From
$3,507
NZ $2,104

Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels)

10 days
Start and end in Istanbul
4.9
696 traveler reviews
Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) - Travel Talk
From
$3,507
-40%
NZ $2,104
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Payment plan $240 now + easy payments of $255 Learn More

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Plan your adventure:
Explorer
Curated to ignite your sense of adventure
Fully Guided
An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Guided in English
Group Size 4 - 40
Age range 18 to 59
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Explore Istanbul's historic sites and bazaars
  • Cruise down the Bosphorus for stunning views
  • Discover underground cities and fairy chimneys in Cappadocia
  • Visit the white terraces of Pamukkale and ancient Ephesus
  • Tour the legendary city of Troy and Gallipoli shores

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Istanbul
  2. Day 2 Istanbul City Tour
  3. Day 3 Istanbul, Cappadocia
  4. Day 4 Cappadocia
  5. Day 5 Cappadocia, Konya
  6. Day 6 Konya, Pamukkale
  7. Day 7 Pamukkale, Ephesus, Kusadasi
  8. Day 8 Kusadasi, Troy, Canakkale
  9. Day 9 Canakkale, Gallipoli, Istanbul
  10. Day 10 Istanbul
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What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport
  • Free eSIM
    TourRadar offers the lead traveler (the person who booked) a free 1GB eSIM for the trip. The eSIM is redeemable only through the TourRadar app 72 hours before departure.

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Additional Services

Where You'll Stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Customer Photos

Operated by

Travel Talk

Number of tours

158

Age Range

18 to 60 years old

Response time

within 1 day

Response rate

92%

At Travel Talk, we have one focus and that is simply to make your trip the...

