Turkey is one of the world’s great road-trip countries, and the best road trips in Turkey pack in an extraordinary variety: historical sites and cultural landmarks, natural wonders and scenic landscapes, all within a single trip. Whether you want to explore the ancient ruins of Ephesus, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean or the vibrant cities of Istanbul and Ankara, driving is the best way to discover its beauty and diversity at your own pace.
With a car hire in Turkey, you have the freedom and flexibility to build your own itinerary, stop where you like, and reach the viewpoints and villages the tour buses never see. You can choose from compact and economy cars through to estates, SUVs and luxury models, and filter by price, location, dates, transmission and more to find the right fit for your trip.
But where should you actually go? In this guide we share the best road trips in Turkey, our top 10 most scenic routes in Turkey, from world-famous coastal highways to wild eastern landscapes most visitors never reach, with tips on what to see along the way. A quick word on the practicalities first, then the routes.
Driving in Turkey: the Essentials
Turkey drives on the right. The motorways (otoyol) and many bridges use an automatic electronic toll system called HGS, so make sure your hire car carries an HGS tag, almost all do, and the tolls are billed through the rental, sometimes after you return the car.
Fuel stations are plentiful on the main highways but can be sparse in the remote east and the mountains, so fill up before long empty stretches. Distances are large and the scenery invites stops, so plan generous drive times rather than rushing, the best road trips in Turkey are savoured, not hurried. For official guidance, check the UK government travel advice for Turkey and the RAC guide to driving in Turkey before you travel.
Table of Contents
1. The Aegean Coastline
The Aegean coast is one of the most beautiful shorelines in Europe and, for many, the perfect introduction to the best road trips in Turkey. It runs for roughly 800 km along the western edge of Anatolia, broadly from Izmir down towards the southwest, and ranks high on any list of the best road trips in Turkey, threading together clear blue bays, white-sand beaches, charming fishing towns, olive groves and vineyards, and some of the finest ancient ruins anywhere, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus among them.
Highlights along the way:
- Bodrum: A lively resort town with a whitewashed old quarter, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world), the crusader-era Bodrum Castle and its Museum of Underwater Archaeology, and a buzzing marina.
- Kuşadası: A seaside base for the Dilek Peninsula National Park, Ladies Beach and, just inland, the magnificent Ephesus archaeological site and the House of the Virgin Mary.
- The Çeşme and Datça peninsulas: Quieter, scenic headlands of pine, cove and windswept beauty, the Datça road in particular is a favourite among Turkish drivers.
2. The Lycian Coast
South and east of Fethiye, the Lycian coast, another of the best road trips in Turkey, offers a different character again: pine-clad mountains tumbling to hidden coves, ancient rock-cut tombs above the road, and turquoise water at almost every turn. It is named for the ancient Lycian civilization whose ruins, and the famous long-distance Lycian Way walking trail, follow this stretch of shore.
Highlights along the way:
- Ölüdeniz: Turkey’s most photographed beach, a sheltered turquoise lagoon backed by green hills, and a world-class spot for tandem paragliding off Babadağ.
- Kaş: A laid-back, bohemian harbour town with a Roman amphitheatre, Lycian rock tombs in the cliffs, the gorgeous Kaputaş Beach nearby, and boat trips to the sunken city of Kekova.
- Olympos and Çıralı: Beachside ruins in a pine-forested national park, plus the Chimaera, where natural gas seeps from the mountainside and burns in eternal flames after dark.
3. The Black Sea Coastline
For a completely different side of the country, and one of the most underrated scenic drives in Turkey, follow the Black Sea coast eastward from around Istanbul. This is a green, misty, mountainous world of tea plantations and hazelnut orchards, wooden Ottoman houses and timber-built mosques, often considered one of the best road trips in Turkey and refreshingly free of mass tourism.
Highlights along the way:
Istanbul: The natural starting point, and the only city in the world straddling two continents. Walk between the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, then cross the Bosphorus, the famous Bosphorus Bridge links Europe and Asia, before heading east along the coast.
Sinop: A pretty harbour town on the northernmost point of Anatolia, with a medieval castle, the old Alaaddin Mosque and a relaxed, fishing-port feel.
Amasya: One of Turkey’s most picturesque towns, set in a river gorge beneath limestone cliffs studded with the rock-cut tombs of Pontic kings, lined with restored Ottoman mansions. Inland a little, but well worth the detour.
Trabzon: The lively hub of the eastern Black Sea, and the gateway to the spectacular Sumela Monastery, carved into a sheer cliff face high in the forested mountains above the city.
4. Cappadocia and the Valleys
Cappadocia is a region, not a single town, and that is exactly why it rewards a hire car. Its otherworldly landscape of fairy chimneys, rose-tinted valleys and rock-cut churches is spread across a wide area, and having your own car lets you chase the best light, reach the quieter valleys, and watch the dawn balloons from a hilltop of your choosing rather than a coach park.
Base yourself in Göreme, then drive the loop of highlights: the Göreme Open-Air Museum and its frescoed cave churches, Uçhisar Castle for the view, Love Valley and Pigeon Valley, the pottery town of Avanos, and the vast underground cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. Roads are good and distances short, making it one of the most relaxed yet jaw-dropping of the best road trips in Turkey.
5. The Turquoise Coast and the D400
The coastal highway between Antalya and Fethiye, much of it the D400, is regularly ranked among the most beautiful drives in the world and tops many lists of scenic routes in Turkey. It hugs the Mediterranean with the sea on one side and the Taurus Mountains on the other, the water shifting through every shade of jade and sapphire as you go. Take it slowly: this is a road for stopping often.
