A travel guide to Turkey.

What the guide covers

The guide starts with Istanbul, the main gateway to the country, and follows the country’s most popular circuit: Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus and the Aegean coast. After that come Bursa and Edirne, former Ottoman capitals, Çanakkale with Troy and Gallipoli, Izmir, the beaches of Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye, Antalya, Kaş and Alanya and, inland, Ankara and Konya.

Further east are Safranbolu and Trabzon, near the Black Sea, Şanlıurfa and Göbekli Tepe, Mardin and Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Kars, next to the ruins of Ani. Each destination groups the cities of the region, what to do in each, attractions with their own pages, when to go and how to get there.

Provinces and groups

Turkey is divided into 81 provinces (il), and almost all are named after their capital city. The guide organizes the cities by province. To make travel easier, the provinces are grouped into 13 groups, such as Istanbul, the Aegean Coast, the Turquoise Coast, Cappadocia and the Black Sea.

Between Europe and Asia

Turkey lies on two continents. The European side, Eastern Thrace, is a small part of the territory, including Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, most of the city of Istanbul and the Gallipoli peninsula. The rest of the country, Anatolia, is in Asia.

In Istanbul, the Bosphorus separates the two sides of the same city, and ferries, bridges and the Marmaray train make the crossing every day.

How people travel around the country

The country is large, and the distances between Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast often require domestic flights, frequently with connections in Istanbul or Ankara. Long‑distance buses reach almost every city, and the high‑speed train (YHT) links Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir and Konya.

The time zone is UTC+3 year‑round, and the country is in the Northern Hemisphere.

Why there are no prices

Outside Brazil, the guide does not show prices for tours or tickets, because they change frequently. When there is an entrance fee or charge, the text notes it, and the amount should be checked before you go.

How the content is made

The information for each place is researched from official sources, such as Turkey’s and the provinces’ tourism boards, museums and archaeological sites, national parks and UNESCO, and is checked before being published.

The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it. Photos sent by travelers appear separately, as travelers' photos.

If you find any information that differs, write to us: fixing it is quicker than it seems.

All of Cidade Turismo

The guide started in Brazil and now also covers other countries, always with the same organization: routes, destinations and cities.

About Cidade Turismo: who we are, how the content is made and the guide's numbers →