15 Tourist Cities in Turkey for the Best Vacation Experience

Turkey is one of the countries that hosts the most tourists in the world, and many natural beauty and historical monuments can be found in its 82 provinces; these features have caused each part of Turkey to have unique attractions, some of its cities have attracted the attention of domestic and foreign tourists more than other parts and are known as among the most popular tourist cities in Turkey.

An Overview of Tourism in Turkey

Turkey, with its excellent geographical location, magnificent nature and rich history, which is due to its location at the intersection of Asia and Europe, is very important in terms of tourism and is the destination of many tourists from all over the world. This country, which is very interesting in terms of the number of historical monuments from periods such as ancient Greece and Rome and the Byzantine, Iranian and Ottoman empires, has various natural attractions, beautiful beaches and azure waters on the edge of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and every year it hosts many travelers in different seasons of the year.

In addition to what has been said, all kinds of attractive events and festivals in Turkey, delicious food, hospitality and remarkable culture of the Turkish people, all kinds of travel accommodations, a wide public transportation network with high diversity of it, and also suitable conditions for doing all kinds of fun activities (such as nature tourism, rafting, surfing, camping, boating, boat tours, diving, ballooning, paragliding, etc.), all of them have made traveling to Turkey one of the best decisions to spend a vacation; therefore, we will introduce 15 popular tourist cities in this country to help you choose the best Turkish city for travel.

Tourist cities in Turkey attract millions of visitors each year. However, due to group travels, many tourists find it difficult to book hotels. To address this, the GoToSafar team offers special services apartment for rent in Turkey specifically for groups. This ensures that tourists from around the world can easily find secure and comfortable accommodations during their stay.

Tourist Cities of Turkey

Istanbul

Certainly, the first city that comes to mind when you hear the name Turkey is Istanbul, which is actually one of the most beautiful and popular tourist cities in Turkey and the world. One of the reasons for the importance of the city of Istanbul in this regard is that it is located at the meeting point of the continents of Asia and Europe and the city is divided into two parts, Asian and European sides. This city, which has been the capital of various empires such as Byzantine and Ottoman for many years, is known as "the meeting place of Eastern and Western civilizations" and a city full of historical and natural attractions.

Among the most famous historical buildings and attractions in this peninsula are: the Ayasofya/Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet/Blue Mosque (Mavi Camii), Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower, Girl Castel (Kiz Kulesi), Historical Markets and Princes Islands; also, the availability of necessary opportunities to carry out activities such as: visiting festivals of various events (coffee or tulip festival), walking along the edge of the Bosporus Strait or beautiful parks, shopping in old and modern shopping centers and many other cases, from these are among the benefits of traveling to Istanbul.

Antalya

Antalya, one of the most beautiful cities in Turkey, hosts millions of tourists from all over the world all year round. This city, which is located on the beautiful Mediterranean coast, is known as the capital of Turkey's sea tourism, and in the summer, it has the largest number of passengers. In addition to natural tourist attractions, Antalya has stunning views of the intersection of the city with magnificent beaches and green mountains, and many opportunities to engage in fun activities such as: diving, sea tours, swimming, nature tourism, camping, etc., along with visiting historical attractions and ancient cities, it has the suitable conditions for any taste.

Among the other tourist attractions of Antalya, which are also very popular among travelers, are: the Alanya region, Kaş region, Side region, Manavgat waterfall, and the historical-religious city of Demre; considering the warm and moderate climate of Antalya, this makes it an ideal city to visit in all seasons of the year, and for this reason, tourists can even visit this beautiful city in autumn and winter to visit its attractions or engage in various activities and shopping in its many malls.

Izmir

Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, is one of the most beautiful cities in the country, which is also known as the "Pearl of the Aegean Sea". This city, which is famous for its numerous and beautiful natural attractions and historical monuments, receives many domestic and foreign visitors every year. Throughout history, Izmir has been home to various civilizations such as Greece, Rome, and Byzantium, and it is considered a multicultural city that has kept this feature to this day and is known as the most European city in Turkey.

The ancient cities of Ephesus/Efes, Bergama, and Smyrna are among the most famous ancient cities of Izmir, which have great historical and global importance, and tourist resorts such as: Dikili, Çeşme, and Alaçati, are important places of this city for tourism; Izmir has many opportunities for various activities for tourists, some of them are: surfing in Alacati, skydiving over the ancient city of Ephesus, paragliding in Ödemiş, swimming in Agamemnon hot springs, and...

