Boats at anchor in a clear bay near Bodrum, Türkiye
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Türkiye

From the palace hotels of the Bosphorus to the bays of Bodrum and the ancient cities of the Aegean coast: Türkiye at its finest on the Mediterranean, chosen by one rule: first class or not at all.

Boats in a bay near BodrumPhotograph: Kaan Kosemen

Kültür

Where Europe meets Asia

Istanbul was a capital of empires for more than fifteen hundred years, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, and it shows: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar stand within a short walk of one another, and the Bosphorus runs between Europe and Asia at the city's heart.

Along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts lie some of the best-preserved ancient cities anywhere, Ephesus above all, while inland the rock cones of Cappadocia and the white terraces of Pamukkale are among the great natural sights of the region. Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

Turkish hospitality is famous, and so is its cooking, from the meze tables of the Bosphorus to the fish of the Aegean. This guide brings together only the first class: the palace hotels of Istanbul, Bodrum's finest resort and beach clubs, and the great ancient sites.

A few words of Turkish
EnglishTurkishSay it
HelloMerhabaMEHR-ha-bah
PleaseLütfenLUET-fen
Thank youTeşekkür ederimteh-shek-KUER eh-deh-reem
Good eveningİyi akşamlaree-YEE ahk-shahm-LAHR
The bill, pleaseHesap, lütfenheh-SAHP, LUET-fen
The blue lagoon and long white beach of Ölüdeniz below pine-covered mountains on the Turquoise Coast
Ölüdeniz, the Turquoise Coast

Where to go

The best places to visit in Turkey

Istanbul and Bodrum: the best time to visit, the one best hotel, restaurant and beach club, and how to arrive by private jet, helicopter or yacht.

Istanbul

Best time to visitApril to June and September to October are ideal: mild, bright days for the city and the Bosphorus, without the summer heat. The sea is swimmable only from June to September.

  • Stay
    Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at SultanahmetForbes Five-Star and three MICHELIN Keys

    Set between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, Türkiye's only three-Key hotel.

  • Dine
    TURK Fatih Tutak

    Fatih Tutak's modern Turkish tasting menus hold two MICHELIN stars, the highest rating in Istanbul.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Istanbul Atatürk Airport (ISL / LTBA), about 30 minutes by car to the city centre; it no longer has airline traffic and handles most of Istanbul's private flights. Istanbul Airport (IST / LTFM) is the second option, about 45 to 75 minutes by car, with a Jetex private terminal.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Ataköy Marina on the European shore, with berths for yachts up to about 75 metres; about 30 minutes by car to the historic centre.
Good to know
Atatürk Airport, Istanbul's former main airport, is now the city's business aviation airport; airlines use Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen.

The full Istanbul guide ›

Bodrum

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: the sea is already warm (24–27°C, 76–80°F) without the full heat and crowds of July and August, when it is at its warmest. Late May and early October suit those who prefer it cooler and quieter.

  • Stay
    Mandarin Oriental Bodrumone of the 25 Finest Resorts

    The peninsula's grandest address, curving around Paradise Bay near Göltürkbükü with private beaches, pool villas and more than a dozen restaurants and bars.

  • Dine
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Beach
    Maçakızı

    Founded by Bodrum pioneer Ayla Emiroğlu on the bay at Türkbükü and ranked first in 2026 editors' guides to the peninsula's beach clubs; lunch on its deck is booked well ahead in August.

Arrive privately
By private jet
Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV / LTFE), about 40 minutes by car to Bodrum town (36 km); allow about an hour to Yalıkavak. The airport has a dedicated General Aviation Terminal operated by TAV.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Yalıkavak Marina, taking yachts up to 140 metres; about 25 minutes by car to Bodrum town.
Good to know
Bodrum's airport is slot-coordinated and every private arrival and departure needs a confirmed slot, so book early for June to August.

