Turkey · best-of list
17 Top Things to Do in Turkey
All 17 things to do our route editors picked in Turkey, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect sights and experiences, with Selçuk contributing the most (7).
Our curated picks
17 things to do in Turkey, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Selçuk 7 picks
Basilica of St. John
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Ruins of Justinian's basilica over the traditional tomb of John the Apostle.
Tip: Climb to the citadel for views.
Photo: Umit Ozbay · Google
Ephesus Ancient City
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Roman port city with the Library of Celsus and a 25,000-seat theater.
Tip: Enter at the upper gate and walk downhill; go at opening.
Photo: Huseyin Moldibi · Google
Ephesus Museum
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Finds from Ephesus, including two statues of Artemis.
Photo: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0
House of the Virgin Mary
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Small stone chapel on Mount Koressos, a pilgrimage site for Christians and Muslims.
Photo: Erik Cleves Kristensen · CC BY 2.0
Şirince
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Hill village of stone houses, olive groves and fruit wines, 8 km from Selçuk.
Photo: Cheyrek · CC BY-SA 3.0
Temple of Artemis
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Site of an ancient Wonder of the World, now one re-erected column in a marsh.
Tip: Brief stop; storks often nest on the column.
Photo: autor fotografie Zee Prime Original uploader was Zee Prime at cs.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Terrace Houses
Selçuk · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Roofed Roman villas with mosaics and wall paintings inside Ephesus.
Tip: Separate ticket bought at the entrance to the houses.
Photo: Ahmt Atc · Google
Istanbul 6 picks
Basilica Cistern
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Vast Byzantine underground reservoir with 336 columns and two Medusa heads.
Tip: Evening sessions cost more but are calmer.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Blue Mosque
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, with six minarets and blue İznik tiles inside.
Tip: Closed to visitors during prayer times.
Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bosphorus Ferry
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Public ferry cruise up the strait past palaces and wooden mansions.
Tip: The Şehir Hatları long tour leaves from Eminönü.
Photo: Diamante Pazzo · Google
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Sixth-century domed church, later mosque, with Byzantine mosaics.
Tip: Foreign visitors enter the upper gallery with a ticket; ground floor is for worship.
Photo: Adli Wahid · CC BY-SA 3.0
Süleymaniye Mosque
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Sinan's hilltop masterpiece with Golden Horn views from the garden.
Photo: Hunanuk · CC0
Topkapı Palace
Istanbul · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Ottoman sultans' palace with courtyards, treasury and the Harem.
Tip: The Harem needs an extra ticket and is worth it.
Photo: Carlos Delgado · CC BY-SA 3.0
Göreme 4 picks
Derinkuyu Underground City
Göreme · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Multi-level underground city cut into soft rock, reaching about 85 m deep.
Tip: Tunnels are tight; not for the claustrophobic.
Photo: Nevit Dilmen (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Göreme Open-Air Museum
Göreme · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Rock-cut monasteries and churches with Byzantine frescoes.
Tip: Pay extra for the Dark Church; its frescoes are the best preserved.
Photo: Georgiádes Ildikó · Google
Hot air balloon flight
Göreme · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Dawn flight over valleys of rock cones and pigeon houses.
Tip: Book a licensed operator and plan for weather cancellations.
Photo: sersay23 · Google
Uçhisar Castle
Göreme · On our Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus route
Tall rock citadel riddled with rooms, topped by a viewpoint.
Photo: Y T · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Turkey?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 17 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Turkey has the most things to do on this list?
Selçuk has the most (7 of 17), followed by Istanbul (6) and Göreme (4).
Are any of these free?
4 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Blue Mosque, Temple of Artemis, Süleymaniye Mosque and Şirince. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Turkey
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Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.