The 7 Best Road Trips in Turkey

Known for straddling both Europe and Asia, Turkey is one of the best countries in the world for keen road trippers. From beachside strips to rugged mountain passes, Turkey has it all. If you’re ready, grab your car keys, some drinks and snacks, put on your favourite playlist and get ready to explore the best road trips that Turkey has to offer.

Why is Turkey one of the Best Countries for Road Trips?

1. Antalya to Fethiye

For those who have holidayed in Turkey before, the chances are you have visited Antalya and may know the region well.

This part of the country is known as the Turquoise Coast, and given the colours of the waters that lap up against the beaches and cliffs here, it’s no surprise that it came to be named this.

For seaside lovers, this is a great road trip. Expect beautiful coastal roads, with the sun beating down all day, and cooler nights where you can stop off for some traditional Turkish food and drinks in one of the many bars or restaurants which line this route.

It’s also a popular English-speaking area of the country, so the language barrier will not be an issue – although we recommend learning a few phrases in Turkish before your visit out of respect for the locals.

Distance: 290km

2. Ankara to Cappadoccia

Starting in the Turkish capital, this route takes you through the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, steeped in history and geological wonders.

Over the course of the 305km route, you will see high, arid plateaus and pass through rocky mountain outcrops – some of which will be dusted with snow in the winter months.

In addition to the mountains, you will also pass through slender valleys, dotted with trees and bushes, offering a completely different type of environment. Many of the roads around here are built in accordance with their environment, and very little environmental disturbance has taken place, which is always an advantage for areas where wildlife still thrives.

Upon reaching Cappadocia, you will see the famous mushroom-shaped ‘fairy chimneys’ – volcanic rock formations which are completely unique to the region, and were formed over the course of millions of years from deposits from now-extinct volcanoes.

This is a great road trip if you want to see different types of environments, and somewhere you can take in at your own pace.

Distance: 305km

3. Istanbul to Selçuk

This may just be one of, if not the best, road trips in Turkey for history lovers.

Istanbul is known for its millennium-long history, serving as a melting pot of Eurasian culture, and while most cities can be explored in a day or two, it’s so easy to spend a week in Istanbul.

However, once you’ve filled your boots with Istanbul’s incredible culture, it’s time to hop in a car and undertake this incredible road trip to Selçuk, over 500km away.

In order to take everything in, we highly recommend doing this trip over the course of a few days. You will head south from Istanbul, passing by (with the option to stop off at) the city of Bursa, before continuing in a south-west direction down the Ionian Coast.

Selçuk is home to what was once the Ancient Greek city of Ephesus, where the world-famous Temple of Artemis was built. Many of these historic sites have been well preserved, and what was once Ephesus is now an archaeological site, which can be visited, where you can see structures which are thousands of years old come to life.

This route offers you sunshine, history and lively cities, making it ideal for a Turkish road trip with friends, perfectly blending Asian and European culture.

Distance: 545km

4. Niğde to Kayseri

At just 160km, this is the shortest road trip on this list, but don’t let that put you off – it’s also one of the most scenic.

The route from Niğde to Kayseri is one of the most scenic in Turkey, with some of the best birdwatching and wildlife watching opportunities in the country.

For starters, Turkey has one of the largest populations of Eurasian brown bears in the world, with estimates of around 3,000 living in the wild – many of whom can be found in the mountains and wilderness between Niğde and Kayseri. The Eurasian lynx can also be spotted here – but make sure to bring some binoculars as they are elusive and hard to spot.

The bears and lynx thrive here because of the sheer number of prey animals, including wild goats, hares and rabbits, as well as the various species of plants and fruits that alamo make up a large portion of their diets.

For avid twitchers, some of the bird species which can be seen along this route include grey herons, little egrets, moorhens, green sandpipers and more.

These roads can be tricky to navigate, so we recommend a confident, experienced driver taking control of the car along this particular route.

Distance: 160km

5. Sinop to Sarp 

Another one of the seas that Turkey borders is the Black Sea, which it borders to the North, and shares with Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania and Bulgaria. 

Northern Turkey borders a large portion of the southern shores of the Black Sea, and as such, this coastal route from Sinop in the west to Sarp in the east (just a few kilometres from the Georgian border) makes for a fantastic road trip across the Black Sea Coast.

Unlike the Turquoise Coast route, the conditions can be much more unpredictable along the Black Sea coast, especially if you visit outside of the summer months, making for incredible, moody scenery over the cliffs and beachside roads when a storm is brewing over the waters.

The culture of northern Turkey is different to that of the south, and as you travel from the western side to the eastern, you will experience more Asian culture than European culture, offering a stark contrast and an excellent cultural experience between the two.

The scenery that you pass will be lush, mountainous landscapes in comparison to the largely arid scenes of the south of the country, making this a more photogenic and quieter road trip, despite its almost 1,000km length.

Distance: 960km

6. Bursa to Izmir 

If you wish to incorporate elements of lively cities, rugged wilderness and glorious coastal scenes into your ultimate Turkish road trip, then the route from Bursa to Izmir is a must.

Shortly after leaving Bursa, you will drive past Lake Ulubat, which is a stunning place to stop and admire the views for a while.

Further along, the route gets more wild, including lots of rocky outcrops, adding an almost desert-like feel to the road trip. The city of Balikesir is a good place to stop off, being filled with traditional Turkish bazaars, offering a good insight into traditional, authentic Turkish culture.

Continuing south, you will eventually reach Izmir, which is the endpoint of this road trip. The third-most populated city after Istanbul and Ankara, it is an excellent place to explore and enjoy the bustling city vibes after a largely remote road trip. Filled with a rich history and set on the shores of the Aegean Sea, it’s the perfect place to end this road trip with an ice-cold beer by the sea.

Distance: 350km

7. Anamur to Taurus Mountains

While not an exceptionally long route, few routes anywhere in Europe or Asia are more scenic than the Anamur to the Taurus Mountains road trip.

Starting on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast at Anamur, you will drive 200km north to the mighty Taurus Mountains.

Naturally, this route climbs up in elevation, so some of the roads can be tricky, but along the way, you’re rewarded with some of the best scenery in Turkey.

Mediterranean forests dominate the landscape after you’ve left the coastline behind, first in the form of small outcrops of trees, to larger, greener hillsides dominated by cedar, fir and Anatolian black pine trees, making picture-perfect shapes across the landscape.

If you opt to undertake this journey in late autumn or winter, you can expect to see snow along the tops of the Taurus Mountains when you reach them – a novelty in itself when, less than 200km away, the temperatures regularly hover around 20℃.

The remoteness of this journey makes a change from the hectic traffic on the streets of places like Istanbul, so if you’re looking for the perfect isolated road trip in Turkey, then this is an excellent choice.

Distance: 200km