Hello Fodors,
I am trying to plan a trip to Turkey and Greece for around late May (from last 7-10 days in May) to June. Total trip time would be around 4 weeks/28 days.
I am Greek born and my ancestry is from Asia Minor and would like to explore sites and regions that would add value and appreciation between the two melting pots (Greece and Turkey)
My first travel experience to Turkey (I will be flying out of Sydney, Australia); these are things on my idea list but not cemented...
*Istanbul the highlights of Agia Sophia, etc (also want to visit Fener and Balat)
*Not sure if a Golden Horn ferry tour/ride is worth adding to it
*I love to swim and would be open to suggestions on the coastal towns/cities (along Fetiye and Kas for that experience maybe a short boat tour?)
*Selcuk, Ephesus a must. Hierapolis - I have read mixed reviews.
*Cappadocia 'hot air ballooning' a must. Would love to experience a cave hotel but my understanding is that it is very expensive (?)
*A traditional Hamam
*Anything else that may be

Greece (I have selected islands I have not been to that may tie into my mainland plan)
*Return to my birth city - Thessaloniki (possibly go to Skopelos and Skiathos - have not been to these islands)
*Samos, Ikaria and Kos - I believe these are best to reach from Turkey rather than Greece (Samos and Ikaria from Kusadasi, and Kos from Bodrum)

The order in which I do these will determine which city I fly into, i.e. Istanbul or Athens
The order in which I travel to my 'wish list destinations' is becoming a big blur for me. I want to avoid unnecessary to and fro.

Travelling on my own (female solo traveller) and wanting to create the most memorable of moments as I wind the clock to 60.
I have also been toying with the idea of a group tour for Turkey with G Adventures, Trepid or alike but the little voice tapping my shoulder keeps whispering 'why'

Any suggestions/insight would be openly embraced - thank you!

THIS May / June? Wow. I’d encourage you to start making hotel reservations as soon as you can, particularly if cost is an issue.

I’ve visited most of the destinations you list as a single female traveling on my own. No need for a tour company unless you want that experience.

How do you plan to get around? Are you willing to rent a car for any parts of this journey?

FWIW, I’ll start by saying that I think one month for BOTH Turkey and Greece is ambitious. Of course you can do it … if you are extremely selective about what you visit. As for order, at this late date, I’d decide based on things like weather (consult weatherspark.com), holidays (google them), and availability of affordable lodging.

Some more specific comments about the options you mention:

Turkey

I thought 5 full days in Istanbul just barely enough for my interests.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Golden Horn ferry.

There are some lovely beaches near Kas, though I didn’t stop at any.

I agree that Selcuk and Ephesus are well worth seeing.

I’m very glad I visited Hierapolis.

Riding a hot air balloon over Cappadocia can be wonderful. The companies differ in safety; be sure to do your research before selecting one.

IME, cave hotels in the area differ in prices. Consult booking.com

Most cities in Istanbul will have options for a traditional hammam.

It’s old, but you might find some useful information in my trip report: Some Observations on a Fantastic Journey through Western Turkey

Greece

I think Thessaloniki vastly underrated.

Are you planning to visit Athens? If not, look for flights into / out of Thessaloniki instead. If you are planning on Athens, make sure you give it enough time.

I didn’t visit the islands you mention, but I did visit Thessaloniki and Athens, so you might find some useful information in my trip report: With Gratitude for a Glorious Solo Month in Greece


I hope that helps!

I think you are going to have to be selective if you 'only' have 4 weeks to cover as much as you've mentioned. It might seem like a decent chunk of time but it will go quickly with so much ground to cover. I would focus on a smaller geographical area. As I loved Istanbul and really enjoyed Thessaloniki, I would focus more towards the north. Or visit one country this time and the other another year. Plot it out on a (yes, boring) spreadsheet and you'll see that you can only fit so much in. Plan in nights and whole days and allow for travel time from one place to the next. The whole area is fantastic - what a fabulous opportunity!

