I just wanted to send an additional note to emphasize what a valuable asset you have in tour manager AYKUT in Türkiye. He is truly amazing: intelligent, personable, helpful, funny, efficient, engaging. Although visiting Türkiye is itself already a great experience, doing so with the guidance and insights of Aykut made it even much more wonderful and fun.

The trip was fantastic and made much better because of the incredible knowledge and information provided by our tour leader Sayat. He was very caring and sensitive to the group's needs. He should be cloned to be the tour guide for all Gate 1 trips!!!! The itinerary was well thought out but cannot imagine touring with anyone except Sayat! Additionally- our bus driver Ali was excellent. Always a smile on his face and helpful beyond expectations.

I was on the April 21 Turkish Treasures tour with my mom. We had a wonderful time! Turkiye is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes and kind people. Special thanks to our tour manager/guide Ayhan and our bus driver Osman, and all other gate1 staff for their hospitality. The day to day itinerary was organized and plans were communicated well. We liked the hotels on the tour, the beds were all comfortable. Our tour manager did an excellent job, especially on explaining the history of the places we visited. He made it more interesting with his entertaining storytelling and sense of humor. It was fun from the beginning and we got an amazing surprise on our farewell dinner. I highly recommend this tour for those looking for a unique experience.

Both the Tour leader Yucel and the driver Recep were excellent. Turkey is now my new favorite destination. Yucel is the most knowledgeable tour guide I've ever had.

Our recent trip to Turkey was an unforgettable blend of history, culture, cuisine, and genuine hospitality. From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the country's unique ability to seamlessly connect ancient civilizations with vibrant modern life. Istanbul was a highlight-walking through the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar felt like stepping through layers of history, each more fascinating than the last. The Bosphorus cruise offered stunning views and a peaceful perspective on this magnificent city straddling two continents. Beyond Istanbul, Turkey's landscape and regional character truly shined. Whether exploring archaeological sites, wandering charming old towns, or simply enjoying the rhythm of daily life, every stop in Cappadocia, Antalya or Bodrum had its own distinct personality. Turkish people were consistently warm, welcoming, and proud to share their culture. The food alone is worth the trip-fresh, flavorful, and incredibly diverse. From simple street food to beautifully prepared traditional meals, every dish reflected care, balance, and centuries of culinary tradition. One minor drawback of the trip was the relatively short stop in Izmir, which limited our ability to fully explore and appreciate its rich cultural heritage. The city clearly has much to offer-both historically and culturally-and we wish we had more time there to experience it beyond the brief visit. What elevated the experience was our guide, Oguz. From the very beginning, Oguz demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge about Turkey's history, archaeology, and cultural traditions. Whether we were exploring iconic landmarks, strolling through historic neighborhoods, or visiting lesser known sites, his explanations were clear, engaging, and thoughtfully tailored to our interests. He had a remarkable way of bringing history to life, connecting ancient civilizations to modern day Turkey in a way that was both informative and fascinating.

The entire trip was excellent in part due to the wonderful tour guide, skilled driver, and friendly-considerate tour travelers. Several long bus rides were enjoyable due to the information and knowledge our guide shared with us during the drive. She watched and kept the tour group engaged. Every person we encountered were polite, friendly and helpful. The country's history and sights were breath taking.

I just want to add that our tour manager Faruk was amazing - so knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and passionate about doing a great job! Our driver Hassan was also excellent - very skilled (I always felt safe) and friendly. They were both willing to go above and beyond at any time. I feel fortunate that they were part of our tour!

We had a great time in Turkey. Please allow me to recommend Dilek, the tour guide of our trip, whose exceptional professionalism, warmth, and dedication made my recent journey through Turkey truly unforgettable.

We just completed the Turkey trip. It was a great experience. Main reason for the successful journey and sightseeing was Namik, our Tour Manager. He was very informative, polite, patient and considerate. He communicated very clearly and routinely to keep everyone abreast of daily activities, and next day's schedule. The Turkish words/phrases that he taught us were invaluable in our daily routine. His knowledge of history of the region (Greek, Roman, Assyrian, Ottoman, Turkish, etc) was very valuable in understanding our daily trips and activities. I wish he could be our Tour Manager on all our future trips (already booked for Greece trip in October 2026).

