|
Key Takeaways:
|
Turkey is one of the few countries where you can cover multiple different landscapes in a single trip. In 14 days, you go from historic mosques and palaces to Roman ruins, white thermal terraces, coastal towns, and cave landscapes.
However, planning a Turkey itinerary for 2 weeks can be a hectic task. The key is to follow a structured route instead of trying to cover everything randomly. This itinerary is designed to help with the top regions to visit, things to do and nightlife in Turkey.
14-Day Turkey Itinerary: Major Budget Breakdown
| Expense | Approx. Cost Per Person |
| Round Trip Flights | 50,000 – 65,000 |
| Turkey Sticker Visa | 19,500 (Application fee: 14,300, Visa fee: 5,200) |
| Domestic flights (Istanbul – Izmir + Antalya – Cappadocia) | 12,000 – 18,000 |
| Car rental (8 days, Days 4 – 11) | 14,000 – 18,000 |
| Accommodation (13 nights, mid-range with breakfast) | 70,000 – 80,000 |
| Food (14 days, mix of restaurants and street food) | 16,000 – 24,000 |
| Hot air balloon | 20,000 – 25,000 |
| Bosphorus Dinner Cruise | 3,000 |
| Istanbul City Tour | 4,500 |
| Ephesus Tour | 4,000 |
| Pamukkale Tour | 3,500 |
| 12-island boat tour in Fethiye | 6,000 |
| Goreme Open Air Museum | 2,400 |
| Derinkuyu Underground City | 1,600 |
| Turkish night show at a cave restaurant | 5,000 |
Turkey Itinerary for 14 Days: A Perfect Day-Wise Plan
This 14-day plan is structured in a way that each region you travel to connects and reduces your travel time. Follow the day plan, as changing the order can increase travel time and complicate logistics.
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul + Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
Morning: Land at Istanbul Airport, and travel to Sultanahmet, which is 47 kilometres away. It is a popular area in Istanbul for doing all the major tourist things. Do not get into a private taxi outside the airport. Book a hotel transfer in advance or use Uber, which shows the fare before you confirm.
Afternoon: Check in to your hotel, get refreshed, have lunch and rest.
Evening: Get ready for the Bosphorus Dinner Cruise. The Bosphorus is the waterway that divides Istanbul between its European and Asian sides. A dinner cruise takes 3 hours, and from the boat, you can look at the bridges and the Dolmabahçe Palace fully lit.
Included in the Bosphorus Dinner Cruise:
- Dinner
- Turkish folk dancing
- Latin flamenco dancing
- DJ
- Belly dancing
Day 2: Istanbul Old City Tour
Have your breakfast at the hotel. Book a guided tour or visit the popular attractions in Turkey independently.
Stop 1: Hagia Sophia: Built in the 6th century, it has been a cathedral, a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. The central dome is 55 metres above the floor. The gold mosaics of Byzantine emperors and empresses are visible in the upper gallery.
Stop 2: Blue Mosque: Inside, there are 20,000 hand-painted Iznik tiles covering the walls and ceiling in blue floral patterns.
Stop 3: Basilica Cistern: An underground water chamber from the 6th century. There are 336 marble columns; two of the columns have carved Medusa heads at the base, placed sideways and upside down.
Stop 4: Lunch: With many restaurant options in Istanbul, particularly in the Sultanahmet area, you will find many vegetarian options as well.
Stop 5: Topkapi Palace: This was the working palace of Ottoman sultans for over 400 years. The treasury here is the Topkapi Dagger and the personal weapons of Suleiman the Magnificent. Then visit the four courtyards and royal kitchens spread across 70,000 square metres.
Stop 6: Grand Bazaar: One of the oldest covered markets in the world, built in 1461, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. You will find the best Turkish souvenirs like carpets, ceramics, evil eye charms, Turkish coffee, dried fruits, Turkish delight, and gold jewellery.
Night: Galata Bridge: If you are tired, walk on the Bridge before heading to your hotel. The lower level of the Galata Bridge has fish restaurants where freshly grilled fish is served in bread.
Day 3: Spice Bazaar + Kadikoy
Have your breakfast at the hotel to save money. If your budget allows, you can always visit the nearby local food stalls or cafes for food. Then, start with the Spice Bazaar before the midday crowd arrives.
