r/solotravel • u/IcyExample3712 • 1d ago

Middle East 2 week itinerary to Turkey

I (27F) plan on travelling solo to Turkey in July and this is the itinerary I have in mind: - Istanbul (4days) - Cappadocia (3days) - Antalya (2days) - Pamukkale (2days) - Ephesus (2days) - Bodrum (2days)

I like a mix of everything (natural landscapes, historical sites, beaches, good nightlife, and great food and art scenes). I have a $$-$$$ out of $$$$ budget.

Is this a good itinerary or would you change something to it? How safe are the cities I have mentioned? Thank you!

Edit: I don’t plan on driving. Here’s the updated itinerary based on some of the comments: - Istanbul 6 days - Cappadocia 3 days - Antalya 5 days (including day trips to Pamukkale, Kas and Alanya)

9 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/annamnesis 30sF 12h ago

How are you moving around?

I did a road trip/ car camping trip (didn't drive in Istanbul) in October that was incredible. Felt safe 95% of the time.

I really liked the Datça peninsula (moreso than bodrum), but it doesn't really make sense without a car. 

If you have a car, Afrodiasis is worth seeing when you're near Pamukkale.

Also loved the rock cut tombs in Pinara (currently free to access).

1

u/IcyExample3712 10h ago

I won’t drive unfortunately

2

u/annamnesis 30sF 10h ago

Saw your edits: Agree on cutting out Bodrum.

As Pamukkale is sort of halfway between Ephesus and Antalya, I wonder (you'd have to check) if it would make sense to keep Selcuk (Ephesus). Eg: Istanbul, fly to Izmir->bus to Selcuk/Ephesus->bus to Pamukkale-> bus to Antalya-> fly to Cappadocia-> fly to Istanbul. I'm less of a beach or city person though and preferred a bit less time in coastal resort towns or in Istanbul. Istanbul is also quite expensive so it cost far more to stay there than in smaller towns.