RoutesEurope
Four Weeks in Turkey and Georgia
Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Lycian coast, then east to the Caucasus.
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Dotted path is schematic (great-circle-ish arcs between stops), not a transport route.
Stop by stop
Click a stop (or its pin on the map) for costs, country facts and what to do there.
1Istanbul Türkiye (Turkey)Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, the Grand Bazaar and a Bosphorus ferry.4 nights
$468 mid
Photo: Julian Nyča · CC BY-SA 4.0Two continents, sixteen million people and a Bosphorus ferry for the price of a simit.
Istanbul has been a capital of empires for 1,600 years and still behaves like the centre of the world: the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar's covered kilometres, Beyoglu's nineteenth-century avenues, Kadikoy's Asian-side food streets, and the Bosphorus running through all of it with…
- Daily budget
- $49–$248 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $468 4 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Internet
- 100 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Sultanahmet's core; go at opening, dress modestly.
- Bosphorus ferry to Anadolu Kavagi The full-length public ferry is the best day out for a few lira.
- Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar Then the quieter hans behind them.
- Kadikoy and Moda Food market, street art, the Moda seafront at sunset.
Türkiye (Turkey): practical facts
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY) · 50.04 TRY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Turkish; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Treated but most residents drink bottled
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- not available
Full destination guide →Türkiye (Turkey) country guide →Visa rules →
flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir and shuttle, or overnight bus · about 4.0 hours
2Goreme (Cappadocia) Türkiye (Turkey)Fairy chimneys, the Open-Air Museum and valley walks.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Goreme (Cappadocia) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Istanbul (about 560 km).
Türkiye (Turkey): practical facts
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY) · 50.04 TRY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Turkish; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Treated but most residents drink bottled
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- not available
overnight bus · about 10.0 hours
3Pamukkale Türkiye (Turkey)Travertine terraces and the ruins of Hierapolis.1 night
We do not hold a full destination profile for Pamukkale yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Istanbul (about 340 km).
Türkiye (Turkey): practical facts
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY) · 50.04 TRY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Turkish; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Treated but most residents drink bottled
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- not available
bus via Denizli · about 4.0 hours
4Fethiye Türkiye (Turkey)Oludeniz, Kayakoy, a boat day and sections of the Lycian Way.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Fethiye yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Istanbul (about 490 km).
Türkiye (Turkey): practical facts
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY) · 50.04 TRY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Turkish; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Treated but most residents drink bottled
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- not available
flight from Dalaman via Istanbul · about 7.0 hours
5Trabzon Türkiye (Turkey)Sumela Monastery in the Pontic mountains.2 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Trabzon yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Tbilisi (about 430 km).
Türkiye (Turkey): practical facts
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY) · 50.04 TRY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Turkish; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Treated but most residents drink bottled
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- not available
bus via the Sarpi border · about 4.0 hours
6Batumi GeorgiaThe seafront boulevard and the botanical garden.2 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Batumi yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Tbilisi (about 270 km).
Georgia: practical facts
- Currency
- Georgian lari (GEL) · 2.59 GEL/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Georgian; Russian widely understood; English among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink in Tbilisi
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
train or marshrutka · about 2.5 hours
7Kutaisi GeorgiaGelati Monastery, Prometheus Cave and nearby canyons.2 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Kutaisi yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Tbilisi (about 190 km).
Georgia: practical facts
- Currency
- Georgian lari (GEL) · 2.59 GEL/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Georgian; Russian widely understood; English among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink in Tbilisi
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
marshrutka or train · about 4.5 hours
8Tbilisi GeorgiaSulphur baths, Narikala fortress and the old town.4 nights
$356 mid
Photo: lumoplank · CC0Sulphur baths, 8,000 vintages, carved balconies and a one-year visa-free welcome.
Tbilisi sits in a gorge of the Mtkvari river between a fortress and a mountain, its old town a tumble of crumbling wooden balconies, Persian-style bathhouses and courtyard life, its newer districts a mix of Soviet blocks, art nouveau mansions and glass bridges. The welcome is a year's visa-free stay for most Western…
- Daily budget
- $38–$189 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $356 4 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Internet
- 100 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Old town and the sulphur baths Abanotubani's domed baths; book a private room with a scrub.
- Narikala fortress and the cable car Up from Rike park for sunset over the gorge.
- Dry Bridge market Soviet memorabilia, carpets and cameras every day.
- Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) The Gergeti Trinity church under the 5,000 m peak; a day or three.
Georgia: practical facts
- Currency
- Georgian lari (GEL) · 2.59 GEL/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Georgian; Russian widely understood; English among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink in Tbilisi
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
marshrutka along the Georgian Military Highway · about 3.0 hours
9Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) GeorgiaWalk up to Gergeti Trinity Church and views of Mount Kazbek.2 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Tbilisi (about 110 km).
Georgia: practical facts
- Currency
- Georgian lari (GEL) · 2.59 GEL/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Georgian; Russian widely understood; English among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink in Tbilisi
- Emergency
- 112
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Istanbul and Cappadocia
Istanbul gives four days to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, plus a ferry along the Bosphorus and an evening on the Asian side in Kadikoy. A short flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir, or an overnight bus, reaches Cappadocia. Goreme is the usual base, surrounded by fairy-chimney rock formations, cave churches in the Goreme Open-Air Museum and valleys such as Rose and Love valleys that are walkable from town. Hot-air balloon flights at dawn are the area's best-known activity and depend on weather.
Pamukkale and the Lycian coast
An overnight bus heads west to Pamukkale, where white travertine terraces sit below the ruins of Hierapolis. From there the route drops to Fethiye on the Mediterranean, a base for the lagoon at Oludeniz, boat trips around the twelve islands, the abandoned village of Kayakoy and day sections of the Lycian Way, a long-distance trail along the coast.
The Black Sea and Georgia
A domestic flight, usually via Istanbul, lands in Trabzon, from where the Sumela Monastery clings to a cliff in the Pontic mountains. Buses run east along the coast to the Sarpi border and into Batumi, Georgia's seaside city of boulevards and modern architecture. A short train or marshrutka reaches Kutaisi, close to the Gelati Monastery, the Prometheus Cave and the Okatse and Martvili canyons. Tbilisi follows, with its sulphur baths, Narikala fortress and old town balconies, and a growing community of remote workers. The final stop is Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) on the Georgian Military Highway, where a walk leads up to the Gergeti Trinity Church below Mount Kazbek.
Practical notes
Visas: Turkey admits many Western passports visa-free or with an e-visa, depending on nationality, and Georgia allows long visa-free stays for many nationalities; check the official Turkish e-visa site and the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Transport: Turkey's intercity coach network is extensive and comfortable, with overnight services between the main stops; Fethiye to Trabzon is easiest by flying from Dalaman via Istanbul; Georgia uses marshrutkas (shared minibuses) and a slower rail network. Weather: May, June, September and October suit the whole route; July and August are hot on the Turkish coast and inland, and the Kazbegi road can close in winter. Budget: the mid figure assumes private rooms in guesthouses and small hotels, one balloon flight in Cappadocia, a boat day from Fethiye and mostly local restaurants. Safety: both countries are well travelled; some governments advise against travel to Turkey's border areas with Syria and to Georgia's breakaway regions, which this route does not enter; check your government's current advice.