Istanbul of course is a must, and the probably where I fly in/out of from Australia. Not only is it full of tourist things, it seems to have quite a lively culture, and Turkiye is a Muslim country that has no restrictions on alcohol.
It is pretty hard to decide how long to spend in a city like Istanbul, so I have pencilled in a week, with the possibility to spend more time there before the flight home.
Along the Aegean coast Ayvalik looks okay. It is excellent for popping over the Lesbos (Greece) but nothing there stands out to me. It is a 10 hour bus journey from Istanbul.
But, it is close to Pergamum, which has some amazing ruins (UNESCO Heritage) – the $4 pass covers a whopping 31 museums and archaeological sites. The dolmus (bus) from Ayvalik is just 50c.
Further down the coast is another, similar, site Ephesus, once the 4th largest city in the Roman empire. Stay in Selcuk. And there is a train station!
At Didim, there once was an oracle that was only second in importance to the Oracle of Delphi. Seeing as I will be mentioning these at length in my next book, it is worth a look. But it looks like it might need multiple dolmuses to get there, and potentially getting a bit lost.
Nearby Kapikiri on Lake Bafa seems real interesting. Very rustic and backward, but with ruins. And neolithic caves. Ruined castle. And lots of bird-watching.
Along the southern coast is Arykanda, more ruins that look worthwhile. Nearby Antalya is a large city (1 million people) but has no train. Still if I’m going that way, I might as well have a gander. Some tour companies rate it. And from there, it is an 8 hour bus to Cappadocia.
Further along the southern coast are the Caves of Heaven and Hell, and getting near there by train is possible, from Adana to Mersin, then a 90 minute bus ride. The nearby Alahan Monastery looks cool.
Cappadocia – is kind of reachable by train. There is a station in Kayseri, and then hourly buses to Nevsehir which is 70km away.
In Cappadocia, the idea is to spend a week there, chill, and go on day tours, everything seems to be very organised and easy. I’d also like to hike up to Uchisar Castle and there are many other walks. Staying in Goreme sounds easiest/cheaper than other nearby villages.
Nothing in the North appeals to me and anything near the Syrian border (Gobekli Tepe and Mt Nemrut) seems too risky/dangerous.
So the beginning or end will be a bus to Cappadocia from Istanbul, and the the rest done in a linear way, inching along with whatever transport is available. A week in Istanbul, a week in Cappadocia, and 7-10 days for the rest. Total of 21-24 days.