Hi Kja,

Thank you for your reply.
My original plan was to book flights etc earlier but life had other plans and so I am returning to the draft board.

Re tour company - no, not seeking the experience, I just thought it would be easier (maybe a little laziness on my part) entering late in the game. Overall, I don't think structured tour groups will work well for me as I enjoy the flexibility of planning as I go. I travelled to Spain, Japan, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and India with that model in mind between 2018 and 2023. Fingers crossed it will work this round also. Ambitious in my travels is pretty accurate

I thought I would fly, bus, train, boat, walk. Hadn't considered a car primarily because my pick up destination may not be my return to destination.

Re weather - My understanding is that the weather in Turkey and Greece are very similar (?) If that is the case, the weather would not influence the order. Having said this though, 40 degrees heat is not on my ladder list of preferences.
Booking.com has some impressive discounts on accommodation so I 'should' be able to find something for the first leg of my trip and then I book as I go.
If the obvious potential obstacles were not in the way would you be starting from Istanbul/Turkey or Athens/Greece?

Re Hot Air Ballooning - any suggestions on what to look out for re the safer providers? Based on reviews or is there a specific site I can look at?

Greece
From Sydney there are no direct flights to Thessaloniki. I have always needed to fly into Athens and then connect to a flight for Thessaloniki. I don't plan to hang around in Athens unless a favourite muso has a gig

Thank so much, I look forward to reading your blog and learning more from you

Hi dreamon,

Thank you for your insight.
This is why I thought a short group tour in Turkey (8 days) may satisfy some of that ambitious enthusiasm.
I can reel it back and not do Skopelos and Skiathos but focus on Thessaloniki (where I was born and lived as an adult for almost 4 years). This is more a nostalgic experience - flow into my memories and create new ones to capture in my heart.

The Turkey part is a little trickier for me - the not negotiables are
*Istanbul (Constantinople)
*Hammam experience in Turkey (some similarity, I think, to a Japanese bathhouse/Onsens)
*Ikaria and Kos
*Capadoccia
*Ephesus

Yes spreadsheets don't ignite any excitement but I get it lol

If you are ok dropping the islands, then a potential route would be:

Saloniki - Istanbul - Aegean Turkiye - Cappadocia - Antalya. You could do about five days in each region, and have a travel day in between. I would fly for most of these, but there are comfortable long distance busses too.

Saloniki - A few days for the city, a few day trips. I also enjoyed my time here
Istanbul - The biggest choice will be which neighborhood to stay in.
Aegean - You will fly or bus into Izmir; you can stay there or in nearby Kusadasi or Selcuk. Selcuk was the best choice 20 years ago; I haven't been back since then. For all the major sites: go in the morning or late afternoon.
Cappadocia - Lots of things to see and do here
Antalya - You can swim here. You won't have time to visit those other smaller towns without rushing or dropping things. It's a huge resort area, with a lot of international flights. It might be the most convenient exit point.

If you want more time in Greece, you'll need to miss either the Aegean or Cappadocia. I don't have any insights into island hopping to Turkiye. I've only been to Mykonos, and that was more of a party trip, and Samos briefly, after the party, en route to Turkiye.

I'm not sure what has happened but the individual responses I typed to kja and dreamon are not showing up. I can only image that they are floating somewhere in cyberspace!

I'll wait awhile and see if they surface before I retype them again

I sincerely appreciate the input and guidance.

