Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

Karen did a fantastic job for us. We had to cancel the tour from a year back due to unforeseen circumstances and they had saved as much of that trip (in credits) as possible.

The guides were spectacular, the drivers were amazing, the escorts were really helpful, and Karen/Hakan were so very accommodating with our change requests. The hotels they picked were really nice. We really enjoyed the hot air balloon ride (Cappodocia) as well as the cooking class (Istanbul).

My husband and I just returned from a perfect trip to Istanbul. We love to become familiar with neighborhoods in the cities we visit, and Karen made that happen. We sampled special foods, saw special sites, celebrated my husband’s birthday on a private boat tour, ate in fabulous restaurants, and attended a charming Easter service. We loved every minute!

My wife and I had a few “extra” days after a holiday visit with our family in Switzerland so we scheduled a very full 2 days to visit Istanbul, a city I wanted very much to experience. We had an evening arrival at the very busy airport and were whisked immediately by our team of guide and driver to an expedited trip through passport and customs and into a comfortable van for the hour plus drive to our hotel, Ciragon Palace Kempinski, which was a perfect place to settle.

We met our travel guide and driver in the lobby the next morning and had just a fabulous private tour. Our guide shared expertise in the historical, architectural, archeological, cultural and religious features of this city and region. She was a delight to be with and to share time and experience with. In addition to the schedule, our guide arranged to visit a carpet gallery to learn some of the story of the art and science of weaving, and we were able to make some very good purchases.

The travel planning team was just fantastic. Driver and guide coordinated the activity so very well, and they were dedicated to give us the best experience possible, even extending the tour beyond the scheduled time so we could accomplish this. It was a very intense and rewarding trip I will remember always.

We used Karen to plan our Istanbul itinerary prior to embarking on a train trip from Istanbul. Our trip began seamlessly with an escort service in the Istanbul airport. We were grateful for the assistance complete with carts so we did not have to walk the distance required in the airport. Our accommodation was comfortable and in a good location. Our guide superb. We learned so much about the history of the area. We also got the added bonus of having lunch with Karen, which we greatly enjoyed as she and our guide introduced us to local flavors. All activities and meals planned were great choices. I highly recommend Karen even if you are just in Istanbul for a short time.

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