Turkey Free Travel Tips】Newcomers to the door at a time to see and understand, itinerary, prices, security, the best month to travel!
About Turkey
Turkey has become a popular tourist destination for Hong Kong people in recent years, with thousands of hot air balloons in the sky attracting everyone’s attention. As a traveler who has lived in Turkey for 2 months, I can tell you that Turkey is definitely bigger and more fun than you think! Turkey is a country of more than 780,000 square kilometers, spanning Europe and Asia, with hills in the north, food in the south, traditional culture in the east, and a European atmosphere in the west.
Although Turkey is a very large country, it is very easy to get around! Even if you have never been to Turkey before, you can easily travel around! This time, let me, a Turkish traveler, bring you to Turkey easily!
▼ Istanbul, Turkey – The Blue Mosque
Entering Turkey
When traveling to Turkey, it is important to know what you need to know about entering the country. Hong Kong residents entering Turkey with a SAR passport can stay visa-free for up to 90 days within 180 days. If you are holding a BNO passport, you have to apply for an e-visa online 5-7 days prior to your arrival at a cost of US$36. Upon successful application, you can enter Turkey for multiple entries within 180 days, with a maximum stay of 90 days.
Special attention should be paid to the fact that it is strictly prohibited to bring any pork products into Turkey, including pork jerky, canned pork, etc. If found, you may not be allowed to enter the country! In addition, if you need to bring medication into Turkey, it is recommended that you bring a prescription in English in case you are questioned by customs officers.
Best Months to Visit Turkey
The peak travel months in Turkey are June-August, the summer months in Turkey, when temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius, but with long periods of sunshine, it is the most suitable month to travel. Summer is also the best season for hot air balloon ascents, which happen every day of the summer, making it the most popular time to visit, but of course, it is also more expensive, with prices in some popular tourist areas more than double that of the off-season!
October-April is the low season in Turkey, when it rains a lot and snows in some parts of the country in winter, with temperatures reaching over -10 degrees Celsius, so fewer people will travel during this season. However, this season allows you to see the other side of Turkey, and in winter you can even ski at a cheap price, so in recent years many people have chosen to travel to Turkey in the off-season.
▼ June to August is Turkey’s peak travel season and the best time for hot air balloon ascents
▼ Winter in Turkey can reach -10 degrees Celsius, with snow in some areas such as Istanbul.
Tickets and Airline Options
Turkey has two major international airports: Istanbul (IST) and Ankara (ESB). Most people flying to Turkey for the first time choose to fly to Istanbul Airport, which is also the best choice for inland flights!
As Turkey is the center of the world, there are many international flights to Turkey. For the time being, only Turkish Airline offers direct flights from Hong Kong to Turkey, and it usually takes 12 hours to reach Istanbul (IST). Of course, the price of Turkish Airline is quite expensive, the price of a round-trip ticket can be as high as HK$10,000 in peak season, and $5,000 or more in low season.
Another option is to change planes. There are two main transfer points from Hong Kong to Turkey, Doha and Dubai, but the airfares for these two transfer points are relatively expensive, ranging from $5,000 to $7,000, depending on the date of travel. In recent years, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines offer flights to Turkey, usually connecting in Beijing or Sichuan, at relatively low prices. During the low season, a round trip ticket can be obtained for about $3,000.
I have taken China Eastern Airlines to Turkey. Although it is a low-cost airline, the flight experience is good, and the transfer time is only 2-4 hours, which is about 4 hours more than direct flights, but I saved HK$4,000 during peak season! The only disadvantage is that it is easy to be delayed or canceled, and there was one case that the flight was canceled, and I had to wait for 2 days for the flight to come back. If you are not staying in Turkey for many days, I do not recommend you to take the flight to avoid delaying the whole trip.
You can check the tickets on the following websites
▼ Istanbul Airport is now the largest airport in the world, with more than 70 million passengers a year, and is the center point for inland flights in Turkey.
Time, Cities and Attractions to Visit
For your first trip to Turkey, I suggest you to reserve about 10 days (including the flight date). Because Turkey is a very big country, and it usually takes three hours or more to drive from city to city, reserving more time can prevent you from being in a hurry and giving up some of your trips due to accidents. Below are some of the must-see cities and attractions in Turkey for you to get to know Turkey in 10 days!
