12 Days Grand Turkey Tour *Best Highlights

Traveler Reviews

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  Larry

  April 11th, 2026
  This review for City of Sultans 12 Days Grand Turkey Tour. My review is based on the dates March 29, 2026 through...
  This review for City of Sultans 12 Days Grand Turkey Tour. My review is based on the dates March 29, 2026 through April 9, 2026. The tour did not add up to a 5 Star experience. My grade is 3 stars based on the following: 1) The hotel accommodation in Istanbul, Legacy Ottoman Hotel, is far from a 5 star hotel. This hotel targets low cost tourist budgets and is in need of many improvements. I made my tour packager, On the Go Tours, aware of my concerns based on established reviews and was told after checking with City of Sultans that all issues at the hotel have been resolved. Not even close – the room assigned was dingy, poorly lit and the safe did not function. We waited 3 hours for the hotel staff to drill into and open the safe. The breakfast food is way below average. Eggs were cold and overall 2) Fortunately, City of Sultans changed our Istanbul hotel accommodations to the slightly better Hotel Amira for the final night of the tour. 3) The Best of Istanbul in 1 Day was disappointing. The tour guide went through the paces and persuaded us to skip Topkapi Palace due to wait times and renovations. 4) Tourist Trap carpet, leather goods, ceramic and jewelry . Each tour day, all tours had multiple stops at vendor locations. NOWHERE IN THE DOCUMENTATION DESCRIBING EACH DAY’S ACTIVITIES IS THERE MENTION OF TOURIST TRAP STOPS TO ATTEND SALES PRESENTAITONS. At least two hours a day are wasted and my research indicates the tour company and/or tour guide is paid a commission! 5) In Cappadocia we were placed in a bargain basement hotel which amounted to a bare mountain cabin. City of Sultans told us the hotel in the marketing materials, Fresco Caves, was under renovation. Funny, Booking.com showed room availability and we were stuck at the bare bones / dirty hotel for a night. City of Sultans changed out room for the last 2 nights. I feel we were placed in a way below marketed experience either for budget purposes or lack of care to details and concern for the tourist. All in all, I am disappointed in City of Sultans and highly recommend any tourist considering their tour packages to avoid this tour operator.Show more
  Traveled in April 2026
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Dear Larry, Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your experience. We truly value all feedback, especially when it highlights areas where we can improve. First and foremost, we sincerely regret that your tour did not meet your expectations. This is certainly not the standard of experience we aim to deliver. Regarding your stay in Istanbul, we are very sorry to hear about the issues you encountered at Legacy Ottoman Hotel. While we had been informed that prior concerns had been addressed, it is clear that your experience did not reflect this, and for that we apologize. We also regret the inconvenience caused by the issue with the in-room safe and the delay in resolving it. Your comments about the breakfast quality have been noted and will be shared directly with the hotel management for immediate review. We are pleased that the change to Hotel Amira for your final night provided some improvement, though we understand this does not fully make up for the earlier experience. With respect to the Istanbul tour, we understand your disappointment regarding Topkapi Palace. At times, our guides may suggest adjustments due to factors such as long queues or partial closures in order to make the best use of the day; however, we agree that such decisions should always be clearly communicated and aligned with guest expectations. Regarding the shopping stops, we sincerely apologize if these felt excessive or were not properly communicated in advance. While brief visits to local artisan workshops are included to showcase traditional crafts, they are intended to be optional and not detract from the overall experience. Your feedback is extremely valuable here, and we will be reviewing both the frequency and how these stops are presented to our guests. In Cappadocia, we regret the confusion and dissatisfaction regarding the hotel arrangements. Occasionally, operational constraints may require us to use alternative accommodations; however, these should always be of a comparable standard. It is clear that this was not your perception, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. We are glad that we were able to improve your accommodation for the remaining nights, though we understand the initial experience left a negative impression. Please rest assured that your comments have been taken seriously and will be shared internally with our operations team and partners to ensure improvements are made. We genuinely appreciate your feedback and regret that we fell short of delivering the 5-star experience you expected. We hope there may be an opportunity to restore your confidence in us in the future. Kind regards, City of Sultans Team

