Turkey Travel & Tourism

Travelers flock to this spectacular country to enjoy a stunning adventure through dramatic landscape and a tumultuous history. Although its territory may be speckled with battlegrounds, ruins of kingdoms and fallen empires, the much-disputed area is a history enthusiast’s dream. History buffs and literature aficionados alike will swoon as they stand upon the very ground where Alexander the Great defeated Gordion Knot and where the famed warrior Achilles fought the Trojans in the Iliad. Visitors can tread upon the remains of the Ottoman Empire as they make their way to the country’s tightly-knit cities and explore the country’s unique culture. Due to the region’s stunning geography, visitors can enjoy four completely different climates in a single day. Geographically, Turkey is surrounded by three different seas, providing it with a coastline adorned with islands, coves and harbors. In its center lie stunning mountains that offer a scenic wonderland for mountain climbers, skiers and hikers. The country offers cultural travelers ten UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the cities of Istanbul and Safranbolu.

Visitors who are interested in heading to one of the busiest cities in Turkey often flock to Istanbul. Here stunning Ottoman mosques collide with nightclubs, bars and art galleries to create a spectacular mixture of historic and modern culture. Visitors who are interested in learning more about the local culture can stop off at the Blue Mosque. Guests who walk into the landmark’s interior are surrounded by an awe-inspiring array of blue tiles, which contributed to the site’s nickname. Visitors who would like to learn more about what life was like as a sultan can stop by the architecturally stunning Topkapi Palace. Those who don’t mind loosing themselves within a plethora of shops and vendors can head over to the Grand Bazaar while visitors who are keen to see famous Alexander sarcophagus should stop into the Istanbul Archaeology Museum complex. Guests who would like to escape from the busy confines of the city can take solace in a ferry ride to Princes’ Islands, which features a spectacular array of wooden mansions.

Visitors who are looking for a trip to satisfy their wanderlust can enjoy a retreat to the Black Sea coast, located in the Eastern reaches of Turkey. The region features lush vegetation, solitude and the craggy reaches of the Pontic Mountains that can be explored via hiking trails. Visitors seeking isolation can head over to small towns such as Amasra and Giresun, which offer everything from Byzantine ruins to delectable, locally-grown delights. Travelers more seeking a more tourist-friendly coast can enjoy the ritzy developments that line Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast. Guests can get pampered at one of Alanya’s stunning resorts or retreat to the small town of Kalkan to enjoy the rustic charm of a historic seaside village.

Those who are interested in seeing the sights can choose from a variety of UNESCO World Heritage sites—ten, in fact. Visitors who would like to stay in a traditional town can head over to Safranbolu to enjoy a picturesque city that was featured in Homer’s Iliad. Archeological aficionados can’t pass up an opportunity to visit Hattusa, which stood as the Hittite Empire’s capital. Today tourists can tread through the open air museum to view a number of stunning statues located in the old Upper City and Lower City. Those who would like to see both a geographic and archeological wonder can head over to Cappadocia and Gorem National Park to view the naturally-carved ‘fairy-chimneys’ and learn more about the underground cities that once thrived in the region. Literature buffs can’t leave this stunning country without stopping by the archeological site of Troy, which starred in Homer’s Iliad. Guests can stroll through the architectural wonders of the city and learn more about its denizens as they tour the site. Visitors can delight in a number of other spectacular archeological sites including the Edirne Selimiye Mosque, Hierapolis, Xanthos and Letoon, and Adiyaman Nemrut Mountain.


Worldwide Tourism Popularity Ranking: 14 of 230


Air Travel

  • Quality of Airports: Average (5.4 of 7)
  • Number of Airlines: 93
  • Number of Arriving Passengers: 25506000

Hotels & Lodging

  • Quality of Lodging: Average (3.8 of 5)
  • Number of Hotels: 4825
  • Average Room Rate: $114.31

Purpose of Visit

  • Business Trip: 4%
  • Family Vacation: 32%
  • Couples Getaway: 45%
  • Friends Trip: 15%
  • Solo Travel: 5%

Top Vacation Destinations in Turkey

Most popular cities in Turkey in terms of percentage of visitors and number of hotels:

  • Istanbul
    Popularity: 1 | 26.97% Visitors | 714 Hotels
    Browse: Romantic Hotels | Kid Friendly Hotels