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Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Excellent
    4.9
  • Itinerary
    Excellent
    5.0
  • Guide
    Excellent
    4.9
  • Transport
    Excellent
    4.9
  • Accommodation
    Excellent
    4.9
  • Food
    Excellent
    4.9
  • 4.7
  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
  • Highest First
  • Lowest First
  • HM
    · May 22nd, 2025
    Tour was big, bus was full for first few days, difficult to make connections. But as tour went on some people on shorter tours moved on. The last week was better with less people. Guide was very good. Some very long travel days.
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Heather, thank you for sharing your experience. We’re glad to hear the guide provided excellent support and that the smaller group size later in the tour enhanced your journey. We appreciate your honest feedback about the travel pace and group... Show more
    Trip date: September 2024
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 2
    · March 19th, 2025
    From Kelly Kennedy Essential Turkey Tour w/ Travel Talk - tour guide Yildiray was superb, he went above and beyond to make sure everyone's needs and wants were met (7 women from different places, with different likes, different dietary needs...none of us could complain about his genuine care). I'm posting pictures of us bonding and leaving the tour itself for you to experience on your own, you will not be disappointed with booking it. The excursions were great, the drivers great, the food great... The cost of the tour and all that is included you just can not go wrong with. The cost of excursions were very reasonable in comparison to other tours I have been on! I give this tour, guide, experience, drivers, Travel Talk 5 stars. Definitely try to book with using Yildiray. Often times the guide makes all the difference from a good experience to a great experience! Thanks Yildiray!
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Kelly, thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had such an incredible experience on the Essential Turkey tour and that Yildiray made it truly special. He’s an absolute gem, and we’re lucky to have him. Your kind words... Show more
    Trip date: March 2025
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 3
    · January 4th, 2025
    Travel talks and their tour guide Mustafa done the best job and made the essential Turkey tour a very memorable experience for all of us in the tour. From organising to hotel and sight seeing, they done a great job. Highly recommend!
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Vivian, thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that our team made your Essential Turkey tour such a memorable experience. From the seamless organisation to the hotels and sightseeing, it's wonderful to know everything exceeded... Show more
    Trip date: December 2024
  • MM
    · October 31st, 2024
    A complete, wide ranging tour of Turkey that covers all the essential elements of its history, cultures, sites, and cities. Accommodations were excellent, food outstanding, and the tour guide was experienced and managed a highly efficient tour. Would do it again anytime.
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Marc, thank you for your wonderful feedback on the Essential Turkey tour! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the comprehensive experience, from the rich history and diverse cultures to the excellent accommodations and outstanding food. It’s... Show more
    Trip date: October 2024
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 5
    · October 26th, 2024
    We went on a tour of Türkiye (Essential Turkey, 10 days) with Travel Talk, October 5-14, 2024. This was our first time using Travel Talk, but we will definitely go with them again. I have to start by talking about our guide, Yildiray. He was simply the best guide anyone could ask for. He was extremely well organized, friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and fun. He went above and beyond every day. He gave us good information about the places we visited, but also gave us very good recommendations for local food. When we stopped at restaurants for lunch, he was our waiter by taking our orders, and delivering our food. All of this helped everyone build great relationships throughout the trip. By the end, we were sad it was over. As for the other aspects of the trip, I have only good things to say about it. All the hotels were good, the food at the hotels was good, and the locations of the hotels was good, which allowed us access to stroll around the neighborhoods and sometimes visit local shops. The tour bus was very comfortable, and was driven by two excellent drivers who switched driving throughout. We had frequent stops when there were long distances so that we did not feel too tired. I was impressed with the amount of planning, organization, and information provided to us at every step. This was one of the most enjoyable tours we have been on, and I highly recommend Travel Talk, and especially our guide, Yildiray!
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Jonathan, thank you for sharing your fantastic experience on the Essential Turkey tour! We’re delighted to hear that Yildiray made such a positive impact on your journey with his organization, knowledge, and friendly nature. It sounds like he truly... Show more
    Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 1Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 2Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 3Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 4Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 5Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 6
    Trip date: October 2024
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 6
    · June 2nd, 2024
    10/10 for our guide Erdem. Very impressive hospitality, attention to detail and Itenerary
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Asma, thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your trip with Erdem, and will be sure to pass on your kind feedback. We hope to see you on another adventure with us soon!
    Trip date: April 2024
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 7
    · April 18th, 2024
    Mustafa was a fantastic tour guide ("Essential Turkey - 10 days"). I think he showed us far more over a week and a half than we could have ever seen on our own. He explained everything very thoroughly, with humor, and answered any questions we had. He also made sure to help us with any problems that arose throughout the trip. We never had to worry about transportation as we rode in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus the entire time. Hotel selection was top-notch; all hotels included clean rooms, free Wi-Fi and complimentary breakfast/dinner.
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Courtney, thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you had a great time on your Essential Turkey tour and we really appreciate you sharing your experience. We will be sure to pass your kind words onto Mustafa and hope to see you on... Show more
    Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 1Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 2Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 3Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 4Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 5Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 6
    Trip date: March 2024
  • Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) reviewer 8
    · April 2nd, 2024
    A good tour with lots of things to see. Mustafa is a fantastic tour guide and really looked out for us all. We got unlucky with not being able to do the hot air balloons in cappadocia (too windy) but managed to go up in Pamukkale (which was incredible!). Mustafa got this all sorted for us as well as ensuring we had the best experience with visiting the sites. Hotel wise, some good hotels, some a bit rough around the edges! Be mindful a 4/5* in Turkey isn’t the same as other parts of the world!!
    Show more
    Travel Talk commented on this review
    Hi Sarah, thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour through Turkey with us and will be sure to pass your kind words onto Mustafa. We are always trying to improve our tours for future travellers, so we appreciate your... Show more
    Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 1Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 2Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 3Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 4Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels) customer review photo 5
    Trip date: March 2024
  • A
    · December 6th, 2023
    Loved my recent travel Talk tour "Essential Turkey". Yavuz was a brilliant guide, informative and fun! Highlight was the incredible experience of hot air ballooning over CappadociaWould definitely recommend.
    Show more
    Trip date: August 2019
    Review collected by Travel Talk
  • A
    · December 6th, 2023
    Loved my recent travel Talk tour "Essential Turkey". Yavuz was a brilliant guide, informative and fun! Highlight was the incredible experience of hot air ballooning over CappadociaWould definitely recommend.
    Show more
    Trip date: July 2019
    Review collected by Travel Talk

Dates & Availability

10 days
Essential Turkey (5 Star Hotels)
From Istanbul to Istanbul

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    • Rated excellent on
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    • Free eSim with every purchase

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More benefits
Select a departure month
  • Upcoming departures
  • November 2025
  • December 2025
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Upcoming departures
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Ends in1d1h15m43s
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    1 Nov, 2025
    To Monday
    10 Nov, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,889
    $2,333
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    8 Nov, 2025
    To Monday
    17 Nov, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,889
    $2,333
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    15 Nov, 2025
    To Monday
    24 Nov, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,709
    $2,225
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    22 Nov, 2025
    To Monday
    1 Dec, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,507
    $2,104
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    29 Nov, 2025
    To Monday
    8 Dec, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,889
    $2,333
  • -40%
    From Saturday
    6 Dec, 2025
    To Monday
    15 Dec, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,889
    $2,333
  • -40%
    From Wednesday
    17 Dec, 2025
    To Friday
    26 Dec, 2025
    English
    From:
    $3,889
    $2,333
  • -40%
    From Thursday
    25 Dec, 2025
    To Saturday
    3 Jan, 2026
    English
    From:
    $4,227
    $2,536
From
$3,507
-40%
NZ $2,104
Find this price
Save and compare this adventure
Payment plan $240 now + easy payments of $255 Learn More

Best price guarantee Learn More

Plan your adventure:

What our customers ask about this tour

The content in our FAQ section is subject to change.
All questions
  • S

    Shannon

    Asked on April 11th, 2025

    Is this age range strictly enforced? We are both 62 and in excellent shape.