The full Bodrum guide ›

Beyond the coast

Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Mount Nemrut

Cappadocia

A volcanic plateau in central Anatolia of eroded rock cones ("fairy chimneys"), cave villages and Byzantine churches cut into the rock, best seen from a hot-air balloon at dawn. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October.

  • Stay
    Museum Hotel

    A cave hotel in Uçhisar holding two MICHELIN Keys and a member of Relais & Châteaux; Argos in Cappadocia, also in Uçhisar, holds two Keys as well.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

White travertine terraces filled with warm mineral water spill down a hillside above the Lycos valley, crowned by the ruins of the Roman spa city of Hierapolis and its theatre. Hierapolis-Pamukkale has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October.

  • Stay
    No hotel here yet meets our standard; a long day from Bodrum, or a night nearby.

Ephesus

The best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean, with the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the terrace houses, a few kilometres inland from the Aegean near Selçuk. Ephesus was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Best time to visitApril to May, and September to October; go early in the day.

  • Stay
    No hotel here yet meets our standard; visit as a day trip from İzmir or Bodrum.

Mount Nemrut

On a summit in the Taurus range in southeastern Türkiye, colossal stone heads of gods and kings guard the 1st-century BC tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus I of Commagene. Nemrut Dağ has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987; the summit is visited at sunrise or sunset.

Best time to visitMay to October; snow often closes the summit road in winter.

  • Stay
    No hotel here yet meets our standard; visit as a day trip from Adıyaman.

Stay

Luxury hotels and resorts in Turkey

Mandarin Oriental Bodrum is among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean; the Istanbul hotels below each hold Forbes Five-Star or two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Mandarin Oriental Bodrum

Mandarin Oriental's Turkish retreat curves around Paradise Bay near Göltürkbükü, the most fashionable corner of the Bodrum peninsula, with private beaches, terraced gardens and wide views over the Aegean.

Visit website ↗

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Sunbeds under pine trees on a quiet beach near Bodrum
The shore near Bodrum

Dine

The best restaurants in Turkey

Türkiye's finest restaurants on our list and the most celebrated beach clubs of the Bodrum peninsula.

Two MICHELIN stars

Beach clubs

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

  • Çırağan Palace KempinskiLuxury Catering Service, Istanbul

    The Bosphorus palace hotel runs a dedicated luxury catering service that brings its kitchens, including the Ottoman cuisine of its Tuğra restaurant, to private residences and off-site events in Istanbul. Visit website ↗

Cooking schools

  • Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul

    The Le Cordon Bleu institute in Türkiye, opened through a partnership with Özyeğin University in 2012, teaching the Grand Diplôme in French technique alongside classical and regional Turkish cuisine. Visit website ↗

Sail

Yacht charter in Turkey

The superyacht marinas of Bodrum, the brokers with offices in Türkiye, and the yards that build superyachts.

Superyacht marinas

  • Yalıkavak MarinaBodrum

    620 berths taking yachts up to 140 metres, with more than 100 brands, restaurants and a beach hotel; named Superyacht Marina of the Year by The Yacht Harbour Association in 2018. Visit website ↗

Superyacht charter brokers with an office here

Shipyards

Cruises

Türkiye by sea

The cruise ports of Türkiye, and where the luxury lines call.

Istanbul's Galataport is Türkiye's great cruise port; the ships also call at Kuşadası for Ephesus, Bodrum and Antalya, and the sailing ships at Göcek and Fethiye.

Where the luxury lines call

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Turkey

The great hotel trains at our standard. Private jet arrivals are covered in the questions below.

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Istanbul

    The train's long-distance journey via Budapest and Bucharest to Istanbul, once a year: eastbound at the end of May and westbound in June. Visit website ↗

  • La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome to Istanbul

    A four-night journey from Rome via Venice, Budapest and the Carpathian Mountains to Istanbul, first running in October 2026, with a return journey from Istanbul to Rome by way of Bulgaria and Vienna, also in October. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Balkan Explorer, Venice to Istanbul

    A 12-day journey eastbound from Venice through Trieste and Slovenia to Pula and Rijeka in Croatia, Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Belgrade, Sofia and Istanbul, with seven nights on the train. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Paris to Istanbul

    An eight-day journey between Paris and Istanbul through Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria, with departures in spring and autumn. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Turkey

The shopping streets of Istanbul, the jewellers, and the ateliers.

