Efendi=High Quality on Short Notice. Two big thumbs up Yusuf…read moreKaraca of Efendi created a luxury package to Cappadocia in the span of three short hours, for a reasonable price. I was in Istanbul and though I could spend a month in the city without getting bored, I started wondering if I should see something more. It is a 12+ hour flight from Miami, so when would I be back? I decided Cappadocia would be perfect. Because Tom Brosnahan's Turkey Travel Planner is my bible for travel in Istanbul and beyond, I took his advice to contact Efendi. I sent a simple email to info@efendi Within minutes, Yusuf was emailing. There were no sales come ons, attempts to upsell or to pressure me to close the deal. There was, a pending deadline, because I was aiming to leave about 48 hours after contacting Efendi. Let me state up front, I'm a very independent traveler. I have seen vast parts of Europe, Latin America and far beyond -- with or without any local language skills -- on my own. I have booked daring travel way back before we had the internet, trip advisor and all the online ways of doing research. So to like a package tour, it had to be near perfect. Right off the bat, Yusuf found a 3-day, 2-night visit for about 500 USD. That was the price I would pay just for round trip flights, had I booked on short notice on my own. We ultimately settled on a package costing roughly 600 USD (we could have gone as remarkable low as nearly 400 USD) to ensure a great time. I was staying in an area on the tramway in Sirkechi. All of my previous taxis, ubers and drivers dropped me off blocks from my hotel. Pickups were more strung out delayed and confusing. Yusuf assured me that my driver would be at the door of my hotel, plus he would call ahead to let the front desk know if he was arriving late at all. This gave me such comfort and assurance. Through a smart phone, while tidying up my room, doing some light sink laundry, organizing my receipts and recharging my camera batteries on the middle day of a 14-day trip, Efendi completed the itinerary. Even though I could easily call up word docs and PDFs on my phone, Yusuf personally delivered a print out to my hotel and insisted the front desk place it in my room. The 600 USD included transfer to and from Ataturk airport, coach seats on a larger than I imagined jet to Nevsehir Airport, transfer from that Cappadocia area airport to my hotel and back, plus two full days of touring itinerary with an English speaking guide. Best of all, the extra 100 or so I spent got me a prime room at Yunak Evelri Cave Hotel. Now there are hundreds of cave hotels in Cappadocia, but few are a 4 to 5 star that Yunak is. The service was superb, the finishes amazing, the common areas upscale, etc. I feared the restaurant would be mediocre and expensive, since it was a bit of a hike into the ancient village of Urgup for a dining alternative. But it was the opposite a multilevel lounge deck -- with spectacular views of the canyon around us and the hotel's cliff facade -- welcomed with a fireplace, hip music (volume not too loud) and an array of items. Eating late and on the road, I opted for a simple margarita pizza and a gourmet, ultra thin crust creation arrived with a price tag far less than you'd pay in the states. Breakfast -- 95% of Turkish small hotels, be they rural or urban, have a buffet spread in the morning -- had all the traditional Turkish white cheeses, breads, olives, pickles and dips -- along with enough warm food, jams and other items to appeal to the more western palate. The room at Yunak was spectacular, though it involved climbing very many outdoor, smooth marble stair cases. It had a very modern and luxurious bath. There was a heater, but I never needed it. Plenty of comfy sheets and blankets made me at ease with the constant 67 degree interior. The room was large as a suite, stocked with free bottled water and amazing to sleep in, what with it's carved niches from being an ancient cave home. Each day, I was picked up around 9:30 a.m. and taken around to all the key sites and museums. I must say, the buffet lunch was fairly mediocre, but no lacking for items. There must have been 100 things to choose from, which is good for the picky eaters. Efendi and Yusuf even helped trouble shooting a problem of my own creation. The number one thing I wanted to see was the Goreme Open Air Museum. We were supposed to see it on the first day, but the on-site tour operator switched my itinerary. Day 1 was a long hike and my knee was acting up. The weather for the next day called for storms. I pictured my only visit to Cappadocia being marred by a sore knee and rain sweeping away photos I wanted to take in Goreme. I offered to leave the tour halfway into Day 1 and pay a taxi to Goreme. The tour guide was polite, but balked at it. I dialed Yusuf (he gave me his cell and told me to call 24/7) and quickly, the tour driver was depositing me in Goreme with the understanding that I would not have travel protection

This was one of the best airport pickups ever. The booknig process was fast, easy and accurate,…read morethe price was the cheapest out there and the staff were very helpful. The driver was waiting at the airport as promised in a nice vehicle and managed to get us to our apartment in spite of having an incomplete address. The pickup was on time and again very smooth. Drivers spoke good English and were courteous. Recommend these folk highly.

