Premium Turkey

Just as a heads up before you book: this trip is new to our range this year. And while we have thoroughly researched every detail of the logistics, new destinations can sometimes throw us some unexpected surprises. More often than not, it’ll be a great surprise. But every now and again there might be a hiccup. We like to think that’s what puts the ‘adventure’ in ‘adventure travel’.

1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room?on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip?and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.?
3. This trip includes domestic flights. The luggage allowance is 15kg for check in luggage and 8kg for carry on. You can store excess luggage at the start point hotel.
 

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible, ensuring that you are able to carry and lift your own luggage and walk with it for short distances or up or down a flight of stairs. Help will be on hand in most locations, but there may be times you need to handle your own luggage, for example in airports and train stations.

A lockable suitcase with wheels is ideal for this trip. It is recommended that you keep your main luggage weight around 15kg and certainly no more than 20kg. A small or medium-sized backpack (45-50 litres) is another good option.

You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water, camera, jacket, etc. when you’re exploring during the day.

Below is a link to our ultimate packing list, a guide to get you started:, https://www.intrepidtravel.com/packing-list

Meroddi Barnathan Hotel, Şahkulu Mahallesi Tımarcı Sokak No: 1 34421 Beyoglu, Istanbul, TURKEY, Phone: +90 2123406434

Alternate Joining Point

An airport arrival transfer is included. Please advise your flight arrival details, including which airport in Istanbul, at least 14 days prior to your departure. If you plan to arrive earlier, this arrival transfer can only be offered in conjunction with pre trip accommodation booked through Intrepid.

There are two international airports servicing Istanbul. Istanbul Airport (IST) is 50kms/30miles northwest of central Istanbul, on the European side. Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) is 50kms/30miles southeast of central Istanbul, on the Asian side. From either airport you can take a metered taxi to the joining point hotel. The taxi fare will cost approx. TRY700-900.

Arriving at Istanbul Airport (IST)
For your confirmed arrival transfer, please collect your luggage and proceed to Gate 8 in the arrival hall. Exit through Gate 8 and on the lefthand side you’ll see our representative holding an Intrepid sign. Our representative will then advise the driver to come upon meeting you. Due to airport regulations, drivers have to wait offsite so you will need to wait for a short period of time before they arrive at the pick-up area. Once the driver arrives, the transfer representative will escort you to meet the driver (two floors down).
In case you have trouble locating our airport representative, please call our local emergency number listed in the Essential Trip Information document.
The journey from the airport to the hotel will take approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour but can increase to 90 minutes or more during rush hour.

Arriving at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)
For your confirmed arrival transfer, you will need to exit from the international terminal and cross the road between Column 9 and Column 10 to “Simit Sarayı” bakery. Once there you will our representer holding an Intrepid sign Our representative will then advise the driver to come upon meeting you. Due to airport regulations, drivers have to wait offsite so you will need to wait for a short period of time before they arrive at the pick-up area.
In case you have trouble locating our airport representative, please call our local emergency number listed in the Essential Trip Information document.
The journey from the airport to the hotel will take approximately 60 to 90 minutes but can increase to 2 hours or more during rush hour.

Aya Hotel, Karağandere, Sucuoğlu-1. Sk. No:6,, Cappadocia, Nevsehir, TURKEY

Alternate Finish Point

Intrepid can assist with pre-booking a departure transfer to the airport - enquire with your agent. Please advise your flight details, including which airport in the region, at least 14 days prior to the start of your trip.
If you have pre-booked a departure transfer your leader will advise your pick up time the day before your trip ends.

Taxi fare from your hotel to the airport will cost approx. TRY1500-2000. Please ask your leader or hotel staff for assistance in arranging a taxi.

Departing from Kayseri Airport (ASR) or Departing from Nevsehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV)
There are shuttle services available to the airport from your hotel.

Breakfasts included: 7

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 3

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. If you have dietary requirements and/or food allergies, please let your booking agent know prior to departure.

Your group leader or local representative will endeavour to cater to specific dietary requirements where possible, and vegetarianism and gluten intolerance will be catered for in most instances. There are, however some meals and activities that are fixed in advance and therefore cannot be modified to suit dietary requirements.

Please notify your booking consultant of any dietary requirements at the time of booking. For those suffering from particular food allergies, your group leader or local representative will endeavour to disclose to their fullest knowledge the main ingredients in dishes being consumed. It is, however, your personal responsibility to ensure that you do not ingest any foods to which you are allergic.

Turkey is a large country split into seven regions. As a rule of thumb the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have typical Mediterranean climates with hot summers and mild, wet winters. In the east it is more mountainous with warm summers and very cold, snowy winters. Central Turkey (Cappadocia), has low rainfall, very dry, hot summers and very cold winters. Istanbul and coastal centres can experience very high humidity.

Winter (November to March) can be very cold. Not all of our hotels have heating so consider bringing thermals, a scarf, gloves and a warm jacket for travel in this period. Summer (June to August) can be very hot. Not all of our hotels have air-conditioning, and in those that do it's not always functioning. Please consider the seasons when planning your trip.

RAMADAN
The important month of Ramadan will be in progress 10 March to 08 April 2024 and 1 March to 30 March 2025 and  and the Eid ul-Fitr festival will be held directly at its conclusion for 3-4 days. Ramadan is a festival of sacrifice where the devout refrain from eating or drinking during daylight hours. During Ramadan, business hours are shortened, including opening hours at some tourist attractions. Alcohol is not permitted during daylight hours and many restaurants will be closed. While you should expect some delays and inconveniences during this period, the month is a fantastic opportunity to travel in a Muslim country and witness this unique period, particularly the nightly celebrations when the sun sets and the fast is broken. Please note that although the Eid ul-Fitr festival can also be a fascinating time to travel it's a period of national holiday. Most government offices and businesses will be closed and some tourist site opening hours may be affected.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/contact/

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Intrepid Turkey Office: 0850 309 68 76

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.