Morning: Spice Bazaar: A 17th-century market near the Galata Bridge with shops selling spices, loose-leaf teas, Turkish coffee, dried fruits, saffron, baklava, and Turkish delight. It is much smaller and easier to walk through than the Grand Bazaar, and better for food shopping than for souvenirs.
Afternoon to Night: Kadikoy (Asian district of Istanbul): Kadikoy is a neighbourhood on the Asian side of Istanbul, across the Bosphorus. You need to take the ferry from Eminönü pier, which takes 20 minutes to reach.
Kadikoy has local restaurants, fish places, meyhanes (traditional Turkish spots that serve food and drinks, similar to a local tavern), and street food stalls. The food is generally cheaper than in the tourist restaurants in Sultanahmet. This is one of the places in Turkey not included in its itineraries, and with 2 weeks in hand, it is important to experience the country’s laid-back side.
Day 4: Istanbul to Kusadasi
Morning: After breakfast, check out of your Istanbul hotel. Head to Istanbul Airport for your morning domestic flight. It takes about an hour and a half to reach the city.
Important Note: Rent a car on the 4th day, till the 11th day of your trip. This gives you more freedom to visit places on your own time, change your itinerary based on your mood or weather conditions.
Afternoon: Drive to Kusadasi, 70 km from Izmir airport, approximately 1 hour. Kusadasi gives a laid-back experience with its coastal resort town on the Aegean Sea, and the famous ancient ruins of Ephesus are 17 km away. Check into your hotel and rest up.
Evening: Around 6 pm, visit Long Beach, one of the most famous beaches in Turkey, for the sunset. The sunset time varies based on the season you visit, so check before going. Walk, relax, and enjoy the waves.
Day 5: Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, Sirince Village
Morning: From Long Beach, Ephesus is 40 minutes drive. Try to reach by around 8 AM, that’s when there is less heat and crowd. It takes 3 – 4 hours to explore these sites; if you are more interested in history, it can take longer.
Things you will see inside Ephesus
- Library of Celsus: A 2nd-century Roman library with four statues on the front and a detailed carved exterior.
- Great Theatre: It’s a stone carved into a hillside with a capacity of 25,000.
- Curetes Street: The main marble-paved road of the city with ruins of temples and fountains.
- The Terrace Houses: Multi-story Roman houses still have original mosaic floors and wall paintings.
Afternoon: Once you are done with Ephesus, you have the House of Virgin Mary, which is just 5 kilometres away. It is a small stone house in the hills above the site, believed to be where Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her final years.
Lunch: Near the House of the Virgin Mary, there is a small restaurant, Cafe Turco, 160 metres from the gate. Have your food and rest a while before your next stop.
Late Afternoon – Night: Drive to Sirince Village, 15 kilometres from the restaurant. It is a former Greek village on a hillside surrounded by olive and fruit orchards. Known for its fruit wines: strawberry, apple, pomegranate, and sour cherry. You can visit the wine shops, taste, and buy the one you like.
Wine bars to visit in Sirince Village: Şirince Kırkınca Şarap Evi & Kybele Mahzen Şarap Evi
Note: These wine bars close between 9:30 and 10:30 PM, so you can stay out late and return to your hotel.
Day 6: Kusadasi to Pamukkale to Fethiye
Note: If you’re tired or want to slow down, you can skip the Pamukkale trip to relax and drive straight to Fethiye.
Morning: Have your breakfast and check out from Long Beach, Kusadasi around 11 AM. Then drive to Pamukkale, the distance is 199 kilometres and it takes 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach.
Afternoon: Reach the Travertines of Pamukkale, which are also called the Cotton Castle in Turkish. It is formed by calcium deposits left by thermal spring water that has been flowing down the hill for thousands of years. The water is warm, the calcium hardens into shelves, and each shelf holds water.
The main highlight is Cleopatra’s Pool, a thermal pool with warm mineral water. You can swim among the ancient ruins here, with water temperature around 34 to 36°C.
Best restaurant options in Pamukkale village:
- Seven Spices İndian restaurant
- Jasmine’s Grill House – Pamukkale
- Bella Restaurant & Cafe
- Teras restaurant
- Traverten Pide
Evening: It takes 3 – 4 hours in the travertines of Pamukkale. You can dine in any of the restaurants in the Pamukkale village and drive to Fethiye.
You can also choose to stay the night in Pamukkale village. Driving in Fethiye on the same day is better, as you have no other activities in this region. It takes 3 hours to drive to Fethiye.