- Istanbul
The first time you set foot in Turkey, you have to go to Istanbul. Once you land on the plane, you can travel directly, which is very convenient! Because Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia, you can see two different sides of Turkey at once. In Europe, Istanbul is more developed, but at the same time, it is also an old area. Must-see attractions include: the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia Cathedral, Galata Tower, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, the Dungeon, Tokapi Palace and Independence Street. As for the Asian area, there are: Maiden Tower, Kamlitsa Mosque, Kadıköy and Television Broadcasting Tower. In addition, I also recommend the Prince’s Island, but because you need to take a boat to go, it will take one day to two days to visit, such as a tight schedule will have to wait for the next time. Don’t think that you need to spend a lot of time because there are a lot of sightseeing spots above, Istanbul is very well-connected and each sightseeing spot is not far away from each other, especially in the European area, and many of them are just a short walk from each other. Therefore, you can reserve about two days in Istanbul! - Cappadocia
Cappadocia is Turkey’s most popular tourist city and the best place to see a balloon launch in Turkey! There are two ways to get to Cappadocia from Istanbul: 1. Take a Turkish Airlines inland flight, which takes about 2 hours and costs about HK$400 each way. 2. 2. Take a long-distance bus, which takes about 9 hours but only costs HK$200, making it a good choice for poor travelers. Cappadocia has two major cities: Göreme and Uçhisar. The main attractions include the Turkish Balloon Rise, the Underground City, the Uçhisar Castle, the Love Valley, the Göreme Open Air Museum, the Cave Monastery and the Carpet Shop. Most of the above can be accomplished by taking a day trip to the area, so about two to three days is plenty of time. Grimme is relatively popular and busy, and most of the major attractions are nearby, so I personally recommend staying here. - Cotton Towers Pamukkale and Surrounding Attractions
Apart from Cappadocia, Cotton Towers in Turkey is the most familiar attraction. It takes 1.5 hours by air or 8 hours by car from Istanbul. Cotton Castle is a World Heritage Site. The white cloud-like rocks and the blue-green spring water form a beautiful scenery, as if you are on the clouds. Cotton Castle is actually located in the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis, so tickets must be purchased at the same time, and you can see this huge city while visiting Cotton Castle. In addition, about 2 hours away from Cotton Castle is the ancient city of Ephesus, which is the largest and most complete ancient city in Turkey. If you want to take your time, it can take you a whole day to walk around it. - Antalya
This city is recommended for all sun and beach lovers. Antalya has one of the most beautiful sea views in Turkey and with its Greek influence, traveling in Antalya will put you in the middle of Greece. Attractions in Antalya include: Kanyalti Beach, Duden Waterfalls, Suluada Island, Pelgui Ancient City and Asbandos Roman Theater.
It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from Cotton Towers to Antalya, so it is recommended that you take two to three days to get there and back.
▼ Cotton Castle, Turkey
▼ Istanbul – Maiden’s Tower
▼ Must Try Turkish Baths in Turkey
Budget for a 10-day, 9-day itinerary
The above itinerary for 10 days 9 days is approximately HK$22,000 to HK$24,000, including:
- Return airfare from Hong Kong to Turkey: $7,000
- Accommodation in Turkey for 9 nights: $8,100 (average $900/night)
- Inland air and fare: $1,500
- Scenic Spot Ticket: $1,500
- Hot Air Balloon Fee: $1,000 ~ $2,500
- Dining: $3,000
Prices in Turkey
Currently, the exchange rate of Hong Kong Dollar to Turkish Lira is maintained at around 1:4.6, while the price of goods in Turkey is relatively low compared to European countries. The prices in Turkey are low compared to European countries, a kebab (kebab roll) is about 100 to 200 Liras, which is about HK$20. Especially the products of Turkish local brands will be relatively cheaper, a magnet sticker is about 50 Liras. But in recent years, inflation in Turkey is very serious, basically every week the price of goods have increased, I once ate a week before and after the same restaurant Kebab, the price difference has been 10 liras.
Tickets to popular attractions is even more skyrocketing, of the Cotton Castle ticket price of 400 liras, but in July 2023 has risen to 850 liras, there is a reference to the July 2024 ticket price of 30 euros, that is, more than $ 1,100 liras, nearly three times the growth. Some big cities such as Istanbul, Cappadocia prices are also rising, a glass of juice in 2023 price of about 150 lire, in July 2024 has risen to 300 lire.
Therefore, if you want to travel to Turkey, the earlier you travel, the cheaper it will be!
▼The price of a ticket to Cotton Castle in 2023 was 850 liras.
Turkish Tourism Security
Although Turkey is a Muslim country, it is very safe in terms of security! Probably because of the Islamic background, no one will steal anything and most of the people in Turkey are very hospitable and warm. Only in some big cities like Istanbul and Cappadocia, there are more crooks and crooked businessmen. I once met a cobbler who carries a shoe-shine box and pretends to drop a tool when he passes by you. When you help him pick it up, he says, “You are very kind, let me shine your shoes for you. At this point, if you accept his service, he will charge you when he is done (even if he said it was free), and the price will be sky-high! So be careful in the big cities, but most Turks are very nice people, so you can travel with peace of mind!
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