are: Red Tour, the Blue Tour and the Green Tour.

The third option is to hire a self-driven car which is what we did. We hired our car directly through our hotel but we also saw some great deals on Discover Cars.

Day 4: Cappadocia- Love Valley, Red and Rose Valley

Settle in your hotel in the morning. Most flights arrive early in the in the morning so you will probably be tired. If you’re allowed early-checkin great. If not, you can choose to head out or relax in the seating area or take a dip in the pool of there is one. Have lunch before you check-in the afternoon and leave.

Lunch: You can try the Rocks Terrace Restaurant in Goreme or eat at Cavusin Village after visiting Love Valley.

If you haven’t rented a car, then I suggest doing one of the following tours this evening: ATV Quad Safari and Sunset Horseback Riding. If you have rented a self-drive car, then continue reading.

Love Valley: It is called so because of the phallus-shaped rocks dotting the valley. To see the valley, you can either head to Love Valley Viewpoint or hike the valley, which will take an hour or so. The Love Valley Trail starts here – a little before the actual viewpoint.

Rose Valley: Now drive 5 km to Rose Valley. We literally just stumbled upon the Rose Valley Hike start point by chance and it turned out to be perfect because there was hardly anyone there and the area was beautiful. You cannot miss this place on your Cappadocia trip. We didn’t do the whole trail through the valleys (hello, heat!) but just walked around a bit and had a great time.

If you do wish to do the whole hike, read the guide to hiking the Red and Rose Valley.

Red Valley Sunset Point: For sunset, drive 5 km to the Red Valley Sunset Point. We sat at Crazy Ali Cafe which has fantastic seats to view the sunset. But you could also choose to sit at any of the other cafes (Sunpoint Cappadocia or Cafe Sunset) nearby or head directly to the public viewpoint.

Dinner: Head back to Goreme and have dinner at Gurme Kebab Restaurant. We had veg Pide (got it done extra spicy), Lentil Soup, Lemonade, and Orange Juice. Everything was delicious and relatively inexpensive compared to other restaurants in Cappadocia.

Day 5: Cappadocia – Hot Air Balloon & Red Tour

Hot Air Balloon Ride: Start the morning with a hot air balloon ride over the other-worldly landscape of Cappadocia. It was our second time on a hot air balloon and we weren’t expecting much. We were actually planning to skip it considering the cost, but boy, we were wrong and so happy that we went ahead anyway. We were left speechless! It’s going to be a super early morning starting at about 4 AM and ending at about 7:30 AM.

Here are 20 tips and must-knows for plannning your hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia.

Red Tour: Today, you can visit the Red Tour locations, which include most of the main sights of Cappadocia. Book your Red Tour here or go ahead with the below-mentioned itinerary in your rented car.

Start by visiting the Goreme open air museum which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a rocky settlement that hosted a monastery between the 4th and 13th centuries A.D. and has super well-preserved rock-cut churches with frescoes. Then head to Uchisar Castle which stands proudly as the highest point in Cappadocia and hence the views from here will be the best you’ll get.

After your visit, eat lunch with a view of the castle at Sensa Restaurant or cheap local food at Çiko’nun Yeri.

You’ll be tempted to visit both Uchisar and Ortahisar. I’d suggest you choose only one of them since both look similar. If you’d like to visit both visit Ortahisar later in the day for Cay (tea) at ETHEM USTANIN YERİ SEYİR TEPESİ.

The head to Pasabag by typing “Paşa bağları” on maps. Pasabag is one of the most popular fairy chimneys areas of Cappadocia.

Next up is Devrent Valley is also known as ‘Imagination Valley‘ because here you’ll find animal-shaped rocks and fairy chimneys, among other interesting formations. Look out for the camel, dolphin, snake, seal, alligator and more. 

Optional if you have more time this day: Zelve Open Air Museum and Ortahisar ( Ethem Ustanin yeri)

Sunset: Head back to Goreme to watch the sunset from Sunset Hill– a huge area and has beautiful views of the town, fairy chimneys, and surrounding mountains.