Fester Preis, sicherer Istanbul-Flughafentransfer Wir bieten…read morebequeme und festpreisige Transferdienste vom Stadtzentrum zum Istanbul New Airport und zum Sabiha Gökçen Airport an. Sie können uns für den Transport von Ihrem Hotel oder Ihrer Adresse zum Flughafen wählen. Wir bieten stressfreien Transport für bis zu 7 Passagiere mit unseren Van-Fahrzeugen. Unsere Autos können bequem bis zu 8 Gepäckstücke aufnehmen. Es gibt nur drei einfache Schritte, um eine Reservierung zu machen. Wir bieten eine all-inclusive Festpreisgarantie. Nach Ihrer Reservierung erhalten Sie eine Buchungsbestätigung per E-Mail zum Ausdrucken. Sie können dem Fahrer am Ende der Reise bar bezahlen. Unser Fahrzeug wird Sie von Ihrem Hotel zum Flughafen mit einer nahtlosen Reiseerfahrung bringen. Alle unsere Passagiere sind versichert und kostenlose Kindersitze stehen zur Verfügung. Wir bieten einen angenehmen Transfer-Service und Sie können uns einfach per WhatsApp kontaktieren. Wir empfehlen unseren Service für nahtlose Buchungen und schnelle Transfers von Hotels oder Airbnb-Häusern zum Flughafen. Wir bieten einen freundlichen Empfang und unsere Autos sind sowohl für aktuelle als auch für zukünftige Reisen immer bereit und warten auf Sie am Flughafen Istanbul. Wir bieten einen privaten Flughafen-Hotel-Transfer-Service und Sie können uns auf jede Weise erreichen. Sie können uns 7 Tage die Woche, 24 Stunden am Tag über WhatsApp kontaktieren: +905444513219. Unsere Preise sind pro Fahrzeug festgelegt, nicht pro Person! Online Buchen https://www.istanbulflughafentransfer.de

This bus takes you directly from the two Istanbul international airports to Taksim Square (almost…read moreright there) and then back again. The price is reasonable. I had some great naps on the bus. You can pick up the bus at either the international or domestic terminal.

Very easy, affordable way to get from Taksim in the European side of Istanbul to either Attaturk or…read moreSabiha Gokcem airport. The shuttle leaves every half an hour. I took the shuttle to Sabiha Gokcem and it took about 45 minutes (although on the website they said it takes an hour and a half). This cost us 14 Lira per person. Just walk on the bus and pay once the bus ride starts. We were not sure which shuttle to take to make it to the airport in time and messaged the company on Facebook and they got back to us promptly. I would definitely use this service is you are staying near the Taksim area

This airport is extremely security conscious. You have to clear security twice before you get to…read moredepartures. It is a very clean and very busy. It's an airport. There are so many options for purchasing duty free and gadgets. That's all.

Much larger airport than I had imagined. A bit confusing when going through security. There are…read moreseveral to pass. There also two parallel lines that do the same thing, except one line might have one agent, while the others may have 2 or 3. We started at the first and realized there's just one woman working it. We moved to the next one when we saw that the other one was moving faster due to having multiple workers. At the actual gate, there's another security person checking your boarding card and passport to enter the enclosed area. Several entitled people decided they didn't need to wait and pushed to enter from the side, causing a scene. At boarding time, you have to show your passport and boarding card again. It's safe, but it's a lot of checks. Allow enough time.

Extremely touristic but great location and the rooftop is one of the best I've ever seen for a…read morescenic panorama of gorgeous Istanbul. Hotel has a really great gift shop and also a very nicely done ultra high quality luxury bag (all fakes of course) boutique located in the lobby! Some of the best designer (like Hermès) copies I've ever seen... If you're only in Istanbul for a day or two, this is a great place to stay because the hotel is luxurious and in an ideal location for sight seeing + panoramic dining + a designer copy shopping extravaganza all in one place in Sultanahmet.

