Travel Talk Reviews

I just got back from an epic 8 day Travel Talk Tour around Turkey, and wow, what a ride! We hit up Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Konya, and Izmir—talk about a bucket list bonanza. The museums were so engaging, I felt like a history buff by day and adventurer by night. And the optional activities? Total showstoppers! The Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia was a next-level sunrise experience, the Boat Ride in Istanbul was a vibe with unbeatable views, and the Turkish Dance Night? Let’s just say, my dance moves need work, but it was a blast. Big shoutout to our guide, Mustafa, who was basically a walking encyclopedia with a sense of humor. He made sure we soaked up every bit of Turkey's magic. If you’re even thinking about going to Turkey, stop thinking and just do it. This tour was the perfect mix of culture, adventure, and fun, just look at my last video, it explains it all!!!!

We recently Toured Turkiye with Travel Talk Tours Thank you so much Travel Talk & a big thank you to Yilirday our tour guide, our time with Yil was absolutely fabulous, his patience his humour 👌and the knowledge of his country and history was amazing ! ….we will remember our time in Turkiye 🇹🇷 with great ❤️ & passion for its people. I would also like to mention the coach drivers as we spent a lot of time on the road they were excellent we felt very safe. Throughly recommend Travel Talk Tours, great value, accomodation was excellent & itinerary perfect .

My 10 day Travel Talk Tours to Turkiye exceeded all expectations! Our guide, Mustafa, was outstanding—knowledgeable and full of energy. From the vibrant streets of Istanbul to the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia, each stop was a highlight. The itinerary balanced historical sites with local experiences. It was a fantastic way to immerse ourselves in the culture. I highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting an unforgettable journey through Turkey!

My daughter and I just completed a fabulous 10 day Essential Turkey tour. Cappadoccia has been on my bucket list for a long time and the Balloon ride did not disappoint! Our guide, Mustafa provided informative and interesting material. His historic knowledge is second to none. I would highly recommend this tour. Many new friends have been made!

Fabulous immersion in modern day and historic Turkiye especially for first time travellers and if you are insecure about making your way independently around the country. Great for solo female travellers. Our guide, Mustafa, was knowledgeable and well organised and there was a good balance between relaxation and sightseeing activities.

The tour was amazing. Mustafa was the best guide we have had. He was informative, flexible, took as much time as needed to make sure everyone got the best out of the tour. He looked after us so well, always happy to have a laugh and a chat. We would not have enjoyed this tour as much without him as our guide. Traveltalk were easy to deal with, the tour was very reasonably priced. Most of the hotels were great. The inclusions were good and the whole tour was good value for money. All the people on our tour were so lovely. We all got on so well and had a great time together. We would definitely book with Traveltalk again.

Just completed my 8 day Türkiye tour with travel talk. It was such a wonderful trip hitting all the important wonders Türkiye has to offer. From Ancient ruins to paragliding this tour has it all. The hot air balloons in Cappadocia are a massive highlight of the tour, definitely a bucket list moment! Everything is organised for you, which allows the trip to run very smoothly and leaves no questions unanswered. The optional activities are also actually optional which gives a lot of freedom and flexibility across the tour if you’re looking for this. Mustafa our tour guide was phenomenal, he made sure everyone was looked after in every element of the tour. He really did go above and beyond for his guests. Mus had the perfect balance of responsible and fun and really made the trip that extra bit special. Thanks Traveltalk! Looking forward to the next tour!

This was our first time in Turkey and our first time on any sort of travel tour. The TravelTalk 10 day Essential Turkey Tour was a fantastic expderience with memories for a lifetime. We packed in so much, way more than we could have done on a solo trip. Much of this was down to the excellence of Yildiray, our tour guide/director. He helped us squeeze everything out of each day, and kept us smiling with his infectious enthusiasm and good humour. Yildiray made our trip. The hotels were more than good enough, and our coach was quiet, comfortable, and safe. Highly recommended trip.

We did a short 5 day tour of Istanbul and Capadoccia. Our guide, Mustafa, was excellent: funny, informative, organised and above all, patient! He went out of his way to make our experience comfortable and enjoyable. The balloon ride was amazing and unforgettable! We saw so many wonderful sights - and sites! Highly recommended

Had a fabulous time on our 10 day Essential Turkey tour. Our guide Vilidray was funny, formative, friendly and very accommodating to all our needs. Takes you to the places you want to see.