Some ideas:
Flights to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines aer often easier and cheaper than flights to Athens.
The catamarans from Thessaloniki to Alonissos - Skopelos - Skiathos will most probably not yet run in late May/early June.
Skiathos can be reached by plane from Athens, by bus and ferry from Athens via Mandoudi or by ferry from Volos.
Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodos are close to the Turkish mainland and linked once daly to it. The fares for these short "international" journeys are often as high as those for the much longer ferry ride from Piraeus, however,
In late May, it's easier to reach Ikaria from Piraeus (via Mykonos) or from Karlovasi (Samos) than from any other port..
Cappadocia is far away from all the other places you plan to visit.. If you don't want to waste too much time, you will have to fly from Istanbul to Nevsehi or from Izmir to Kayseri and back from Kayseri to Antalya (Pegasus and SunExpress have direct flights).
You could then enjoy one of the beaches between Antalya and Makri (Fethiye inTurkish), the only coastal strip where the seawater will be warm enough for summer like beach holidays..
IMO, the Antalya area is from a archeological point of view at least as interesting as the Pamukkale/Efes/Didimae/Priene area. From Antalya you can visit the ancient cities of Perge, Aspendos, Termessos, Phaselis and Side. The 2 latter have both sandy beaches.

Possible itinerary:
Fly into Istanbul (visit Aya Sophia, Chora church, Aya Irini church, Phanar, Roman cistern, Hyppodrom, Archeological Museum, Topkapi Serail, Blue Mosque, Rustem Pascha Mosque, Beyazuit Mosque, Suleiman Mosque, Sinan Pascha Mosque, Bazar, Galata tower or whatever you like.....), fly to Izmir airport, proceed to Selcuk/Efes/Priene/Didim and back to the airport, fly to Kayseri, visit Cappadocia and fly to Antalya.
Then you may either visit the archeological sites and the beaches around Antalya, go on by direct bus to Fehtyie (Makri), enjoy the beaches of Fethiye and Oludeniz, proceed by catamaaran to Rhodos and by catamaran or slow ferry to Kos,
or you skip Fehthiye, go by bus from Antalyay to Demre (Myra in Greek), stay at the sandy beach of Andriake Beach Club Hotel, go by taxi (or bus) to Kas (Antiphellos in Greek), sleep there and take the morning ferry to Kastellorizo Island and from there the Bluestar ferry to Kos (twice weekly).
The catamaran from Kos to Samos (Pythagorio) runs ab lout 4times weekly.
There is furthermore a slow ferry from Kalymnos to Kos (about 3times weekly).
The catamarans between Kos (Mastichari) and Kalymnos are frequent.
Bluestarferries from Samos to Ikaria run more or less daily.
There is furthermore a catamarn from Pythagorio (Samos Island) to Agios Kyrikos (Ikaria Island) every Friday and Sunday.
The boats Ikaria Island (Ayos Kyrikos o Evdilos) - Piraeus are daily.
SkyExpress and Olympic airways have direct flights from Samos to Thessaloniki (about 3times weekly). If you opt for this solution, you could take the Friday and Sunday Kos - Agios Kyrikos (Ikaria) catamaran, visit Ikaria, proceed by slow ferry to Samos, visit Samos and fly to Thessaloniki.
If you want to visit Pamukkale (Hierapolis), it might be easier to go from there (Denizli otogar) by direct bus to Antalya

Having a car might simplify your options for visiting parts of Turkey. You don’t necessarily have to return the car to the same city in which you rented it, though you would likely face a drop-off fee if it’s not. IME, how big that fee is varies. Neckervd has given you information about the options for public transportation so you can get an idea of what might work for you.

From my quick scan, it seems that May / June temperatures are higher and muggier in Thessaloniki than Goreme. Again, if it matters to you, weatherspark is a great resource. And of course, no guarantees on weather!

I can’t imagine travelling in this day and age without advance hotel reservations, particularly if cost is a concern. You risk having to pay a lot, stay at a dive, or get back on a bus (or get in your car) to go elsewhere. Booking.com should have a lot of options that can be cancelled a day or two before your planned stay. Your call.

Sorry, no insights on specific sites for researching hot air balloon companies. I did a lot of on-line research and then exchanged a number of emails with my hotel.

BTW: a hammam is, IME, nothing like a Japanese onsen … except that both are wonderful.