Namik was a great Tour Manager! He made sure everything was organized, on time and even managed to contact a friend to get us up on our hot air balloon flight the following day after we were rained out. He did everything he could to make sure the tour went smoothly, for everyone. He was funny, thoughtful, informative, personable and personal with all, so that we all felt safe and cared for. He was able to let us meet the people of Turkey, and understand them and the culture better, which was incredible. This was our first tour with Gate 1, but it will not be our last. Namik made a lasting impression on a tour we will never forget!

Simply put, it was the best trip I have experienced with Gate1. The hotels, food, and sites we visited were all excellent and thoughtfully selected. In particular, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our tour manager, Cengizhan. Despite the demanding nature of the trip, he did an exceptional job of bringing the group together and fostering harmony among participants with diverse perspectives. His sense of humor helped create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone. I was also very impressed by how well-prepared and organized he was throughout the trip, which made the experience both enjoyable and educational. We were truly fortunate to have Cengizhan as our tour manager. I would strongly recommend that Gate1 recognize him as an outstanding tour manager.

This was the best group trip I've ever done! 13 Day Affordable Turkey. Hands down 1000% to our TM Dalim. He is extremely knowledgeable, engaging, positive, funny, caring, and made the trip so much more enjoyable. I will definitely do another of his tours!

This was our first time using Gate 1. Thanks to our tour manager Faruk, our tour experience was outstanding. His management of the tour overall, his interactions with guests, and his vast knowledge of not only Turkish history but also the history of earlier civilizations was impressive and captivating. Not only did Faruk impress my wife and I, but he also had the same effect on our fellow travelers. I cannot express enough our thanks to Faruk for making this journey unforgettable That said, he is the reason why we plan to book our future tours on Gate 1.

I want to commend our tour director, Ulas. He was genuinely outstanding in each and every way. This is smart man, and educated man who parlayed his degree in History to eloquent and entertaining presentations at all tour sites and on the coach. It was so very nice to be guided by a man genuinely proud of his country and it's heritage and yet still have a modesty to relate so well with all of us foreigners. He attended each of us by name and by his ongoing experiences with each us. Our group started out as a disparate group of strangers and was transformed into a "hug fest" at the final dinner. This should be fully credited to Ulas. To my mind, the best Gate1 tour director I have experienced to date

I just wanted to add that the tour manager, Ender, was amazing. He was the most professional, knowledgeable, and informative guide I have ever had on a tour. He made the tour so enjoyable and interesting. Thank you to Gate 1 for engaging such an amazing person on this tour.

I would like to commend Ender our tour director and Recep our driver for their excellent service starting from day 1 till the last day of our Turkey tour. They went far and beyond to make sure our trip was safe and on schedule as per our itinerary despite the weather on some days. It was all worth it, especially our hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia which was the highlight of my trip. This was my first Gate 1 trip and made a very good impression on my future travels. Hope your organization has more tour directors and drivers as excellent as Ender and Recep!

This was a wonderful trip! The itinerary was packed with great excursions, the hotels were comfortable, and our guide, Ender, was fantastic. And the weather mostly cooperated. It exceeded my expectations, and I strongly recommend this trip to anyone interested in Turkey or Greco-Roman and Ottoman history. Thank you for putting together this fantastic tour. It was the trip of a lifetime for me!

What a wonderful trip and experience you provided! This is my third trip with gate One, I have high standards, and you continue to exceed them with every trip. From the fantastic guide that we had, Ender, to the accommodations and diversity of experiences, I can see how hard you work to deliver a full and well-rounded experience. Turkey is a vast country and of course there is more I wish I could have seen and things I would tweak on this itinerary, but overall, it was just such a wonderful experience. Also, I want to credit our driver, Recep, with skillful and calm demeanor in congested traffic and tight narrow streets. Excellent! One of my favorite things about your tours is that it's like going back to high school history class, but you're on a field trip the entire time and the history is so much more meaningful when you're physically there and living through it, if that makes sense. The experience is so much more three-dimensional this way. Great job!!!

My tour guide, Ender, was exceptional throughout my Turkey journey with Gate 1. His deep knowledge of the country's history, culture, and traditions made every site come alive, and his organization kept the entire trip running smoothly from start to finish. Ender's warmth, professionalism, and genuine passion for sharing his country made the experience even more meaningful. I left Turkey not only impressed by its beauty, but truly grateful for the guidance and care he provided. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with my Gate 1 experience and would highly recommend traveling with Ender to anyone visiting Turkey.

