What to See When You're a Tourist in Turkey

Istanbul is by far the most interesting place to see in Turkey. Even in winter (which is short) you can enjoy the sites and city life.
-Spend a day in Sultanahmet, the oldest part of the city visiting Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the underground cistern and the Grand Bazaar.
-Visit Topkapi Palace
-Spend an afternoon strolling Beyoglu, the hip part of town, across the golden horn from Sultanahmet. Visit Nisantasi, the poshest part of town too.
-Visit the Istanbul Modern, the new Turkish modern art museum and have lunch at the cafe there.
-Take a cruise on the Bosphorous and see Ortakoy and the other charming old fishing villages, now hip areas with great night life.
-Take a ferry across to the Asian side to see modern middle class Turkish life. Everyone strolls on Baghdad Avenue to shop and bump into friends.

Outside of Istanbul my favorite place is Cappadocia, an amazing region in Central Anatolia. The landscape is unimaginable- ancient cave dwellings and churches carved into lava formations. It is a 8+ hour drive from Istanbul, so an overnight bus is a good option. The public bus is about $25 each way. You can hire a taxi to drive you arround for the whole day there for about $75. Or Fez Tours offers a short guided tour there: www.feztravel.com/

From May through September the coast is fantastic! Loads of ancient ruins dot the beautiful sparkling blue sea. Rent a car and drive along the coast staying at a tree house in Olimpos, spend a few days in the charming small city of Kas where you can kayak over an old Lycean city now underwater, visit Dalyan (Lycean tombs on the cliffs), Fetiye and end in Bodrum. Consider a few day cruise on a gulet or a side trip to Rhodes.

On your way back to Istanbul don't miss Ephesus, the largest ruined city in Turkey. Here's what Lonely Planet says about it: Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it's the spunkiest classical city on the Mediterranean. Ephesus was Ionia, a flourishing cultural centre during the Greek Empire, and a busy provincial capital during Roman times. Ionia's Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World, and the city was generally renowned for its wealth and beauty.

Sts Paul and John took up the quill in Ionia and the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her twilight years here. A walking tour of the ruins will take at least half a day. Places you'll come across include the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, in which seven persecuted youths slumbered for two centuries, then woke up and ambled down to town for a meal; the colossal Harbour Gymnasium; the grand marble-paved Arcadian Way; the impressive Temple of Hadrian and a scattering of Roman fountains, pools, brothels, libraries and public toilets.