Yes, as absurd as the title may sound, I actually managed to travel most parts of turkey and conquered many areas in 5 days. It definitely may seem a little tight, but it's not impossible!
Here's my itinerary of my 5 days in Turkey.
Day 1 // Istanbul
Day 2 // Istanbul
Day 3 // Cappadocia (Göreme)
Day 4 // Cappadocia (Göreme)
Day 5 // Denizli & Selçuk
I will be posting about these areas more in-depth in separate blogposts, but just for this post, I am going to focus on how to get from one area to another within the country. Crucial for planning a trip from scratch.
We took a early morning flight from Singapore (SIN) to Istanbul (IST) at about 01:45am and managed to touch down at Ataturk International Airport (IST) around 07:45am.
Good to know: Istanbul is 5 hours behind Singapore.
We were on Singapore Airlines (Boeing 777-200) and the only thing that bugged me was, since this was an older boeing, there were no usb cables available for me to charge my phone. (And until someone finds a portable way to charge my laptop on the plane in Economy, that would be awesome! Some airlines like United do offer AC outlets to let you charge your laptops on the plane, but probably only available to Business and First Class ticket holders)
ISTANBUL
Upon arrival at Istanbul, there are a few ways to get you from Ataturk International Airport into the city. You have the options of either taking the Taxi, Airport Transfer Services, Tram/Metro or the Airport Bus. The Airport Transfer Service is about €25 one way from the Airport.
Most hotels in Istanbul should offer you an option with a shuttle that brings you from the airport to the hotel directly. To me, I think it saves you some hassle for a small nominal fee. Our shuttle from the airport to the hotel provided by Villa Hagia Sophia is 80TL (Turkish Liras). We paid the hotel stay together with the shuttle provided in Euros in the end. Most places in Turkey accept both TL and Euros liberally. Somehow, the Euros gained us a few tens of dollars after conversion which is extremely strange, but great for us I guess!
Traveling about Istanbul is also extremely convenient by their metro line that runs on the roads through the city.
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Click HERE for enlarged version.
A brief overview of Istanbul:
Istanbul is a bustling city that has a strong tea culture. Almost every restaurant you are at will offer you a glass of apple tea. Visit the Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya) that is so full of history and the underground Basilica Cistern in search of the two Medusa statues. Take photos with the iconic Blue Mosque and roam around the Topkapi Palace whilst you let your shoes grace the marble flooring. Alternatively, you could take a boat trip along the Bosphorus straight towards the Black Sea or shop for pretty things at the Grand Bazaar.
There is never a dull moment in Istanbul.
There is never a dull moment in Istanbul.
CAPPADOCIA (Göreme)
Göreme pronounced as Go-reh-may) is a town in Cappadocia. The fastest way, which isn't very fast to begin with, is to take a bus there. The bus ride is 11hours long and it's the most common mode of transportation to get from Istanbul to Göreme.
We pre-booked our buses with an agent under Tourline Turkey. I chanced upon their website and there was no indication of anything to make a booking so I had to send in an email request and inquiry about the booking of buses. I got a response from Huseyin Uysal. Thankfully, his reply was prompt and in proper English. There are times where you have to struggle to understand but it's not terrible. I believe he connected me with Insider Travel and made all my bus bookings as per my request with the respective bus companies which was extremely helpful!
info@tourlineturkey.com
http://www.tourlineturkey.com
+90 (531) 3789262
I basically told him the bus journeys I required and at what specific time and he will track down the buses for me. We did 3 journeys.
Istanbul -> Göreme
11 hours
Göreme -> Denizli
11 hours
Denizli -> Selçuk
2.5 hours
Here's a map of Turkey so you have a rough idea of how the journey is like.
(Photo credits to TurkeyTravelPlanner.com)
Here's a map of Turkey so you have a rough idea of how the journey is like.
(Photo credits to TurkeyTravelPlanner.com)
Pamukkale is located in Denizli and Ephesus is located in Selçuk. The 11hour bus rides are basically overnight buses, so that you don't lose out on daylight. Apart from buses, I believe that you can also take a train from one area to another even though I did not research in-depth into it. The buses have wifi on board as well as entertainment, just like on an airplane. The only thing is, the wifi goes off whenever the bus makes a break at pitstops along the way for people on the bus to make use of the toilet, grab a bite or drink.
The bus does provide you with light refreshments such as coffee and tea, water and light bites as well!
