Türkiye is a country where ancient history, lively modern cities, incredible food and centuries of different cultures come together. Straddling Europe and Asia, it offers everything from historic mosques, palaces and bazaars to Mediterranean coastline, archaeological sites and some of the most distinctive landscapes in the world.
Our first taste of Türkiye was Istanbul, and it didn’t take long for the energy of the city to draw us in.
Is Türkiye Worth Visiting?
Absolutely. Even though we have only explored a small part of Türkiye, what we experienced left us wanting to return and see much more.
Istanbul alone offers an incredible mix of history and modern life, where centuries-old landmarks sit alongside trendy shopping streets, busy restaurants and a fantastic street-food scene.
Add places such as Gallipoli, Ephesus and Cappadocia, and it is easy to see why Türkiye attracts travellers from around the world.
Our Experience in Türkiye
Our trip to Türkiye originally came about because we were joining a cruise from Istanbul through the Greek Islands. We spent five days exploring Istanbul before sailing, staying near Taksim Square just off İstiklal Caddesi, before visiting Gallipoli on a deeply moving day trip.
Later, our cruise took us to Kuşadası, where Toni headed off to explore Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, while I happily chose another Turkish bath.
We loved the energy, food and people of Istanbul, and although we have since passed through Türkiye on layovers, we know there is still so much of the country waiting for us to discover.
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Things to Do in Türkiye
From the historic mosques, palaces and bustling streets of Istanbul to the ancient ruins around Kuşadası and the moving battlefields of Gallipoli, Türkiye offers an incredible mix of history, culture and everyday experiences.
Even during our relatively short visit, we found plenty to see and do, with some of our favourite moments coming from simply exploring the streets, trying local food and soaking up the atmosphere.
Top Things to Do in Türkiye
There is so much to experience in Türkiye, but these are a few of the highlights from our own visit:
- Explore Istanbul’s historic heart – See landmarks including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace.
- Go underground at the Basilica Cistern – One of our favourite Istanbul experiences, with its atmospheric columns and famous Medusa heads.
- Get lost in the Grand Bazaar – Wander through the maze of shops, spices, colours and crowds and simply enjoy being amongst the chaos.
- Experience a traditional Turkish bath – Definitely one of my personal highlights and an experience I enjoyed enough to do again when we reached Kuşadası.
- Visit Gallipoli – An incredibly moving place to visit, particularly for Australians and New Zealanders because of its connection to the ANZAC story.
- Discover ancient Ephesus – From Kuşadası, visit one of Türkiye’s most important ancient cities and the nearby House of the Virgin Mary.
Want more ideas? Read our Best Things to Do in Türkiye guide for more places to visit and experiences to add to your trip.
Where to Stay in Istanbul
Choosing where to stay in Istanbul can make a big difference, particularly as the city is enormous and spread across both the European and Asian sides. For a first visit, these are some of the most popular areas to consider:
- Taksim & İstiklal Caddesi – This is where we stayed and we loved the lively atmosphere. It is a great choice if you enjoy being surrounded by restaurants, shops, bars and plenty of activity, particularly in the evenings.
- Sultanahmet – A good option for first-time visitors who want to stay close to Istanbul’s major historic sights, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
- Galata & Karaköy – Trendy areas filled with cafés, restaurants and boutique accommodation, with easy access to Galata Tower and the waterfront.
- Beşiktaş – A busy local neighbourhood with markets, restaurants and good transport connections, offering a different feel from the main tourist areas.
- Kadıköy – Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, Kadıköy is known for its food, markets and lively local atmosphere and is a good option if you want to experience another side of the city.
Finding Somewhere to Stay in Istanbul?
Browse accommodation in Istanbul and find somewhere that suits your travel style and budget.
Getting Around Istanbul and Türkiye
Istanbul is a huge city, but there are plenty of ways to get around. We had a private transfer arranged through our hotel from Istanbul Airport, which made our arrival incredibly easy, and then used a mix of walking and sightseeing transport while exploring the city.
