RS Turkey

I took this tour a few years ago, when I was in my mid-70s. I was walking and biking quite a bit, and running a bit. Good balance and eyesight.

As I recall, you will walk a lot, sometimes on uneven surfaces: paths, cobblestones, etc. in many places, especially in Cappadocia. Also clambering through some narrow passages in cave homes. But I don't recall feeling that a lot of endurance was required.

I don't think age matters, per se, if one has at least average-for-that-age eyesight and balance, are used to walking several miles a day, and have confidence and a sense of adventure.

This tour, along with the Greece tour, was my favorite of the 8 or so that I have taken. Much different from western Europe. Tremendous sense of history, multiple civilizations. Great food, too. If you have taken other RS tours, you know the drill. Just put this at the active end of that spectrum. I'd go again in a heartbeat.

-Ben

There is a lot of walking, sometimes at a brisk pace. I found that particularly true in the Istanbul portion, where we were navigating the crowds while heading to public transport or moving between museums or out to a restaurant. Sometimes we were given a choice between a strenuous hike in the hills and hanging out/strolling in town, so the group would split in two. I think anyone in good health without serious mobility issues should do fine. Many of us were retirement age, if that helps. Turkey is amazing.

are the 2025 tours out already?

Sorry-meant 2024.

I took this tour and didn’t find it strenuous at all. I was in my late 60s.

We just returned from the RS Best of Turkey tour. There is a lot of walking but not particularly difficult. But you must be agile/mobile and able to be relatively quick as there are lots of obstacles (motorbikes, crowded sidewalks and packed trams) and stairs. We had several tour members that used walking sticks to help navigate over the cobblestones and slippery surfaces. The RS guide is very amenable to people taking an easier route when a hike up a hill is required such as in Goreme. Also, other tour members are great about helping those who are struggling, perhaps with stairs. We took the Best of Venice, Florence & Rome last year with RS and I think the Italy tour encompassed a lot more walking and steep staircases than the tour in Turkey.

I took the tour at the end of October 10 years ago. The day after the tour began, my knee went out and I limped for nearly the entire tour. I opted out of the hike after the balloon ride (mostly because I lost most of a night's sleep to get up for the balloon ascent) and a descent into an underground sight. I did everything else on the tour.