Ankara

Ankara, as the capital of Turkey and the second largest city of this country, is the center of the most important political organizations such as the National Assembly, Ministries, Consulates and Administrative centers, and for this reason, it is very important. This city, which is also very remarkable in terms of history and tourism, has hosted ancient civilizations such as: Hittite, Phrygian, Achaemenian, Galatian and Roman throughout history, and for this reason, many historical works such as: Anitkabir, Augustus Temple, Ankara Castle, Roman Baths, Parliament Museums, etc., can be found around it.

Also, in Ankara, in addition to the 5000-year-old historical treasures, we can mention other attractions such as amazing nature, attractive museums, bird gardens and various urban parks. At the same time, this city has one of the best places for family trips and there are special attractions for children such as the Antalya Aquarium, The Land of Legends, and open-air museums.

Bursa

The city of Bursa in the northeast of Turkey, which is located between the sea of "Marmara" from the north and the mountains of "Uludağ" from the south, is a beautiful city that is also known as "Green Bursa". This city, which played an important role during the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, is considered the most important capital of the Ottoman Empire after Istanbul, and today it is known as an important industrial, commercial and tourism city in Turkey.

Among the most famous historical attractions of Bursa are: Ulu Cami, Yeşil Cami, Koza Han, Bursa Kalesi, Turkish baths and some old Greek settlements like: Trilye, Mudanya, and Gölyazi; in addition, the Bursa cable car located in Uludağ mountains (the first cable car in Turkey and one of the longest cable cars in the world), and ski slopes for fun winter sports, are other tourist attractions of Bursa.

Muğla

Muğla, which is located at the intersection of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, is one of the most attractive coastal cities in Turkey, and almost every part of it is very important in terms of tourism. This city, which is mostly known for its stunning natural attractions such as its beautiful beaches and bays, is one of the richest cities in terms of tourism and accommodation facilities in Turkey.

Among the most popular attractions in Muğla are Saklikent Valley, Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi), Sedir/Kleopatra Adasi Island, Iztuzu Beach, and Ölüdeniz Beach. Travelers and tourists in Muğla, in addition to being able to visit the mentioned attractions, can enjoy many activities such as: swimming, diving, nature tours, camping, picnics, paragliding, boating, sea tours, etc.

Fethiye

Fethiye in Muğla Province is another tourist cities in Turkey with unique nature, dreamy beaches and many historical attractions that attract domestic and foreign tourists from different countries of the world. This beautiful city with unique beaches such as Ölüdeniz, which is one of the most beautiful meeting points of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as very special areas with pristine nature such as the Butterfly Valley and Kabak Bay, are among the first choices of tourists when traveling to Fethiye.

Also, among the fun activities that are available to tourists in this area, we can include: parachuting, diving in the deep sea, paragliding, staying at beach resorts, visiting various caves, and so on...; in addition, the Fethiye Museum with its rich works and on the other hand the existence of ancient cities such as Letoon, Pinara, and Xanthos are among the important tourist attractions of this city.

Mardin

The city of Mardin in the southeast of Turkey, which is also known as the pearl of Mesopotamia and the center of ancient civilizations, is considered one of the 5 most important tourist cities in Turkey, and although it is not located near the sea, it is one of the most important and popular tourist cities in Turkey. This city, whose historical structure is the most obvious feature of the city, has caused its stone houses to have a special splendor and walking through the streets of this city is like walking in history.

The unique stonework of the buildings and the detailed artistic decorations on their facades, the beautiful lighting on the famous Mardin Castle, as well as the high ceilings, large yards and terraces that make the houses cool in the hot seasons, have increased the appeal of Mardin residences. On the other hand, Mardin, as one of the meeting points of different religions and cultures, has many historical monuments such as: Assyrian monasteries, churches, 800-year-old mosques, the Mesopotamian ruins of Dara, the historical inn of Arasa, etc., and along with special and delicious local foods, they have turned this city into one of the most important tourist cities in Turkey.

Trabzon

Trabzon, in the northeast of Turkey and adjacent to the Black Sea, is one of the greenest areas of this country with a lot of natural attractions such as forests, beaches, sea, natural parks, etc., and it is suitable for nature lovers. This city, which has famous historical attractions such as: Ayasofya/Hagia Sophia, Sümela Monastery, Bedesten Bazaar, and many others, can easily meet the expectations of any tourist.