- Walking – We walked a lot, particularly around Taksim, İstiklal Caddesi, Galata and the waterfront. It is one of the best ways to experience the atmosphere of Istanbul.
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus – We used the sightseeing bus to cover more ground and get our bearings. It was an easy way to see many of Istanbul’s major landmarks when we only had a limited number of days.
- Public Transport – Istanbul has an extensive network of trams, metro services, buses and ferries connecting different parts of the city.
- Airport Transfers – With Istanbul Airport located well outside the central tourist areas, arranging your transport before arriving can make those first few hours much easier.
- Tours & Day Trips – For places further afield, an organised tour can be a practical option. We travelled to Gallipoli on a day tour, while Toni combined Gallipoli and Troy on a two-day trip.
Food in Türkiye
Food became a big part of our time in Istanbul, particularly the street food. With vendors seemingly everywhere, it was easy to grab something while we were out exploring, and we quickly found a few favourites that we kept going back for.
Two Istanbul street foods stood out for us:
- Balık ekmek – One place I really wanted to try was Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek, famous for its fish sandwiches near the waterfront. The flavours were delicious and the atmosphere made it well worth trying, although my sandwich was full of bones, so eating it required a little more care than expected.
- Midye dolma – Mussels stuffed with seasoned rice and served with lemon. I was a little sceptical about buying shellfish from a street cart, so I looked for vendors with plenty of customers and a high turnover. Once I finally tried them, that was it. They were delicious, and I ended up buying them almost every night we were in Istanbul.
Beyond the food itself, we loved the atmosphere around Istanbul’s waterfront restaurants and bars. One evening we met up with others from our upcoming cruise for pre-cruise drinks, and the whole area was alive with music, dancing, bright lights and people enjoying the evening.
It was one of those places where simply sitting back and watching everything happening around us was part of the experience.
Experiencing a Traditional Turkish Bath
Having a Turkish bath, or hammam, was definitely one of the most memorable experiences we had in Türkiye. Traditional hammams can have separate areas or different times for men and women, while many hotels and tourist-focused spas offer options suitable for women and couples. Even my brother-in-law gave it a go and came away saying how much he enjoyed the experience.
Our first hammam began quite peacefully with a herbal tea while we waited before being shown through to the changing area. Then came the special clothing, which we still laugh about. Ours looked a little like someone had taken a Warehouse shopping bag, cut it up and turned it into a bikini. Definitely not glamorous, but all part of the fun.
Our full hammam experience included:
- Relaxing in a sauna
- Soaking in a spa
- Lying on a heated stone bench
- A very thorough traditional scrub
- Being washed and rinsed
- Finishing with a massage
And that scrub was certainly not a gentle little exfoliation. Water was thrown over us before every bit of exposed skin was thoroughly scrubbed, washed and rinsed. Afterwards, we moved into another room for a massage, emerging incredibly clean, relaxed and wondering how they had managed to scrub off quite so much skin.
We have now had four Turkish baths, and we quickly learnt that the experience can vary considerably between places. Some offered the full sauna, soak, scrub and massage experience, while others were much simpler and concentrated mainly on the traditional scrub and wash.
If you get the opportunity to experience a hammam while travelling in Türkiye, we would highly recommend giving it a try at least once. It might feel a little unusual when you don’t know what to expect, but for us it became one of those travel experiences we enjoyed so much that we kept going back.
Visiting Gallipoli
For us, a visit to Gallipoli was something we simply couldn’t miss while we were in Türkiye. As New Zealanders, the Gallipoli campaign is an important part of our history and the ANZAC story, but we also had a very personal connection. I was raised in an Army family, Toni served in the New Zealand Army, and ANZAC Day has always held great significance for both of us.
We actually experienced Gallipoli slightly differently:
- Gallipoli day tour from Istanbul – I made the journey there and back in one very long day.
- Two-day Troy and Gallipoli tour – Toni travelled with friends and combined the two historic sites over two days.
We met up again afterwards, both having had an incredible experience.