Dinner: Try İnci Cave Restaurant Göreme. If you want to head to a place with live music afterwards and events, try One Way. Don’t go here for the food, just a drink and the Turkish music if it is on that night.

Day 6: Cappadocia: Chase Hot Air Balloons & Green Tour

Watch Hot Air Balloons: Start the morning by seeing hot air balloons from your hotel rooftop. It’s a magical experince. If your hotel doesn’t have a good rooftop view, you can chase balloons at one of the following valleys: Goreme Sunset point, the official viewpoint in the Love Valley, Sword Valley; or Sunset viewpoint in Rose Valley. Here is a blog post that might help.

Green Tour: Today is the day you follow mostly the Green Tour route. Book your green tour here or go there in your rental car. You’re going to be driving a lot since these locations are a bit far away from Goreme.

Start with Derinyuku Underground City- an ancient underground city that has 18 levels and is 85 metres deep. It was built to protect its inhabitants from wars and religious persecution and housed about 20,000 people.

Next up is the Ihlara Valley, a 10-km long canyon with a river flowing through it. It’s a nice shaded walk through the green valley that has cave churches decorated with colourful frescoes. You have two options for exploring Ihlara Valley: do the 4 km one-way hike that everyone does starting at entrance no. 2 or parking at Belirisma village and hike a few a few kilometres inside and then back. We did the second option and had a wonderful time.

Selime Monastery: Selime Monastery is the biggest religious building in Cappadocia, with a cathedral-size church cut directly into the volcanic tuff. It’s a very interesting place to visit and is quite empty later in the day.

End your day at Nar Lake– small volcanic crater lake which looks brilliant as the colours change when the sun sets. You can drive around the whole lake and even stop by the banks and at the viewpoint.

Drive back to Goreme. Have your last dinner at Dibek Restaurant which is quite famous though a tad bit expensive.

Read our detailed Cappadocia guide and itinerary

Day 7: Pamukkale via Kaklik Cave and Lake Salda

Take a flight from Cappadocia (either Kayseri or Nevsehir airports) to Izmir (Adnan Menderes Airport) this morning. For the purpose of this itinerary, we are going to assume that you’ll be renting a self-drive car. So, take a rental car at the airport itself (please pre-book this online) and drive off to your next destination – Pamukkale which is 224 km (3 hours away)

Pamukkale is a very small town with only a few hotels. People usually only stay for one night to see the white limestone terraces of Pamukkale and the historic city of Hierapolis.

Book tours around Pamukkale

There are two options for this day:

1. You can head directly to Pamukkale which is a 249 km or 3 hr drive. Check in and rest in your hotel. This option is best if your flight arrives after 1 PM at Izmir.
   
2. Or you can drive beyond Pamukkale to Lake Salda (301 km / 4 hours) and Kaklik Caves (on the way to Lake Salda).
   
   We had planned to go with option 1 but ended up going ahead with option 2. No regrets.

Tip: If you go for option 2, eat at Denizli/Pamukkale before heading here. We didn’t find any nice eateries beyond Pamukkale. This way you can also check in at the hotel timely.

Kaklik Cave

Located around 45 km ahead of Pamukkale, the Kaklik Cave was discovered after the collapse of its roof and has only been open to the public since 2002. The cave is quite small but very unique since there are Pamukkale-like travertines underground. Since hardly anyone visits here so you’ll have ample space and time to yourself.

Entry Fee: none
Time Needed: 15 mins- 30 mins

Tip: Wear slippers/open-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting wet since the cave water overflows onto the viewing platforms.

Lake Salda

Lake Salda wasn’t even on our itinerary. It popped up suddenly when I was researching things to do around Pamukkale during the drive to Kaklik Caves. So a sudden decision was made to head here and we loved it during sunset time.

Lake Salda is a crater lake another 65 km ahead of Kaklik caves which translates to a one-hour drive. The lake has white sand/fine stones and blue water. So much so, that it is often referred to as the Turkish Maldives or even Saldives. However, what is interesting is it has geological similarities to a crater on Mars!

