Testimonials

I really enjoyed my trip around Turkey with the Turkey Travel Centre. Very comfortable hotels and vehicles and knowledgeable and friendly guides. For a solo person it was a good option to have an organised tour thereby avoiding the stress of booking buses and working out routes and booking a whole lot of individual tours and probably wasting lots of time in the process. With Turkey Travel everything was organised from start to finish. It was also a small, friendly group. The tour really opened my eyes to a fascinating country, rich in history and culture. Makbule, the manager was always available to contact te any questions or concerns. She was very professional and friendly. I highly recommend Turkey Travel Centre, particularly for someone visiting Turkey solo and for the first time.

If you are visiting Turkey and you want a complete and an utterly enjoyable experience I don't think you could beat booking with the Turkey Travel Centre. Michael and Mukbule are the consummate professionals. Everything went like clockwork and unforeseen changes to our itinerary due to the weather, were managed efficiently and effectively. I could not fault their commitment and highly recommend the Turkey Travel Centre.

My wife and I just got back from our phenomenal 20 day trip to Turkiye. Michael Altan at the Turkey Travel Centre (TTC) was fantastic to deal from the very beginning. We took his 15 day Captivating Turkey Tour and modified it by added 5 more nights to also see Bodrum, Aphrodisias (which is incredible), Telmessos, Termessos (also unbelievable and 1000 meters in the sky), Priene, Miletus, Didyma and the Ancient City of Myra (now called Demre) 45 kilometers east of Kas. Two of the extra days were in Istanbul before the tour started and ended. For some relax time. We added an extra night in Kusadasi and 2 extra nights in Bodrum. Pro tip. Bodrum is beautiful and our hotel had an epic water view. There is a small ancient Roman theatre (tiyatro in Turkish) in Bodrum as well as the ancient city walls, the Myndos Gate and of course the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Once we paid for the trip in full, about 20 days before we left Canada, we received an email from Makbule who is Michael's 24 hour contact in Istanbul. We exchanged mobile numbers and then we connected via WhatsApp. We messaged a few times a day. She always responded immediately. Like a Bat Phone. When they say you will be picked up at 7:00AM the driver is always there a few minutes early, never late. I learned so much about Greek and Roman history, as well as the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires. I can unequivocally say that I learned more about World War 1 than I ever knew before because of our visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula. I also was uninformed about Ataturk and the War of Turkish Independence from 1919-1923 which created the current Republic of Turkiye. The guides and tours that TTC arranged were always in English by local guides who were all extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of wherever we were visiting. Most of our tour turned out to be just my wife and I with a guide and a driver. All of the drivers were great by the way. Once we arrived in Antalya the next day tour to Perge, Aspendos and Side was with a group of 13. The 2 tours in Cappadocia were small groups of 6 and 10. Other than that it was just my wife and I. Michael Altan will arrange your tour no matter the size of your party or the date that you want to travel. We were just 2 people. Michael will do it for 1 or 20. He will help you to custom design any tour in Turkiye. Michael, Makbue and TTC can be trusted to over deliver. We paid a 33% deposit to secure the pricing and the balance 20 days before the trip started. All of our accommodations that TTC arranged were stupendous, especially the MDC Cave Hotel (Cappadocia), the Ephesus Villa (Kusadasi), the Dosso Dossi Old City Hotel (Istanbul) and the Senses (Bodrum). The breakfasts were all very good with copious amounts of delicious options and large portions including endless coffee and tea. We were never disappointed with any of the breakfasts or the lunches that TTC arranged for us. All of the staff at all of the hotels that we stayed at were exceptional. Incredible service everywhere from everyone. All of the drivers and guides that Michael and Makbule contracted for us were extremely professional and knowledgeable about our wants, needs and itinerary. We were in safe hands at all times. We were blessed to see so much of Turkiye during our 20 day stay: Istanbul, the Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale, Troy, Pergamon, Kusadasi, Ephesus together with the Temple of Artemis (one of the seven ancient wonders of the world), Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Aphrodisias, Hierapolis, Pamukkale, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (another of the seven ancient wonders of the world) in Bodrum, Telemessos (in modern day Fethiye), Kas, the Lycian rock tombs in Myra (outside of Demre), Termessos (the only city Alexander the Great could not conquer), Antalya, Perge, Aspendos, Side and last but certainly not least Cappadocia before heading back to Istanbul for 2 nights before our long trip back to Vancouver. We loved looking at the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus Strait (connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara which forms a natural continental boundary between Asia and Europe) as well as the Mediterranean Sea on our travels. The Red River in the Ihlani Valley was also very beautiful. It is the longest river solely within Turkiye and there are 50-100 early Christian churches and many other buildings dotting the rock cut canyon walls. In the 7th century AD, the valley was settled by Byzantine monks. The early Christians dug their churches and houses out of the soft rock. The Ihlani valley walk was about a 1 hour walk and well worth it. However they will take you around by your private vehicle if you do not want to walk it. The Kursunlu waterfall on the Aksu was a nice touch. Our vacation was epic and indescribably exceptionally enjoyable. It was nice never having to worry about our luggage or how we were traveling to the next location. We always had private transfers with registered Travel Agencies arranged by TTC. They never provided taxis. However we did take some taxis on our "rest" days in Bodrum and Kas. The hotels were always able to arrange taxis for us if we wanted. Thank you Michael, Makbule and TTC. I will go back to Turkiye and I will definitely contact Michael at TTC to make the arrangements. Paul and Virginia