The great shopping streets

  • İstinyeParkIstanbul

    Istanbul's leading luxury shopping centre, whose anchor tenants include Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier. Visit website ↗

  • Abdi İpekçi AvenueNişantaşı, Istanbul

    The avenue at the heart of Nişantaşı, Istanbul's designer-shopping district, where Louis Vuitton (No. 23), Chanel (No. 45) and Hermès (No. 79) keep their street boutiques. Visit website ↗

Jewellers and watchmakers

Artisan ateliers

Art galleries

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Cars İstanbulKuruçeşme

    The marque's Istanbul showroom, on Kuruçeşme Caddesi beside the Bosphorus in Beşiktaş, with its service centre in Beykoz. Rolls-Royce named it Global Sales Dealer of the Year for 2023. Visit website ↗

  • Bentley IstanbulMaslak

    Bentley's long-standing Turkish partner Doğuş Otomotiv runs the showroom in the Doğuş Center in Maslak. In 2024 Bentley Mulliner created the city-inspired Istanbul Silhouette Collection. Visit website ↗

  • Ferrari Fer MasIstanbul

    Fer Mas Oto Ticaret is Ferrari's official dealer in Türkiye, with sales and service in Istanbul. Visit website ↗

  • Lamborghini IstanbulIstanbul

    The official Lamborghini dealership for Türkiye, with a showroom and service facilities, listed on the marque's own dealer locator. Visit website ↗

  • Aston Martin TürkiyeYeniköy

    The authorised Aston Martin dealer, with its showroom on Köybaşı Caddesi in Yeniköy on the European shore of the Bosphorus and its service centre in Maslak. Visit website ↗

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Dozens of colourful hot-air balloons rising over the rock valleys of Cappadocia at sunrise
Balloons over Cappadocia at sunrise

Experience

Events and things to do in Turkey

The Turkish year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

  • Aspendosnear Antalya

    The best-preserved theatre of the ancient world (AD 155), home of the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival since 1994.

  • Atatürk Cultural CenterIstanbul

    The city's great arts centre on Taksim Square, rebuilt and reopened in 2021, with concert halls and a theatre. Visit website ↗

Golf

Health spas

Weddings and celebrations

Live

Luxury real estate in Turkey

A home in Türkiye: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Türkiye Sotheby's International RealtyIstanbul

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Türkiye, opened in 2023 and owned by the Alfardan Group, with its headquarters at the Six Senses Kocataş Mansions on the Bosphorus and a sales lounge at İstinyePark, serving Istanbul, Bodrum and Antalya.

Branded residences and new developments

  • The Residences at Mandarin OrientalBodrum

    Developed by Astaş on the Göltürkbükü side of the peninsula at Paradise Bay, the resort opened in 2014 with Antonio Citterio-designed private villas and residences (204 to 760 m²) served by Mandarin Oriental.

  • Six Senses Residences KaplankayaMuğla

    Multi-bedroom residences with private infinity pools above the Aegean, designed by Carlos and Borja Ferrater and run year-round by Six Senses next to its Kaplankaya resort. Visit website ↗

Residency

  • Turkish Citizenship by InvestmentTürkiye

    Citizenship, including spouse and children under 18, for buying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 and holding it for three years. Visit website ↗

Architects and designers

  • EAA – Emre Arolat ArchitectureIstanbul, Türkiye

    One of Türkiye's leading practices, with residential work on the Bodrum peninsula that includes the Yalıkavak Elements villas and Nef Reserve Gölköy. Visit website ↗

