Too Much Bus on 13-Day Turkey Tour?

I had to look back at my Trip Report for my notes about bus time when I took the Best of Turkey tour in 2022:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/so-you-re-going-on-the-best-of-turkey-or-best-of-istanbul-tour

Much of what I wrote there may be out of date; especially with regards to prices!

If you search for the section "Those Bus Days Seem Really Long - How Were They?" you can read my detailed comments, including a sample of timing for one of the "long bus days" which included an hour and a half at Aspendos.

My overall assessment was "I can't remember a day when I was "tired of being on the bus." Even when it's listed as a lot of hours, it's always punctuated with rest stops, lunch breaks, and often sightseeing stops."

When I took that tour, I didn't find that the time on the bus was excessive. There were regular stops for food, sightseeing, and stretching our legs. The distances covered on the bus enabled us to see vastly different aspects of Turkey. It was a great tour.

I was also concerned about the long bus rides, but in the end I didn’t really notice them. There were plenty of breaks, and I got some great souvenirs at rest stops. Our guide would often fill us in on history, also. This is a very active tour, with a lot of walking, so sometimes the bus ride is a nice break.

I did that tour in April and, at first, was a bit concerned about the time on the bus. However, our wonderful guide (Yaren) gave us SO much information during those times that I really enjoyed it. Also a good time to catch up a journal, watch the scenery, and maybe take a nap. We did regular rest stops at interesting places, and I found the whole trip to be a delight.

The bus time is total for the day, which is spread out over several stops. So you're not on the bus for 6 hours straight, you'll stop at a site or rest area at least every 2 hours (the drivers are required to make stops). When I took the tour in 2023 a major road was under construction between Istanbul and Ankara, which meant we had to take about a 1.5 hour longer route than usual. Because it wasn't the usual, the rest breaks were odd because they had to figure it out on the fly. That was the only day that felt long to me, but it was an unusual one off situation (and hopefully that road construction is done now!).

The thing that felt too fast to me was the time in Istanbul. The tour really only has 1.5 days there and it is not enough. I am glad I arrived several days ahead of the tour because a 17 hour travel day was a lot to catch up on. If you decide to take the tour, read the details to see if they offer a food tour the day before the official tour start day. One of the highlights for me.

Thank you to everybody who replied and helped me stop worrying about long days on a bus! I'm excited to go!

It is a great tour! You won’t regret taking it. I agree with all the above posters!!!