All international travelers need to have a valid passport. Please be sure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the beginning of your trip. All domestic flights within Turkey require you to show your passport.

 

In general it is cheaper to obtain your tourist visa when you arrive in Turkey instead of paying in advance through the consulates in your country. Make sure you have some cash with you to pay for the visa fee upon your arrival. They only accept cash.

 

 

Turkey offers many fine craft items at very reasonable prices. Traditional souvenirs include beautiful rugs, tiles, pottery, gold & diamond jewelry, silk, leather and products made of copper. During the program, there will be opportunities to see unique, local produced products representing good value from reliable vendors. You should use your best judgment when deciding on an item if the price is worth it.

 

Don’t forget to bargain before you purchase anything. Bargaining is a wonderful aspect of Turkish culture. Try to get the price down as much as you can. Usually offering an amount 25% below their suggestion is a good place to start. Be creative and always say you will pay in cash or combine your purchase with your traveling companions to get a group discount. Only rule is that, if you make an offer, you should be prepared to buy at that price. Be prepared to have some tea and apple tea.

 

 

Turkey is a modern country and dress is in general casual and comfortable. In Istanbul and other large cities including beachside resorts and major tourist centers you may dress as you like except when visiting mosques. Keep in mind that neither shorts/short skirts nor bare shoulders are allowed in the mosques, and that a head covering for women is greatly appreciated. We do recommend dressing more conservatively if you are visiting the central, eastern or Black Sea area.

 

 

In the south and west the weather follows normal Mediterranean climate patterns with warm, mostly dry summers and mild winters. In the high plateau of Central Anatolia the summers are also hot and dry, but winters can be very cold, with varying precipitation (nights are mostly cool). In the north, especially the Black Sea region, rain is frequent, and in the mountains of the east is an alpine climate. The southeast, on the other hand, has a near desert climate

 

 

The currency unit in Turkey is the Turkish Lira (TL). Traveler's checks are not widely accepted and will generally get a less favorable rate of exchange than cash. There are bank machines almost everywhere in Turkey now and cash advance offices in tourist areas where you can use a credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard etc).

 

Larger shops generally accept US dollars, Euro, traveler's checks and credit cards, but small shops will accept only cash and you will need Turkish lira for local convenience stores or grocers. American Express is not widely accepted and personal checks almost impossible to cash.

 

 

Telephoning from your hotel room usually is expensive. We recommend using a long distance calling card or buying a telephone card from a local kiosk or post office. For international calls dial the country code preceded by two zeros. When calling from abroad, remember that the country code of Turkey is 90.

 

 

Electrical Outlets in Turkey are 220V all appliances running on 110V will need a converter or an adaptor. Please check your appliances before use them in your hotel room. Hair dryers are available at all 4 & 5 star hotels and boutique hotels.

 

Turkish cuisine is considered one of the finest in the world and mostly you will encounter fresh meats and vegetable in a clean atmosphere. You will experience a wide variety of regional culinary dishes on a typical tour. Although water is chlorinated in larger cities we highly recommend drinking bottled water only. It is safe to cook and brush your teeth with the water.