I've only done one tour with them but I've a few friends who have done tours with Intrepid Travel and reports are always good. Check out their Turkey tours if that's of interest. It will undoubtedly cost more than doing it independently but could save you time and you don't have to organise stuff yourself. If nothing else, you can get some tips of possible itineraries and routes.

For Greek ferries I look at ferryhopper or openseas.gr (look at last year if timetables haven't been published yet). We have not often booked ferries in advance but if we do, it's either with a shop front agency near the port or directly with the applicable ferry company. If not familiar with it, rome2rio.com will give you links to transport providers and is a good starting point to working out who goes where. It covers lots of places but obviously not everywhere.

Last time we flew to Athens from Australia we travelled with Scoot (Singapore Air's budget child). As long as you accept that everything costs extra, we found it to be fine (although the food wasn't great in our opinion). We would fly with them again. There are lots of online reviews for each airline.

Openseas: at the moment, there seems to be surfer problem. Try gtp.gr insstead.

Hi Fodor community,

A few months ago, I posted my travel ideas to Turkey and Greece, and I thank those of you who offered great insights.

I am landing in Istanbul first with a few nights there upon arrival and then a few nights before I depart, a flight to Kayseri and the Hot Air Balloon event are booked.
I had a plan a and plan b itinerary in mind from Cappadocia but have revisited that idea to include a short gulet boat tour (4 days/3 nights) along the Turquoise coast. The start time is flexible. I can add it to the last leg of my trip and return to Istanbul (from Fethiye for example) or for it to commence after Cappadocia; I will have about 6 nights before I embark on the gulet.
I can use these days to go to Kos? Somewhere in this map, I will need to go to Thessaloniki.

Cappadocia to the south coast of Turkey is where my uncertainty sits - fly to Izmir or fly to Antalya?? As you can see, I'm aiming for a direct flight. If I fly to Dalaman or any other airport it goes via Istanbul.

My itinerary still includes, Kos, Samos, Ikaria and Thessaloniki. The order remains unknown and the travel agent's advice was go with the cheapest flight options (?)
All ideas very welcomed.

Im gave you a lot of info on March 7th.
As long as you are not more precise, I cannot tell more.

neckervd - yes you did and I am grateful to you.
You suggested in the possible itinerary - I fly to Istanbul. When I compared prices from Australia and the airline of choice, I booked to fly into Istanbul. I skipped going to Izmir first and have a booked flight to Kayseri for my 2 nights in Cappadocia. Then it was to fly to Antalya, I have also been looking at Dalamn or Bodrum.
This is where I am stuck and am seeking some guidance. Google has said...
Popular airlines with direct flights from Cappadocia

• İstanbul. Direct flights every day. 1 hr 25 min +
• Antalya. Direct flights every Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. 1 hr 20 min +
• Northern Cyprus. Direct flights every Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun. ...
• Düsseldorf. Direct flights every Tue, Wed, Sun.
• İzmir. Direct flights every Tue, Wed, Sat.

I've checked direct flights to Antalya and Izmir (Dalaman, Marmaris and Bodrum) and they all appear to go back to Istanbul irrespective of the flight cost, and from there book a direct flight to the south coast. If someone can help me understand what I am not getting right, I will need to fly back to Istanbul from Kayseri or Nevsehir and fly back out of Istanbul.

1. Istanbul 2 nights (Sirkeci/Fatih) depart 27th
2. Fly to Kayseri/Cappadocia - 2 nights
3. Depart 29th May to either Antalya/Izmir/Dalaman/Marmaris/Bodrum

I still wish to go to Efesus, the 3 Greek islands I mentioned, spend some time in Thessaloniki and make my way back to Istanbul as I fly back home 23rd June. That is why I was considering the gulet M to F for the 18th. The trip finishes Fethiye 21st and fly to Istanbul for the last few nights.
The dates and times on the islands and Thessaloniki are flexible, I will catching up with friends on each of those destinations.

