Frequently Asked Questions

Are visas required to tour in Turkey?

Yes, travelers are required to purchase their entry visa online by following 3 simple steps:

1. Apply at the e-Visa website located at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
2. Make your payment using your credit card during the application process.
3. Lastly, you can then download your E-Visa and print to show immigration officers upon your arrival.

Be sure to have all passports handy before you start the online process. Passports need to be valid for 6 months beyond the dates of travel.

Does Sojourn customize tours?

Yes, that is in fact our specialty. As a team of Americans and Turks working together we have the team to tailor make your perfect trip.
If you prefer set tours on specific dates, we offer those as well.
See the DESIGN YOUR OWN tour section for more info on requesting changes to an existing tour itinerary or designing a new one along with our staff.

Medical services? Food & Water?

Turkey has incredible bottled spring water available everywhere as you travel.
While the tap water is generally safe to drink, why pass up the chance to enjoy the great spring water.
Turkish cuisine covers a wide range, and can accommodate special diets in most cases.
From Kebap restaurants, to vegetarian meals to fresh fish, there is more than enough variety available.
Also, food sanitation in Turkey tends to be quite good, as most locals judge a restaurant first by its cleanliness.
Turkish medical standards are quite high and in all major cities there are private hospitals that are modern, clean, and have well trained staff. If you have specific medical concerns please let us know in advance.

How to handle money? Cash? ATMs? Credit Cards? Currency?

In Turkey the Turkish Lira is the currency divided into 100 kurus. 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Bills are common as are 1 lira, 50, 25, 10, and 5 kurus coins. 1 kurus coins are seldom used though available.
Most touristic establishments will exchange US dollars, Euros, and British Pounds, with pricing generally in Turkish Lira, though sometimes Euro.
The best way to access your finances is with an ATM or Credit Card. Visa and MasterCard, as well as all US and European ATM cards, are widely accepted, and there are ATM machines almost literally on every corner.
Be sure to notify your card company that you will travel to Turkey to ensure a security hold doesn’t limit your access.

What’s the electric system in Hotels?

Turkey has the same electric and plugs as mainland Europe. 220 V with 2 rounded prong plugs. Most digital electronic equipment works on 110-240 V, just check the UL tab on it.
If so you can use only a plug adaptor to change the physical shape, if not you’ll need a power transformer.

Is travel/tour insurance provided?

No, but we do recommend you purchase travel insurance to protect your trip.

Advanced booking recommendations?

We recommend that you book as far in advance as possible all travel. Every city in Turkey has unique high seasons, due to weather or local holidays and to ensure the widest choices, book early.

Hotels: Single/ Triple/ roommates?

All our trips are priced based on 2 people sharing a room (double occupancy).
Single and triple occupancy are priced with a rate adjustment.
If you are traveling with a group and want a specific roommate, please let us know in advance, and we will arrange it with the hotel.

Children?

Turkey is a fantastic place to travel with kids, mainly because Turks have a deep love for children.
Be forewarned though that they may get affection (pats on the head, high fives, kisses for babies, etc.) and more general attention from strangers or new acquaintances more than they are accustomed to in their home country. It is a warm part of the culture, and you may want to prepare your children for the possibility.
There are also city parks everywhere and hotels, as well as other tourist establishments are often very accommodating to kid’s unique needs.

Group discounts?

Since we focus on custom design itineraries, please let us know the specifics and we’ll give you the most competitive prices possible.

Tell me about vehicles? Boats?

Transportation is always in vehicles newer than 3 years old. All our vehicles are well maintained, Air Conditioned and insured. Minibuses carry up to 12 people, midibuses can carry 24, and full size buses can carry 40+.
If you have specific vehicle needs let us know.
Boat travel in Turkey can vary from large ferries in Istanbul to gulet wooden yachts on the Mediterranean coast.

Weather and time to travel?