Along the way you can swim at Kaputaş Beach, visit the seaside ruins of Phaselis, take a boat over the sunken city of Kekova, and call in at Demre, the home of the original Saint Nicholas. There is a faster inland short-cut behind the mountains, but the coast road is the whole point, allow two or three days to enjoy it properly.
6. The Taurus Mountains Crossing
One of Turkey’s most dramatic drives climbs from the Mediterranean coast up and over the Taurus Mountains towards the Anatolian plateau, for example the route inland from Adana and Tarsus towards Cappadocia. In the space of a few hours you pass from the warm, palm-lined coast through pine forest and gorges to the high, dry interior, a complete change of climate and scenery, threading a chain of modern tunnels and bridges through genuinely mountainous terrain.
It is a practical route as much as one of the best road trips in Turkey, linking the southern coast with central Turkey, and the views as you ascend are phenomenal. Around Adana, do not miss the local Adana kebab, and the neighbouring cities of Gaziantep and Hatay are famous for some of the finest food in the country.
7. Konya to the Lake District
Between the central city of Konya and the western coast lies Turkey’s little-known Lake District, a string of large, mountain-ringed lakes that makes a beautiful and uncrowded alternative to the motorway. Rather than taking the fast road from Konya towards Pamukkale, drop south and drive among the lakes stuck between the tall Anatolian mountains.
The highlight is Eğirdir, a town on a slender peninsula reaching into a vivid blue lake, with Beyşehir and its lakeside Seljuk mosque nearby. Konya itself, the home of the whirling dervishes and the Mevlana shrine, is well worth a day before you set off. This is gentle, get-off-the-beaten-track driving, and one of the most underrated of the best road trips in Turkey.
8. The Southeast and Mount Nemrut
Deep in the southeast, Mount Nemrut anchors one of the best road trips in Turkey, and is absolutely worth the drive to reach it. At over 2,100 m, the summit is crowned by the colossal stone heads of gods and the burial mound of King Antiochus I of Commagene, perfectly placed to face the sunrise and sunset. You can drive almost to the top between roughly April and October, when the road is clear of snow, then walk the final stretch on foot.
The wider region rewards the journey too: the ancient Cendere Bridge and Karakuş tumulus nearby, the remarkable Göbeklitepe (the world’s oldest known temple) near Şanlıurfa, and the golden-stone hill town of Mardin overlooking the Mesopotamian plain. Distances are long out here, so plan fuel stops and aim for Nemrut’s summit at dawn or dusk.
9. Eastern Anatolia: Kars, Ani and Lake Van
For the most adventurous of all the best road trips in Turkey, the far east offers vast, empty highways, snow-capped peaks and a profound sense of history. A classic circular route runs through Kars, the haunting ruined Armenian city of Ani on the border, and down to Lake Van, Turkey’s largest lake, ringed by mountains. Allow at least a week, as the distances between stops are large and some of the joy is in the empty road itself.
The rewards are exceptional: Akdamar Island on Lake Van, with its tenth-century Armenian church; the fairytale İshak Paşa Palace near Doğubayazıt, in the shadow of Mount Ararat; and the Muradiye Waterfall to the north. This is wild, remote country, so travel in the warmer months, keep the tank topped up, and check current advice before you go.
10. Pamukkale and the Western Lakes
Inland from the Aegean, Pamukkale rounds off the best road trips in Turkey with its dazzling white travertine terraces, cascading pools of mineral-rich water that are one of Turkey’s signature sights, with the ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis right above them. It makes a natural and very driveable link between the western coast and the interior, and pairs beautifully with the surrounding countryside.
On the way, the well-preserved ancient city of Aphrodisias is quieter than Ephesus but every bit as rewarding, and the roads from Izmir inland pass through olive groves, vineyards and the wine country around Şirince. It is an easy, scenic drive that ties together some of western Turkey’s greatest hits without the coastal crowds, a fitting finale to the best road trips in Turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions: Driving in Turkey
Is it safe and easy to drive in Turkey?
Yes. Turkey drives on the right, the main roads and motorways are modern and well maintained, and a hire car is the best way to enjoy the best road trips in Turkey at your own pace. Take care in busy cities like Istanbul, watch your speed where cameras are common, and check the latest official travel advice before you go.
How do motorway tolls work with a hire car in Turkey?
Turkey’s motorways and many bridges use an automatic electronic toll system called HGS. Almost all hire cars come with an HGS tag fitted, so you simply drive through and the tolls are billed through your rental, sometimes after you return the car. Check with your supplier how they handle toll charges when you collect the vehicle.
When is the best time for a Turkey road trip?
Late spring (April to June) and early autumn (September to October) are ideal, with warm weather and fewer crowds. High mountain routes such as Mount Nemrut and the eastern highlands are best from around April to October, when the roads are clear of snow. The coasts are glorious in summer but busy and hot.
What are the best road trips in Turkey?
Among the best road trips in Turkey are the Turquoise Coast and the D400, the Aegean coastline, Cappadocia and its valleys, the Black Sea coast, and the wild eastern circuit through Kars, Ani and Lake Van. A western loop taking in Cappadocia and Pamukkale works well in five to seven days, while a full cross-country journey to the east needs three weeks or more. Plan generous drive times, as the scenery invites frequent stops.
Explore Turkey Your Way
From the turquoise bays of the Mediterranean to the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the wild roads of the east, Turkey is made for driving, and these are some of the best road trips in Turkey you can take, though they barely scratch the surface of what is out there. With your own car you set the pace, follow your curiosity, and reach the places most visitors miss.
When you are ready, getcarhire.com lets you compare cheap car hire in Turkey across more than 20 trusted suppliers in a single search, with free cancellation on most bookings and 24/7 support. Lock in the right car at the right price, and go and explore this remarkable country your way.