One of my favourite adventures to date is an epic 10 day road trip through Turkey that was packed with bucket list experiences and otherworldly destinations.
This is my complete itinerary for ten days in Turkey, including our five day self-drive tour from Marmaris to Cappadocia and back down to the south of the country.
As we carved our way through the patchwork landscape on our Turkey road trip, we passed makeshift honey stalls and impressive mosques at what felt like hundred metres intervals.
There were balconies strung with chilli peppers left to dry in the sun outside of Konya, huge swathes of land littered with pumpkins in Cappadocia, and acre upon acre of farmland and greenhouses in Antalya, where some of Turkey’s tastiest produce is grown.
Our Turkish road trip road was never boring, and each of our destinations were bewilderingly beautiful.
This trip gave me so many incredible memories. I’m glad that having accidentally let ten years pass since my last visit to Marmaris, I finally took the time to explore Turkey’s true delights.
During our ten days in Turkey, we stopped at famous tourist attractions like Pamukkale, Cappadocia and the Düden Waterfalls in Antalya.
We concluded our trip with a few days of downtime in sleepy Dalyan, which is close to Dalaman airport and therefore a practical place to end any Turkey itinerary.
Read on for more information about visiting each of these amazing Turkish destinations!
Our Turkish adventure was jam-packed with jaw-dropping sights, sunshine and countless çay and gözleme stops in establishments which ranged from crude roadside shacks to spectacular riverside restaurants.
I thought I’d share my itinerary for ten days in Turkey and the exact route we took on our road trip from Marmaris to help anyone planning a trip to Turkey who, like myself, wants to see the best bits in less than two weeks.
My travel itinerary for 10 days in Turkey
Watch my full-length Cappadocia video on Youtube
You can tailor this comprehensive ten day Turkey itinerary to suit you – pack the highlights into a busy seven day Turkey trip or stretch it out and spend two or even three weeks in Turkey, you lucky thing!
In case you have more time to play with, I’ve mentioned the best places to go in Turkey where you might like to extend your stay, and how long to spend in each place.
Of course, if you’re just planning a beach getaway and dashing around the country seems a bit too strenuous for you, you can still see some of these Turkish destinations during your holiday.
The stops on this Turkey travel itinerary encompass some of the best trips to do in Turkey for holidaymakers and I’ve included links for tours to some of the most popular sights, in case you won’t be driving in Turkey.
At the bottom of this guide, I’ve shared all of my Turkey travel tips and essential information.
I travelled with locals, so I’ve got loads of insider tips to share.
Days 1 – 3: Relaxing for three days in Marmaris (with a cultural day trip if you want it)
Before we set off on our road trip through Turkey, we spent some time unwinding in Marmaris.
If you’ve got ten days in Turkey, a short seaside holiday here is a great way to start your trip.
Located at the meeting place of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Marmaris is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country.
While we were there, we did a blissfully relaxing boat trip.
I’ve been to Marmaris a few times, and a day out on the sea is always the highlight of my stay.
You can book your boat trip in advance and look forward to a terrific day on the water with unlimited drinks and a BBQ lunch.
I definitely recommend enjoying a few lazy days in Marmaris before you begin a big adventure in Turkey.
You can do a jeep safari, get an authentic Turkish bath or spend a day at Atlantis Water Park.
If you’d like to pursue culture during your stay in Marmaris, book a day trip to the Ancient City of Ephesus.
There are loads of restaurants in Marmaris and you’ll find pulsating nightlife, but it’s a very family friendly destination.
Marmaris has a plethora of all-inclusive hotels, some of the best being Green Nature Diamond and Hawaii Hotel.
It’s cheap enough to eat out in Marmaris, so I’d suggest opting for self-catering accommodation or Bed and Breakfast there.
Some good options are Club Aida, Grand Azur and Grand Pasa.
The one thing that lets Marmaris down is its beach so while you’re there, jump on a bus to İçmeler beach and spend the day there for your sea and sand fix.
Let me know if you would like a separate post on stuff to do in Marmaris!
Find hotels in Marmaris
Booking.comDay 4: Hitting the road – Marmaris to Pamukkale
The drive from Marmaris to Pamukkale takes around three hours. If you’re going on a road trip from Marmaris, you might as well stop here!
Pamukkale, literally “Cotton Castle” in Turkish, is the most visited attraction in Turkey thanks to its Instagram-worthy snow white calcite travertine terraces filled with thermal water.