The trip was wonderful, it exceeded my expectations! Our tour director Aykut was great. He's very knowledgeable, energetic, very accommodating making everybody in the group comfortable, worry-free and engaged. He kept the tour running smoothly and always on schedule. Everybody loved him! It was my first time travelling with Gate1 and definitely not my last. Looking forward to travelling with Gate1 again!

I wanted to give our praise to our tour leader Namik. He was an incredible leader. So very knowledgeable, interesting and entertaining. He managed the group with ease. We were all eager to hear his commentary each day. He and the trip were outstanding!! Also wanted to thank him for arranging golf carts for us at Hierapolis in Pamukkale. Our group would not have made it through the site without it.

I estimate I have taken over 50 Gate 1 tours. Our Tour Manager, Cengizhan, was superb in every way- one of the very best! He is a superb representative of all the wonderful Gate 1 employees!

We decided to visit Turkey for our honeymoon, and after a great deal of researching various options, we settled on Gate 1's tour based on both the value and how it went to most of the sites we were interested in. We had heard good things about Gate 1 from friends but didn't know anything beyond that. Our experience was far beyond anything we imagined. The tour was chock full of every kind of incredible sight and once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Faruk handled the complexity of the tour effortlessly and made sure that each one of us had the best experience possible. He especially pulled out the stops for us as he wanted us to have a great honeymoon. On our first night's orientation in Istanbul, we were the only couple who were on a Gate 1 tour for the first time. Having gone through one, we now understand why everyone else there was a repeat customer. We will absolutely be taking more Gate 1 tours in the future (already looking at Italy and Greece) and have already been recommending them to our friends and coworkers. Thanks to Faruk and the Gate 1 team, our honeymoon was everything we hoped for and more.

Most notably, our Tour Manager, Ender, was excellent in every way. As you know, he is highly educated and has many decades of tour guide experience. Obvious from his delivery of information, Ender has done his own research in depth, with respect to Anatolia's ancient, and Turkey's contemporary, history, art, geopolitics, social, economic, and cultural aspects and influences. He is highly skilled with respect to organization and people management. He communicates with clarity, patience, warmth, humor, and enthusiasm. He shared excellent suggestions for free time activities, restaurants, and things to look out for and notice. Gate 1 is extremely fortunate, as was I, to have Ender as a Tour Manager. Consistent with my experience of other Gate 1 trips, the overall value was excellent, as was the quality of food and hotels. Transportation, drivers, and assistance provided were also excellent. Finally, the itinerary was fantastic, and, as a plus, our group was compatible.

This was our first guided tour ever and it was with Gate 1. We were so pleased with every aspect of the organization and flow of all activities and all the beautiful experiences along the way. But most importantly the guide and bus driver were exceptional. Yucel, our manager/guide for the entire trip was exceptional. I don't know if you realize when you have such a knowledgeable person on your team, he is it! He is a walking encyclopedia, incredible commentary and able to explain the complexities of Turkish history in a way for us simple folk to understand!! Absolutely, superior guide! And Shakir, our driver, was friendly, very professional and reliable as well. They were the dynamic duo for the length of the trip. Thank you for a great first experience. The bar for future trips has been placed very high!

I'd like to give additional props to our tour guide, Murat. He was exceptional in every way - I marveled at how he was able to corral 40 people, make everyone feel "at home", keep us organized, and make it look absolutely effortless- incredible! In addition, his extreme knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for our tour history and subject matters was truly unparalleled. I (and everyone on the tour), learned so much about Turkey and Greece from him. This, combined with his welcoming personality and delightful humor, just wrapped it all up to be an amazing experience!

The trip was very good. Damil, our tour guide, was wonderful. He was kind, considerate, funny, and extremely informed about Turkey's diverse history, cultures, and so many topics concerning Turkey. As always, Gate 1 trips were filled with many interesting places to see and things to do. We enjoyed discovering the different areas of Turkey and meeting the pleasant people who were part of our group. We found Turkey to have a large cosmopolitan appearance, extremely clean cities and towns, and a country which cares for it's citizens. A bonus pleasantry for us was to hear the call to prayer throughout the days as it added to the sense of an exotic surrounding.

