21 Sep 2022
This was a well designed tour that included a large number of incredible sites, mostly very good accommodation and excellent guiding. It was good value for money and with some improvements to communication, it would be a perfect 5/5 holiday.
We were shown around sites such as the Hagia Sophia, Ephesus, Pamukalle and Cappadocia by friendly guides who shared both their deep historical knowledge and some facts about life in Turkey. Chatting to the guides in between sites gave us a chance to ask other questions about Turkish culture, social norms and politics. The guides brought us to great restaurants for lunch and helped us navigate the delights of Turkish cuisine. There was a huge volume of attractions, including local handicrafts, geological formations, ancient ruins, an underground town and a restored caravanserai.
The accommodation was mostly really good, including some delicious Turkish breakfasts, with just one night spent somewhere less than ideal (not terrible, just a slightly run-down hotel above a noisy bar). The hotel in Cappadocia was particularly good, in charming stone buildings with friendly staff and some of the tastiest breakfast I've ever eaten.
Improved communication and more information about the trip would've improved the experience, such as knowing more about where we'd be staying and how the airport pick-ups worked. While the driver and guide for the days from Izmir to Kayseri were exceptionally good, the airport pickup on the return to Istanbul was poor, and involved waiting on a busy traffic island for about 20 minutes before being led through dangerous lanes of traffic in the airport drop-off area to our taxi by a slightly rude man with an iPad.
Overall, this was a great holiday, which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone interested in Turkey and its history.