Hence, nature lovers can go camping, hiking in nature, photography, visiting Çal Cave, relaxing on the beach, swimming, boating, and do many other things. Another noteworthy point about Trabzon is its high racial and religious diversity, the main reason for which is its location on the Silk Road; the climate of this city is often semi-warm and humid, and thanks to nature and fresh agricultural products, you can eat very tasty foods in Trabzon.

Gaziantep

Located in the southeastern region of Anatolia, Gaziantep attracts many tourists throughout the year due to its unique historical structures, natural beauty, museums and ancient cities. Also, the proximity of this city to the Mesopotamia region has caused it to be considered as a settlement of important civilizations throughout history, and hence, this feature has led to various historical and cultural remains such as "Zeugma" and the Anatolian Houses have existed in this city and add to its tourist attractions.

In addition to historical monuments, this unique city is also surrounded by natural beauty; nevertheless, the most important tourism feature of this city is its local and diverse cuisine, which was also introduced by UNESCO as a "World Food City" and baklava and kebab are among the most famous dishes of Gaziantep.

Çanakkale

Çanakkale, located in the Marmara region with a rich and thousand-year history, has had an important place in the history of Turkey and played a vital role during the World War I and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Therefore, every year millions of people travel to this city to visit these areas and its historical places. Çanakkale hosts two important ancient cities named "Truva" and "Assos", which are valuable historical treasures in Turkey.

In addition to its beautiful beaches, rich museums and unique villages, this city has attractive tourist islands such as Bozcaada and Gökçeada, which are popular resorts for tourists.

Konya

The city of Konya, which is the largest city in Turkey in terms of area and is located in the central Anatolia region, is one of the first settlements in the history of mankind; for this reason, this city has hosted various civilizations and has been able to host many domestic and foreign tourists every year as a meeting place of science, culture and civilization with historical structures and natural beauty. In the meantime, Maulana's tomb, the great Persian poet, definitely is the most important place to see in this city and is of great importance in terms of religious tourism.

In addition, museums of archeology and ethnology, Atatürk Museum, Karatay School, İnce Minareli School, Selimiye Cami, Natural Parks, Yerköprü Waterfall, Butterfly Garden and Inbaşi Cave are some of the places you can visit when traveling to Konya.

Nevşehir

Nevşehir is an old city in the central Anatolia region where various ancient civilizations such as the Hittites, Phrygians and Romans lived and left their traces. Therefore, this city is famous for its fascinating historical remains and has many underground settlements built by these civilizations. The most prominent place in this regard in Nevşehir is the "Cappadokya" region, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is known for the "Peribacalari (Fairy Chimneys)" that were created by natural factors.

Nevşehir is a city where it is possible to do various activities, the most popular of which is a balloon ride over the ancient cities of Cappadocia; also, the volcanic mountains of Hasandaği, Erciyes, and Göllüdağ are among other tourist attractions of this city.

Denizli

Denizli is one of the important tourist cities in the Aegean region, mostly known for its ancient places and hot springs, the most prominent of such attractions is "Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)". This place, which is considered one of the most unique attractions in the world, consists of hot water pools, full of minerals such as calcium, and is the reason for the beautiful color of its stepped pools.

One of the most important features of Pamukkale hot spring, is its therapeutic features, which are suitable for treating diseases such as rheumatism, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases; the historical city of "Hierapolis" and its ancient pool are also important tourist attractions in this city, where travelers can enjoy its special and unique atmosphere.

Kuşadasi

Kuşadası in Aydin Province and overlooking the Aegean Sea is one of the most important ports in Turkey and one of the first tourist centers in this country. Among the most important attractions of this city, we can mention the following: Dilek peninsula, beautiful beaches with blue flag, recreational villages, caves of "Aslanli" and "Zeus", hot springs of "Güzelçamli" and "Davutlar", "Büyük Menderes" National Park and...

In addition to these cases, the ancient city of "Ephesus/Efes", which is considered one of the most historical and ancient cities in the world, is the most important tourist attraction of this port city; it should be noted that today there are various tourism activities in Kuşadası, the most important of which is the provision of tourism services with cruise ships that started operating in this area for the first time.

Blue Flag for Beaches: It is an international mark to confirm the cleanliness of the beach and seawater from the point of view of the environmental organization.