Turkey: city lights & open skies

What you can do

• Walk Sultanahmet in one morning: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern
• Cross to the Asian side by public ferry, which is the cheapest Bosphorus cruise you will find
• Take a sunrise balloon flight over Cappadocia, and keep a spare morning in case of wind
• Walk the open air valleys of Goreme and visit an underground city such as Kaymakli

Food to try

Breakfast is the national event: cheeses, olives, eggs, jams and endless tea. Beyond kebabs, try pide, manti dumplings, lahmacun, fresh fish by the Bosphorus and pistachio baklava from Gaziantep.

Culture & customs

Turkish hospitality is direct and generous, and tea is offered everywhere including shops. Cover shoulders and knees at mosques, women carry a scarf for the head, and shoes come off at the door.