WEEKEND TOURS AND TRIPS
CAPPADOCIA
Go above the some of the world's strangest natural formations, "Fairy Chimneys", in a hot air baloon - or go deep below the surface into an ancient underground city, large enough to accomodate 20,000 people! For a really unforgettable experience, do stay in one of the hotels carved into caves!
SKIING
From Istanbul easily accessible ski resorts include Kartepe, Kartalkaya and Uludag, with Sarıkamıs being further east. If you are able to make the trip to Sarıkamıs, then there are excellent historical landmarks nearby and some of the best skiing snow in the world.
SALT LAKES
Turkey is home to two salt lakes, one being Tuz gölü, the home to flamingos in Konya, and the other being Lake Salda, "The Turkish Maldives" known for its dazzling color.
BOLU
Some of the best camping in the country is just a three hour drive away! The city of Bolu is home to a number of national parks with camping facilities such as the mountaintop crater-lake of Sülüklü Göl and the more easygoing Yedigöller.
BODRUM / MUÄžLA
“The sea not only sharpens a sense of beauty and of alarm, but also a sense of history. You are confronted with precisely the sight which met Caesar’s eyes, and Hannibal’s… Off the magical coast of Turkey you rediscover what the world was like when it was empty… and when pleasures were as simple as getting up in the morning… and every day is a journey of discovery.”
- Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov
BURSA
Once the capital of the Ottoman empire and an important part of the Silk Road, today Bursa is home to many UNESCO sites and is easily accesible from Istanbul via ferry.
LYCIAN WAY
Hike the 540 km of the Lycian Way, one of the world’s greatest hiking trails featuring a unique combination of Mediterranean views, mountainous hinterland, Turkish culture and ancient ruins. Or, visit individually some of the attractions on the path like the famed Butterfly valley or the ruins of Petara.
KÖPRÜLÜ CANYON
Just inland from the famed holiday town of Antalya, this canyon is 14 km long and offers hiking, rafting, kayaking and camping in a dramatic wooded setting.
EPHESUS
This ancient greek city was built in the 10th century BC and today acts as an open-air museum for history enthusiasts. Retrace the footsteps of this ancient civilization as you learn about cutting-edge modern archaeology.
ÇATALHÖYÜK
Çatalhöyük is among the few examples of a well-preserved Neolithic settlement, with its egalitarian urban layout, roof-access dwellings, wall paintings and reliefs testifying to a proto-urban way of life.
SAFRANBOLU
About 4 hours drive from Istanbul, a UNESCO world heritage site and crossroads of the caravan trade: Safranbolu flourished from the 13th century on. Its architecture became a major influence on urban development throughout the Ottoman Empire.