Night: Check into your hotel in the Oludeniz area in Fethiye. Have your dinner and head to bed.
Day 7: Full Day Island Boat Tour, Kayakoy
Wake up early and have breakfast at your hotel. Oludeniz is one of the most famous coastal spots in Turkey, known for its Blue Lagoon, where the water stays calm because it is enclosed on three sides.
Book a 12-island boat tour from Fethiye harbour. This is a full-day activity from around 10 AM to 6 PM, covering multiple swimming stops and small islands, with lunch included on board.
12-island boat tour includes
- Island stops: Tersane Island, Yassicalar Island, Flat Island, Red Island, and others.
- Activities: snorkelling, swimming, sunbathing.
- Lunch.
- Pick-up and drop-off at the hotel.
Evening: You will return to your hotel around 7 PM. Try not to make more plans for the night, as the island tours take the whole day, with 8 hours.
Day 8: Day Trip to Saklikent Gorge
You can keep your Day 8 flexible depending on what you did on Day 7. If you did the boat tour yesterday, don’t rush this day. You can feel free to roam around the area where you stay or use your resort facilities. If you are planning an activity, take a day for Saklikent.
Morning: Visit Saklikent Gorge, 45 kilometres from Fethiye. The gorge is 18 kilometres long and, in some sections, only 3 – 4 metres wide, with walls 300 metres high on both sides. You walk through the first section in cold mountain water, which comes up to your knee (water temperature stays around 6 – 8°C even in summer).
Day 9: Fethiye to Antalya
Morning: After breakfast, start your drive to Antalya. The journey takes around 3 hours.
Afternoon: Once you reach Antalya, check into your hotel. The main area to focus on is Kaleici, which is the old town. This is where you will find narrow streets, small cafes, a bohemian atmosphere, and boutique hotels.
Evening: Just walk in the streets of the old town. Walk through Hadrian’s Gate and explore the old harbour area. There are so many restaurants here that are built along the cliffs and overlook the sea, making it one of the best places to spend your evening.
Day 10: Antalya
Morning: Visit the Duden Waterfalls, located 11 kilometres from the old town. There are two Duden waterfall sites on the same river.
Upper Duden is inside a forested park. You can walk the cliff path to the observation deck above the falls, and go into the cave behind the waterfall.
Lower Duden is where the same river flows, 40 metres directly off a cliff into the Mediterranean. Take a boat tour from the old harbour to see it from the seaside and the boat passes directly below the falling water.
Afternoon: Return to your stay, have lunch and rest for a while. Then take a 48-kilometre ride to the Aspendos Roman Theatre. Aspendos is a 2nd-century AD Roman theatre with 15,000 seats and is considered the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world. Even today, the acoustics are good enough that they still host opera and ballet performances in summer.
Evening: Spend your evening at Konyaalti Beach. It is a 7-km pebble beach with the Taurus Mountains visible in the background. The promenade behind the beach has restaurants and cafes. A good place to watch the sunset before dinner.
Day 11: Antalya to Cappadocia
Morning: Return your rented car at Antalya and fly to Kayseri Airport or Nevsehir Airport, both of which are in Cappadocia. The flight takes 1 hour 20 minutes. If you land in Kayseri, the drive to the town takes 1 hour 10 minutes; from Nevsehir Airport, it is 40 minutes.
Note: When booking the car, select Kusadasi as the pick-up location and Antalya as the return location.
Afternoon: Goreme is the best area to stay in Cappadocia with major attractions nearby. The stays here are more unique than the rest of Turkey, with an unusual cave hotel. From the walls to the ceiling are stone; the temperature inside stays naturally cool, and staying here is one of the Cappadocia experiences.
Evening: Walk around Goreme town and have dinner at one of the cave restaurants in the centre.
Important: Before you sleep, confirm your hot air balloon booking for the next morning. The balloon company will contact you between 9 and 10 PM with a weather update. If the flight is cancelled, it will be rescheduled for the next morning. This is one of the main reasons why you need to plan 3 nights in Cappadocia.
Day 12: Hot Air Balloon + Goreme Open Air Museum
Early Morning: Your pickup is between 4:00 and 4:30 AM for the Hot Air Balloon. Dress in warm layers as the mornings are cold, sometimes as low as 5 – 10°C.
The flight lasts 60 minutes. You will see more than 150 balloons launch. The flight goes over the fairy chimneys, the red and pink rock of Rose Valley, and the vineyard and orchard fields below. Most people pick the morning flight for the sunrise view, as you can watch it as you fly. When you land, the operator runs a small ceremony with champagne.