The ancient spa city is a fascinating place to explore, so it’s worth spending a bit of time here to make sure you see everything.
Pamukkale is amazing, but it gets very busy so it’s best to do your research before you go in order to enjoy it fully.
For a truly unforgettable experience in Pamukkale, book a hot air balloon ride over its sparkling white landscape.
Find hotels for Pamukkale
Booking.comOnce we had drank in everything we could at Pamukkale, we hopped back in the car and began the five hour drive to Konya, where we stopped for the night.
We stayed at a fantastic hotel called Gherdan Gold Hotel.
It has a spa with a hammam, the rooms are very comfortable and the breakfast buffet offers lots of traditional Turkish favourites.
Since we had only dedicated five of our ten days in Turkey to our road trip, we left Konya early the next morning.
If you have more time than we did, you could spend a day in Konya before continuing on your journey towards Cappadocia.
Konya is a very religious city and among the top attractions there are Mevlana Muzesi, which is the mosque where the mausoleum of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a Persian Sufi mystic is located.
You can see the whirling dervishes there in the summer months.
Find hotels in Konya
Booking.comDay 5: Driving from Konya to Göreme, Cappadocia
The drive from Konya to Göreme takes approximately three hours.
Whether you're planning to do a lot of sightseeing or you just want to see the iconic hot air balloons, Göreme is the best area to stay in Cappadocia.
We were in Cappadocia for just 24 hours and managed to squeeze a lot in to that time.
Luckily, the hot air balloons flew the morning we were there – which was extra fortunate because they hadn't been able to fly for three days before our stay!
We stayed at Arch Palace Hotel, which I'd 100% recommend if you're unsure where to stay in Cappadocia. The location was perfect.
If you have a larger budget, try Sultan Cave Suites for some serious photo opportunities (it's the hotel where those gorgeous breakfast shots all over Instagram are taken).
Outside of Göreme, Museum Hotel in Uçhisar has a swimming pool overlooking the valleys.
For more information about visiting Cappadocia, you'll need to read my dedicated blog post because this magical destination warrants a space of its own.
Find hotels in Cappadocia
Booking.comAt this point, a lot of people would probably continue on from Cappadocia to Istanbul, but we had other plans.
We wanted to begin and end our five day Turkey tour in the south of the country, as we had booked return flights via Dalaman.
If you're going to Istanbul from Cappadocia, the distance is around 750km and the drive takes 8-9 hours.
Day 6: Cappadocia to Antalya
I was reluctant to leave Cappadocia so soon, but we had planned to be in Antalya so we began the drive shortly after the last hot air balloon landed on our second day in Göreme.
We were in Antalya only for the night before we continued our journey further southwest but by this point the car was getting a bit tiring, so travellers with more time should definitely pause to enjoy Antalya before they get back behind the wheel.
It had been cooler up in Cappadocia so the Antalya sunshine was very welcome!
Lara has some gorgeous hotels, including Liberty and Asteria Kremlin Palace. I recommend staying in Belek, if you're looking to party in Antalya.
Find hotels in Antalya
Booking.comDay 7: Exploring Antalya en route to Dalyan
Our local guides took us to a few surprise stops on the drive from Antalya to Dalyan. I'm so glad we had their insider knowledge, because these are places we probably wouldn't have found ourselves.
We started out early in the morning and were lucky enough to visit the magnificent Düden Waterfalls while the park that the upper waterfall is located in was completely empty.
This is a gorgeous, tranquil place and would be the perfect spot to munch on a picnic in the shade.
If you go to Antalya, you can't miss this place. I've found a guided tour that will take you there, plus other must-see sites in Antalya.
As we crawled along the Turkish Mediterranean coast, which is also aptly known as the Turquoise Coast, we passed paradise-like sandy coves.
Tired and in dire need of a boost during our long journey, we were pleased to happen upon Kaputaş Beach, a small beach between Kaş and Kalkan.
The perfect place to spend a few hours outside of the car on a long, hot afternoon!
There was one more unscheduled stop on our self-drive Turkey tour when we got to Muğla: a quick dip at Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon in Fethiye.
This is a popular spot for paragliding.
Find hotels & tours in Oludeniz
Booking.comDays 8 to 10: Dreamy Dalyan
Finally, we poured back into the car for the drive from Ölüdeniz to Dalyan, which takes around 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Dalyan was the ideal place to chill after a rather hectic Turkey trip!