Metin was fabulous! His knowledge of Turkey (history, culture, traditions, geology, architecture, archaeology) is amazing - he is naturally gifted as a teacher and easily connects and intersects all aspects of the Turkish experience. All of this is quite remarkable, BUT at the same time, he is organizing arrivals at different scheduled sights, comfort stops, restaurants and hotels while keeping his engaging George Clooney persona intact. I never thought I'd meet another guide to compare to Sharif in Egypt but both are just the best and obviously love what they do - tour managers of this quality solidly complement and enhance the reputation of Gate 1 Travel.

Our Turkish Treasures Trip was excellent! We enjoyed the trip very much! Our guide Khan was very good! He taught us a lot about history, he was kind, very friendly and helpful with suggestions for leisure time and shopping. We had a great time with balloon ride in Cappadocia and loved Antalya for the resort vibe! The entire trip was awesome, inspiring and very educational! We all had a great time! We would definitely return!

Commend our tour manager Aykut as being the best TM of our 27 gate 1 trips Aykut was extremely flexible and accommodating in meeting the individual needs of each one of the 13 travelers on the trip. Special thanks to him for making my birthday special.

My husband and I had a wonderful trip! Turkiye is beautiful from the coast to the mountains. Having lunch with the local family was quite an experience and the balloon ride in Cappadocia was priceless! Our tour guide, Oguz was beyond exceptional. I have been to several tours with different tour companies such as Globus & Cost Saver and never had a tour guide as good as Oguz. He always asked us if we had our passports, cell phones and charges before we leave. He gave us detailed explanation of everything, history, background, culture, economy, etc. He even told us the menu of the restaurants or cafeteria we are going too and familiarize us of the local food so we would know what to expect and have idea of what ingredients are in the food. He made sure that we got what we ordered and would not eat until he is sure that everyone got their food. He was patient and kind which made our trip enjoyable.

I just want to compliment Dominique for her excellent planning skills and her attention to details to make the entire trip very pleasant and stress free for customers.

I just want to say that our guide, Ahmet, was exceptional. He had excellent historical and current commentary on the places we visited, and a genuinely friendly and helpful attitude. If I knew which tours he would be leading, I would consider them above others. All Gate 1's guides were good, but Ahmet stood out. I really enjoyed this trip!

Our trip was excellent. Overall experience was amazing!!! We are very pleased to have Ilhami Konya as our tour manager. He was very knowledgeable, and very intelligent in every aspect of the tour. He answered all our questions, very organized and made everyone feel included. His passion for the City, History was awesome. He made our trip to Turkey truly memorable and fun experience.

The excellent marks that I gave our tour manager, Serdar, were very well deserved. He is a top notch tour manager in every respect. There are many reasons I will travel with Gate 1 again, but top among them is providing a great tour manager like Serdar. That is what truly makes a fantastic tour.

The Turkish Odyssey tour was magical; I have tried to spread the word on social media and with my friends and family how wonderful it was. Turkey is a beautiful, diverse, country full of history and unique sites, and I felt very safe there when I was walking around by myself. Aykat is one of the best tour guides I have ever had. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny and he was an important reason for my appreciation of the tour. His enthusiasm was contagious. Even though he had no doubt seen the places we went to repeatedly, he made it seem as fresh as if it was the first time. He promoted other Gate1 tours of Turkey, and I am very tempted to sign up for another, especially if I am lucky enough to land on one of his tours again. I also want to say a few words about Sezgin, our driver. He was clearly very skilled as he handled the occasional heavy traffic and obstacles in narrow roads. I was very impressed with the way he loaned out umbrellas to anyone who had forgotten theirs on one rainy day.

Our tour manager Ilke was an amazing wealth of information on all things Turkish and was an exceptional ambassador for her country. Her enthusiasm and smile were constant, even on the long travel days. Throughout the tour she went above and beyond to make sure all guests' questions were answered (and we had a lot!) and our needs were met. Even after the trip she helped me connect with the balloon tour operator to get assistance with downloading the photos they took of our balloon flight. Traveling with Ilke made me want to return to Turkey to see and learn more of this beautiful country!

The Eastern Turkey trip was fantastic. I have recommended it to several people I've met on other trips. Excellent food! The itinerary was very well thought out and interesting. Our guide "Oz" was knowledgeable and organized.