Just finishing off our ultimate Balkan tours(19 days) from Bucharest to Athens. This is our first time with a land tour like this long. We have been traveling on our own for a while and wanted to try a tour where we just needed to show up at the starting place and have a good time. We were not disappointed. We met a lot of good people who liked traveling as well and we all shared our travels. We learned a lot from everybody. Traveling with a group gives you a chance to meet people and learn new things , from where they’re from and their travel experiences. Although it can be hectic , we had 42 people in the bus at from day 6 to day 13, that comes with the territory. We just went with the flow and tried to enjoy the experience. Me and my wife were able to visit places that we never thought of visiting if we planned this ourselves. The guides were able to enrich us with the history of the Balkans and made us appreciate these places more. This trip is for the people that likes to cover more areas in a short span. Please adjust your expectations to the price point you paid. We met fabulous people that we wouldn’t have met on our own. Special thanks to our guide Simon Simonovic and driver Slovic

Travel Talk Tour Review Oct. 23, 2024 12 day “All About Balkans” Tour Travelling to Eastern Europe and specifically some of the Balkan Countries was a new albeit unknown adventure given that some had gone through conflicts and wars during the 90s and into the new Millenium resulting in the break up of the former Yugoslavia and the creation of six new countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia (now called North Macedonia). With the exception of Slovenia, we visited the new countries plus Albania and Bulgaria then finished the 2nd leg of the tour in Greece visiting the Oracles of Delphi along with the two largest cities (Athens and Thessaloniki). Since we had very little knowledge of the region, there were no expectations. Thanks to our Tour Leader Bojan Ratkovic and Sasha (excellent navigator & responsible driver – 1st leg). We have a newfound appreciation for the cities and towns visited since we had very little knowledge of the Balkans, their history and culture before embarking on this tour. The roads were typically mountainous hilly and had many curves which Sasha handled with great ease and skill - a great driver indeed. The scenery is a photographer's dream. The itinerary was well designed however it was busy and jam packed with a large group (43) of diverse travellers – majority being Australians. Rounding out the group were U.K. residents, Canadians and Americans. The average demographic was 50+. The tour is based on a Contiki-Intrepid style where the main tour leader would provide an intro to the area then a local guide would do a walking tour then provide some free time for us to explore as desired. Overall, our preference would have been a smaller group (25-30) and 2 days in each location giving a nice mix and pace of tour and down time to relax and recharge. However, it was good to see the many beautiful Balkan cities albeit rushed. In most cases we were on the bus by 8:00am and checking into a hotel at 8:00 or 9:00pm – Exhausting at times! Hotel standards were overrated – more likely not up to comparable international 4 stars although it’s our understanding that there is not a standardized or recognized star rating system within the international travel industry, therefore a 3 or 4 star hotel can be interpreted differently by each traveller's perspective and experience Hotels on this tour had their air conditioners turned off for the season, many safe deposit boxes did not function properly, some hotels generally had a foul cigarette smoke smell which is not good for asthmatic allergy. All hotels had leak issues with their shower stalls, some had broken fixtures / faucets, some had light fixtures that didn’t work, some had towel warmers but none of those worked either. Some had unfriendly front desk personnel in addition to being overwhelmed by the large group, However, at the opposite end, there were some very friendly, cooperative and understanding personnel. The best hotel was the Novotel Sofia in Bulgaria. It also had the best breakfast with the broadest selection. On the second leg of the tour (Greece), we were scammed by the Arion Hotel with extra taxi “service charges”. “Scammed” because the “extra” charges were not applied at the Moxy Athens City Hotel for the same taxi services. Aside from that, visits to Thessaloniki, Delphi, The Meteora Monasteries and Athens were organized well by Tour Leader Petros who also did an excellent job. Overall we give the Travel Talk “All About Balkans” Tour a rating of 3 stars out of 5 for a very "Educational Tour and Experience". If the operations team are able to source and provide hotels with better facilities and amenities, the star rating could easily be bumped up to 4 out of 5. Again kudos to our 1st leg Tour Leader Bojan and Driver - Sasha - Great Job! Keep Up The Good Work !!! 👍

We went on a tour of Türkiye (Essential Turkey, 10 days) with Travel Talk, October 5-14, 2024. This was our first time using Travel Talk, but we will definitely go with them again. I have to start by talking about our guide, Yildiray. He was simply the best guide anyone could ask for. He was extremely well organized, friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and fun. He went above and beyond every day. He gave us good information about the places we visited, but also gave us very good recommendations for local food. When we stopped at restaurants for lunch, he was our waiter by taking our orders, and delivering our food. All of this helped everyone build great relationships throughout the trip. By the end, we were sad it was over. As for the other aspects of the trip, I have only good things to say about it. All the hotels were good, the food at the hotels was good, and the locations of the hotels was good, which allowed us access to stroll around the neighborhoods and sometimes visit local shops. The tour bus was very comfortable, and was driven by two excellent drivers who switched driving throughout. We had frequent stops when there were long distances so that we did not feel too tired. I was impressed with the amount of planning, organization, and information provided to us at every step. This was one of the most enjoyable tours we have been on, and I highly recommend Travel Talk, and especially our guide, Yildiray!

