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Once you are satisfied with your itinerary os services selected, you can book directly from our website or email our travel specialists. For packages, we will request a minimum 30% deposit to confirm all reservations, we provide a secure credit card form to safely send your credit card details. Once your deposit is received, we will confirm all details of your itinerary and email you the travel voucher within 7 business days.  The balance due can be paid at any time prior to arrival – or if you will be in Cappadocia during your travels, we can arrange that you pay your balance at our office in Goreme. In our office we accept all major currencies for cash payments, as well as Visa, MasterCard and AMEX. For tours and activities booked directly through our website, we request full payment on booking. Please read our general terms and conditions for our cancelation policy.

The official currency of Turkey is the Turkish Lira (TRY). While traveling around Turkey it is advisable to use Turkish Lira “on the street” (cafes, shopping, taxis, etc) – as you will get the best exchange rate and value. Many shops, restaurants, hotels accept other currency but they do not always use the most advantageous exchange rate for guests. All ATM (bank machines) and currency offices dispense Turkish Lira as well as other currencies. We quote most of our rates in Euros. If you want to know our prices in currencies other than Euro, please email our travel specialists.For payments on your arrival in Turkey we accept all major currencies for cash payments.

Turkey is a vast country with many of the main sightseeing areas separated by hundreds of kilometers. Fortunately, there are many transportation alternatives to make getting from one location to the next easy for travelers.

Flights: There are many airlines operating domestically in Turkey and all the major airports and main tourisitic sites are connected by flights. Please send us an email with your flight plans and dates and our travel experts will check the best routes, rates and availability. We also offer airport transfers for most airports to/from your hotel. Please check our Airport transfer page for more information.

Train Routes: Turkey offers a few popular and convenient train routes like the Ankara Express, a modern speed train operating between Istanbul and Ankara, or the Dogu Express, a scenic journey from Ankara to the East. Please send us an email with your travel plans and dates and we can check rates and availability.

Bus Transportation in Turkey: The bus system in Turkey is both a convenient and affordable way to travel the long distances between locations. Buses are available for overnight travel or day travel. All buses are large, modern and with facilities on board such as coffee and tea. The buses make scheduled stops at large rest areas offering toilets, restaurants and convenience shops. Please send us an email with your travel plans and dates and we can check rates and availability.

Rental Cars: Rental cars are a convenient way to travel on your own schedule. We can arrange rental cars throughout Turkey. Please note that gas/petrol rates are high in Turkey and drop off fees apply if leaving the car in a different location. Rental cars are most affordable when renting for a few days in each location. Please send us an email with your travel plans and dates and we can check rates and availability.

Private Driver and Transport: We can also arrange a driver and vehicle for a one day tour or we can arrange a private transfer from one city to another. Please send us an email with the number of people, the locations and the dates and we can check the rates and options available.

We highly recommend supplementing your holiday plans with travel insurance. Although we do not provide travel insurance and we are in no way affiliated with any insurance companies, our guests have found it useful to have travel insurance in case of illnesses, sudden cancellations or “acts of God”.  There are many online companies that offer affordable insurance policies – many combine “trip cancellation, lost baggage, airline delays, etc” policies with “medical evacuation and emergency” policies. One useful link is www.insuremytrip.com (other companies can be found by doing a basic search on Google.)

You can also check with your bank or credit card companies to see what additional insurance is offered when using their card. 

Travel visas are required for many nationalities and must be applied online before your trip to Turkey. You can find more information on travel visas here: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

1. Research the region you are visiting and familiarize yourself with local procedures.

2. Make sure you have more than enough time on your passport. Foreigners wishing to enter Turkey should carry a travel document (passport) with an expiration date at least 60 days beyond the “duration of stay” of their visa, e-Visa, visa exemption, or residence permit.

3. Keep an up-to-date list of local emergency phone numbers, as well as contact numbers for your nearest Embassy, Consulate, or Consular Agency.

4. Email yourself photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license, and the credit cards you plan to take. 

5. Obtain travel insurance prior to your trip to cover unexpected medical expenses in the event of an emergency.

As in any part of the world where tourism is one of the main industries, tipping is common for services performed. The amount of the tip (if any) is at the discretion of the giver, generally 5-20% is common for services well performed. In the past it was not very common for tips to be given in Turkey, however, with the influx of tourism over the past few decades, tipping is customary in the main tourism regions of Turkey (eg. Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, the coastal areas, etc).

January and February

Winter. Major sites including İstanbul are empty of crowds, local and foreign. It's time to hit the slopes: the Turkish ski season begins at half a dozen resorts across the country, including Cappadocia's Erciyes Dağı (Mt Erciyes), Uludağ (near Bursa), Palandöken (near Erzurum) and Sarıkamış, near Kars. Goes from mid November to early April. After skiing on Mount Erciyes, you could head west and see central Cappadocia's fairy chimneys looking even more magical under a layer of snow. Eastern Anatolia is also covered in a white blanket, but temperatures are brutally low.

March

As in the preceding months, you might have sights to yourself outside the country's top destinations, and you can get discounts at accommodation options that are open.

Çanakkale Deniz Zaferi

On 18 March Turks descend on the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula and Çanakkale to celebrate what they call the Çanakkale Naval Victory – and commemorate the WWI campaign's 130,000 fatalities. The area, particularly the Turkish memorials in the southern peninsula, is thronged with visitors.