A brief overview of Cappadocia:
Cappadocia is the land of fairy chimneys and spectacular views of unique geological rock formations formed after thousands of years of past volcanic activities. Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum and the Göreme National Park where you will witness excellent preserved frescos. One of the major highlights of Cappadocia has got to be taking a hot air balloon ride that takes you a few thousand feet high up in the air over the various valleys whilst you catch the first glimpse of sunrise.
Cappadocia is the land of fairy chimneys and spectacular views of unique geological rock formations formed after thousands of years of past volcanic activities. Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum and the Göreme National Park where you will witness excellent preserved frescos. One of the major highlights of Cappadocia has got to be taking a hot air balloon ride that takes you a few thousand feet high up in the air over the various valleys whilst you catch the first glimpse of sunrise.
DENIZLI
On the last day, we arrived at Denizli bus station in the morning and had the whole morning and ample time to explore Pamukkale and Hierapolis. There was definitely more than enough time. The 'manager' on the bus will indicate to you which stop to alight and from there, a shuttle took us to this small travel agency which was literally walking distance to Pamukkale Travel Agency. However, if you want to get to the east entrance, you can pay a small fee of 30TL and they will drive you there. It made more sense because you can walk down the cotton castles which will lead you back to the travel agency.
A brief overview of Denizli:
Many people who visit Denizli are probably just there for Pamukkale and Ancient Hierapolis which houses an old Roman amphitheatre and the iconic thermal pools, otherwise called the cotton castles of Pamukkale. You can soak yourself in the water and rub your feet in the clay at the bottom of the various pools of water. If you're an adrenaline junkie and looking for some fun, many people also head up to the north-west end of Hierapolis to para-glide down so you get a panoramic view of the sights below your feet.
Many people who visit Denizli are probably just there for Pamukkale and Ancient Hierapolis which houses an old Roman amphitheatre and the iconic thermal pools, otherwise called the cotton castles of Pamukkale. You can soak yourself in the water and rub your feet in the clay at the bottom of the various pools of water. If you're an adrenaline junkie and looking for some fun, many people also head up to the north-west end of Hierapolis to para-glide down so you get a panoramic view of the sights below your feet.
Selçuk
The mid-day bus from Denizli to Selçuk was quite treacherous due to the blazing sun. I guess it also depends on which time of the year you are travelling to Turkey. We were there right smack in the middle of Summer so the temperature could hit a high of 40degreesC.
A brief overview of Selçuk:
Similarly, everyone visits Selçuk just for the Ancient City of Ephesus. It is one of the best ancient ruin sites in Turkey and consists of many late Roman structures such as the Odeion and Celsus Library. A great place to roam about and relinquish in the historical facade of the Romans.
***
I decided on this route from Istanbul -> Göreme -> Denizli -> Selçuk because it links us back up to Izmir airport where we took a flight out to Athens (Greece). It is one of the most common route. Reversely, you could travel from Istanbul -> Selçuk -> Denizli -> Göreme and back up to Istanbul. Apart from that, you could also travel out towards the west coast to places like Bodrum and Marmaris that have excellent coastal sights as well. There are also ferries available from these ports that provide ferry service between Turkey and Greece.
And that's it! You've got Turkey covered in 5 days.
I'll definitely be covering some of the recommended hotels you can accommodate yourselves at in another blogpost as well as each area and it's attractions in individual blogposts and link them back here once they are up.
Xoxo,
Amelia
Similarly, everyone visits Selçuk just for the Ancient City of Ephesus. It is one of the best ancient ruin sites in Turkey and consists of many late Roman structures such as the Odeion and Celsus Library. A great place to roam about and relinquish in the historical facade of the Romans.
***
I decided on this route from Istanbul -> Göreme -> Denizli -> Selçuk because it links us back up to Izmir airport where we took a flight out to Athens (Greece). It is one of the most common route. Reversely, you could travel from Istanbul -> Selçuk -> Denizli -> Göreme and back up to Istanbul. Apart from that, you could also travel out towards the west coast to places like Bodrum and Marmaris that have excellent coastal sights as well. There are also ferries available from these ports that provide ferry service between Turkey and Greece.
And that's it! You've got Turkey covered in 5 days.
I'll definitely be covering some of the recommended hotels you can accommodate yourselves at in another blogpost as well as each area and it's attractions in individual blogposts and link them back here once they are up.
Xoxo,
Amelia
