May 3, 2024
A trip of a lifetime! - Returned from an amazing trip starting in Trabzon. Turned out we were the only two people on the tour so became a private tour! Our guide Adem Kocaman brought everything to life with his superb knowledge, enthusiasm (and humour!). Our driver Serhat was very skillful, negotiating some tricky roads at time. On the whole though the road network in Turkiye is excellent and the drives between places not too long with enough comfort breaks in between. There were some 'extras' which did not appear in the itinerary like a visit to a salt mine and an archeology site which was much appreciated.
The hotels were clean and comfortable with lots of character (unlike international chain hotels). Don't expect tissues in hotel rooms though!
If we had to make any negative comments, it would be the unvaried food of kebabs and yet more kebabs - but then eating food not normally featured in one's diet at home is kind of the point of travelling. (not sure what vegans would have eaten!)
Suberbly organised and a realisation of a life time dream to visit Ani, Mt Nemrut, Akdamar.
Tip for ladies - toilets in the first part of the tour are only of the Turkish variety (not the hotels rooms though!) but generally they were clean. Check all the cubicles though, sometimes there's a Western toilet there. Also use the disabled loo as an option if available
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Nov 25, 2023
Private Itinerary based on 12-day tour - Very well organised and enjoyable private itinerary. Accommodation was good, the driver was kind, knowledgeable and helpful and all went smoothly. Drives not too long and roads generally fast and safe.
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Oct 9, 2023
Wonder- filled trip of south-east and central Turkey - I did an amazing private (2 people) 5 day tour of Sth East and Central Turkey with tour guide Hasan and driver Ermehr. Hasan was wonderful, taking us to awe inspiring sites and enriching our knowledge of these past ancient times. His knowledge of the history was immense, and I asked quite a lot of questions.😃The trip was extremely well planned, accomodation was a highlight too, character filled comfortable hotels. We drove a lot and I always felt totally safe with our very pleasant driver. Hasan was totally attentive to our needs , stopping whenever we wanted to photograph something etc. and I think went over and above to make sure we were cared for.I guess you can tell by now I can’t speak highly enough of Hasan and highly recommend his tours.
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Jun 18, 2023
Eastern Turkey Experiences brought by the team at Alkans - The team from Alkans Travel (Eastern
Turkey Travels) and our Guide, Sabahattin are one of the most professional, service oriented, and knowledgeable teams I've used for a tour to a remote region such as Eastern Turkey. The tour ran smoothly based on the itinerary provided and all of the sights were amazingly brought to life by Saba's overviews.
I personally appreciated the level of accommodation provided, the quality of the local cuisine, safety provided by the driver, and the stunning mix of history, art, and culture on this tour.
For anyone who is interested in exploring this unique region of the world, please consider the team at
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Jun 15, 2023
Fantastic East - This was a wonderful trip made perfect by our guide Sabah, who showed a depth of knowledge and passion for his subject that inspired me. His patience with all of us and his organisational skill was exceptional. The driver was also terrific, handling the sometimes challenging mountain roads and crowded city streets with real skill. This trip was the culmination of a longstanding dream to see Gobleki Tepe. It was better than I imagined, as was the whole trip through the “real” Turkiye. I highly recommend Alkan Tours as a highly professional travel company, and this part of Türkiye as a must see.
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Jun 14, 2023
Absolutely brilliant trip - This was an amazing trip full of incredible vistas; ancient cities; ancient temples; mountsins; great food; wonderful and welcoming people. I can't recommend this tour highly enough - and especially our guide, Sabahattin, who made this trip so memorable. I will do another one to East Turkey if I can.
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Nov 10, 2022
Amazing couple of days in Eastern Turkey - The tour guide was amazing, so knowledgeable, his English was good, he was super helpful with any questions we had about anything to do with travel in Eastern Turkey. I would recommend this company for everything from a 2 day personal tour to any of the group tours they run.
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Nov 10, 2022
Best guidance from Sanliurfa - My friend and I booked a week in Turkey before heading home from a tour in Egypt.
We were given the name for Eastern Turkey Tours and had Sabahattin as our guide. We only had 2 days with Him but was the best experience all round.
We visited the sites of Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran, museums, Cave of Abraham and so much more. We ate beautiful local food which has been the best on our trip So far and discovered pistachio coffee. Delicious!
The company and the guide is a definite 5 star. Highly recommend.
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Nov 9, 2022
An Insider’s Tour - We could not have had a better guide than Sabahattin for our trip through Southern Turkey. He guided our group of 6 women expertly through bazaars and bathroom stops, patient with our varying demands and amazingly adept at keeping to an ambitious and perfectly timed itinerary without making it feel like we were being rushed. His pride in his country was always evident in his constant smile as he talked about and introduced us to some of his favorite foods and experiences. Dana’s knowledge was extensive and included the many contacts he ran into along the route and with whom he had clearly developed a camaraderie through the years. It made us feel like we were on a true insider’s tour. It is difficult to pick the highlights as the itinerary included so many, but they included access to a recently discovered archaeological site yet to be opened to the public, roadside stops to sample fresh pomegranate juice and melons, hunting down the best vendors in each bazaar for that particular town’s specialities, be it pistachios, baklava or pepper paste, and a spectacular sunset on top of Mt Nemrut. In typical fashion, he knew exactly what time to start climbing the mountain so we could view the statues on top and find a great viewing spot in time for the sunset and before the crowds came. The entire trip was brilliant like that and simply memorable. More than anything, I felt lucky we had such a great guide and I would happily travel with Saba again.
Nargues L
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 30, 2022
A Memorable Adventure - We just returned from a fabulous trip in SE Turkey. Our guide Sabahattin surprised us with delicious local restaurants and off the beaten track sites. It was a well organized trip with a knowledgeable and delightful guide. Saba has an extensive knowledge of history that enriched our experience in this fascinating area of Turkey.
By the end of the excursion we were planning ‘part 2’ of a future trip to further discover the archeological and epicurean delights of the region.
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