It's a quiet town on the river, with a much slower pace and slightly older crowd than Marmaris attracts.
We chose it because my mum and her husband have holidayed there a few times and it's very close to Dalaman Airport, which made the trip home to the UK that little bit quicker.
During our stay in Dalyan, we rented a lovely apartment in a complex called Manuela Apartments. Each of their four apartments sleeps six and we basically had the shared swimming pool to ourselves.
I'm already planning another trip to Dalyan and I hope to stay at this apartment again.
Find hotels & tours in Dalyan
Booking.comCheck out my guide to what to do in Dalyan if you're planning a trip!
Our five day Turkey road trip route
Planning to drive around Turkey? Here's a look at the route we used.
I didn't actually do any of the driving myself (I'm still not very confident behind the wheel so driving on the right would have been too daunting), but I found the roads on our trip to be very well maintained and surprisingly quiet.
When is the best time to visit Turkey?
The summer season is the busiest time to go to Turkey on holiday, and we deliberately avoided the summer months because we didn't want to contend with crowds and searing heat during our road trip.
We did this trip in October, and I think it's the best month to travel in Turkey.
Cappadocia in particular was a lot less crowded than I feared it would be and we still had blazing sunshine – it was just a little cooler after dark in Cappadocia.
Typically, visiting Turkey in Spring or Autumn is the best way to beat the crowds and still enjoy good weather.
What is the best way to travel around Turkey if you have 10 days?
We rented a car in Marmaris for our ten days in Turkey. Our local drivers did the last leg from Dalyan back to Marmaris by themselves. If you pick up from the airport, that would solve this problem!
Check car hire prices for Turkey here
The freedom having our own car gave us really made this adventure what it was.
We passed tour buses at some of the main tourist attractions and felt relieved we weren't on one!
I've heard that at Pamukkale especially, tours are very rushed and you don't get much time to enjoy the place.
While we were in Marmaris, we used the local buses to get around. They're cheap and you just pay the driver before you get off at your destination.
How many days should I spend in Turkey?
For this trip, ten days in Turkey felt adequate, but I would have definitely liked to have spent more time in Cappadocia and perhaps a little time in Konya – it's not super touristy but I think it would have been an interesting place to explore.
If you're going to proceed on to Istanbul after Cappadocia, I'd recommend extending your stay in Turkey to two weeks at least.
The journey is very long and while I've yet to visit Istanbul myself, I know the city requires at least three days.
How to get to Marmaris
I flew direct from Newcastle to Dalaman Airport with Jet2. In order to get the lowest possible price for my flights, I always use Skyscanner's price alert function to book when the price drops.
I booked a shuttle from Dalaman Airport to Marmaris. The drive takes about two hours and they usually stop for a break halfway through.
Of course, the shuttle stops at various hotels so if you want a quicker transfer from Dalaman airport to your hotel, it's best to book a private transfer.
Useful travel advice for Turkey
Travellers in Turkey need to carry their ID and visa with them at all times, but this rule is only really enforced outside of tourist resorts.
We were asked for ours once, at a police checkpoint near Konya.
Travel insurance is essential for visiting Turkey as medical care is expensive there.
My brother had to get an X-ray in Marmaris about 10 years ago and even then, it was extortionate!
Travellers all over the world use World Nomads as they offer the best level of protection. Use the box below to get a quote for your Turkey trip.
If you're travelling around Turkey, learning a few phrases of Turkish will go a long way, especially in restaurants or if you're pulled over by the police (we were once, but we drove through many police checkpoints).
Locals appreciate tourists who make the effort.
Arm yourself with a Turkish phrase book and start making local friends.
The Lonely Planet Turkey guide is bound to come in handy too!
Our ten day Turkey tour is a trip I'll never forget. I had been to Marmaris a handful of times in my early teens so it was brilliant to go back and actually see some of the country as an adult.
I hope you've found my Turkey tour itinerary helpful, but please don't hesitate to shoot me a message if you have any questions. I'll do my best to answer them, or I'll hit up mum's husband and get his local input!
I'm making a travel vlog about this Turkey trip, so subscribe to my Youtube channel to ensure you don't miss it.
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Melis Living says
I am so glad you enjoyed it – I loved following your trip on Instagram! Gorgeous pics! Melis x
Laura says
This honestly looks so incredible. Loved following your trip! X
abdel ilah says
wow!! This looks pretty amazing … Thanks a lot 🙂