1) Visa
One of the biggest thing to keep in mind for planning a trip to Turkey is visa requirements, especially if you have a non European passport. Majority of the countries, including US passport holders, are required to apply for an online E visa prior to entering the country. You can enter your details on this website https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ and apply for the visa. If your visa is approved, you will get an online confirmation and PDF which must be printed and kept with you at all times.
2) Location
Turkey is an insanely beautiful country with different landscapes and terrain. Choose your locations as per your liking, as internal travel can be quite intense. I personally wanted to see Pamukkale for its beautiful white terraces, Cappadocia for its unbelievable landscapes, Antalya for its pristine beaches and Istanbul for its unique architecture and shopping.
3) Accommodation
I am personally a huge fan of hotels with good views and I like staying in central locations. Turkey is probably one of the most affordable countries I have visited where accommodations were very easy on the pocket. For a place like Istanbul, I would suggest to book something near public transportation as you will be able to commute and walk around easily. In Antalya or for any location on Turkish Riviera, do get a hotel with beach access and you have to stay in a Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.
4) Language
Turkey is very tourist-friendly and majority of the places you should be fine with English. If you are renting a car as I did, you may have some trouble at gas stations and smaller restaurants in smaller towns and villages. I would recommend downloading google translator for easier travel to remote places.
5) Things to Do
I felt I was in heaven in terms of activities and things to do. Turkey was one country where you can go for adventurous activities as well as relax at the same time. You can fly in a Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia and also, for some adventure, you can ride an ATV around the fairy chimneys. You can either soak your feet at the white terraces of Pammukale or paraglide over the Hierapolis. You can also swim at the Turkish Riveria or just relax in the old town with some drinks and Sheesha. It is an ideal place to go with your friends or family or even have a great time as a solo traveler.
6) Food
Turkey has had some of the best food and desserts I have had.Turkish cuisine is a fusion of middle east and European cuisine and their flavors are out of this world. One of the most recorded videos from Turkey is a playful act of serving a scoop of icecream, called Dondurma which goes without a saying is a must try. You can feed your soul with some kebabs, gozleme, simit, kunefe( my favorite) and pottery kebab’s and many vegetarian/vegan options are available as well. Most importantly,you can’t back from from Turkey without having gallons of tea, apple tea and coffee.
7) Tours
After choosing your destinations and time you have, choose tour options as per your convenience. If you are planning a trip to Cappadocia, I would highly recommend booking tours prior to your travel, especially hot air balloon. There is so much to do there and so many hikes, choose as per your convenience and always carry a map with you all the time as you can easily get lost. If you plan to visit the entire country by yourself, do buy the museum pass which is valid for 15 days and worth 315 as it covers pretty much all the popular tourist attractions.I visited most of the attractions by myself as I have a rental car and bought entrance tickets at every place I visited separately. The only place I would recommend taking organized tours would be Cappadocia to understand the history of certain places and learn more about their culture.
8) Transportation
One thing that I disliked about Turkey was the inconvenience to travel throughout the country except for public transportation in Istanbul. You have to heavily rely on flights or buses and even drive to quite some extend. Internal flights are cheap and I would highly recommend either using Turkish airlines or Anadolujet as they have one bag included in the price of tickets. If you are comfortable driving, do rent a car as the distances between different places is vast and sometimes not accessible by public transportation.
9) Currency
Turkish Lira is the only acceptable currency at restaurants and by some vendors. Though a lot of tourist spots may accept Euro’s or USD, they will give you a terrible rate in exchange. Always carry Lira’s with you at all times and carry some USD or Euro’s in case of emergency. You can find several money exchange boots with zero commission throughout the country.
10) Shopping
I felt I was in a paradise and ended up stuffing my bags with souvenirs. I personally bought a lot of tea, spices, Turkish tea and coffee sets, Turkish delight and some clothing. Turkey is known for their carpets, lamps, evil eye items, ceramic souvenirs and sheesha’s. Don’t forget to bargain your hearts out and ignore shopping at Grand Bazaar as much as possible.
11) Clothing
Be respectful when you are visiting mosque’s or heritage sites, a lot of places have clothing restriction where you can’t wear sleeves or shorts. I would suggest women to carry long scarves either to use it as a skirt or sometimes cover their head. Depending on region you intend to travel, carry jackets if visiting Cappadocia or swim wears if you visiting Turkish riviera.
Final Word
Turkey is one of the most diverse country I have ever visited. There is so much to do for everyone without paying a lot of money. Take out at least 7-10 days to visit some of the places and don’t forget to sharpen your bargaining skills, as you will be as tempted as I was at every place.
Travelmakesmehungry 
Leave a comment