1 Fly Over Cappadocia
It's the most eye-popping sight in Turkey: Cappadocia, at the heart of the central Anatolia region, is a wonderland of rock formations created by the eruption of ancient volcanoes. Into these rocks the locals have carved houses, churches, stables, and pigeon houses even complete underground cities. The best way to see it all? Be up before the larks and float over Cappadocia in a hot-air balloon. What could be better than getting a bird's-eye peek at the nooks and crannies of this world-famous moonscape? The balloons drift in so low you can pick out every detail of village life and come June you can reach out of the basket and pluck apricots straight from the trees.

2 Take a Blue Cruise
A "Blue Cruise" along the magnificent Aegean or Mediterranean coastline will be a highlight of any trip to Turkey. Graceful wooden gulets (yachts) drift from bay to bay, dropping anchor so you can swim in the crystal-clear, azure water before tucking into a feast prepared by your crew. Many bays are graced with magnificent Lycian, Greek, or Roman ruins surrounded by lush vegetation. Book your gulet from home or ask around in the harbors of Bodrum, Marmaris, Dalyan, Fethiye, or Antalya. Take three days or three weeks for your tour just watch out for wily captains who'll sting you for your bar bill or end the trip early.

3 Raft Koprulu Canyon
For a river run with a real twist in the tail, head east from Antalya for the beautiful Koprulu Canyon, where you can take a raft or canoe trip eight miles upriver, past truly awe-inspiring craggy mountain scenery. As if that weren't thrill enough, when the waters are highest (from April to October) your raft will spin you through 360 degrees in churning, Class III waters. Afterward, trek into the mountainous hinterland to explore the isolated ruins of Roman Selge.

4 Catch the sunrise over Mount Nemrut
You'll find plenty of severed heads on top of Mount Nemrut in central Turkey, but there aren't any headhunters here at 7,000 feet. The heads come from the the shrine of Antiochus Commagene, a megalomaniac monarch who built a vast burial mound and decorated it with statues of the gods. Time and earthquakes brought them tumbling to earth, where they lie today in picturesque disarray. Early birds rise long before dawn for a stiff half-hour trek up the mountainside to watch the sun rise over the statues; sleepyheads wait for the equally mesmerising sunset.

5 Horseback through Cappadocia
Get up close and personal with the stunning Cappadocian landscape: Riding horseback around these carved rocks lets you check out all the crazy formations, shaped like phalli and Ottoman sultans with jaunty turbans. Look for abandoned pigeon houses the monks who used to live here kept pigeons for their soil-fertilizing manure and fantastic frescoed churches cut right into the rocks. Beware of treacherous paths and don't expect marked trails. Hire a horse at the stables in Goreme, Avanos, or Urgup.

6 Cruise through Istanbul
Noisy, crowded, chaotic: Istanbul, the age-old capital of the Ottoman Empire, is all that and more. At the same time, it's one of the world's most romantic cities, with an exotic minaret-studded skyline and a distinct whiff of the Orient about it. Linger and the hustle will surely get to you, so hop on a ferry heading up the Bosphorus for even better views. Riverside villages offer tasty fish lunches, and at Anadolu Hisari you can climb up to the castle and gaze out toward the Black Sea.  

7 Walk the Ihlara Gorge
Imagine a canyon with soaring, rocky walls and a stream running along its bottom. Picture fat-tailed sheep panting in the sun and women plucking apricots from the trees. That's the idyllic Ihlara Gorge, near Aksaray, and anyone who's reasonably fit can walk its ten-mile length in one day. Bring a picnic or stop off at the outdoor restaurants midway along the gorge. Before entering the gorge, take a look at the ruined monastery at Selime and look for rock-cut churches along the valley floor. Camping inside the gorge is a real treat.