Turkey
20 Best Things to Do in Turkey
The places travelers rate highest across 8 Turkey cities we cover, Istanbul included.
Ranked by traveler review volume across 725 tracked places in Turkey, max 3 per city. Updated monthly.
Galata Tower
Landmark · IstanbulGalata Tower is a 14th-century Genoese watchtower that dominates the skyline of Istanbul's Beyoğlu district.
Read our full guide →Egyptian Bazaar
Landmark · IstanbulFree entryThe Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar, is a bustling market in Istanbul's Eminönü district.
Read our full guide →Grand Bazaar
Landmark · IstanbulFree entryThe Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is a sprawling maze of over 4,000 shops spread across 61 covered streets.
Read our full guide →Roman Road of Ankara
Landmark · AnkaraThe Roman Road of Ankara is an excavated segment of a colonnaded street from the Roman period, dating back to the 2nd or 3rd century AD.
Read our full guide →Anıtkabir
Landmark · AnkaraAnıtkabir, the grand mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, stands as a monumental tribute to the founder of the Republic of Turkey.
Read our full guide →War of Independence Museum
Museum · AnkaraThe War of Independence Museum occupies the original building where the Grand National Assembly convened from 1920 to 1924.
Read our full guide →Kemeraltı
Market · IzmirKemeraltı is İzmir's historic market district, a sprawling maze of covered and open-air streets filled with shops, cafes, mosques, and historic buildings.
Read our full guide →St. John's Cathedral (İzmir)
Religious site · IzmirSt. John's Cathedral, built in the 19th century, stands as the main Roman Catholic church in İzmir and the seat of the Archdiocese of İzmir.
Read our full guide →Cumalıkızık
Neighborhood · BursaCumalıkızık is a charming village on the foothills of Mount Uludağ, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its authentic Ottoman architecture.
Read our full guide →Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art
Museum · BursaHoused in a beautifully restored Ottoman building, the Bursa Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art showcases the region's rich artistic heritage.
Read our full guide →Irgandı Bridge
Landmark · BursaIrgandı Bridge is a unique covered bridge dating back to the Ottoman era, spanning the Gökdere Stream in Bursa.
Read our full guide →İzmir Clock Tower
Landmark · IzmirThe İzmir Clock Tower stands in the heart of Konak Square, a graceful 25-meter structure built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamid II's reign.
Read our full guide →ALG Spor
Entertainment · GaziantepALG Spor is a prominent women's football club based in Gaziantep, competing in the Turkish Women's Football Super League.
Read our full guide →Gaziantep Zoo
Park & nature · GaziantepGaziantep Zoo, one of the largest in Turkey, is set within a sprawling park that houses hundreds of animal species from around the world.
Read our full guide →Kamil Ocak Stadium
Entertainment · GaziantepKamil Ocak Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Gaziantep, primarily used for football matches and other events.
Read our full guide →Antalya Jeep Safari Experience
Sight · AntalyaThe Antalya Jeep Safari Experience is an exciting guided tour that takes visitors off the beaten path into the rugged Taurus Mountains surrounding Antalya.
Read our full guide →Tektekci AlacatI
Sight · AlacatiFree entryTektekci Alacati is a delightful antique and curiosity shop nestled on Kemalpasa Caddesi in the heart of Alacati, Cesme.
Read our full guide →Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque
Religious site · AntalyaFree entryTekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque stands as a graceful reminder of Ottoman Antalya in the heart of the old Kaleici district, just steps from the historic harbor and the iconic Hadrian's Gate.
Read our full guide →Holly Stone Performance Hall
Sight · AntalyaHolly Stone Performance Hall is located on Uzuncarsi Sk. in the Selcuk neighborhood of Antalya, a historic area near the city's famous old town (Kaleici).
Read our full guide →Urla-iskele Berlin's
Sight · UrlaFree entryUrla-iskele Berlin's is a charming sight located at 2112 Sokak No:5 in Urla, a coastal town in Izmir Province.
Read our full guide →
Good to know
What is the best-known of the places to visit in Turkey?
Galata Tower in Istanbul is the most reviewed, with 210,458 traveler reviews and a 4.6 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.
Which of Turkey's places to visit is worth going out of your way for?
Roman Road of Ankara in Ankara rates highest at 4.8 out of 5 across 4,707 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.
Which city in Turkey has the most places to visit?
Istanbul, with 3 on this list, ahead of Ankara on 3. The list spans 8 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.
Are any of these places to visit free to visit?
Yes, 5: Egyptian Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Tektekci AlacatI and others. That is based on each place's own visiting information, not an assumption about the category.
How is this list of places to visit ranked?
By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 725 tracked places in Turkey. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.
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