Prepare for your next escape with our curated Türkiye travel guide.
Türkiye – formerly known as Turkey – is a country that’s rich in history and tradition. Whether you’re dreaming of strolling around Istanbul’s magnificent mosques, marveling at the unique architecture of Cappadocia or sampling the local wine of Sirince, you’re in for a treat.
Set on the cross-roads between the East and the West, this vibrant country offers the best of both worlds. Türkiye is a bridge between Europe and Asia, facilitating trade and travel, which naturally leads to a lot of footfall.
Bustling cities such as Istanbul and Izmir receive visitors throughout the year, thanks to their myriad attractions, grand bazaars, culture and architecture. Smaller destinations such as Sirince and Cesme are also well-connected and easy to explore, offering their own unique attractions and charm. In general, Türkiye has modern infrastructure and advanced transportation and communication systems, so you can navigate the country with ease.
To help you book your trip with confidence, our destination experts have put together everything you need to know for any future travel to Türkiye – from practical tips on currency to useful information about local festivals and must-try Turkish cuisine.
Language and Communication
Turkish is the official language of Türkiye. However, English is widely spoken – especially in the larger cities and main tourist areas. If you’re visiting more rural destinations, you may want to get a Turkish phrase book or download a translation app on your mobile phone.
Getting Around
Türkiye has excellent airline connectivity between larger cities and regions such as Istanbul, Bodrum, Izmir and Cappadocia. In cities and urban areas, it is easy to hail a regular taxi to get around. Most signboards are in English and Turkish, and the local people are always happy to help visitors with directions
Currency and Payments
The official currency of Türkiye is the Turkish lira (TRY). Bills are dispensed in denominations of ₺5, ₺10, ₺20, ₺50, ₺100 and ₺200. You may also receive ₺1 and ₺5 coins. You can exchange currency at the airport, banks or foreign exchange offices (known as Döviz Bürosu) in most cities and large towns. ATMs are also widely available and the easiest way to withdraw cash.
You can also use international credit and debit cards when visiting Türkiye. Visa and Mastercard are commonly accepted, while American Express can be used at some hotels, restaurants and businesses. Make sure you alert your bank that you’re traveling and find out about any possible transaction or service fees to avoid surprises.
Tipping is optional in Türkiye and entirely at your discretion. Some restaurants (especially those in larger cities) may add a service charge to your bill. If you’d like to tip for good service, 10% of the total bill is recommended.
Health information
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements, although you may want to consider routine courses or booster vaccinations against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and tetanus.
Türkiye’s emergency number is 112 in case you need medical assistance during your stay. For peace of mind, it’s also a good idea to check your travel insurance to ensure it covers any medical emergencies.
Festivals and Events
The country’s main religion is Islam with smaller Christian and Jewish communities. While planning your trip, it is important to note the religious festivals and related customs in the country, such as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. This month of fasting during daylight is based on the lunar calendar and the dates change each year. Ramadan is observed by fasting and you may find that some restaurants are closed during the day or have different operating hours.
Ramadan culminates in the festival of Eid al-Fitr: a three-day-long celebration that is rich in tradition. Expect to see families come together and special treats sold in shops and markets, including Turkish sweets. Another major festival you might experience is Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice) when special prayers are said in local mosques and gifts are commonly exchanged.
Shopping in Türkiye
Türkiye is famed for its vibrant shopping experiences, especially its bustling local bazaars. Beautiful antiques, handmade carpets, leather goods, and fragrant spices are just some of the things you’ll be able to purchase. Bartering with stallholders is common practice and the best way to get a good price. Nevertheless, you should always be respectful while negotiating.
In general, Türkiye is safe for travelers. However, you should remain vigilant when you’re in crowded marketplaces as pickpockets do operate. Keep your belongings close and pay attention to your bank card during any transaction, ensuring it’s never taken out of sight.
Do you have more questions about your trip to Türkiye? Contact our experts for advice and an obligation-free custom itinerary.
We recently returned from a 10-day trip to London and Paris, and Enchanting Travels made the entire experience seamless and unforgettable. Elizabeth handled all of our bookings and excursions with care and attention to detail. During our trip, Vipra was on call and incredibly helpful anytime we needed assistance. She even surprised us with a thoughtful gift and champagne to celebrate our anniversary, such a kind and personal touch! The Enchanting Travels app was also super user-friendly, which made it easy to keep track of our itinerary, confirmations, and documents all in one place. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish. We’ll definitely be booking with them again!
Katie Ritchie
September 2025
Rating 5/5
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
Our trip to France in September was fabulous!! Enchanting Travels did a wonderful job putting together our trip for us. We began the planning stages with Samara Bustamante who listened to exactly what we wanted to accomplish on our two-week trip. She hit the mark regarding the kind of hotel accommodations we expected as well as helping us design a trip which was fun and adventurous while learning France’s deep history. We visited three beautiful cities during our trip — Paris, Lyon and Normandy. We enjoyed tours in each city, a private cooking class in Lyon, traveled the rails from city to city and enjoyed delicious and interesting foods. We enjoyed our tour guides who were all excited to share the history of France at various sites. We learned more about French history than we thought we would. Potnuru Sri Sai Likhit was our contact person during our trip and he did not disappoint. He was responsive each time we needed help. Thank you Likit and Samara, you all made our trip special! Amalia and Kerry-
Amalia Timbers
March 2025
Rating 5/5
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
Enchanting Travels helped make our family trip to France exceptional. We were able to experience this beautiful country without worry, stress, or frustration because of their wonderfully curated itinerary. We cannot wait to travel with them again.
Heidi Benner
May 2024
Rating 5/5
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
We could never have imagined we would have the perfect trip to France, but with Enchanting Travels team, we were able to have the experience of a lifetime. Everything from the hotels we stayed in, the touring experiences, the transportation, the itinerary, and having everything at your fingertips, including the Enchanting Travels concierge was fantastic. We don’t think we will ever try to plan a trip on our own again when we know we can rely on Enchanting Travels to create future amazing travel experiences.
Anne Calistri
May 2024
Rating 5/5
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
First and foremost – A huge shout out to Nurit for how incredible she is! We love her! She, not only listens – truly listens, she is an amazing person and now a friend:) We appreciate her and trust her – which is so important! She was very patient and understanding throughout the process and made things work that we were wanting to do! The entire process is so simple and alleviates so much undo stress that is associated with traveling. You all know the areas – the places to go – where to go and when, etc. The transfers to and from airport, train station, excursions and hotels were a huge help! We will work with you all again and again! Also, Tanisha and team were and are GREAT – they were on top of responding to us when needed throughout the entire trip. Very good about getting right back always! Last minute questions were answered throughout the entire trip and if we needed to adjust anything she and the team were on it! Thank you! Thanks overall for a great trip – we are working on our next one now 🙂 100% recommend to anyone traveling! Tracy and Michayla George
Tracy George
April 2024
Rating 5/5
Rating 5 out of 5 stars
This was such an epic trip. A three week trip that included 6 cities. The planning was thorough and we were able to communicate our thoughts and desires easily w Nurit. She listened and included our desires and steered us in a better direction when appropriate. Easy to work with. Vipra was so easy to work with scheduling all the details. I am a retired engineer, and can be very tenacious about every detail. Vipra was sweet, professional and undaunted by my direct questions and handled everything timely and thoroughly. A 21 day trip and every step was perfectly executed as planned. I loved working with both of them. Our trip was perfect. Highly recommend Enchanting Travels.