Standing in the places we had heard and learnt about for most of our lives was deeply moving. Seeing the landscape and understanding just how difficult the conditions must have been gave us a completely different perspective on the history we grew up with.
There is much more to our experience than we can cover here, so we have shared our visit, what it meant to us as New Zealanders and practical information for planning your own trip in our Visiting Gallipoli from Istanbul guide.
A note from us: We would absolutely visit Gallipoli again, but next time we would love to find a guide who can take us deeper into the New Zealand and Māori story of Gallipoli, including places connected with the Māori Contingent. The tours we experienced were excellent, but much of the commentary focused on the Australian and British stories. As New Zealanders, we would love the opportunity to explore more of our own history and connections to this incredibly important place.
Kuşadası and Ephesus
Our next taste of Türkiye came during our Greek Islands cruise when we docked at Kuşadası, a popular cruise port on the Aegean coast and a gateway to the ancient city of Ephesus.
This was one of those days when Toni and I happily went our separate ways. Toni joined a tour to Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, exploring one of the most famous ancient sites in Türkiye. Ephesus is known for its remarkably preserved ruins and offers a fascinating glimpse into a city that was once an important centre of the ancient world.
I, on the other hand, had already discovered how much I enjoyed Turkish baths and needed very little convincing to join a group of friends heading off for another hammam.
While Toni spent her day immersed in ancient history, I spent mine being scrubbed, washed and massaged. We both returned to the ship very happy with our choices.
Kuşadası is somewhere we would happily spend more time if we return to this part of Türkiye. Our cruise stop only gave us a brief introduction, but it showed us just how much there is to explore beyond Istanbul.
Know Before You Go
Türkiye is relatively easy to travel around, but a little preparation can make your visit much smoother, particularly if Istanbul is your first stop.
- Istanbul is huge – Don’t underestimate the distances between places. Allow extra time when travelling across the city, particularly when heading to and from the airport.
- Stay somewhere that suits your travel style – We loved the energy around Taksim Square and İstiklal Caddesi, but travellers wanting to concentrate on Istanbul’s historic attractions may prefer staying around Sultanahmet.
- Dress appropriately when visiting mosques – Be prepared to cover up when required and remember that these are active places of worship, not simply tourist attractions.
- Carry some cash – Cards are widely useful, but having some Turkish lira on hand is handy for markets, small purchases, street food and tips.
- Be prepared to bargain – Shopping in bazaars and markets can involve negotiating, so don’t be afraid to take your time and walk away if the price doesn’t feel right.
- Choose busy street-food vendors – We ate plenty of street food and generally looked for vendors with lots of customers and a high turnover, particularly when buying things such as stuffed mussels.
- Book popular experiences ahead – Major attractions, hammams and day tours can get busy, so if there is something you particularly want to experience, it can be worth organising it before you arrive.
Most importantly, leave yourself some time to simply wander. Some of our favourite memories of Istanbul came from being out amongst the crowds, discovering food, watching everyday life and enjoying the atmosphere rather than rushing from one attraction to another.
Would We Return to Türkiye?
Absolutely. Our first visit to Türkiye was really only a small taste of what the country has to offer, but it was enough to make us want to return. We loved the energy of Istanbul, the street food, the nightlife, the history and the contrast between the modern city and the centuries of history surrounding it.
Since that first trip, we have passed through Türkiye on layovers, but we still haven’t returned to properly explore. Cappadocia remains firmly on our list, along with seeing more of the country beyond the places we visited on this trip.
We would also love to return to Gallipoli, this time with a guide who can help us explore more of the New Zealand and Māori connections to the area. Our first visit was incredibly moving, but it also left us wanting to understand more of our own history there.
Türkiye is one of those destinations where we came away knowing we had barely scratched the surface. We went there because we were joining a cruise, but somewhere along the way Türkiye became part of the journey rather than simply the place where it began.
And yes, if we return, there will definitely be another Turkish bath.
“Some journeys take you to a new place. Others take you through centuries of stories along the way.”
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