What has changed is that I want to experience a gulet boat tour along the turquoise coast. 4 days/3 nights short trip from either Marmaris to Fethiye or Fethiye to Marmaris.
The option that will work for me are Fethiye to Marmaris - 4.6.2025. Marmaris to Fethiye - 4.6.2025 OR 11.6.2025 OR 18.6.2025.

Hope this paints a clearer picture.

Thank you.

CAPPADOCIA - ANTALIA, THURSDAY MAY 29th

Kayseri dp 9.55 - Antalya ar 11.15, flight Sunexpress 7033, 120 USD/pax with 1 hand luggage and 1 checked in luggage (the Saturday flight would cost half that price)
https://www.sunexpress.com/en-GB/boo...0&currency=USD

Goreme bus station dp 10.00 - Urgup bus station dp 10.30 - Antalya bus station ar 17.30, 26 USD/pax (Mewtrobus)
Goreme bus station dp 12.10 - Antalya bus station ar 20.40 22 USD/pax (Flixbus/kamil Koc)
https://www.obilet.com/en/journeys/566-357/2025-05-29
https://www.flixbus.com/,

ANTALYA - FETHYIE
Buses abaourt every 30 min, 3 1/2 hrs trip
https://www.obilet.com/en/journeys/357-544/2025-06-02

FETHYIE - MARMARIS OR BODRUM
Aydin bound bus and/or minibus. Some bus changes.

FETHYIE - RHODOS
Daily catamaran fFethyie dp 8.25 - Rhodos ar 10.15

MARMARIS - RHODOS
Daily catamarans Marmaris dp 8.45 and 17.15. 1 hr trip

BODRUM - KOS
Daily catamarans at 8.15, 9.00, 9.30, 10.30, 11.30, 16.00, 17.00. 30 min trip

BODRUM - MYKONOS
Bodrum dp 8.30 - Tourlos ar 11.00 every Monday, Thursday and Saturday from June 6th

RHODOS - KOS
Daily catamaran at 8.00; 2-3 hrs journey
https://www.12ne.gr/en/itineraries
almost daily slow ferry dp 16.00 or 17.00
https://www.bluestarferries.com/en

KOS - IKARIA Ayos Kyrikos
catamaran Kos dp 12.50 - Ikaria ar 16.05 every Sunday and Friday
https://www.12ne.gr/en/itineraries

KOS - SAMOS Pythagorio
catamaran Kos dp Sunday 12.50, Thursday 14.00, Friday 12.50, Saturday 12.00

MYKONOS - IKARIA Evdilos
Tourlos dp 12.15 every Thursday (rather tight connection)

SLOW FERRIES IKARIA - SAMOS
Monday:Evdilos dp 14.45 - Karlovasi ar 15.55; Ayos Kyrikos dp 21.30' - Vathy ar 23.45
Tuesday: Ayos Kyrikos dp 14.35 - Karlovasi ar 16.15
Wednesday: Evdilos dp 14.25 - Karlovasi ar 15.35 - Vathy ar 16.40
Thursday: Evdilos dp 14.45 - Karlovasi ar 15.55
Friday: Evdilos dp 14.45 - Karlovasi ar 15.55. catamaran Ayos Kyyrikos dp 16.10 - Pythogorio ar 17.45
Saturday: Ayos Kyrikos dp 14.35 - Karlovasi ar 16.15
Sunday: Evdilos dp 14.45 - Karlovasi ar 15.55. catamaran Ayos Kyyrikos dp 16.10 - Pythogorio ar 17.45

SAMOS - KUSADASI (Efesos)
Departures from Samos Vathy, Samos Pythagorio and Kusadasi daily around 8.30am and 6pm
https://www.tilostravel.com/en/kusad...-ferry-tickets

FERRY SAMOS - KAVALA (with connecting bus to Thessaloniki):
Vathy dp every Tuesday and Karlovasi do every Wednesday around midnight to Kavala ar 16.20 resp 17.35

SAMOS - THESSALONIKI
Slow ferry Vathy dp Sunday13.30 - Thessaloniki ar Monday 10.05, from June 7th