Turkey Tours for Experienced Travelers

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.

First tour with Explore - experience exceeded my expectations! Minor negative (also shared by others in the group) was the ‘shared’ accommodation in Gey Village. Ok if I was in my 30’s but I’m in late 60’s. Worth investigating alternative accommodation options even if some additional busing might be required. Otherwise everything (guide, group, food, accommodation, transportation, and hikes/views) great! Won’t be my last tour with Explore!

This was a wonderful series of moderate to longish walks along the Lycian Way. Our tour leader Nabil was brilliant, always cheerful and engaging and a continual source of local knowledge. Not only does one spectacular view after another open up but there was also a wealth of flora even in November - the cyclamens and crocus were especially lovely. There are also fabulous archaeological sites along the way, with plenty of time allowed to explore. The going is stony, and steep at times - up and down. As a person with heart issues I was concerned that I'd hold the party up, but this didn't seem to be an issue. In fact the pace set suited me perfectly. The accommodation is fairly mixed with one night in very basic village rooms. I enjoyed this as it meant a walk out of the village the following day with the best hiking of the holiday, though I know others found the rooms a touch the wrong side of basic, especially as it involved sharing. Most of the walks featured a minibus journey at one or both ends. Evening meals were usually pretty good too with lunch boxes provided most days. Our group of ten or so was a delight, mostly people travelling on their own which made for lively conversation. Money-wise, this is a good value trip, although Turkey itself is certainly no longer the cheap destination it once was.

Great trip ! Fabulous walks and views, expertly led by our fantastic guide , Mike , who was full of local, historical and botanical info as well as being lovely company .

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!

This was an excellent trip! We enjoyed living on the gulet, Admiral, and biking mountainous roads along the coast. The scenery was spectacular, our guide was excellent ( managing the logistics and safety of the bike riding and talking about Turkish history and the sites), and the food was amazing! Our trip was in mid October so the weather was very comfortable.