İzmir European Jazz Festival

This jazz festival fills the Aegean city with a high-profile lineup of European and local performers. Gigs, workshops, seminars and a garden party make this a lively time for jazz lovers to visit.

April

Spring time. April and May are high season in Turkey. Not a great month to get a tan in northern Turkey, but you can enjoy balmy, breezy weather in the southwest.

Alaçatı Herb Festival

The Alaçatı Herb Festival is a great time to visit the culinary-minded Aegean town, home to many fine restaurants and boutique hotels.

İstanbul Tulip Festival

İstanbul's parks and gardens are resplendent with tulips, which originated in Turkey before being exported to the Netherlands during the Ottoman era. Multicoloured tulips are often planted to resemble the Turks' cherished 'evil eye'. Flowers bloom from late March or early April.

Anzac Day, Gallipoli Peninsula

On 25 April the WWI battles for the Dardanelles are commemorated and the Allied soldiers remembered. Antipodean pilgrims sleep at Anzac Cove before the dawn services; a busy time on the peninsula.

May

Another good month to visit. Shoulder season continues outside İstanbul, with attendant savings, but spring is flirting with summer and the Aegean and Mediterranean beaches are heating up.

Windsurfing,

Alaçatı In Turkey's windsurfing centre, Alaçatı, the season begins in mid-May. The protected Aegean bay hosts the Windsurf World Cup in August and the season winds down in early November, when many of the eight resident schools close.

Uluslararasi Bursa Festivali, Bursa

The International Bursa Festival, the city's 2½-week music and dance jamboree, features diverse regional and world music, plus an international headliner or two. Free performances are offered and tickets for top acts are around ₺40. Begins in mid-May.

Cappadox Festival,

Uçhisar Cappadocia's three-day arts festival merges music, nature walks, art exhibitions, yoga and gastronomy into an extravaganza of Turkish contemporary culture, highlighting the area's natural beauty.

June

Summer. Shoulder season in İstanbul and high season elsewhere until the end of August. Expect sizzling temperatures, higher hotel prices and crowds at sights.

Cherry Season

June is the best month to gobble Turkey's delicious cherries, which Giresun introduced to the rest of the world. Founded more than 2000 years ago as the Greek colony of Cerasus (Kerasos), the Black Sea town's ancient name means 'cherry' in Greek.

İstanbul Music Festival

Probably Turkey's most important arts festival, featuring performances of opera, dance, orchestral concerts and chamber recitals. Acts are often internationally renowned and the action takes place at atmosphere-laden venues such as Aya İrini, the Byzantine church in the Topkapı Palace grounds. Historic Kırkpınar

Oil Wrestling Festival,

Edirne In a sport dating back over 650 years, brawny pehlivan (wrestlers) from across Turkey rub themselves from head to foot with olive oil and grapple. Late June or early July.

July

This month and August turn the Aegean and Mediterranean tourist heartlands into sun-and-fun machines, and temperatures peak across the country. The blue skies bring out the best in the hot-blooded Turkish personality.

Mountain Walking

Between the Black Sea coast and the Anatolian steppe, the snow clears from the passes in the Kaçkar Mountains (Kaçkar Dağları), allowing multiday treks and sublime yaylalar (highland pastures) views in July and August. www.cultureroutesinturkey.com.

Music Festivals

Turkey enjoys a string of summer music jamborees, including highbrow festivals in İstanbul, Bursa and İzmir. The cities host multiple pop, rock, jazz and dance music events, while summer playgrounds such as Alaçatı and the Bodrum Peninsula turn into mini-Ibizas.

August

Even at night, the weather is hot and humid; pack sun cream and anti-mosquito spray. Walking and activities are best tackled early in the morning or at sunset.

Cappadocian Festivals

Two festivals take place in the land of fairy chimneys (rock formations). A summer series of chamber music concerts are held in the valleys and, from 16 to 18 August, sleepy Hacıbektaş comes alive with the annual pilgrimage of Bektaşı dervishes.

September

İstanbul's second high season begins; elsewhere, it's shoulder season – temperatures, crowds and prices lessen. Accommodation and activities, such as boat trips, begin winding down for the winter.

Aspendos Opera & Ballet Festival

The internationally acclaimed Aspendos Opera & Ballet Festival takes place in this atmospheric Roman theatre near Antalya (June or late August and September). Diving The water is warmest from May to October and you can expect water temperatures of 25°C in September.

Turkey's scuba-diving

Centre is Kaş on the Mediterranean, with operators also found in Marmaris, Bodrum, Kuşadası and Ayvalık on the Aegean.

October

Autumn is truly here; outside İstanbul, many accommodation options have shut for the winter. Good weather is unlikely up north, but the Mediterranean and Aegean experience fresh, sunny days.

Walking

The weather in eastern Anatolia has already become challenging by this time of year, but in the southwest, autumn and spring are the best seasons to enjoy the scenery without too much sweat on your brow. See www.trekkinginturkey.com and www.cariantrail.com.

November

Even on the coastlines, summer is a distant memory. Rain falls on İstanbul and the Black Sea, southern resort towns are deserted and eastern Anatolia starts to see the snow.

December

Turks fortify themselves against the cold with hot çay and hearty kebaps. Most of the country is chilly and wet or icy, although the western Mediterranean is milder and day walks there are viable. A surrogate Christmas takes place across the Islamic country, with decorations, exchanges of gifts and greeting cards. New Year's Eve is highly celebrated around the country, despite the cold nights.Over Christmas and New Year, accommodation fills up and prices rise.

Enjoy your travels...