Make your Istanbul holiday even more memorable by adding side trips to your itinerary. There are a number of places that are just a hop, skip and a jump from Istanbul – a ferry ride or a land trip is all it takes enjoy a whole new environment.
Here are some places that are ideal as side trips from Istanbul:
Princes’ Island Put on your bathing suits and let your hair down as you enjoy swimming and a variety of other water sports. Perfect for getting away from the hustle and bustle you experience when in the city. Princes’ Islands can be reached via ferry boat, usually from the Kabatas dock.
Cappadocia Fly southeast to experience Cappadocia (it will take only an hour!). Cappadocia is known for its offer of great balloon rides as well as the fascinatingly bizarre environment brought about by volcanic tuff. Some of the buildings – churches, houses and even hotels have been cared into the rocks. There are also underground shelters you can explore.
Troy Just a 30-minute flight out of Istanbul, this is a historic site with virtually no ruins left. However, the very sight of of the plains, as you would have imagined how it is pictured in the Illiad, is incentive enough for some. There will also be enough time to go to the beach. There are islands such as Bozcaada, where you can go to soak up the sun.
Iznik Known for the colorful tiles and pottery it produces, Iznik is also home to a museum, as well as some ruins. You can also try to shop for tiles at the pottery shops.
Termal Hot baths! What more is there to say? Well, this resort area also boasts of a very pleasant environment –a lush forest and pretty buildings provide a great backdrop to your visit. The town also boasts of hot mineral baths where you can get a good, hot soak to ease out all the kinks in your muscles.
Sile, Agva and Polonezkoy Driving along these towns is well worth the effort! The roads are lined with picturesque hills and raw beauty. Polonezkoy is a small Polish town, while Agva is located right beside the Black Sea. Sile is also another seaside town. All in all, you can spend a wonderful day just driving and looking around, stopping for a few hours for a dip in the beach.
Gallipoli Visit the battlefields where hundreds of thousands gave their lives or were wounded during the First World War at Gallipoli. The battlefields have been converted into a national park, complete with monuments to commemorate the bravery of the soldiers who fought to defend what they believed was right.
Ephesus This is an area of interest not just for its historical background but also for its religious importance. It also has a number of archeological sights (including the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, which is considered among the Seven Wonders of the World). Other sights of interest include the Marble Way, the Arcadian Way, the Curetes Way, the Great Theater (which can seat 25,000) and the Library of Celsus. You should also see the Temple of Hadrian (which features a statue of the head of Medusa), the Odeon, the Gate of Hercules and the hillside houses – villas of the wealthy Ephesians.
Other highly interesting and charming towns that you can include in your side trips are: Beysehir. Amasya, Gordion, Konya (home of Rumi, father and founder of the whirling dervishes), Ankara (which is the capital of Turkey) and Bogazkale.