Traveltalk Tours Ultimate Balkans tour We recently participated in the 19 day tour from Bucharest to Athens, (October 2024). Yes, the tour visits all the places mentioned BUT BE AWARE that it moves at such a pace that you often don’t have time to look around the cities where you stop for the night. Usually due to late arrival each evening & location of hotels from the city centre. Traveltalk tours use words such as “Dynamic” & “Fast-Paced”, which in reality means they are trying to pack too much into the time-frame on offer. I believe the reason that they can offer the Tour at the price is because they maximise the number of people travelling - (up to 42 participants). Travelling with this many people is not enjoyable & makes for slower moving. There is obviously a lot of time spent on the bus travelling to get to all these places with some days involving over 8 hours travelling time without actually seeing much. Personally, I would not recommend the Tour. I would estimate that they run at least 20 of these tours every year if not many more & they have been running them for a few years. That’s more than 1500 people that have participated in this tour & they only have 1 review on their Ultimate Balkans website page regarding this tour. What does that tell you?

I recently completed the 10-Day Essential Turkey Tour and cannot recommend it enough! From start to finish, this tour was an absolute delight, made all the better by our incredible guide, Mustafa. Staying in luxurious five-star hotels each night added an extra layer of comfort to an already fascinating journey through Turkey’s history, culture, and natural beauty. Mustafa was fantastic! His deep knowledge of Turkey’s history, culture, and traditions brought every location to life. He was professional, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure everyone in the group had a memorable experience. His passion for sharing the wonders of his country was infectious, and he always had interesting anecdotes or facts that made the trip even more special. The tour was perfectly organized, covering everything from the ancient ruins of Ephesus to the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia. We had plenty of time to explore major attractions like Pamukkale, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace without feeling rushed.

This is our 4th tour with Travel Talk, and so far they have been fantastic. Knowledgeable and interesting guides, currently on the 10-day Turkey tour with guide Mustafa, he has really added his unique personal touch to the tour, sharing lots of interesting information. He has made this tour engaging and enjoyable for the entire group regardless of age and activity level. All the guides we have had in the past Mostafa (Egypt), Faisal (Jordan) and Abdul (Morocco) have all had a unique take on what makes a good tour and we have really enjoyed all of them and the tips and tricks they have shared. I am looking forward to another Travel Talk tour soon.

My wife and I had a fantastic time on the 10-day Travel Talk tour of Turkey 😊 Mustafa, our guide, was excellent. He easily balanced sharing interesting facts and stories without it being information overload. We really enjoyed the out is the way places he found us for lunch so we could experience local specialities. On top is this we he had a great sense of humour and did an excellent kiwi accent. We’ve had some exceptional experiences on this trip - hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Ephesus and visiting Gallipoli were the top three for us. Definitely recommend this tour as a way to see and experience Turkey with a fantastic guide!

Had such a great time on the 10-day Travel Talk tour of Turkey! Mustafa, our guide, was awesome - he was well organised, shared interesting facts and stories and he made the trip fun. As a New Zealander, visiting Gallipoli was a big drawcard of the trip, but every stop on the tour has been amazing, and there has been a good selection of optional activities. Definitely recommend this tour as a way to see and experience Turkey with a fantastic guide!

I am just finishing up the 10 day essential turkey tour with Mustafa! I have had a wonderful time seeing the beauty of Turkey! Everything on the tour has been meticulously planned out including the bathroom breaks! I have learned so much of the history and culture of Turkey! Mustafa is a wonderful guide with so much knowledge! I definitely recommend this tour and tour company!

We did Essential Turkey tour with Mustafa. It was absolutely amazing! The places we visited, restaurants we ate at and hotels we stayed in were all above any expectation! I most highly recommend doing most of the optional extras (Capadoccia baloons, turkish bath, turkish night…) because it really makes this tour exceptional! 10/10, would definitely do it again!

Just finishing our travel talk tour of 10 days party of 6. We all had a great time especially myself that this is my first time in a tour group. Mustafa is our guide and done amazingly. Very systematic, knowledgeable and helpful for everything. You are the asset of your company. We had a blast! Highly recommended.

We enjoyed every destination we went to. Turkey is full of history. Mustafa, our tour director, always gave us time to explore the places on our own to take pictures, and most of all, to shops. Travel Talk Tour is the best. Highly recommended if you're going on a tour.

I am currently on the 10 day Essential Turkey Travel Talk tour with tour guide Mustafa. Mustafa is a fantastic guide. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his job. I have enjoyed every second of the tour, the highlights have been hot air ballooning over Cappadocia and walking through the thermal water of Pamukkale. This is my second time touring with Travel Talk and I will definitely be travelling with them again. Travel Talk makes everything super easy and the communication is great. I would recommend Travel Talk to anyone.

I’m about to finish my Essential Turkey trip with Travel Talk (October 12th- for 10 days) and had an amazing experience! Our guide Mustafa was fantastic. He took care of every little detail and made sure everyone in our group (42 people, a great mix of ages) was happy and well looked after. I traveled with my mom, and this trip was the perfect way to get a quick, but comprehensive, view of what Turkey has to offer. This was my second time with Travel Talk, and I would definitely choose them again for future adventures!

Just about to finish our 10 day tour of turkey with Mustafa, it's been an incredible journey full of culture an history, Mustafa has been very informative with his knowledge always keeping our schedule running smoothly