Istanbul Tours and Trips

Another great trip w explore. Tour leader, Oz, was exceptionally helpful to several of us w unusual requests. Turkey has tons of stuff to see, and this tour catches most of the highlights. As usual, the group had interesting people. Considering staying a couple of days after to see more of Istanbul.

Good value tour, itinerary packs in almost everything you'd want to do into the trip. Oz the tour guide was excellent. Only criticisms is there is a lot of time on the bus (hard to avoid) and there is a mix of hotel quality (all adequate but only some very nice).

We covered a lot of ground in the two weeks but the itineray was well planned and had a couple of leisurely days built into it. Our trip to Mustafa Ataturks mausoleum in Ankara was interupted by a visit by the British PM so we were unable to visit it. Despite our party of 10 being scattered to the 4 corners of the site by the security staff, Oz our guide and Atila our driver managed to get us all together again and back on track. Lots of highlights on this trip - watching 165 balloons taking off in the early morning in Cappadochia to the amazing ruins of the ancient cities of Pamukkale, Hieropolis, Aphrodisias and Ephesus. A poignant visit to Gallipoli was made on the last day on the way back to Istanbul. Their may be some who are apprehensive about the long days in the coach but the scenery is amazing and the quality of the Turkish roads puts ours in the UK to shame -I can't recall a pothole until we came back into Istanbul!! We had a smallish group of 10 who were all experienced travellers and were good company throughout the tour. What makes a good tour a memborable tour is of course the guide and driver. Atila our driver kept us on schedule with his expert driving skills and knowledge of the short cuts to get in and out of the cities. That, with a sense of when a comfort break was needed was all appreciated. Oz, our guide, will already be known to many Explore customers but just to reiterate what many have already said - Oz has an amzing knowledge and passion for the history and geography of his country and puts it across in an easily understood manner. Oz kept us on track whilst allowing us extra time when needed for some photo opportunities. His recommendations for lunch/evening meal stops was always spot on. All in all a great trip that had a bit of everything in it.

We covered a large area but had time to see the things on the itinerary except Istanbul, where I booked an extra day before to see all the sights there. Good company, 16 of us: 8 from UK, 4 from USA, 4 from Australia. The tour leader, Mehmet, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Things in Turkey have come a long way since I was last there with Explore in 1989, the variety of food has really improved. The weather was pleasant, being that time of year, but the day before the end there were thunderstorms in the evening then a 5.6 magnitude earthquake at Canakkale to liven things up!

I did the Turkey In Depth tour last year with Explore and enjoyed it so much the first time that I came back for a second visit and it was just as amazing! The tour covers so many fantastic sites, giving you a real feel for Turkey’s history, culture, and stunning scenery. Our tour guide, Özgür, was absolutely fantastic. This was my second time travelling with him, and once again he went above and beyond for the whole group. He’s so knowledgeable, friendly, and really made the trip special. Our driver, Ati, was also amazing, expertly navigating all the winding roads and keeping us safe and comfortable the entire way. The food was brilliant fresh, tasty, and full of flavour wherever we went. Every meal felt like a treat! The hotels were great too. Sobek Stone House, Kekova Hotel, and Hotel Palme were all lovely places to stay. The staff at each went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and happy nothing was ever too much trouble. Overall, it was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Great sites, brilliant food, amazing people I honestly couldn’t fault it. Can’t wait to go again!

'Turkey In Depth' was an excellent tour. I was particularly impressed with the Tour guide, Oz, who went out of his way to ensure that we all had a memorable time. We had two tour members with personal medical conditions that arose during the tour and Oz was very sensitive to their needs, discreetly arranging hospital visits for them while ensuring the tour progress was unaffected. His knowledge of the various places we visited was excellent and his sense of humour was delightful. All members of the tour were seasoned travellers and they were all very friendly and interesting people. We had a very good time together. The places visited were fascinating and the hotels were generally of a good standard. There is a large amount of bus travel between the sites visited, which potential travellers should bear in mind, but the bus we travelled in was very comfortable. The tour is definitely 'Full On' as described. A reasonable level of fitness is necessary as there is a lot of walking around ancient sites with uneven, often slippery paths as well as lots of steps. Overall, this was an excellent tour that gave great insight into this wonderful country and its ancient history. I recommend it highly as it exceeded my expectations.