Turkey — where to go and when
4 destinations covered
Two places represent Turkey here, and between them they cover most of what the country is. Istanbul straddles a strait dividing two continents, carries the capital cities of two successive empires in its street plan, and runs on ferries as much as on roads; it is an immense city, spread over both shores, where a sixth-century church, a covered market and a fish restaurant can occupy the same ten minutes. Cappadocia is the opposite: a high, dry plateau in central Anatolia where erosion carved soft volcanic rock into valleys and pinnacles, and where people have lived inside that rock for centuries. Our index marks Turkish costs down by well over a third against France, and the effect is strongest in food, transport and accommodation. Turkey suits travellers who like walking a lot, who bargain without irritation, and who plan a domestic flight rather than an overland slog across a very large country.
When to go
May, June and September run through both places, with October added for the strait and July for the plateau. The reason is that Istanbul reaches 31.8 °C in high summer with humidity from the water, while Cappadocia is drier at 30.6 °C but far harsher in winter, dropping to 6.7 °C by day against Istanbul's 10.3 °C. Rain is moderate in both, 81 rainy days a year on the strait and 71 inland, concentrated in late autumn and winter rather than in the walking season.
The places we cover, side by side
| Place | Favourable months | Warmest month, avg. high (°C) | Coldest month, avg. high (°C) | Rainy days a year (≥ 1 mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antalya | April, May, October, November | 35.1 | 15.2 | 64 |
| Cappadocia | May, June, July, September | 30.6 | 6.7 | 71 |
| Istanbul | May, June, September, October | 31.8 | 10.3 | 81 |
| Pamukkale | April, May, October | 37.3 | 11.6 | 67 |
Figures measured at the weather station nearest each place, then averaged over the warmest and the coldest months of the year — not over a fixed calendar season. Each destination page carries its own month-by-month table, its station and its sample size.
Getting around
Istanbul runs metro lines, trams and, more usefully, commuter ferries that cross between the continents on a single travel card; the crossing is also the cheapest sightseeing available. Cappadocia is a day away by overnight coach or roughly an hour and a half by air, and its own airstrip is 1 km from the valleys with a larger airport 70 km off. On the plateau, local minibuses link the villages, but walking the valleys is the point.
Budget
Country price level compared with France : −37 %
Price index for restaurants and hotels, France = 1000, from European purchasing power parities. It is a country average: it says nothing about one hotel in particular.
Destinations in Turkey
AntalyaAntalya stands on a limestone shelf above its own bay, with the Taurus range closing the horizon inland and cliffs dropping straight into the sea at the edge…
CappadociaCentral Anatolia, on a high plateau of volcanic ash compacted into soft rock and then eroded into cones, ridges and gorges. People here did not build so much…
IstanbulA strait runs through the middle of Istanbul, and it does more than separate Europe from Asia: it organises the working day. Ferries are the quickest way across…
PamukkalePamukkale is a village at the foot of a white cliff, on the inland plateau of south-west Turkey. Calcium-laden springs have coated the hillside in terraces of pale…Frequently asked questions
How do I split a week between the two?
Four nights in Istanbul and three in Cappadocia works well, with a domestic flight rather than a night coach between them. Istanbul needs the extra day because its sights sit on both sides of the water and the crossings, though pleasant, consume time. Cappadocia is walked, so three days covers the main valleys without rushing.
Is Turkey good value for a longer trip?
It is among the better propositions on this site. Costs run well under French levels, and the saving reaches daily spending rather than stopping at the hotel bill: meals, local transport, markets and entry tickets are all affected. Currency movements can shift prices quickly, so quotes given far in advance are worth rechecking.
Updated on 21 September 2026