  • Marmaris
    Popularity: 2 | 9.86% Visitors | 321 Hotels

  • Antalya
    Popularity: 3 | 5.67% Visitors | 229 Hotels

  • Side
    Popularity: 4 | 3.97% Visitors | 196 Hotels

  • Belek
    Popularity: 5 | 3.61% Visitors | 63 Hotels

  • Bodrum
    Popularity: 6 | 3.47% Visitors | 154 Hotels

  • Oludeniz
    Popularity: 7 | 3.47% Visitors | 57 Hotels

  • Kusadasi
    Popularity: 8 | 3.2% Visitors | 139 Hotels

  • Alanya
    Popularity: 9 | 3.0% Visitors | 277 Hotels

  • Gumbet
    Popularity: 10 | 2.92% Visitors | 107 Hotels

  • Icmeler
    Popularity: 11 | 2.33% Visitors | 86 Hotels

  • Fethiye
    Popularity: 12 | 2.29% Visitors | 103 Hotels

  • Kemer
    Popularity: 13 | 1.5% Visitors | 118 Hotels

  • Hisaronu
    Popularity: 14 | 1.19% Visitors | 29 Hotels

  • Altinkum
    Popularity: 15 | 1.19% Visitors | 50 Hotels

  • Ovacik
    Popularity: 16 | 1.19% Visitors | 31 Hotels

  • Goreme
    Popularity: 17 | 1.19% Visitors | 38 Hotels

  • Colakli
    Popularity: 18 | 1.12% Visitors | 33 Hotels

  • Sarigerme
    Popularity: 19 | 1.1% Visitors | 13 Hotels

  • Turgutreis
    Popularity: 20 | 1.08% Visitors | 43 Hotels

  • Selcuk
    Popularity: 21 | 0.94% Visitors | 22 Hotels

  • Urgup
    Popularity: 22 | 0.9% Visitors | 47 Hotels

  • Dalyan
    Popularity: 23 | 0.9% Visitors | 55 Hotels

  • Manavgat
    Popularity: 24 | 0.87% Visitors | 45 Hotels

  • Pamukkale
    Popularity: 25 | 0.81% Visitors | 32 Hotels

  • Kalkan
    Popularity: 26 | 0.78% Visitors | 39 Hotels

  • Torba
    Popularity: 27 | 0.71% Visitors | 26 Hotels

  • Armutalan
    Popularity: 28 | 0.62% Visitors | 16 Hotels

  • Beldibi
    Popularity: 29 | 0.62% Visitors | 34 Hotels

  • Kas
    Popularity: 30 | 0.58% Visitors | 46 Hotels

  • Didim
    Popularity: 31 | 0.54% Visitors | 19 Hotels

  • Izmir
    Popularity: 32 | 0.54% Visitors | 72 Hotels

  • Goynuk
    Popularity: 33 | 0.46% Visitors | 24 Hotels

  • Bitez
    Popularity: 34 | 0.46% Visitors | 37 Hotels

  • Ozdere
    Popularity: 35 | 0.41% Visitors | 6 Hotels

  • Ankara
    Popularity: 36 | 0.4% Visitors | 99 Hotels

  • Kumkoy
    Popularity: 37 | 0.37% Visitors | 24 Hotels

  • Yalikavak
    Popularity: 38 | 0.36% Visitors | 31 Hotels

  • Konakli
    Popularity: 39 | 0.32% Visitors | 38 Hotels

  • Ortakent
    Popularity: 40 | 0.31% Visitors | 21 Hotels


Top Turkey Hotels

  • 1
    Hotel Amira Istanbul
    Kucuk Ayasofya Mh. , Mustafapasa Sk. No:79, Istanbul
    100% recommended | 662 reviews
  • 2
    Witt Istanbul Suites
    Defterdar Yokusu No. 26, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 397 reviews
  • 3
    Four Seasons Istanbul at The Bosphorus
    Ciragan Cad. No. 28, Istanbul
    96% recommended | 206 reviews
  • 4
    Tomtom Suites
    Bogazkesen Caddesi Tomtom Kaptan Sokak No:18, Istanbul
    98% recommended | 220 reviews
  • 5
    White House Hotel Istanbul
    Alemdar Mahallesi Catalcesme Sokak no:21, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 803 reviews
  • 6
    Sirkeci Konak Hotel
    Taya Hatun Sokak #5, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 1,352 reviews
  • 7
    Millennium Suites
    Akbiyik Street No:42, Istanbul
    100% recommended | 305 reviews
  • 8
    Hotel Sultania
    Ebusuud Cad. Mehmet Murat Sok. No: 4, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 403 reviews
  • 9
    Hotel Seraglio
    Amiral Tafdil Sokak, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 298 reviews
  • 10
    Osmanhan Hotel
    Akbiyik Caddesi Cetinkaya Sokak No 1, Istanbul
    99% recommended | 279 reviews