The trip was amazing. Our tour guide, Yucel, was very organized and had so much information to share. I learned so much about the history and culture of Turkey. Our group of 16 became like a family. I loved the balloon ride, the welcome wine event in Cappadocia and my all-time favorite was the boat ride and swim in the Aegean. I would give our tour guide and the itinerary the highest rating possible.

My wife and I would express our most sincere gratitude and admiration to our tour manager Aykut. From the very start to the end, he was friendly, understanding and very kind to all of us. He created great harmony in our group and all of au admired him. Usually, Gate 1 employs local guides with some trips, but this time Aykut was with us during the whole trip. His profound knowledge of everything was very impressive. He treated us all as his family. We would love to have hm again as our tour manager. We travelled many times with Gate 1, and all guides were very good. But Aykut was the best of all of them.

This Trip was a Bucket list trip that exceeded my expectations. Our team of Driver, Muti, and Tour Manager Aykut was a perfect pairing. They were kind and sensitive to our individual travelers without compromising the enjoyment of the whole group. Not an easy task, but they accomplished it seamlessly. Aykut has an encyclopedic knowledge of Turkish history, inspiring me to do more research into Turkey and its evolution. The amount of the country that we were exposed to would have been impossible in the amount of time we had were it not for Gate 1 and the team. The highlights were many, but the lunch in the village at Izmir was especially beautiful, what wonderful gracious people they were. The people of turkey and the beauty and cleanliness of the country make me a strong advocate for Turkish travel. If I have a chance, I will return!

I wanted to highly recommend our tour manager, Ender. He was simply outstanding! We have had multiple Gate1 trips and Ender was by far the most erudite and knowledgeable, and at the same time patient and caring for all the travelers. The day after the introduction, he knew the name of each group member. He was always approachable and respectful with a ready sense of humor and went out of his way to make each person comfortable and happy. His depth and scope of knowledge of each topic and place we visited was simply amazing! He made my trip really memorable and informative. I will be highly recommending Ender and Gate1's Treasures of Turkey to all our family and friends. Our driver, Moslem, was a perfect complement to Ender. The bus was super comfortable and clean, and Moslem drove smoothly and efficiently both within and across cities.

My husband and I had our first travel experience with Gate 1 Travel, and we are so happy about it! Everything was great! It was fantastic to feel the professionalism of this travel agency. Bravo! Sayat, the tour manager, was outstanding. So knowledgeable and so considerate for the entire group, giving each one the feeling that it was of utmost importance that he be comfortable and happy. The highlight of the trip was being able to visit a family living in a cave house in Capaddocia: a wonderful experience that I would never be able to do on my own. Thank you, Gate 1 Travel, for including such a visit in this odyssey. I believe I learned more on this trip than I would in two semesters of history classes. Turkey is now a valuable discovered treasure that I will cherish after this splendid trip.

I just completed the 13 Day Turkish Treasures last week and wanted to pass along how fabulous the Tour Manager Gokhan as. First, he was one of the most knowledgeable tour managers I have ever had -- and there is a massive amount of history in Turkey! He was so friendly and pleasant every day and always so happy. I was amazed at how he kept such a high energy level with a great smile during such a very busy trip with early starts and long days. He also shared laughter and wonderful stories with us, making it even more personal for us. Our group was large at 39 participants, and I was amazed at how he managed to keep everyone together --and on time! He has an excellent command of the English language and communicates exceptionally well. He was always concerned about our safety and willing to assist us in any way. I have always been very pleased with my previous 12 Gate 1 Tour Managers --which is why I continue to travel with Gate 1. But Gokhan stands out above all of them. He loves what he does, and it radiates everyone in the group. We ALL loved him! Also, our Driver was exceptional - traveling 3700km for this trip -- safely!! Both of them are #1 in my book. Thanks to them both for a successful and very memorable trip!

The trip was wonderful! I was expecting a good trip before I went, but it was much better and beyond my expectation. The itinerary was well set; the accommodations and food were great choices. The tour manager Yucel was the best tour guide/manager I have ever traveled with. He was very helpful and very knowledgeable for the history and culture of Türkiye, which made the trip not only enjoyable for the beautiful sceneries and historical sites, but also a history lesson about Türkiye and Turkic people. Thank you so much for your help when booking the trip. This trip is my first trip with Gate 1. It is really worth it. I am sure I will travel with Gate 1 again in future.