Backpacking Turkey On A Budget: Ultimate Guide

Is Turkey a good backpacking destination?

Yes, Turkey is a great backpacking destination with many things to do! 

From stunning landscapes to impressive history and lively nightlife, you can explore on a budget while staying in hostels and meeting other travelers.

Also, Turkey is one of the cheapest summer destinations in Europe, so it makes for a great alternative to popular places like Portugal, Spain, or Croatia. 

PROS:

• Many things to do: Turkey is a beautiful diverse country, with an interesting history, stunning monuments, and a vibrant culture
• Great hostels: Solo backpackers will have a great choice of social and party hostels countrywide
• Affordable: Despite recent price increases, Turkey is still one of the cheaper European countries to visit

CONS:

• No backpacking route: Turkey is only now gaining popularity as a backpacking destination, so there is no common backpacking route all backpackers take
• Seasonal: The Turkish Riviera is the summer hotspot and it can feel very touristy
• Hard to get around: Turkey is huge and public transport information is hard to get by so many people rent cars to avoid the hassle
• Language: You can get by with English in most places, but you might still run into areas where nobody speaks any language apart from Turkish

Turkey Backpackers Bucket List

If you’re wondering what to do in Turkey as a backpacker, you’re in for a treat because there are so many cool things to do in Turkey!

Explore the historic sites of Istanbul

Backpacking Istanbul is the best introduction to Turkey.

From impressive mosques to palaces and bazaars, you could easily spend more than 3 days in Istanbul and still have things to do. 

You’ll have to pay an entrance fee for Aga Sofia Mosque and Topkapi Palace, but Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, and many other attractions are completely free to visit. 

Take a ferry across Bosphorus

Skip the overpriced Bosphorus cruises and take a 1€ ferry from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul.

You’ll get a fantastic view of the old town as you sail across the strait, and it is especially stunning for sunset.

Eat baklava and drink Turkish tea

Baklava is one of my favorite desserts and Turkey is the perfect place to enjoy so many different types of baklava!

Turkish tea is basically sweet black tea, and you’ll find it everywhere. I love black tea, so it was my go-to drink in Turkey.

Watch the sunrise and balloons in Capadoccia

Watching hundreds of colorful balloons float in the sky for sunrise in Capadoccia is one of the top European bucket list experiences.

If you want to treat yourself to one big activity in Capadoccia, it should probably be the balloon ride.

However, don’t despair if it is out of the budget. Watching the balloons from the ground is completely free and almost as magical!

🎈Check balloon ride prices in Capadoccia!

Hike a section of Lycian Trail

Lycian Trail is a long-distance hiking trail taking you from Fethiye to Antalya. 

It takes about 30 days to hike the entire route, but you can also hike shorter trail sections on a day hike.

I hiked the section from the ghost town of Kayakoy to Oludeniz, which is considered an intro into the trail, and absolutely loved it!

Admire the ancient city of Ephesus

You’ll find remnants of Turkey’s Roman history throughout the country. Unlike sporadic ruins you can see elsewhere, you can discover an entire city in Ephesus. 

Stay in a treehouse in Olympos

Staying in one of the hippie Olympos treehouses is one of the iconic backpacking Turkey experiences. 

Olympos is a secluded area within a national park, offering a perfect escape from the crowds to immerse yourself in nature.

These treehouses are a great place to meet other travelers as you’ll also have meals there and drinks by the bonfire.

Swim in crystal clear sea along the Turkish Riviera

I’m willing to argue that Turkey has some of the most impressive beaches in Europe, and I’m Croatian so that’s a brave statement to make!

Turkish coastline is nicknamed Turquoise Riviera for a good reason! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a blue sea as in Turkey.

Some of my favorite Turkish beaches were around Kas and Oludeniz.  

Soak in Pamukkale hot springs

The white terraces filled with bright turquoise water in Pamukkale are one of the most unique landscapes in Turkey.

Pamukkale might be overrun with tourists these days, but if you come early  (or outside high season) you can still enjoy this fairytale-like setting. 

Visit the Whirling Dervishes in Konya

Konya might be outside the common Turkey backpacking route, but it is worth a detour to see this unique tradition.

Sail the Turquoise Coast

Sailing in Turkey is a budget-friendly alternative to sailing in Greece or Croatia. Turkey might not be a popular sailing destination yet, but that is bound to change soon.

Turkey’s coast is dotted with picturesque coves and beaches accessible only by sea. Hop on a boat tour in one of the coastal cities and discover these hidden gems!

