Comparing Apples and Oranges- Two Tour Companies in Turkey

I look forward to hearing your take on Gate 1.

I have always found your comments to be thoughtful and judicious.

Have a great trip!

Sorry, no advice here, as we have not yet been to Turkey. I do hope you enjoy your Gate 1 tour! We have been on 7 tours with Gate 1 and have enjoyed them all. We find they are great tours for a great value. In the interest of full disclosure, we have never been on a RS tour.

I, for one, like that some of the activities are optional with Gate 1 and are not included. This is because some of the things included with RS tours I don't want to pay for. For example, I have Celiac Disease, so a cooking demonstration or food tour or river cruise with dinner isn't appealing to me. I like being able to pick what I want to pay for.

Our tour last summer to the Canadian Rockies had only 24 people even though it wasn't one of their small group tours. Other tours we've been on have had up to 42. The tour guides are great at managing that many people. The only real difference I've noticed between having 24 vs. 42 on Gate 1 tours was that with only 24 people we got to know our tour mates better. Have a great trip!

Carol, look forward to what I know will be a fair and thoughtful assessment. We are planning Turkey for 2026, but will spend 24 days on our own.

I'll be interested in your analysis after the tour, especially what you thought of the hotels and food. Curious which Gate 1 itinerary you picked (affordable Turkey or Turkish Treasures)? I took the RS tour of Turkey and enjoyed it. I've also taken a Gate 1 tour (SE Asia) and loved parts of it, but definitely didn't enjoy the group size and the hotels were fine but far away from everything. At the time I went the single supplement was pretty reasonable cost, but it's nice yours was waived. As you noted, they're not the same kinds of tour experiences but you have a good idea of what you're getting in to with a different company.

As for making your time in Turkey even better, I'd suggest booking a hammam visit. Istanbul will be most expensive but has some very nice options, I went to the beautiful Hurrem Sultan Hamami (at rec. of CWSocial) and was very pampered. I really enjoyed a food tour in Istanbul - it was in connection with RS tour but not part of the tour itself, but there are other private tour options. Splurge on the balloon ride in Cappadocia, it was really magical and a bucket list opportunity. Only drink bottled water (including Istanbul) and use it for brushing teeth, your belly will thank you. Oh and if you like cats (or even if you don't) watch the movie "Kedi" about the much loved street cats of Istanbul - they're everywhere!

I appreciate your info about Gate 1 tour. I'm also looking at their 13 day tour for late October. However, the single supplement is $700, plus extras like the hot air balloon ride, etc. I was shocked by an additional $180 fee (each way) charged for transportation to and from the airport. I have no idea how far the airport in Instanbul is from the major hotels, but this seems excessive. It would make sense for me to use their shared shuttle service on my arrival, because I will be tired and it arrives after 5 p.m. However, the $180 fee for a shared shuttle from Hotel Millennium Golden Horn Hotel to the airport seems outrageous. Would appreciate input from those of you who have been there.

bootyshaker1951 the IST airport is a long way from the center of town (45-60 minutes or more depending on traffic). You can reserve a door-to-door Welcome Pickups shuttle for about 45 euro. That price you were quoted is unreasonable in my opinion. Even a taxi would be cheaper.

Booty shaker- take the 16 Taksim Square bus from the airport. Board at the airport and it takes you directly across the street fro Point Hotel Taksim. I think it costs about $5. I was fortunate enough to buy during a no single supplement sale, but paying around $50 a day to have a room by myself would still be worth it.

Could y'all please elaborate on the differences between the Gate 1 Turkey tour and the RS Turkey tour? I understand the basics of having to add optional tours and tips for Gate 1, so please go beyond that. Is there a big quality difference? I'm looking at both tours also for 3 people, ages 64, 59, and 26. Thanks!

Main differences are elaborated in main post above.

I’m looking forward to your report.

Carol, I will really look forward to hearing about the tour as well. With regards to Turkey, my trip there was a while ago (2007) but it still ranks up there with one of my most favorite trips. The Turkish people are so friendly and warm, and the country is so vibrant and extraordinarily diverse when it comes to scenery. Just walking through Istanbul will be an enriching experience. If you like, I kept a journal of my trip that is now online. I don't know how much it would help you, but you're welcome to look at it. https://mardeeinturkey.wordpress.com/

By the way, if you come across a dessert called künefe (pronounced Kune'-eff-ay), order it! It is a sweet cheese pastry with shredded phyllo dough, soaked in a sweet syrup and topped with ground pistachios. It's way better than baklava. :-)

One other thing, the Turkish people really appreciate it when someone tries to speak their language. I did not speak it well, but did spend about 3-4 months before I left learning some basic words and phrases, and most locals were amazed and so happy that I spoke to them in Turkish. Our conversations never lasted that long, due to my limited vocabulary, but I think they really appreciated the effort.