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Best of Turkey Tour: March 28 to April 9

Posted by (Mount Shasta, CA) on

Greetings all! I just signed up for the Best of Turkey Tour from March 28 till April 9th - excited to be going on my first Rick Steves tour! In 2019 I did my first major travelling abroad with my sister - 9 weeks and 16 countries in Europe, and in almost every place, I used Rick Steves guides and audio tours - everything went so smoothly and it was fantastic! (Soo lucky we planned for 2019 instead of 2020 - PHEW!) We did a day trip to Bodram, Turkey from Greece and I was surprised at how 'Western' and modern it was. Really excited to get to see Istanbul finally, on my bucket list, and also other fascinating places in Turkey!

I heard there are three other solo ladies on this tour so far, so we'll be roomies! :-D I'm about to book a room for the day before the tour and the last night of the tour in Istanbul, so if any of you solo ladies see this, let me know if you'd like to share those days too!

Anyone with experience on this tour, feel free to offer tips! Is there rocky terrain, should I bring hiking boots or will comfy sneakers do plus open toe sandals do?

Posted by
2073 posts

Regular shoes are all that’s needed. It’s a great tour. I wore sandals the entire trip and so did all the other women.

Posted by
1478 posts

I took this tour in 2019. It is a great tour, for sure!

I would not have worn sandals on this tour unless they were Keen, with toe protection. I always wear a lace up, leather ankle boot when I travel. Ground is often uneven with irregular paving stones or dirt trails. I agree that a hiking boot is not necessary.

Posted by
8339 posts

I got excited just reading your post! So happy for you to have this wonderful opportunity.

Posted by
116 posts

Eileen I am on the Turkey tour but after you on the April 18th - April 30th. Please post a trip report when you done here on the forums including any good restaurants and shops you found along the way.

Thanks!

Posted by
15576 posts

A good deal of the walking is on uneven and/or unpaved ground. I'd recommend good walking shoes. Late March-early April isn't usually hot weather yet.

Posted by
46 posts

Thank you all! I will bring some good closed-toe walking shoes (hiking boots are overkill, I now realize!) for the days of uneven and unpaved ground, and the sandals will be good for warmer days and city walking. Will try to post a trip report ASAP after the tour! Looks like the first tour will be March 21 and I'm in the second tour on March 28!

Posted by
484 posts

I won't recommend open toe sandals for walking in Istanbul or any other city in Turkey.
The roads are cobblestones / concrete and can be uneven (in hilly Istanbul), and very slippery when it rains.
Good sturdy covered walking shoes are best.
Turkey is an amazing country and you will have a great time!

Posted by
1 posts

Hi Eileen! I’m signed up for the same trip and though I paid the single supplement, am excited to learn that there are other single travelers. I’m arriving on the 26th and have a room at the Acra. This is my second trip to Turkey and can’t wait to return. Susan

Posted by
1942 posts

Having gone to Turkey during those months but not on a tour, I'd wear comfortable sneakers or shoes with treads. It may be a bit too cold for sandals iMO and some of the streets can be dirty-especially if it rains.

Turkey is a modern country so you will see Istanbul is much like any other western city just with mosques and calls to prayer. Always have to laugh when people are surprised that the country has modern highways. I would also bring a scarf and gloves as it was cold in Istanbul in March especially by the sea.

Enjoy.-if you can keep an open mind, Turkey is very interesting. Istanbul was a bit crowded for my tastes but I'm glad I saw it and all the beautiful mosques and the sea. Also loved seeing all of the chilled dogs and cats on the streets taking naps.

Posted by
46 posts

Thanks for the replies! Yes when I was in Bodrum that one day, I was surprised at how Westernized it was. And yes, I saw the weather for late March/early April and it looks still quite chilly - brrr. I will need to bundle up because I love heat, haha. Probably will be wearing those closed toe sneakers every day. Will be hard resisting those cute furballs when walking the streets... my mom reminded me of that movie 'Kedi' about the cats in Istanbul, need to watch that! :-D

Posted by
4299 posts

You gotta love a country that loves its stray cats instead of shooing them away.

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