Just finished this tour and had a great time. It was a great introduction to Turkey and its rich history. We were a small group of 4 which made it even better. Our guide Nadir was simply the best. The depth of his knowledge is sometimes astounding. There was nothing he couldn't talk about in the long run, and his willingness to share personal stories from his life gave special meaning to many of the sites we visited. He clearly loves his country and shares it with the world. The unsung hero of the story is our driver Dursun. This man is a legend. His driving skills are second to none and keeping the bus unbelievably clean. Early in the morning, I got up to walk the street, he went out to prepare to catch the bus. He is the first to wake up and the last to go to bed every day without complaining. Dress perfectly, and be a true gentleman. Ismail from Eskapas was very responsive to my questions and last minute changes. Communicate quickly and efficiently. I encourage you to be proactive about your needs and what you want to do, as the extra adventures, hotel upgrades are well worth it. I would recommend this adventure.
We had a great time in Turkey! I feel like I've been able to see a lot. Some tours were just the two of us and very nice, others were smaller groups. There was very little information about the itinerary of the day plan. I would have felt much more comfortable having more information than just blindly pointing out places and trusting the ones to take care of me. Every time I had a question he answered all my questions promptly. Another frustrating thing is that so many tours included carpet demonstrations/shops. We went for one and knew they would try to sell us a rug but were sent 4 which was too much. Two of them were set up in exchange for meals (they tried to sell us the rug after giving us lunch). I know they're just trying to make sales and it's a business, but after so many demonstrations we were pretty fed up. Had a good guide and the hotels we stayed in were well located and very nice (except the Marina Hotel in Kusadasi which was really, really bad). It was very meaningful!
Mehmet (our driver) and Nadir (our English speaking guide) made our home away from home on the Euromarmara bus as comfortable as possible providing cold water and occasionally snacks. Our hotels were good, the breakfast and evening buffets satisfactory. Our guide was knowledgeable and well mannered. He accommodated several special requests from our group. Our airport transfers were smooth. Our request to leave earlier for our departure was honored and even confirmed with a phone call. We would recommend this tour.