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  Dmitry

  March 2nd, 2026
  I’m the type who worries about details. Having a dedicated WhatsApp line where no question felt stupid made this trip...
  I’m the type who worries about details. Having a dedicated WhatsApp line where no question felt stupid made this trip so much easier. Day by day, step by step, perfectly explained. Some mornings we rushed, some mornings we took it slow, but breakfast was always ready. Evenings we treated like mini adventures of our own. Fantastic planning.Show more
  Traveled in October 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Jovita

  March 2nd, 2026
  I wasn’t planning to buy a leather jacket in Istanbul, but I’m so glad I did. Our guide pointed us to reliable shops...
  I wasn’t planning to buy a leather jacket in Istanbul, but I’m so glad I did. Our guide pointed us to reliable shops and even gave tips about quality and typical price ranges. That helped a lot because bargaining can feel intimidating at first. The store owners were respectful, offered tea, and explained the differences between models. I compared prices with what we have back home and honestly, the value was excellent for real leather. No pressure, just good guidance and fair negotiation. Walked away with a jacket I love — and I know I paid the right price.Show more
  Traveled in September 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Sarah

  March 2nd, 2026
  We came curious and left deeply moved. From Istanbul to Cappadocia, Antalya to Kusadasi, every day felt meaningful....
  We came curious and left deeply moved. From Istanbul to Cappadocia, Antalya to Kusadasi, every day felt meaningful. What stayed with us most wasn’t only the history it was how welcomed we felt everywhere we went. Turkey lives in our hearts nowShow more
  Traveled in August 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Patricia

  March 2nd, 2026
  From the moment we booked until the day we flew home, the communication was simply outstanding. Before we even...
  From the moment we booked until the day we flew home, the communication was simply outstanding. Before we even arrived in Turkey, the team created a private WhatsApp group for us. I didn’t realize how important that would be, but it ended up being one of the best parts of the whole experience. Everyday they sent the plan for the next day pickup times, guide info, little reminders. It meant we never went to sleep wondering what would happen in the morning. And I ask a alot of questions. Sometimes late at night, sometimes things that probably sounded unnecessary. Every single time, they answered quickly, politely, and clearly. Never once did I feel like a bother. When we landed at the airport, the driver was exactly where they said he would be. After a long international flight, that kind of reliability is priceless. No searching, no stress just straight to the hotel. Thank to City of Sultans team.Show more
  Traveled in August 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  David

  March 2nd, 2026
  My partner and I are history people. We read before we travel, we watch documentaries, we arrive with questions, and...
  My partner and I are history people. We read before we travel, we watch documentaries, we arrive with questions, and honestly we are not easy to impress. Pretty views are nice, but we want context, layers, stories. Istanbul, what struck us first was how the past is not separated from the present. Standing between empires, religions, trade routes, hearing how everything connects it stopped being a city and became a living timeline. We would finish a visit and then spend dinner debating what we had learned. Cappadocia felt almost unreal. Underground cities, cave churches, landscapes shaped by centuries of survival at one point my partner whispered, “How is this even real?” We had both seen photos for years, but understanding why people lived there changed everything.Antalya surprised us in a different way. After so much intense history, walking through the old streets and then suddenly opening up to the Mediterranean felt like the world reminding us to breathe. But Kusadasi… that was the day we will talk about for the rest of our lives. Walking those ancient roads together, imagining who had walked them before us, it became strangely emotional. We held hands most of the time, not because it was romantic, but because it felt grounding like we were tiny in the best possible way. What made this journey exceptional was the depth of explanation. Nothing felt rushed, nothing felt memorized, and every answer led to another question. Exactly what curious travelers hope for. On our final evening back in Istanbul, we sat with tea and realized how rare it is to travel somewhere and come home feeling smarter, not just entertained. If you love history, if you want meaning behind the monuments, if you want to feel connected to the past rather than just photograph it this is the way to do it. We arrived as tourists. We left as students of a civilization.Show more
  Traveled in August 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Samantha