Private healthcare

  • Koç University HospitalIstanbul

    A private university hospital with 13 centres, including organ transplantation and robotic surgery; ranked first in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • Anadolu Medical CenterGebze (near Istanbul)

    A private hospital in strategic cooperation with Johns Hopkins Medicine, JCI accredited, known for oncology and bone marrow transplants, treating patients from more than 65 countries; ranked third in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • Acıbadem International HospitalIstanbul

    The international flagship of the Acıbadem group, one of Türkiye's largest private hospital networks; ranked fifth in Türkiye in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • American HospitalIstanbul

    A long-established private hospital in the Koç group in the Nişantaşı district. Visit website ↗

International schools

  • Istanbul International Community SchoolIstanbul

    Tracing its history to 1911, it is the only international school in Istanbul authorised for all three core IB programmes and is accredited by NEASC and CIS, with campuses at Rumelihisarı and Hadımköy. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Turkey and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

When is the best time to visit Turkey?

Istanbul: April to June and September to October are ideal: mild, bright days for the city and the Bosphorus, without the summer heat. The sea is swimmable only from June to September.

Bodrum: June and September are ideal: the sea is already warm (24–27°C, 76–80°F) without the full heat and crowds of July and August, when it is at its warmest.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Turkey?

Istanbul: Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet (Forbes Five-Star and three MICHELIN Keys).

Bodrum: Mandarin Oriental Bodrum (one of the 25 Finest Resorts).

How do you arrive in Turkey by private jet?

Istanbul: Istanbul Atatürk Airport (ISL / LTBA), about 30 minutes by car to the city centre; it no longer has airline traffic and handles most of Istanbul's private flights.

Bodrum: Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV / LTFE), about 40 minutes by car to Bodrum town (36 km); allow about an hour to Yalıkavak.

Which are the best restaurants in Turkey?

The finest tables on our list: TURK Fatih Tutak (Istanbul); Vino Locale (Urla (İzmir)).

Do you tip in Turkey?

Around 10–15% is customary in restaurants if service isn't included. Rounding up is usual for taxis; at the hammam, tips beyond the listed fees are expected only in the most touristed places. Luxury hotels: porters the equivalent of €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, in Turkish lira.

What should you wear in Turkey?

In mosques, everyone removes their shoes. Women cover their hair, both sexes cover their shoulders and upper arms, and shorts and short skirts are out. Scarves are usually available at major mosques. Avoid visiting during the noon prayers, especially on a Friday. No hard-soled shoes on gulets or yachts. Istanbul's fine-dining scene is stylish and smart.

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Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Turkey

How Türkiye does things.

Language
Turkish is the official language. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels, restaurants and resorts in Istanbul, Bodrum and along the Turquoise Coast.
Greetings
A handshake is standard. Friends often exchange two cheek kisses. Respect for elders is important. First names are commonly followed by Bey (for men) or Hanım (for women), for example "Ahmet Bey".
Dress
In mosques, everyone removes their shoes. Women cover their hair, both sexes cover their shoulders and upper arms, and shorts and short skirts are out. Scarves are usually available at major mosques. Avoid visiting during the noon prayers, especially on a Friday. No hard-soled shoes on gulets or yachts. Istanbul's fine-dining scene is stylish and smart.
Dining
Lunch is around 12–2 pm, and dinner from about 7.30–9 pm, later in summer resorts. Book the best Bosphorus and Bodrum tables well ahead. Tea is offered constantly and is a gesture of hospitality.
Tipping
Around 10–15% is customary in restaurants if service isn't included. Rounding up is usual for taxis; at the hammam, tips beyond the listed fees are expected only in the most touristed places. Luxury hotels: porters the equivalent of €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, in Turkish lira.
Good to know
Insulting the Turkish nation, the flag, the President or Atatürk is a criminal offence carrying six months to three years in prison, and it covers online comments too. Do not photograph military or official installations, ask before photographing people, and carry photo ID. During Ramadan, whose dates move about 11 days earlier each year, avoid eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in daytime, especially in conservative areas.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

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