Allow $275-$360 USD for meals. Eating is a big part of traveling. On this tour, you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food. Generally meals are not included in the trip price when there is a choice of eating options, to give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat. It also gives you more budgeting flexibility, though generally food is cheap. Our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There is no obligation to do this though. Your CEO will be able to suggest favourite restaurants during your trip.

Breakfasts

Turkish breakfasts are very different from your usual cereal and toast morning fare - when was the last time you had olives for breakfast?
They pretty much universally consist of large slices of fresh French style white bread accompanied by slices of tomato, cucumber, white and yellow cheeses, olives, jam and honey. This is accompanied by tea (which a Turk would always choose!) or coffee (which is pretty much always instant coffee)You will of course want to sample the famous Turkish coffee, but it is usually taken after a big lunch or dinner, or in the late afternoon with a pastry.While we think these breakfasts are absolutely delicious, some travellers do find them a bit repetitive and enjoy buying market fruit the day before and eating this for breakfast.

Lunches
Will usually be simple and on the run. They are a great chance to try Turkey's delicious and healthy array of fast foods.This may include, gozleme, a type of Turkish savory crepe, chorba, delicious lentil soup, and of course doner kebabs in both beef and chicken varieties. You won't want to miss the chance to try pide, Turkish pizza, and lahmucan - a thin crust pizza you fold greenery into. You may also find kumpir, Turkish stuffed potatoes.

Dinner
Most Turks start their dinners with a couple of mezes- small taster dishes such as grilled octopus, aubergine salad, and many more. You could also choose a soup made of fresh local ingredients. Main courses tend to be based around fresh seafood if you are near the coast (expect to pay around 15 lira for a whole fish)or the ubiquitous kebab- skewers of charcoaled meat which comes on bread with salad. There are plenty of variations of the kebab-many regions have their own speciality so be sure to ask your leader.

Desserts
Yum - its all about the sugar. Baklava (about 2 TKL a piece for the good stuff) is something of a national obsession and it is believed the best comes from the East. There are endless varieties of pastries and milk based deserts available and you are sure to spend at least some time in a Turkish bakery taste testing.

Snacks
Don't miss munching on a simit - a Turkish pretzel or perhaps some grilled sweet corn to get you through between meals.

Drinks
Tea, served in small tulip glasses, is the number one beverage of choice in Turkey. It is freshly brewed and a tea bag is a rare thing. Turkish coffee is wonderful thing to try. The national beer is named Efes and is very good (usually 4-5 TKL a bottle) Wine is made in Turkey and is getting better every year. Expect to pay around 6-7 liras for a glass in a restaurant. Water is approximately 1 TRL for a 1.5 litre bottle, soft drinks and juices are around 2-3 TRL.

On this trip you can expect to stay in small family-run hotels or pensions (with the exception of the start and finish hotels, which are often larger city hotels), which will vary a little in standard and facilities: some may not have elevators, air-conditioning or English-speaking staff, but most importantly all are locally-run, with some traditional character, and in excellent central locations to give you maximum time for exploring the sights. You can expect to find clean, safe, simple accommodation in convenient locations.

Village Stay:
During our village stay we aim to give you the experience of life with a local family. We use two houses with each room sleeping up to three people and sharing the family bathroom. All bedding is provided. In the evening we gather together to enjoy a meal of fresh, local produce with the menu dependent on what is in season.

Overnight Boat:
This is a multi-share night on board a typical boat, mattresses will be put on the floor and you will be provided with bedding. There is one passenger toilet and one shower inside and one outside, both are shared. There is no hot water on board. No towels will be provided. Overnight on board the boat will take place between May and October only and will depend on weather conditions even then. The rest of the year and when the weather does not permit sleeping onboard, you will stay in a local hotel.

Ayvalik:
Located in a restored Ottoman house, our family-run pension is always a highlight for our travellers. This accommodation has shared bathroom facilities and some rooms may be multi-share.

For details of your joining hotel please refer to your tour voucher.

A metered taxi from Istanbul Airport to the hotel will cost around:

Yellow Taxi:180-200 TL (Around 22-25 USD)

Turquoise Taxi: 200 – 220 TL (Around 24-27 USD)

Black Luxury Taxi: 350 – 370 TL (Around 40-43 USD)

It is possible to take the shuttle bus ''HAVAIST'' from the Istanbul Airport to the old city. The closest HAVAIST stop to our hotel is BEYAZIT. Our hotel is around a 20-25 min walk from BEYAZIT SQUARE. From BEYAZIT SQUARE, you can follow the tram line and walk through CEMBERLITAS, SULTANAHMET, and GULHANE tram stops. After the GULHANE tram stop, you will see the tram line is making a left. But you will need to continue walking straight and follow TAYA HATUN SOKAK to the end. Once you reach the end, a new street starts to the left, called ISTASYON ARKASI SOKAK. The hotel will be on this street, on your left after the Police Station.

You can find the bus schedule from here https://www.hava.ist/en

You will be on the move a lot, so our advice is to pack as lightly as possible. We highly recommend using a backpack or light sports bag, whichever you find easiest to carry, plus a small daypack. Luggage space on public transport is limited. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them between transport and hotels (max. 15-20 minutes walking), hopping on and off trains and public buses and up and down stairs.

Packing List
Conservative Dress:
• Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (Long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)
• Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)

Documents:
• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
• Required visas or vaccination certificates (required) (With photocopies)
• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)

Essentials:
• Binoculars (optional)
• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)
• Cash, credit and debit cards
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)
• Ear plugs
• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Fleece top/sweater
• Footwear
• Hat
• Locks for bags
• Long pants/jeans
• Moneybelt
• Outlet adapter
• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)
• Reusable water bottle
• Shirts/t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Toiletries (Preferably biodegradable)
• Watch and alarm clock
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Windproof rain jacket

Health & Safety:
• Face masks (required)
• Hand sanitizer (required)
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Rubber gloves

Warm Weather:
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)
• Sun hat/bandana
• Swimwear

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Visas cannot be arranged upon arrival into Turkey. Passengers travelling to Turkey for tourism or trade must purchase an electronic visa prior to entering the country. This electronic visa has replaced the “sticker” and “stamp-type” visas issued at Turkish points of entry.

This e-visa can be obtained by visiting the website: www.evisa.gov.tr.

Your passport must be valid for 6 months on the date that you enter Turkey. Length of validity of your visa is dependent on your nationality, but is commonly 3 months.

For country specific visa information we recommend the following link: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

Yes. It is customary in Turkey to leave a small tip for service providers, such as waiters, if you are pleased with the service ($1-2). Tipping is an expected - though not compulsory - component of your tour program and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. There are several times during the trip where there is opportunity to tip the local guides. You may do this individually, or your CEO will offer to collect the money and tip as a group. Recommendations for tipping drivers would range from $5-10 USD per week depending on the quality of the service.

It is advisable to drink bottled water in Turkey.

While visiting mosques and other religious monuments you should dress modestly, cover your shoulders and you shouldn't wear short shorts or skirts. Outside of capital cities and the more touristic centres, local dress is often more conservative and as a matter of respect we ask that both men and women are aware of this and recommend loose-fitting clothes with your shoulders covered. Ask your CEO for more specific advice.

Visit: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/absolute-turkey/7818/details/