Try paragliding in Ölüdeniz

Ölüdeniz is one of the best places in the world for paragliding, so it should be on your itinerary if you’re going to the Turkish coast.

Plan to stay in the area for a couple of days to ensure you get to paraglide because they don’t do it if it’s too windy. There was no paragliding for two days I was in Ölüdeniz because of the wind.

🪂 Check out paragliding in Oludeniz!

Experiencing a Turkish Hammam

Turkish Hammam is an indulgent experience, but you can still do it on a budget!

You’ll find hammams everywhere, and the whole experience includes a scrub, bubble wash, massage, and baths.

You’ll feel sparkly clean after a hammam, making it a perfect experience to save for your final days in Turkey.

Backpacking Turkey Itinerary

There are so many fantastic experiences in Turkey, and I’d say you’ll need at least 3 weeks in the country to cover most of them.

Turkey is a large country, and getting from one place to another takes a long time.

Ideally, you’d spend a month in Turkey and visit the less visited regions of east Turkey.

However, I only had about 3 weeks in Turkey, and I know most people will have even less time to explore the country.

With 2 weeks in Turkey, you’ll have to spend less time on the coast or skip Cappadocia.

Here is the ultimate backpacking route to experience the best of Turkey.

DAY 1 Istanbul
DAY 2 Istanbul
DAY 3 Istanbul
DAY 4  Plane to Izmir
DAY 5 Day trip to Ephesus
DAY 6 Pamukkale
DAY 7 Bus to Bodrum
DAY 8 Bodrum 
DAY 9 Bus to Fethiye
DAY 10  Oludeniz
DAY 11 Day trip to Saklient Gorge
DAY 12 Bus to Kas
DAY 13 Kas
DAY 14 Kas
DAY 15 Bus to Olympos
DAY 16 Olympos
DAY 17 Bus to Antalya
DAY 18 Antalya
DAY 19 Plane to Cappadocia
DAY 20 Cappadocia
DAY 21 Plane to Istanbul

Best Hostels In Turkey

An important thing to know about booking accommodation in Turkey is that Booking.com doesn’t work when you’re in the country. 

You can still use the app to see the places you booked, but you can’t book anything while you’re in the country – the app will say there is no availability. 

That means you’ll need to book your accommodation in advance or use a VPN to access the platform while you’re in Turkey. 

If you prefer to be more flexible when backpacking, Hostelworld is my favorite place to book hostels and it works perfectly fine in Turkey!

Still, you’ll want to book your hostels in advance if you’re traveling in high season, as some cities only have one or two available and they fill up quickly.

Some of these hostels have age limits, so make sure you fit the age bracket when booking. 

Here are the best Turkey hostels for backpackers!

Best Istanbul Hostels

• Cheers Hostel – the best hostel in Istanbul, organizes daily events and tours.
• Lola Backpackers Hostel – great budget-friendly backpackers hostel
• Archeo Hostel – hostel with female-only rooms, and comfortable dorms

Best Capadoccia Hostels

• Diadem Cappadocia – unique cave hostel in Goreme
• Hostel Terra Vista  – hostel with a fantastic rooftop terrace view

Best Olympos Hostels

• Bayrams Treehouse – the iconic treehouse hostel
• Kadir’s Treehouses – the second treehouse hostel with private rooms

Best Antalya Hostels

• Be Bold Hostel
• Flaneur Hostel

Best Kas Hostels

• Sole’n Blu Hostel – very social hostel with a pool and fantastic view
• Can Mocamp – hostel with yoga and diving center

Best Time To Visit Turkey

You can visit Turkey year-round and have a fantastic time as most tourist attractions are not weather-dependent. 

Still, different areas of the country have a different high season. 

Summer, in general, is Europe’s high season, including Turkey – especially the Turquoise Riviera.

The most popular time to visit Istanbul is spring and autumn, as it gets really hot in the summer and there are no beaches in the city.

Turkish Riviera is one of the most popular budget summer destinations in Europe and charming Turkish seafront towns get packed in July and August.

If you want to stay on a budget, avoid peak summer months. However, if you’re looking for a beach holiday, it is a great option.

I visited Turkey in May before the high season started, and it was already quite lively and the weather was great for swimming.

June and September are generally my favorite time to visit European beach destinations, as the weather is perfect and crowds are significantly smaller.

Getting Around Turkey

When planning a trip to Turkey you might think you’ll need a car, as there is almost no information on how to get around Turkey without a car. 

But don’t worry!

You don’t need to rent a car, public transport is well developed but most information is still not online. Most tourist destinations are easily accessible by buses, minivans, or planes!

