Turkey Tours & Vacations

This was my second Zicasso trip, the first being to Peru in 2024, so I had full confidence in their travel company and was delighted by the level of care and attention to detail throughout the trip. 

I essentially had three trips while in Turkey. I arrived a day early to attend a six-day cooking school that was independently arranged. The travel company smoothly organized my airport pickup and first-night hotel. After the cooking school, I was again booked in the original hotel (old town, close to major sites, clean, nice), and my daughter joined me for a week-long tour of Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus. 

The guides in each region were knowledgeable, though we could have made do with fewer facts (height in meters of the Blue Mosque, area in square meters of Hagia Sophia, number of sheep in the country) and had more free time to explore on our own. We loved the major Istanbul sites, the Bosphorus cruise, and lunch on the Asia side. We were delighted with our cave hotel in Cappadocia and the hot-air balloon ride on my daughter's birthday. We loved strolling through Ephesus. 

All the internal flights were arranged, booked, and checked in by the agent, so all we had to do was show up on time. The vans that transported us were clean and nice, with good drivers. After my daughter left, I was booked for three nights on a gulet, with stops on the Mediterranean. It was a nice way to slow down and finish the busy trip. 

The highlight of my travels was dinner at my agent's home with his lovely family. He even arranged for me to find some earrings like those of his mother, which I had admired, and then drove me to the airport. Above and beyond!

Zicasso’s travel agent cares passionately about his clients. I used his company for a three-week Aegean odyssey in March-April 2025. My special request was to have a meal with a local family in their home. He arranged for immersive cooking with two families in Türkiye and Greece. He has an outstanding roster of local guides who provided private tours in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Kuşadası, Santorini, and Crete. All the guides were personable and knowledgable, and we had fun with day(s) filled with laughter. I mentioned to one that the hotel was going to charge 50 euros for laundry. He arranged his local laundry to do it for less than $10.

Our travel company pays attention to details, having the influence to get me upgraded rooms with spectacular balcony views of the Parthenon and Aegean Sea. The hotels were in strategic locations, with easy walking to restaurants, shopping, and points of interest. He ensured I had “fast pass”, so I went into the shorter security lanes at the airports. The vehicles were either Mercedes-Benz vans, sedans, or other nice SUVs for more room and better views.

For me, it is when things go sideways that one learns the value of a good travel specialist. On the day I was to fly from Athens to Santorini, all the transportation workers in Greece went on strike for 24 hours. There were no planes or ferries. That causes cascading problems. My agent arranged for me to spend the extra night in the same Athens hotel, got a new flight to Santorini the next day, even though the flights were very full, had the room ready for me in Santorini when I arrived early in the morning, and had the transfers waiting for me. I did not worry, as I knew I would be taken care of. The day before the strike, I was talking with other tourists who were scrambling to make arrangements when the internet and phone lines were jammed. The peace of mind was immeasurable.

My wife, Beth, and I recently returned home after a thoroughly rewarding two-week visit to Turkey, during which we followed an itinerary prepared for us by Zicasso's travel designer.

My wife and I are seasoned, independent travelers, so only on rare occasions do we enlist the guidance of professionals. Concerns about the language barrier led us to speak with the folks at Zicasso, who, in turn, cited our travel designer as one of their premier Turkey specialists. He designed a personalized touring plan that took into account our travel experience, as well as our desire for free days throughout our stay. His lodging recommendations in Istanbul, Şirince, and Bodrum were all top-notch, as were the guides who led us across Istanbul and the ancient cities of Ephesus, Aphrodisias, and Pamukkale.

We also benefitted from the reliable and gracious assistance of our travel designer's associate, who was never more than a WhatsApp message away whenever we needed help for matters small or large.

Beth and I have already discussed a return trip to Turkey next year; suffice to say we will again reach out to him to help with the planning.

It was a pleasant and amazing trip. Thank you for all your assistance. We are fascinated by your services.

Special mention to our guide in Cappadocia and our guide in İzmir. They were the best people and we are really glad you paired them with us.

Regarding Zicasso's travel company, they were always super-attentive to all our needs. The hotels, transports, flights, staff, and everything were five stars. We recommend them deeply.

It is important to mention that I traveled with both my parents. My mom is disabled and my father has some health issues, and our travel company made sure to help us all along our stay to make it as easy as possible.