You can go to the lake bank from either Salda Golu Plaji or Doganbaba Plaji Isletmesi

Entry Fee: none
Time Needed: 1-1.5 hours

Day 8: Pamukkale and Selcuk (for Ephesus)

Pamukkale Gates open at 6:30 AM. So be ready for an early start so that you can enjoy the travertines of Pamukkale without a lot of people. Trust us, this is so important because when the tour groups come in by 8:30 AM, there is no point in visiting this place. We were told that even visiting in the evening is pointless because a lot of people come here to watch the sunset.

Explore Pamukkale and Hierapolis

The travertines– Pamukkale is known for mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a hillside. The white formations look like cotton castles which is also the meaning of the word Pamukkale. Since this is the main attraction head here first.

You can click photos without people, take a dip in the pools and walk around. Know that you aren’t allowed to walk on the terraces with your shoes on. Walking on the limestone formations actually hurts so look for the smooth spots to walk on!

Tip: Carry a shoe bag to store your shoes in your backpack. We carried this bag and strapped it onto our backpack.

Hierapolis: After you’re done with the terraces, walk through the ancient city of Hierapolis. Founded around 190 BC by Eumenes II of Pergamum, it prospered under both the Romans and Byzantines. Recurrent earthquakes brought disaster, and Hierapolis was abandoned after an AD 1334 tremor. When visiting, don’t miss the Roman Theatre, the agora and the on-site museum.

Lastly, take a dip in the Antique Pool. It is a beautiful artificial pool with blue thermal water and submerged Roman columns (the result of an earthquake). It is said that the pool was a gift to Cleopatra from Marc Antony and hence is also called Cleopatra’s pool.

It will be around 11 AM -12 PM now. So grab a bite back in Pamukkale and get ready to hit the road again!

Entry: Paid
Time Needed: 3-4 hours

Selcuk

Drive 190 km (2 hr 40 min) to Selcuk, a city close to Izmir. Selcuk is a small town known as the gateway to Ephesus – an ancient Greco-Roman city and the reason why you’re visiting.

Book Tours in Selcuk

Explore Ephesus

Entry Fee: Paid
Time Needed: 2-4 hours

You have two options, you can either explore Ephesus this evening if you’re still up for the next morning. It is your choice. We chose to relax this evening, walk around town and explore Ephesus the next morning at opening time.

Ephesus was one of the 12 mighty cities of the Greek Ionian League when it was built in the 11th century B.C. As the capital of Roman Asia Minor, Ephesus was a vibrant city of over 250,000 inhabitants, the fourth largest in the empire after Rome, Alexandria and Antioch. So important and wealthy was Ephesus that its Temple of Artemis was the biggest on earth and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Now, you’ll walk through the ruins of this ancient city that is only 20% excavated. It hosts one of the best examples of an ancient Roman library dating from the early 2nd century AD. It was the third largest at its time only after Alexandria and Pergamum!

How we explored: We download the free Rick Steves Audio Guide beforehand and followed it. We entered from the lower gate (South Entrance) since most of the main sites are located near it. We did our photoshoot first to avoid the crowd and then walked to the upper gate where the audio guide starts. We walked back down while listening to the audio guide.

Day 9-10: Alacati

Today you can explore some sites in Selcuk in the morning and then head over to Alacati.

Important sites in Selcuk

After breakfast, head over to some important sites in Selcuk.

Ephesus Museum: A museum dedicated to preserving all the discovered artefacts found around Ephesus. Opens at 9 AM.

Temple of Artemis: The temple of Artemis is in ruins and only a lone pillar stands today. This temple used to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World so even visiting its site is significant.

Other sites include the Isa Bey Mosque and the Ayasoluk Castle which can be skipped!

Alacati

Drive down 150 km (1 hour 30 mins) to Alacati (pronounced aa-LAA-chaa-tuh).