The cheapest way to get to Turkey

The cheapest way to get to Turkey is by flying or taking a ferry from one of the nearby Greek islands. 

Also, you could take a bus from Bulgaria or Greece if you’re following a longer backpacking Europe route.

However, most people will fly to Turkey.

I took a flight from London to Istanbul and back from Antalya. The perk of flying with budget airlines is that you don’t have to get a return ticket from the same place.

✈️  Find the cheapest flights to Turkey here!

How to get around Turkey

You don’t need to rent a car in Turkey. Many locals don’t have a car and public transport works quite well in most of the country!

Buses in Turkey

Buses will be your best friend for long journeys. Taking a bus is the most common way to get around Turkey on a budget.

For long-distance buses, you can browse timetables and book tickets on obilet.com.

However, you may notice that many shorter routes are not available on the website, or they show you an unreasonably long trip.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t take a bus between the destinations. Instead, you’ll probably have to take a regional bus or dolmus.

Regional Buses

Smaller regional buses and dolmuses (Turkish mini buses) are the main modes of transport within one region.

This is the type of bus you’ll need to get from Bodrum to Fethiye or Kas to Olympos. 

These buses work differently than long-distance buses, as you can’t buy tickets in advance and most regions don’t have timetables online.

The ease of getting around depends on how the region manages its dolmuses, and so do the prices!

For example, in the Bodrum region, it is cheaper to pay by card and there are timetables online. 

On the other hand, in the Kas region, you can only pay in cash and you’ll have to go to the bus station to see the timetables!

Trains in Turkey

The railway network in Turkey is not nearly as developed as buses, but you can take a train to several popular destinations including Denizli (Pamukkale), Ankara, and Kayseri (Cappadocia).

Like in most other European countries, trains are usually more expensive than buses. At the same time, they are a more comfortable option.

Domestic flights

Turkey is huge, and places like Capadaccia are far from other tourist attractions.

Luckily, domestic flights in Turkey are quite cheap. 

I took a flight from Istanbul to Bodrum for about 20€ and it included checked-in luggage!

Ferries in Turkey

To reach Turkish or Greek islands from Turkey you can also take ferries. 

Public transport

Finally, larger cities in Turkey have great public transport too.

Getting around Istanbul is a breeze with all the trams, buses, metro, and ferries you can take for less than 1€ per ride.

I also used trams and buses in Antalya, which was much bigger than I expected!

Turkey Backpacking Budget

One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve had about Turkey before visiting was that it is super cheap.

It is not!

The prices in Turkey increased a lot in the past couple of years, and everything is two to three times more expensive than it was then.

On average, most backpackers should budget 40-70€ per day in Turkey, which is close to the average backpacking Europe budget.

• Hostels: 20-40€ per night
• Food: 10-15€ per day
• Drinks: 0-10€ per day
• Transportation: 0-20€ per day
• Activities: 0-50€ per day

I spent about 800€ for 3 weeks in Turkey, and most of that went on food and accommodation. 

I skipped most paid activities to keep my budget low. If you want to experience paragliding or balloon rides it adds up quickly.

Turkey is not one of the most expensive European countries to visit, but it is not the cheapest either. 

Tourist attractions like Hagia Sophia Mosque, Topkapi Palace, or Pamukkale, are quite pricey for an average backpacker’s budget. 

Several years ago you could get a Museum Pass covering 100 museums throughout the country for the price of one attraction today!

Luckily, there are still many free things to do in Istanbul and Turkey.

Food can be as expensive or cheap as you want – simple wraps are cheap but restaurant meals are not. 

I love matcha lattes, and somehow I paid about 5-6€ for each one I got, basically the same price as in France!

On the other hand, simple Turkish tea was usually 1€.

Is Turkey safe for solo female travelers?

I’m going to preface this by saying I only visited touristy areas of Turkey, and I can’t speak about east Turkey or remote areas that I haven’t been to. 

I felt quite safe as a woman in Turkey and didn’t experience any harassment. 

The areas I visited were very welcoming, with people used to tourists and speaking at least basic English. 

I suggest you get an e-SIM before coming to Turkey or buy a local SIM card to stay connected while on the road. It also comes in handy to communicate with locals who don’t speak English. 

You should still be vigilant and remember that Istanbul is notorious for many tourist scams. I even saw the infamous shoe-shining scam happening right in front of me several times! 

Generally, don’t accept anything people on the street offer you for free, don’t pick up any shoe brushes, and make sure that you agree on the price before getting anything. 

Bring a scarf when packing for Turkey if you plan to visit mosques, but I found coastal Turkey very laid back and not conservative when it comes to outfits.