Design Your Own Trip to Turkey
Photo credit: Steven Orvis
Handcrafted, Private Tours to Turkey
Overview
You want to do things your way. We get it. MIR has been planning custom, private tours from scratch for over three decades, and we understand just how important flexibility is in travel.
Traveling privately on a custom private tour affords a great deal of flexibility – flexibility to immerse yourself in your own exclusive experience, to craft an itinerary around your interests, to go at your own pace, and to travel when it’s right for you.
How does it work? We’ll connect you with one of our Private Tour Designers so that you can share your vision and expectations with us.
We’ll ask you questions to better learn about your interests: Want to step into living history at a UNESCO-listed old Ottoman village, where timbered two-story houses are still home to Turkish families? How about exploring an underground city built during the Byzantine period and used by those escaping persecution?
We’ll share our extensive experience in the region – and our suggestions. And then we’ll dig into it and custom-craft a private tour itinerary for your review. Give us a call at 800-424-7289 to get started, or click here to be on your way.
Signature Experiences
Below are just a few examples of the signature experiences that MIR can arrange for you in Turkey. Let them be a source of inspiration, then get in touch with one of our Private Tour Designers to craft an itinerary that’s uniquely suited to your travel goals, budget, and style.
- In a restored caravanserai, see the dramatic ritual of whirling dervishes by the Sufi Mevlevi order in a Sema ceremony, spinning in circles to induce a state of ecstatic communion; afterward, the devotees may be willing to discuss the ceremony with visitors
- Take a hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia, gazing down on the region’s amazing natural rock formations and beautiful landscape from 1,500 feet above
- Hop aboard a boat for a private sight-seeing cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, taking in panoramic views of Istanbul and getting a look at the luxurious dwellings along the water
- Be welcomed into a village home for a traditional Turkish lunch, getting to know your hosts as you learn cooking techniques, and then sharing the meal together
Suggested Private Tours
And if you don’t feel that a fully-customized trip is what you seek, we’ve got the perfect solution. Whether you’re looking for a compact trip that hits the highlights or something more in depth, MIR offers suggested private tours that can be adapted to your choice of dates. Our itinerary, your dates – it’s a great option whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, or in a small group.
Explore suggested private tours: Essential Eastern Turkey, Essential Istanbul, Essential Turkey
Need a bit more encouragement? Or want a better lay of the land? Read more about how to design your own trip.
Also keep in mind that you can customize and tweak any of our small group tours to match your preferred dates of travel. Get in touch, we’re here to help.
Map
Gallery
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1/11 Mosques with their massive domes and thin minarets are ubiquitous in Istanbul. Peter Guttman -
2/11 Bas-relief at UNESCO-listed Church of the Holy Cross on Lake Van's Akdamar Island. Karen McGrath
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3/11 A camel ride is a memorable way to explore the moonlike rock landscape of Turkey's Cappadocia. Peter Guttman
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4/11 Hot-air ballooning offers a bird's-eye view of Cappadocia's stunning fairy chimneys, rock pillars, and tuff caves. Jered Gorman
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5/11 Stone steps lead to an ancient mosque in Turkey. Inga Belova
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6/11 The grand Gate of Salutation leads into 15th-century Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Steven Orvis
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7/11 A path in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Park leads to the Byzantine and Ottoman architectural wonder, Hagia Sophia. Steven Orvis
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8/11 More than 2,000 years old, these royal stone heads are found atop Turkey's 7,000-foot Mount Nemrut. Jered Gorman
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9/11 Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is stuffed with more than 4,000 shops. Martin Klimenta
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10/11 Istanbul's well-preserved Kuzguncuk neighborhood harkens back to Ottoman times. Martin Klimenta
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11/11 Traditional dancers perform in Ephesus, Turkey. Peter Guttman
