Overview
No matter what your pleasure, there’s something for you in Turkey. The Mediterranean coast is easy to enjoy, with plenty of traditional food, including the meze, to stimulate your taste buds.
Away from the usual tourist pastimes, there is plenty of history to discover. Turkey has been the scene of many famous battles, involving heroes such as Achilles and Alexander the Great, to name but a couple, and the remnants are displayed far and wide, in ruins of castles and palaces.
Enjoy being pampered at a hamam, or go to the other extreme and head out for adventure in the Nemrut Dagi National Park.
A trip to Istanbul sees markets and bars with style, colour and atmosphere, with the added attraction of Ottoman cuisine at its best.
Turks are full of the lust for life, having suffered many trials and tribulations over the centuries. In response, the tourist is treated with a welcome seen in few other places.
Basic facts:
Distance: 2,951km (Istanbul)
Flight time: 4h 15min (Istanbul)
Time Zone: UTC+2, UTC+3 (Summer Daylight Saving Time)
Currency: Turkish Lira (TRY) check exchange rate
Climate
The Mediterranean coastal areas are blessed with hot, humid summers, whereas the Black Sea coast is a little wetter and cooler, though still very pleasant.
Further inland, the summers (July and August) are unbearably hot, with 45°C being normal, yet the snowy winters here (December to April) can make this region impassable, with temperatures as low as -12°C.
When to go
Depending on where you want to go, and what you want to do, there are numerous choices.
For hot sun, sea and sand, then mid-May to September is your travel time to the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. The resorts only really get started at the end of April and close mid-October.
The Black Sea coast is best visited between April and September, even though you can expect some, but not much, rain during your visit.
If you don’t want to be baked on the beaches, then Spring (April/May) or autumn (September/October) are best. Visiting Istanbul or the interior will also be cooler. A Spring vacation also could avoid mosquitoes.
Travelling to the east of Turkey is best done late June to September, otherwise your travel arrangements will be hampered by snow and ice.
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