    Age Range
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten April 2025

      The age range listed in the tour description is more of a guideline than a strict rule. At 62 and in excellent shape, you would be absolutely fine to join. We've had many travellers in their early 60s who fit in perfectly and really enjoy the experience.

  • H

    Harley

    Asked on March 13th, 2025

    What should participants expect regarding the tour's activities?

    Other
    Tour Details
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten March 2025

      Participants should expect a blend of cultural, historical, and possibly optional leisure activities.

  • C

    Charlotte

    Asked on February 26th, 2025

    What are the payment expectations after initial booking?

    Payments
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten February 2025

      Any remaining balance must be paid by the specified final payment date after initial booking.

  • M

    Mark

    Asked on January 11th, 2025

    Why is the trip only until 59 years old? Age discrimination?

    Age Range
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten January 2025

      We would like to clarify that all ages are welcome to join our amazing trips! While we don't have strict age restrictions, we do provide guidelines to ensure everyone's comfort. Passengers that falls out of this age group (18-59) and traveling alone may find it beneficial to consider booking a private room. For this reason we request to add a singe supplement. This enhances comfort throughout the tour, providing a personal space to relax and unwind after exciting adventures. However, for this tour, single rooms are not available anymore, you may bring a companion a share the room with, that way you do not have to add a single supplement. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or friends, our goal is to make your journey memorable and enjoyable. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance in planning your next adventure with us.

  • D

    Danièle

    Asked on December 16th, 2024

    Is travel insurance accepted?

    Travel Support
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten December 2024

      We accept every type of travel insurance as long as it covers the whole duration of the trip.

  • L

    Louis

    Asked on November 1st, 2024

    I don't understand why you listed an age cut off of 59. This doesn't appear to be an espescially active trip. I'm 77 and have travelled widely--my last trip in March 2024 was to Churchill Canada for the northern lights. I usually take at least one 'exotic trip' a year and one more quiet beach or spa vacation. This luxury trip sounds great and I really would love to do it

    Age Range
    Tour Details
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten November 2024

      The 18-59 bracket is the recommended age range for solo travellers booking on a shared room basis. For solo senior travellers, we recommend booking the single supplement for a private room as it's more comfortable, though it costs extra. For Essential Turkey departing 24 Dec 2024, the cost is $555 on top of the tour price.

    • L

      Louis

      TravelerWritten November 2024

      Im fine booking a single room. In fact i think i indicated that on my form. What extensions do you recommend

    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten November 2024

      You may book your trip with a single supplement, it is added once you start your booking process.

    • L
      2 more answers
  • J

    Joy

    Asked on October 16th, 2024

    Is it ideal to travel to turkey in the month of december, will it be too cold, i want to do the hot air baloon ride will be suitable climate to do hot air baloon ride, also there is also middle east tensions between turkey and israel so is it safe to travel in december 2024

    Tour Details
    Travel Support
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten October 2024

      Traveling to Turkey in December can be a unique experience, but it's important to consider a few factors: Cappadocia will be cold, with temperatures around 0°C (32°F). Hot air balloon rides are possible, but cancellations can happen due to poor weather. Istanbul and coastal areas are milder but chilly. Popular tourist areas remain safe despite tensions, all Turkey tours are operating as normal. Overall, December offers a quieter time to explore Turkey, but flexibility is key for weather-dependent activities like the hot air balloons

  • R

    Richard

    Asked on October 7th, 2024

    Is it possible for us to end this tour on Jan 1st 2025 as our return flight from Istanbul is on Jan 1 at 3 PM.

    Flights / Transfers
    Tour Details
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten October 2024

      Your dates of interest ends on the 2nd of January, however you are free to conclude your tour on the 1st of January 2025. Please note that this does not effect the tour price, you will also need to arrange your transfer back to Istanbul to catch your flight on time independently.

  • C

    Cristina

    Asked on October 5th, 2024

    What is the policy for accompanying children?

    Age Range
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten October 2024

      Children can join the tour, but the primary concern is matching the tour's average age group to ensure it's enjoyable for all.

  • B

    Bryan

    Asked on September 29th, 2024

    Is this tour for 28th Dec guaranteed departure?

    Tour Details
    • Travel TalkOperatorWritten September 2024

      Yes, the departure for the 24th of December 2024 is indeed guaranteed.

Can’t find the answer to your question?
Reach out to the experts at Travel Talk with your enquiry, they usually respond within 1 day.

Good to Know

Tour ID: 66291

  • Currency
    $
    US Dollar
  • Plugs & Adapters

  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Typhoid - Recommended for Turkey. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Turkey. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Turkey. Ideally 2 months before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before August 13th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after August 13th, 2025, a minimum payment of $240 is required to confirm your booking with Travel Talk. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Travel Talk will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Travel Talk" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.