Dear Michael and Makbule I would like to say that my mother and I had a fantastic time in Türkiye. From our initial contact with Michael, who patiently addressed all our questions prior to booking, through to Makbule, whilst on tour, we found the whole process easy and great value for money. The itinerary was well organized and executed. As well, the flexibility offered to customize some of it allowed us to experience all the highlights without being rushed. The customer service provided by Makbule , whilst we were in Türkiye is worthy of a special mention as on two days, due to public holidays and weather conditions our itinerary needed to be modified to ensure our experience was of the highest quality. Makbule successfully and efficiently re arranged our program and provided regular updates. Communication always was of the highest standard and we missed nothing! We loved Türkiye, The sights were amazing and the people delightful. There is still so much to see, and we will be back. Thank you.

The Best of Turkey tour was amazing. Thank you very much for your responsive reply to all our queries. The management of the tour was very professional and well organised. It was pleasant to experience the seamless communication among the travel agent, tour guides, accommodation reception and transfers who were across our schedules. Everyone was hospitable and the tour guides were fabulous, sharing their knowledge of the places of interest and the local cuisine. The itinerary was comfortable and well coordinated. We loved the places visited. Thanks for arranging the optional hot air balloon activity, which was a breathtaking experience. Overall the tour was unforgettable, and we had a wonderful family experience.

What a fantastic experience! We did the the Grand Tour with a few rest days added in along the way. The hotels, the tours, the transport; all first class. All the tour guides were knowledgeable and courteous; what more could you ask for? The in-country co-ordination led by Makbule was superb. No stress, everything ran like clockwork. Highlights for us: All of it, but if I had to choose, the balloon flight over Cappadocia :) and the Gulet cruise to Marmaris were extra special. Thank you Michael and Makbule, you made our trip a totally memorable one.

A fantastic tour of Turkey Absolutely the best experience of the country. Great organisation of the tour, best tour guides. Faultless seamless transport and accommodation. Customer service supplied by Makbule was exemplary. Could not recommend highly enough.

To Michael and Makbule. I thank you for our most wonderful trip to Turkey, it provided us a great insight into the people of Turkey, the regions, the culture and the rich history. The accommodation, transfers, guides and tours were excellent along with the coordination and communication of the same by Makbule on a daily basis. We had no issues at all during the whole trip. This was one of the most memorable trips we have had and would recommend to anyone. Thanks to the team at the Travel Turkey Centre.