Five Ideas for Guided Tours in Turkey

• Antalya

  The seaside resort of Antalya located on the Mediterranean coast in the southwest of the country is famous for its beaches with clear waters. The most famous are Kaputas, enclosed in a cove, Lara, the most popular has the best infrastructure, but also Patara, 18 kilometers long. The city is on a limestone plateau surrounded by a rich vegetation of olive trees. The center remains very typical with old houses of Ottoman style and its Moslem buildings, of which the fluted Minaret contiguous to the mosque Yivli Minare, decorated with earthenware, whose construction dates from XIIe century. It has become the emblem of the city. Near the citadel, the Old Port district is the meeting place of the inhabitants and the tourists. This is where you will find most of the bars and restaurants. For a historical visit, don’t miss the Roman theater and the well-preserved ancient city of Aspendos, 45 kilometers from Antalya.

• Pamukkale

  In the south-west of the country, in the Province of Denizli, you can discover the Pamukkale Park which translation means “the cotton castle” in Turkish. You have probably seen thousands of photos of this unusual place. It is an astonishing landscape: large basins of an immaculate white formed by hot water springs which infiltrated in the limestone rock. The place is very frequented and from now on, the bathing there is very regulated but by moving away a little from the main paths, one will be able to observe more quietly the pools of turquoise water. Just above the hill overlooking these magical baths appears the ancient Greco-Roman spa of Hierapolis, dating from the second century BC, with its large theater that could accommodate up to 12,000 spectators.

• Cappadocia

  The Cappadocia region is located in the center of the country. It boasts incredible environments and tourist attractions. The landscapes as well as the historical discoveries are very varied. The meadow of Göreme and its small troglodyte villages like Uçhisar is a starting point to be privileged. There are typical houses dug in the rock. Then visit the huge underground city of Derinkuyu where tens of thousands of peasants and their livestock could live in the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
  Several valleys symbolize Cappadocia. Each one carrying a name of color characterizing it. There is the white, pink and red valley where everywhere nature and erosion have drawn horizons made of rocky peaks, all surrounded by vineyards.

• Izmir

  The third largest city in Turkey is located on the west coast of the Aegean Sea. The spirit of Izmir is very free, many local and foreign tourists like to spend their vacations here, not to mention the fact that the most beautiful beaches in the country are right next door. To start to get a feel for the place, walk down the long Atatürk Caddesi Avenue. Along its 4 kilometers, you can enjoy the view of the gulf and all day long, people come to sit on its terraces. The well laid out coastal promenade of Kordon is also very pleasant. Starting from the Clock Tower your steps will lead you straight to the city center, the Konak and Capila square, the magnificent octagonal Yali mosque built in 1755. At the bazaar district teeming with people, come and do your shopping or simply admire the covered market Keremalti. For a bit of coolness and conviviality, head up a small mountain to the black lake of Karagöl at about 15 kilometers. Families come here to camp, fish, picnic and relax.

• Bursa

  Bursa the Green, as it is called because of its many parks and forests, lies at the foot of the Uludag Mountains in the Marmara region of northwest Turkey. In winter, people come here to ski in its well-equipped resorts. But the city has a number of attractions all year round. For example, all around the bazaar are opportunities for picturesque walks through the narrow streets and caravanserais, a kind of dwelling used by the traders to store their goods. The ancient silk cocoon market Koza Han dating from the end of the XV century still in activity is not to be missed. Just opposite, the Bursa Ulu Camii mosque, decorated with its 20 domes and 2 minarets; a splendor of Ottoman architecture. Bursa is also famous for its hammams, the famous Turkish baths. The oldest thermal baths are located in the district of Çekirge. In the evening, you can go to the heights of the city, along the old ramparts and admire the panorama from the edge of a promontory.