You will be back at the hotel by 9 – 10 AM. Have breakfast and rest for a couple of hours before the afternoon.
Afternoon: Go to the Goreme Open Air Museum, 1 kilometre from Goreme town centre. Here you will find a group of cave churches and monasteries used by Byzantine Christian communities between the 10th and 13th centuries. The Dark Church inside has the best-preserved colours because it received almost no natural light for centuries and the pigments did not fade.
Evening: Walk to the Goreme sunset viewpoint. The fairy chimneys and valley walls change colour as the sun drops, from pale orange to bright red before dark. It is a good spot for photographs and a quiet end to a full day.
Day 13: Valleys, Underground City, Turkish Night Show
Morning: Hiking is a must in every country you visit, and in Turkey, Cappadocia is the place to do it. The Red Valley trail is 3 kilometres and takes about 2 hours.
The best time to walk it is from 4 PM onwards when the light hits the rocks at a low angle, and the stone turns deep red before dark. If you prefer a morning walk, Rose Valley is the better option; it takes about 1.5 hours and passes cave churches with frescoes still visible inside the rock.
Things you will see on the valley trails:
- Cave churches with painted ceilings carved directly into the rock face
- Pigeon houses
- Lookout points above the valley floor with views across the rock formations
- Hidden cafes along some trails serve tea and fresh juice
Afternoon: Visit the Derinkuyu Underground City, 38 km from Goreme. The deepest underground city in Cappadocia is at 85 metres, with 8 levels. It was built as a shelter during invasion periods and held thousands of people. You will see storage rooms, a winery, animal areas, sleeping quarters, and a church on the lowest level.
Note: Avoid Derinkuyu if you have claustrophobia; some tunnels are very narrow. Instead, visit Kaymakli underground city, 28 km from Goreme, which has wider passages and is the better choice for anyone uncomfortable in closed spaces.
Evening: Attend the Turkish night show at a cave restaurant in Goreme or Avanos. The show is held from 8 PM to 11:30 PM in a rock-carved underground dining space.
What the show includes:
- Whirling Dervish ceremony (performers in white robes spin continuously for 15 minutes as a spiritual practice)
- Folk dances from different Turkish regions
- Fire dancing
- Belly dancing
- Multi-course dinner
- Local drinks
- Hotel transfer
Day 14: Free Morning + Departure
This is your final day, so enjoy your favourite activity again in the morning. Have your breakfast at the hotel and check out. Depending on your flight time, you have a free morning in Goreme.
Morning options:
- Walk to the Goreme sunrise viewpoint and watch the balloons launch from the ground one last time
- Visit Avanos, a town on the Red River known for its red clay pottery. Watch a master potter work a traditional wheel, and try shaping the clay yourself at one of the workshops
Afternoon: Head to Kayseri Airport or Nevsehir Airport for your flight back to Istanbul. From Istanbul Airport, connect to your international flight home.
Conclusion
14 days in Turkey gives you all the most significant experiences in the country. From history, the Mediterranean coast, ancient ruins, the thermal terraces, the beach lagoon, the harbour town and cave hotels, there are unlimited things to explore.
If you are confused about how many days to plan for and where to visit in the country, contact Dimaak Tours for help. We will guide you through every single step, including visas, flights, activities, accommodation booking and even restaurant reservations.
FAQs on Turkey Itinerary for 2 Weeks
1. Is 14 days enough for Turkey?
Yes, 14 days in Turkey gives you a relaxed vacation without rushing. If you choose a 7-day trip in Turkey, it’s better to plan only two regions.
2. Is Turkey expensive for Indians?
Turkey is more affordable than other European destinations like France and Italy. The two highest costs are the international flight and the Cappadocia hot-air balloon ride. Daily in-country expenses, food, local transport, and entry fees are reasonably priced.
3. Is Turkey suitable for vegetarian travellers?
Vegetarian food is available in most cities. You can find options like lentil soup, bread, cheese-based dishes, salads, and local flatbreads. In tourist areas, restaurants also offer customised vegetarian meals.
4. Do Indians need a visa for Turkey?
Indian travellers need a sticker visa, which costs approximately 19,500 INR, including the application fee. If you have a valid US, UK, or Schengen visa, you can apply for an e-visa at a lower cost.
