Hi
Next July I am considering travelling to Turkey after a week in Malta. I'm curious as to how much money and how much time people would recommend I will need to see the "main" touristy sights - Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Bodrum and Antalya. Will I be missing much if I dont visit Ankara? I've always heard stories from the main tourist attractions and not much about Turkey's capital city!
I will be travelling on a tight budget (whatever I can scrape together after Christmas) - I understand it will probably be more expenisve as it is the European summer. I imagine I would need approximately three weeks to see what I want to see, but really these are just guesses!
To anyone who can help me out, it'd be great!
Cheers,
Kyle.
superllama87
1
joachim_naudts
Istanbul: I'd say: 4 days
Pamukkale: a few hours will do, getting there will take more hours though :)
Ephesus: half a day
Bodrum and Antalya: I've been there a long time ago, but don't really remember them.
Ankara: the Ataturk mausoleum is quite impressive, so if you would like to go to Cappadoccia as well, consider stopping in Ankara, if you're only planning on visiting the east, don't bother the detour.
Cappadoccia (if you plan to go): 3 or 4 days
I've never been to Gallipoli or Troy
Anyway, if you have 3 weeks I'd do the following: Istanbul, Troy, Gallipoli, Ankara, Capadoccia, Antalya and back to the West
I hope this helps,
Joachim
2
zacharym87
I'd give Istanbul 4-5 days. The bus from Istanbul to Canakkale (for Gallipoli and Troy) takes about 6 hours and the trip can be done overnight if you're in a hurry or on a budget (or both). Gallipoli and Troy can be done in a single day, most pensions/hostels in Canakkale can book the tours for you. A lot of people go to Ephesus straight after Canakkale, your pension/hostel will be able to help with that to. I haven't been any of the other places you mentioned, so I wouldn't know.
Costs: The major sites in Istanbul are fairly expensive, but you can find cheap food and drink if you shop around and aren't too picky about what you eat. The bus to Canakkale was about 15-16 euros (30 YTL) if I remember correctly, and combined all-day Troy/Gallipoli tour was around 40-50 euro (I think), but it included admission, transportation, and lunch.
3
superllama87
Ah thanks for the replies everyone! So I'm guessing three weeks is more than enough time to see what I wanted to see - seems I can probably do it in about two which will be good on the financial side of things!
4
joachim_naudts
Two weeks will probably do, but if I were you I wouldn't skip Capadoccia. Far more impressive then Pamukkale or other 'nature' sightseeing in the West.
It's not that expensive if you have a tent with you. In Göreme (heart of Capadoccia, near Nevshehir) there are some basic but cheap camping grounds.
Have a nice trip,
Joachim
5
bluecat99
Agree with 4 and skip Antalya...Bodrum and area is beautiful - after so much culture you can enjoy Bodrum with it's beautiful beaches and nature and nightlife and after Bodrum you don't need Antalya. If you are still insisting going south then try Olympos!!!You won't regret!!!
6
bmta
your tight budget will be ruined when you find out about the cost of to travel Malta-TK. NO normal-minded European would even think about that in 1 holiday. scan whichbudget.com or airninja for the various lowcostflights,,and simply try to pre-plan something (NO bookings as of yet for that period)
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