10 Days 9 Nights Counterclockwise Special Forces Self-Driving Tour Guide in Turkey

Before going, I only planned the driving route, roughly Istanbul - Izmir - Fethiye - Kas Town - Cappadocia - Istanbul. After arriving, I found that buying a museum pass was more cost-effective, so it turned into a route to make the pass worthwhile. D1: Arrive at Istanbul Airport in the morning, stay near Taksim Square, find a car rental shop nearby, Sixt next to the Hilton Hotel (pick up the car early the next day). During the day, city walk in the old town. In the evening, take a Bosphorus Strait sunset cruise. D2: Istanbul - Izmir - Cesme Town - Selçuk. The most tiring day. First head to Izmir to check in at the iconic Konak Clock Tower. Since there was no parking, went to Cesme instead. In the evening, visited Cesme Castle, which offers a view of Greece across the sea. The castle closes promptly at 5 pm, so missed it. Walked around the town and seaside, very few people. Originally planned to stay in Cesme or Izmir that night, but considering the next day’s big attractions Ephesus and Pamukkale, went straight to Selçuk near Ephesus that night. Suggestion: Skip Izmir (difficult parking, expensive parking fees, traffic jams) and Cesme Town (too far, out of the way, one hour one way, similar scenery, Greek style), and go directly to Selçuk to stay to avoid exhaustion. Day 3: Selçuk - Ephesus - Pamukkale - Denizli. In the morning, bought a museum pass at the Ephesus ruins, toured the ruins, had lunch at the Ephesus Museum, and skipped the St. John’s Basilica on the hill. In the afternoon, went to Pamukkale on the mountain. It rained and was very cold, and the scenic area is very large, so didn’t explore much. Stayed in the city of Denizli at the foot of the mountain that night. Day 4: Denizli - Fethiye - D400 Thrilling Night Road - Near Kas Town. Departed in the morning for Fethiye, went straight to Oludeniz Beach to book paragliding for the day. Arrived at 1 pm and booked a 4 pm paragliding session for 90 euros per person at the first shop at the beach entrance. Must keep an empty stomach before paragliding. At 4 pm, took a car with the instructor to the mountaintop over 1700 meters high to prepare for takeoff. The mountain road was fast and dizzying even before flying; after flying, even more dizzy. After resting, set off in the evening along D400 to Kas Town. The night road was really hard to drive, especially the counterclockwise D400, the most beautiful road, with almost no streetlights. The road was dark, the mountain was dark, and the sea by the cliff was even darker. Stopped at a small town 20 km from Kas to eat and stay overnight, planning to visit Kas the next day. First saw a lively place full of people singing and dancing, intending to experience the local atmosphere, but it was a wedding. Then used Google Maps to find a flatbread restaurant. The accommodation was a guesthouse recommended by the restaurant waiter. Day 5: Kas - Myra Ancient City - Aspendos Ancient Theater - Side Ancient City - Manavgat. The weather was great. First, circled the island next to Kas Town, then strolled around the town. Parking was inconvenient, took a few photos and left. If you have been to Greece, you can skip Kas. At noon, visited Myra Ancient City, a representative of Lycian civilization. Nearby is St. Nicholas Church with exquisite murals, the home of Santa Claus, worth seeing. In the afternoon, visited Aspendos Ancient Theater (the best-preserved ancient theater with a capacity of 15,000). Sometimes there are performances in the evening. Before dusk, went to Side Ancient City to see the Apollo Temple ruins. The Side scenic area is much larger than expected and crowded. Stayed overnight in Manavgat city. Day 6: Manavgat - Konya - Cappadocia. In the morning, sped along mountain roads, feeling like racing in a game. Arrived in Konya at noon, visited the Mevlana Museum (Rumi’s tomb), then started the wasteland tour of Cappadocia. Arrived in Cappadocia in the evening and went straight to the Goreme Open-Air Museum (Dark Church) to check in. Walked around Goreme town at night, ate local specialty pot beef, and stayed in a cave hotel in Uchisar town. Day 7: Goreme. Drove at 5 am to Love Valley to watch hot air balloons and see the sunrise, then went back to catch up on sleep. After breakfast, started the museum pass tour: Derinkuyu Underground City, Kaymakli Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery (worth seeing). The underground cities are tiring; one is enough. Day 8: Cappadocia - Ankara - Istanbul. Another day of rushing. Arrived in the capital Ankara at noon, visited Ataturk Mausoleum and Anatolian Civilizations Museum. Arrived in Istanbul in the evening, driving a total of 7 to 8 hours. Day 9: Istanbul city walk. Returned the car in the morning, having driven a total of 3,080 km. Visited Galata Tower, and in the afternoon visited the most expensive ticketed Topkapi Palace, ending the museum tour, which was worth the price. In the evening, watched the Whirling Dervishes, shopped, and had a Turkish Ocakbasi barbecue dinner. Day 10: Return trip.