  March 2nd, 2026
  Traveling with aging parents always comes with a quiet layer of worry. You want them to see the world, to enjoy new...
  Traveling with aging parents always comes with a quiet layer of worry. You want them to see the world, to enjoy new places, to feel alive and curious… but you also know that energy can run out suddenly. Things can change in minutes. First part of the trip everything went beautifully. Smooth transfers, thoughtful pacing, kind people everywhere. I began to relax. Then one afternoon, it happened. We had been walking for a while and my mother suddenly felt dizzy. Nothing dramatic, but enough that I felt that wave of panic children feel when their parent needs help. Before I could even fully process what to do, our guide was already next to her. A seat appeared. Water appeared. The walking stopped. The tone changed from touring to caring.No stress, no annoyance, no feeling that we were “slowing the group.” Just calm professionalism and genuine concern.They gave her time. They kept checking how she felt. They reorganized the rest of the visit without making it look like a reorganization. Somehow the day continued, but at her rhythm.Within an hour she was smiling again, embarrassed about the attention, insisting she was fine.But I will never forget what that moment meant to me.I realized we were not managing this trip alone.Someone else had taken responsibility with us.After that day, my mindset changed completely. I slept better. I enjoyed more. I stopped constantly watching my parents with anxiety.In Antalya, I saw my mother walking by the sea, relaxed.In Kusadasi, my father was joking with the guide, full of energy again.And when we returned to Istanbul for our last night, my mother hugged me and said, “I felt protected.”If you travel with elderly parents, you know those words are everything.This team did not only show us Turkey. They carried the emotional weight of traveling with family, and they did it with grace. We will remember this journey for the rest of our lives, not only for what we saw, but for how cared for we felt when it mattered most.Show more
  Traveled in August 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Owen

  March 2nd, 2026
  Rooms not huge but clean and functional. Cozy atmosphere, especially in Cappadocia. I woke up late. My fault...
  Rooms not huge but clean and functional. Cozy atmosphere, especially in Cappadocia. I woke up late. My fault completely. I texted City Of Sultans expecting bad news. Instead they coordinated with guide and I caught up with the group at the next stop. Nobody made me feel guilty. That kindness changed my entire attitude for the rest of the trip.Show more
  Traveled in August 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Terrence

  March 2nd, 2026
  I am used to organizing my own trips, and honestly I expected to feel a bit dependent. Instead, I felt supported. Big...
  I am used to organizing my own trips, and honestly I expected to feel a bit dependent. Instead, I felt supported. Big difference. Kemal guided us wonderfully through Istanbul, yet every evening we knew the operations team was there too. We asked random things restaurant ideas, timing questions, even shopping advice and someone always answered kindly. Yagiz once wrote, “Please remember you are not alone there.” It sounds simple, but in a foreign country it means everything.Show more
  Traveled in July 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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  Pooja

  March 2nd, 2026
  We are experienced travelers, and we know that even good tours can feel impersonal. Not this one. Kemal guided us...
  We are experienced travelers, and we know that even good tours can feel impersonal. Not this one. Kemal guided us through Istanbul with patience and humor, adjusting the day naturally. But what truly changed our perception was receiving a welcome note from Ozgur at City Of Sultans. It may sound small, but when a General Manager checks on your comfort personally, you feel protected. Later in the week we had a tiny request about pickup timing. It was solved immediately, and Ozgur followed up again to confirm. This is not mass tourism. This is responsibility.Show more
  Traveled in June 2024

  Review collected by City of Sultans
  

  Reply from: City of Sultans

  Thank you very much for your kind words, we will be glad to host you here again in the future.

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