How We Crossed Turkey Twice on the Ground: Our Ultimate Overland Route
From the Aegean coast to Ancient Mesopotamia, here is how we mapped a 360-degree slow-travel loop across Türkiye without taking a single…
How We Crossed Turkey Twice on the Ground: Our Ultimate Overland Route
From the Aegean coast to Ancient Mesopotamia, here is how we mapped a 360-degree slow-travel loop across Türkiye without taking a single internal flight.
our route in Turkey in 2022
Back in 2022, my husband Chris and I packed our lives into carry-on bags and set off on a life-changing, one-year sabbatical journey. After staying in the UK to visit family, our very first major destination was a country that had been on my travel bucket list for as long as I could remember: Turkey (Türkiye).
What started as a single visit turned into an epic, two-part overland adventure that completely redefined how we see slow travel.
During our sabbatical, we ended up crossing Turkey twice entirely on the ground—first from West to East in 2022, and then, after looping through Central and Southeast Asia, re-entering in 2023 to cross from East to West.
We didn’t take a single internal flight. Instead, we connected the dots using regional buses, trains, local minibuses (dolmuş), and spontaneous hitchhiking.
Mapping the Journey
Planning a massive overland loop across a country as vast as Turkey can be daunting, especially when you want to look beyond the usual tourist hotspots. Thankfully, I had the perfect travel partner. Chris had previously stayed in Turkey for a few months where his relatives used to live, so he took the lead on designing our route.
For me, it was my first time experiencing Turkey, and it completely stole my heart.
On our map, the journey became a beautiful, full-circle story:
- In 2022 (West to East): We kicked off from the sun-drenched Aegean coast, swam in the thermal pools of Pamukkale, ventured deep into the ancient stone mazes of Mesopotamia, and traced the wild shores of Lake Van up to the Armenian border.
- In 2023 (East to West): We returned via Central Asia, diving into the ancient Hittite history in Ankara and Boğazkale, winding through historic Seljuk-era towns like Tokat and Sivas, and finally hitchhiking along the coastal villages back into Europe.
Why Turkey Holds a Special Place in Our Hearts
a kind man shared his honey melon with us
There is something undeniably magical about Turkey. It is a land where deep layer upon layer of history rests right under your feet. The food is an endless culinary celebration (I still dream about the breakfasts and local coffee!), and the landscapes shift dramatically from rolling steppes to rugged mountains.
But above all, what truly blew me away was the unconditional kindness of the people. In every town, bus station, or roadside hitchhiking spot, local people welcomed us with open arms, warm tea, and genuine smiles. In Turkey, hospitality isn’t an effort—it’s just a natural way of life.
We left a piece of our hearts there, and I know for a fact that we will return to explore even deeper in the near future.
Get Our Exact Day-by-Day Timeline & Route Map
If you are planning your own independent trip to Turkey, looking for transport logistics between regional towns, or simply looking for slow-travel inspiration, we have put everything together for you.
We’ve mapped out our entire ground route, complete with every single regional walking tour, train guide, and border-crossing breakdown we wrote along the way.
메타데이터
- post_id
- f6201b5e60af
- slug
- how-we-crossed-turkey-twice-on-the-ground-our-ultimate-overland-route-f6201b5e60af
- url
- https://medium.com/meet-the-world/how-we-crossed-turkey-twice-on-the-ground-our-ultimate-overland-route-f6201b5e60af
- canonical_url
- https://medium.com/meet-the-world/how-we-crossed-turkey-twice-on-the-ground-our-ultimate-overland-route-f6201b5e60af
- author_url
- https://medium.com/@mai-hana
- status
- ok
- fetched_at
- 2026-06-27 18:20:27
