Tolga Kanık

A two week tour covering northern Turkey from Istabul to Artvin.

A two week tour introducing you the extremely diverse Eastern Turkey. 

A two week tour soaked in culture and history to explore western Turkey.

Now’s the time to go: Fethiye’s pristine beaches and hidden coves are deserted this year / Pics by Emma Thomson

Tourism has collapsed in Turkey due to political upheaval over the past year. As the laptop ban gets underway, Emma Thomson visits Fethiye to take the pulse of a nation that’s fighting back

Published in The Independent. Words and photos copyright: Emma Thomson

You may reach the original article at www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/fethiye

EXPLORE ANNOUNCES ITS 2008 TOUR LEADERS AWARD WINNERS

Explore, the world’s leading small group adventure holiday company, recently announced its inaugural Tour Leader Awards winners. After a lengthy judging process, the top leader in each of four categories was chosen with an additional overall Tour Leader of the Year winner also selected. In a recent survey for Holiday Which magazine, Explore’s tour leaders achieved the highest mark in the survey with 86% of customers “Very Satisfied” with their tour rep.

The ancient Istanbul, added to world heritage list by UNESCO in 1985  is an enigmatic city where three Abrahamic religions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism have been in embrace for centuries.

We can put together a programme with you to explore the diversity of faiths in Istanbul by visiting the notable mosques, churches, cynagogues and other religious heritages of your choosing.

Please contact for further details. 

A market tour of Istanbul to discover the vibrant market streets and arcades of the old town.

Visit the Column of Constantine, Press Museum, Ottoman Royal Cemetery, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and Mahmutpasa Market District, Yeni (New) Mosque.

Please note: Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar are closed on Sundays and religious holidays.

Tour Duration:

5 Hours

Maximum number of people:

10

Tour Type:

Walking Only.

Tour Price:

Please contact for the tour price.

Tour Highlights:

We start our tour at the Sultanahmed Square. We will first have a walk up the Divanyolu street which was formely named “Mese”, the processional road back in the Byzantine period. En route, we will take a look at Column of Constantine, one of the unofficial symbols of Istanbul, Press Museum and the first library “Koprulu” of the Ottoman period and Ottoman royal cemetery. Then we will start our detailed visit in the Grand Bazaar’s endless number of streets. This colorful 15th century ottoman arcade ranks as one of the biggest in the world with 3600 shops and 20.000 employees. Leaving the Grand Bazaar behind we will hit the walking market streets of Istanbul. This vibrant district is called Mahmutpasa that covers the area between the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. The so called Spice Bazaar had long been a center for exotic spices and food like caviar delivered from the every corner of the world into the Ottoman capital. The complex of Yeni (new) Mosque and the next door Spice Bazaar were barely constructed in 66 years changing three chief architects and two mother queens due to financial insufficiencies. Yeni Mosque stands out as a living example of Ottoman late-classic period.

Tour Inclusions:

Guiding Services.

This tour can be further customized according to your interests by adding or dropping sights to make it more convenient for you. The price won’t change!

A comfortable air conditioned van with a driver to/from your hotel/airport can be arranged for this tour at an additional fee upon your request.

Tour Exclusions:

Tips, Lunch, Local Transport to/from the hotel Airport, Public Transport.

A detailed visit to the most notable museum in Istanbul. The complex is considered as one of the richest in the world as well. The world famous museum houses a number master pieces like the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great and the Tomb of the Crying Women.

Tour Duration:

4 Hours

Maximum number of people:

10

Tour Type:

Walking Only.

Tour Price:

Please contact for the tou price.

Tour Highlights:

Istanbul Museums of Achaeology was established in 1891 by Osman Hamdi Pasha who is deemed as the father of modern archaeology in Turkey.

We will start with the Museum of the Ancient Orient building talking about the archaic Mesopotamian and Anatolian civilizations. Then we will cover the garden and proceed into the main building with a vast collection of items brought from every corner of the former Ottoman territories. After this dense multi-cultural experience, we will move on to cover the final section, Museum of Islamic Art in the Tiled Kiosk to have a fiest for the eyes before we call it a day.

Tour Inclusions:

Guiding services.

A comfortable air conditioned van with a driver to/from your hotel/airport can be arranged for this tour at an additional fee upon your request.

Tour Exclusions:

Entrance Fees, Tips, Lunch, Local Transport to/from the hotel Airport.

A classic tour that covers both Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces, the most important imperial residences of the Ottoman Dynasty. A perfect tour if you only have one day in Istanbul.

Please note: Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday and Dolmabahce Palace on Monday and Thursday.

Tour Duration:

1 Day

Maximum number of people:

8

Tour Type:

Walking Only.

Tour Price:

Please contact for the tour price.

Tour Highlights:

We start our tour at the Sultanahmet Square. After a short walk we reach the beautiful fountain of Ahmet III. This monument is deemed as one of the first examples on baroque architecture in Istanbul. Then we start our step by step visit to Topkapi Palace complex which was the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years. It has the most beautiful views overlooking Istanbul and a massive collection on display including the Sacred Relics of Islam, Topkapi Dagger, The Arm of St. John The Baptist and Kasikci Diomond. After lunch, we take the public tram that follows a scenic route onto the Dolmabahçe Palace. The tram terminates two blocks before the palace so we have a pleasant short walk along the Bosphorus before we check in to the Palace. The exquisitely decorated Dolmabahce Palace upon the Bosphorus is the jewel in the crown of Istanbul that will take us back to the final period of the Ottoman history.

Tour Inclusions:

Guiding Fee.

This tour can be further customized according to your interests by adding or dropping sights to make it more convenient for you. The price won’t change!

This tour can be arranged by a comfortable airconditioned van with a driver to/from your hotel/airport at an additional fee upon your request.

Tour Exclusions:

Entrance Fees, Tips, Lunch, Dinner, Transport Arrangements, Public Transport Fee.