My husband went to this hotel this past summer. Our good family friend Mahmut Celik was also there…read moreto meet my husband and his friend. My husband was really happy with the hotel and said the Best food he had there was the hotels top Food dinner! Thank you again for your hospitality and service!

Another trip, another gem, and by gem I mean SAW İstanbul, where travel dreams go to die. First…read moreoff, nothing screams "welcome" like being herded through security twice because why not spice things up with a little déjà vu and a bonus pat-down? The signage? Oh, it's there. Somewhere. Probably hiding behind a guy chain-smoking under a No Smoking sign. Yes, this airport smells like a tavern. Staff range from visibly annoyed to outright hostile, as if your very presence personally offended them. Honestly, I think the ticketing agents made a blood pact to make sure no one leaves here with their sanity intact. Are you hungry? Hope you brought a second mortgage. You can treat yourself to a sad sandwich that tastes like betrayal and costs more than your flight.

I used this airport twice. One for arrival and ones again for departure. It's a big airport. They…read moreprefer you pay with euros or dollars here. They do take Turkish currency. Some of the vendors will give u a hard time but they do specifically in the duty free stores. My arrival was smooth. It was the normal process. What made an impression was my departure. Five security checks!, wow. The first one when I entered the airport. A metal detector for all my belongings and one for me. The second the one for my boarding ticket and luggage, same thing . The third at a nother station when checking for my passport. It was again a metal detector and items check. The fourth at the gate. Before entering the gate a passport check. It was actually a second person inside stopping every other person. I recommend going to the bathroom before getting to this check. If u have to go because You have to go back to line again if you exit. The gate is closed in with a glass surrounding. The last before boarding the plane, wow.

The day cruise on Bosphorus River is almost a must do tour by many tour group. This cruise display…read moremany buildings and historic landmarks along river. The cruise is about 1 hour. The ship did a stop near Asia side Istanbul. Then head back to the original port. If you join the second tour to Asia side of Istanbul, you will get off here. I decided to head back to the Europe side Istanbul. The cruise allows you to see the long suspension bridge that cross under. You also can see some landmarks on the top of the hill. Palaces mostly on the riverside.

The Bosphorus cruise is a must do in Istanbul…read more The Bosphorus is where Europe and Asia flirt shamelessly across a narrow strip of water. This strait, slicing Istanbul in half, has been causing geographical identity crises since forever. Want to sip tea on one continent while judging the traffic on another? The Bosphorus says, Sure, hun. Historically, it's been the watery red carpet for empires including the Byzantines, Ottomans, and now Instagram influencers. Fun fact: the current flows two ways because one direction just wasn't dramatic enough. So yeah, even the water here is extra. In short: it's blue, it's historic, it's chaotic, just like your life.

Hotel Amira was the second hotel that I stayed in to get a different point of view. It is located…read moreon Sultanahmet's side which is within walking distance of Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. All of these sites are quite famous and usually take a long time to get in. But during November it is their low season so it was less busy than I have seen it before. Hotel Amira was also my first time staying at this boutique hotel which cost was quite reasonable. The only negative thing is maybe the stairs if you have heavy luggage you will need some assistance depending on which floor you get. We got the 7th room number which doesn't have an elevator to connect to that level. But besides that it was fine. The staff here is quite friendly and nice. If you have any questions just ask them and they will be able to help you out. The rooftop is closed though since it is cold but you can still go on top of it and take some photos of the view. It is fantastic to see the ocean on one side and also the mosque on the other. For a boutique hotel, the location, area, and being able to walk around at all the most famous places in Istanbul is quite nice!

My husband and I and friends stayed at Hotel Amira for three nights in May, 2026. We had the most…read morewonderful time and many thanks to all staff at Hotel Amira. They assisted us in reservations with a guide, Bosphorus Strait tour and Turkish Bath. Our guide, Josh was the best. He made our day together seeing the Old Town sights perfect. Hotel Amira is a perfect location. Their breakfast was excellent. I would stay there anytime!!