HI,
I have always wanted to go to Turkiye and see all the amazing archaeology. I will be traveling there with my gal friend in April. I can pretty much figure out all the spots I would like to see but am having a quandary with going to at least one of the neolithic pre pottery sites like Boncuklu Tarla, Karahan Tepe or even Gobekli Tepe. Safety is my worry. I do not want us to stand out like sore thumbs in these very close to Syria locations.
Thoughts?
Any advice for two lady travelers would be appreciated.
Posted by
Minnesota
589 posts
It sounds like you want to plan this trip independently. However, especially if safety is a concern, you might want to consider Gate 1’s tour, 14-day Eastern Turkey Explorer. Gate 1 has a good reputation and they will figure out all the logistics for you.
Posted by
Seattle
64 posts
If you are posting on the Rick Steves' site - why are you not considering the RS tour of Turkey? I can tell you - Turkey is a large county, with so much beauty and history. To experience it fully - it is so helpful to have a guide to explain what you are seeing, the history, the experiences with locals, a guide who speaks Turkish, etc. The RS tour of Turkey is fantastic. Absolute favorite of all the tours.
Edit ! I see, you are interested in E Turkey!
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
794 posts
Gobekli Tepe has been on my bucket list for a while. However, traveling solo to that area of Turkey is just a little bit beyond my comfort zone. It's probably okay, but .... well, just a touch beyond what I am comfortable with. It's much more conservative than the rest of Turkey. Also, language will be more of a barrier in eastern Turkey.
Gate 1 is a good choice.
I have also looked into traveling through this agency: https://www.easternturkeytour.org. I believe that they can also arrange private tours. You could do part of Turkiye on your own, and part through a private tour.
Of course, you can explore archaeological sites on your own all over western Turkey with little to no worry.
Posted by
Lynnwood, WA
34 posts
My husband, 26 year old son and I spent May in Turkey. After several days in Istanbul we rented a car and drove almost 2,300 miles. We ended our trip in Sanliurfa. We visited Gobeklitepe on our own but hired Gobekli Tours for a day to take us to Karahan Tepe, Sogmater and Harran (20 miles from the Syrian border). We customized our tour to cover the sites we wanted to see.
As tourists from the USA I noticed that we were definitely in the minority in the Sanliurfa area but I never felt unsafe. I am not sure how that would change if I had been with another woman instead of two men. Our hotel hosts spoke excellent English and we didn't have any issues at restaurants. I did feel better using Gobekli Tours to take us around to the lesser sites. Gobeklitepe is a very busy tourist site compared to Karahan Tepe. I would recommend Gobekli Tours.
I am not sure how you would get to the sites near Gobeklitepe without a car. We did find driving in Turkey more challenging that I had anticipated but we sure did see a lot that we could not have seen with public transportation or a tour.