Alacati is a charming, old, Greek town on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. It’s quite sleepy by day but comes alive at night. You’ll find Greek stone houses with colourful wooden doors and bright pink bougainvillaea all over, cobbled streets, trendy restaurants, cafes and bars, and upscale boutiques. You can’t drive cars on the main market streets since they’re narrow and the restaurants spill over on them. That’s the whole fun of it – you walk everywhere and immerse yourself in its beauty and vibe! Alacati is known to be expensive but we found prices quite comparable to Cappadocia.

Get ready for two slow days!

Day 9: Alacati – Greek Windmills, Cafe and Bar Hopping

After checking in at your hotel this afternoon, just walk around town admiring how beautiful it is. Grab lunch at one of the many excellent restaurants. We were recommended Sailors by our hotel and we absolutely loved the food and ambience.

After lunch, stroll around town to your first and only destination of the day in Alacati – Windmill Park. The park has 4 stone windmills built in 1850 that stand tall at the highest point in the city centre. Because of its location at the highest point, the windmill park is also where you can stunning views of the old town, and modern windmills on the other hills around. No better place in Alacati for sunset.

Do not miss having ice cream from Alaköy Pastanesi – it was soooooo good.

Dinner and Drinks

There are plenty of superb bars around and you’ll have a tough time choosing. We sat at Traktor one evening (it is on the main road) and really enjoyed ourselves – the food, drinks, music and people watching 😛 was excellent. If you want to go for fine dining, head to Papazz.

Day 10: Alacati- Cesme Castle and Kleopatra Beach

Wake up late and eat breakfast/brunch at your hotel. If your hotel doesn’t serve you one, you can go to Zeytinalti.

You have two options today

1. Beach Club: Spend your day at a beach club. You’ll find sunbeds, restaurants, bars, water sports, DJ-pumped parties and more. Famous ones include – Fly in Beach Club, Fun Beach Club, and Sommer Klein Beach Club. There are many more. Enquire at your hotel and decide which will suit you best,
   
2. Cesme and a beautiful beach: Drive 14.5 km to Çeşme – a town with historical significance. It is bigger and more popular than Alacati. Then head to a beautiful beach frequented by locals. This is the option we went with.

Çeşme Castle

Entry Fee: Paid
Time Needed: 1 hour or so

There are many paid parkings near Cesme Castle. However, they were all full so we found a parking spot at the side of the road hence can’t really recommend it. Just drive around till you find a parking space.

Cesme Castle is a 16th-century fort built by the Ottomans to fend off attacks by Venetians. Today, it is a museum where you can learn all about local history and see exhibits that commemorate the 18th-century Battle of Cesme. We only went here to see panoramic views of the city and sea but ended up being super fascinated by the displays.

Lunch at Cesme Town

There are plenty of nice restaurants around the Cesme Marina. Leave your car where you parked it. Head to the marina area and walk around admiring the views till you find a restaurant to your liking. We ate at Ozsut and liked our food but you could also go to ÇARK balık Çeşme (very well-rated on TripAdvisor).

We started the day very late – at 3 PM- so didn’t have time for much else. But if you do, head to Cesme Bagcilik– one of Turkiye’s leading vineyards. Sip on wine and the splendid views of the rolling vineyards. 

Evening and Sunset at Kleopatra Beach

As evening approaches, drive 12 km to Kleopatra Koyu (beach). It is a beautiful beach with calm waters nestled amidst cliffs. Mostly only locals were here. The water was cold even in peak summer but once we got in, we didn’t wanna come out. Though the sun doesn’t set on this side, the colours of the sunset just made the evening so much more beautiful.

Carry your own beach mat (we used a sarong) as there are no shops, cafes, and beach beds here.

Alternatively, you could head to the famous Ilica Beach – a Blue Flag beach that’s famed for its warm water.

Drinks and Dinner at Alacati

Head back to Alacati (15 km – 25 min drive). However, rest a bit and get ready for your last evening of fun as your 10 days in Turkey come to an end.

Dinner: Asma Yapragi, Zeytinalti, Avula Alaçatı

Bars: Tektekçi Alaçatı, Octa Bar and Zeplin Alacati are good choices.