Turkey Travel Guide

A family reunion brought us to Istanbul, Türkiye. Before arriving, we had plans to travel throughout the country. However, our plans quickly changed, because we didn’t want to leave Istanbul. We compiled 2-month’s worth of travel tips and favorite experiences into our Istanbul Travel Guide.

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TÜRKIYE TRAVEL GUIDE OVERVIEW

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO TÜRKIYE

Istanbul City Guide

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO THE BALKANS

GET THE GUIDEBOOKS

Lonely Planet Turkey Travel Guide

Türkiye Travel Map

TURKEY DESTINATIONS

Istanbul

Turkey Facts

Official Name | Republic of Türkiye (Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti)

Capital | Ankara

Government | Presidential governmental system

Regions | Marmara Region, Black Sea Region, the Aegean Region, the Mediterranean Region, the Central Anatolia Region, the Eastern Anatolia Region, and the Southeastern Anatolia Region.

Population | 80 million

Language | Turkish (official), Kurdish

Currency | Turkish Lira

Payment Culture | Cash and credit cards. When buying food and goods from street vendors, markets, and bakeries, you’ll typically pay in cash. If you’re at a restaurant or bar, you can usually pay with a credit card.

Tipping Etiquette | Only tip in cash. In restaurants and cafés, you can tip 5-10%. In Taxis, you don’t have to tip; simply round up the bill. In hotels, you can tip porters and room service 5 TL

Water Quality | Drink filtered water only.