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Turkey Snapshot

The climate of Turkey is a typical Mediterranean climate. Generally, the hottest months are June to September and the coldest month is January. December is the wettest month and July and August are usually the driest (yet can still be humid). Tourists tend to favour Turkey from May to October for the regional festivals and cultural experiences. Outside of these months, accommodation in seaside areas may be closed for winter and in eastern Turkey it can be freezing with snow by mid-winter. If you are planning to travel to the east of Turkey during Ramadan, it's important to consider that many restaurants and shops will either be closed or operating on reduced hours.
  • Istanbul weather chart

Eating and Drinking in Turkey

  • Gozleme: This spinach and cheese pastry is a tasty, bargain bite that will satisfy everyone (especially vegetarians).
  • Lokum: Love it or hate it, this iconic Turkish sweet treat (known internationally as Turkish delight) can be found in shops, bazaars and street stalls nearly everywhere in Turkey. Made from rosewater, lemon, sugar, corn flour and water, it's relatively easy to make… and even easier to eat (if you're a fan).
  • Simit: For a quick, easy to eat, cheap and filling snack, try a simit (bread ring). Carts selling simit can be found in most cities, usually at bus and train stations, main streets and other busy thoroughfares.
  • Fish Sandwiches: If visiting the Bosphorus, then a fish sandwich is a must-try dish. Just visit one of the moored boats preparing the fish and watch it get wrapped in a bread roll and handed to hungry bystanders. It's an iconic Turkish food moment worth savouring.
  • Traditional confectionary of Turkey

Intrepid believes that one of the best ways to experience a country is by eating! Whether you're sampling street food, savouring a cheap eat or indulging in a banquet, there are endless options to choose from wherever you are in the world. People visiting Turkey are in for a treat with Turkish cuisine being among the world's best. Home to some of the best produce you can get your hands on, it doesn't matter where you eat - it's all good. From cheap bazaar bites to high-end restaurant cuisine, simple street food and home cooked wonders, Turkish food will rock your world (and your tastebuds).

Shopping in Turkey

  • Hand Woven Carpets: Turkish carpets are a worldwide phenomenon and represent centuries of artistic tradition woven into a beautiful work of art. Bargain as best as you can to get a good price, but keep in mind that craftsmanship this good demands to be rewarded with a fair price. Try and find an authentic seller via word of mouth as fake, inferior quality carpets are out there.
  • Jewellery: Turkey's artisan-made gold and silver earrings, rings and bracelets are good buys - with bazaars, boutiques, museum gift shops and silversmiths offering a wide range of designs from modern to Ottoman-inspired.
  • Brass and Copper: Visitors will find an assortment of brass and copper decorative objects for the home in the bazaars of Turkey. Serving platters, pitchers, trays, pots and urns will add some exotic flair to your kitchen at home.
  • Tourist sits on local handmade rugs

With one of the biggest bazaars in the world, some of the best fashion boutiques and a thriving arts scene, shopping in Turkey is an enriching affair. Whether you're buying or window shopping, indulging in a little retail therapy in Turkey is a fun experience.

It's a good idea to check with your local customs officials to ensure that you are able to bring certain items back into your home country. Australia and New Zealand generally have strict quarantine laws.

Accommodation

Travelling with Intrepid is a little bit different. We endeavour to provide travellers with an authentic experience to remember, so we try to keep accommodation as unique and traditional as possible.

When travelling with us in Turkey you may find yourself staying in a:
Overnight train in Turkey

  • Overnight Train

  • With Istanbul being on the last stop of the iconic Orient Express - and also being home to one of the world's oldest subway networks - travelling by train in Turkey is like walking in the footsteps of travellers from years gone by.
Local children gather around guest at local Homestay

  • Homestay

  • Staying with a local family is a wonderful way to learn about Turkish customs, language and way of life.
Pension in Goreme, Pension

  • Village Pension

  • Staying in a small, family-run guesthouse or pension is a good way to support the local economy and see a more authentic side of Turkey.

Transport

Intrepid believes half the fun of experiencing a new country is getting there, and getting around once there! Where possible, Intrepid uses local transport options and traditional modes of transport - which usually carry less of an environmental impact, support small local operators and are heaps more fun.

Depending on which trip you're on while in Turkey, you may find yourself travelling by:
Tourists travelling in Kayaks

  • Kayak

  • Admire the scenery while paddling through turquoise waters on a kayak trip along Turkey's sparkling coast.
Gulet

  • Gulet

  • Kick back while enjoying a ride on a gulet - a traditional Turkish sailing boat that has been used as a form of transport for centuries.
Mountain Bike

  • Mountain Bike

  • Challenge yourself against some of Turkey's hills while riding a mountain bike through the Turkish countryside.

Shortlist

No trips.

Turkey at a glance

  • 34
  • Ankara (population 2.9 million)
  • 78.7 million
  • Turkish
  • TRY
  • (GMT+02:00) Athens, Bucharest, Istanbul
  • Type C (European 2-pin), Type F (German 2-pin, side clip earth)
  • +90

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