Turkey being quite large, bordered by three seas and having many high mountains and plains has every kind of weather almost all year. Summers tend to be hot, dry in the inland and humid along the coasts. Winters likewise are cold with little to no snow in most areas, and even more mild on the coast. The Mediterranean region is sunny with warm beach weather from April to October during the day. Istanbul from May to mid September.
The best times to travel are September to November and April to early June. But winter and summer have their own charm and benefits, as well, like winter off season rates or summer beach activities.

About Sojourn Turkey’s guides?

As picky travelers ourselves, we understand the value of a great guide. We interview and select guides for our private and small group tours.
All guides are trained and officially licensed by the Tour Guide board in Turkey. Most guides have degrees, some even Masters and Doctorates, and speak English well.

Hotels and selections? / Restaurants?

We include some meals in our tour itineraries, and only at restaurants that are reputable and popular.
Our guides or hotel reception can give you restaurant recommendations during your tour.

Trip Safety? Women travelers?

Violent crime among unrelated people here is almost unheard of. It is certainly much safer than many Western cities at night. Tourists as in many countries may be the target of petty theft, but this too is rare. Even so, we recommend that you keep your wits about you, store and lock valuables when you are not with them and be aware of your surroundings.
For women travelers, Turkey is generally a safer place than many western countries.

Telephones?

Cellphones if they are GSM (ATT and T-Mobile in the US) and all European carriers work here. There are payphones, but not widely available.
The country code is 90
Dialing is 7 digits locally 311-5961 or for long distance or to a cell phone preceded by a 0 and the area or cell code. 0242 311 5961 and 0533 650 0073 for example.

Toilets?

Many villages and rest stops along the highways still have “squatty potties” or asian style bathrooms, but you will never see these in hotels. Toilet paper is very common here, but its always good to have some tissues handy.

Opening times? Time difference?

Turkish business stay open longer than in the US and much longer than in Europe. Opening somewhat later around 9 AM most places are open till 9 PM. This is seasonal and can be a bit earlier in the winter, and much later in the summer. The time is EST + 7 hours. PST +10. 2 hours different from London.

What is a typical Sojourn traveler?

Someone that enjoys travelling with their friends, nice food, budget appropriate accomodations and occasionally enjoys the finer things in life.

What should I pack for my trip?

Other than personal items and clothes, everything else is pretty much available in Turkey. Hot summers (35 C/ 95 F) and warm fall and spring (28 C/ 82 F) give way to cold snowy winters inland (-5 C / 30 F) with milder but still cold temperatures on the coast (5 C / 40 F)

What are your payment terms and conditions?

We collect a 50% deposit at the time of booking, but it is fully refundable up to 90 days before your travel, at which time the full payment is due.
Then up to 60 days before travel the tour cost is refundable minus the cost of any domestic flights we purchased for you.

What does the insurance you purchase for us cover?

TURSAB insurance is a mandatory insurance policy required by the tourism board of Turkey and we purchase it for all our clients.
It however generally only protects the tourist in cases where the agency is no longer operating when the time for a pre-paid tour occurs.
It is not like personal travel insurance that protects you for flight issues, etc.
We generally advise our clients to purchase their own U.S. based travel insurance policy with full coverage.

Can you provide a breakdown of the tour cost?

We provide our tours as package prices rather than line-by-line items, therefore a breakdown is not possible.

What is customary to tip to guides and drivers and in restaurants?

It is not required but it is appreciated to tip drivers and guides. At Restaurants it is optional and should be only 5-10% of the total bill.
And that guides should be tipped at least twice what you would tip a driver on a tour day, for instance $5 for the driver and $10 for the guide per person.

How should we dress?

There is no general restriction on dress in Turkey for women in the primary touristic cities. Only when you visit the mosques, you are expected to wear a scarf to cover up your hair and shoulders and maybe wear a longer skirt or trousers that cover up your legs while visiting the mosques. They provide scarves at the entrance if needed, but you may also bring your own.
Of course it is ok to wear a sundress or shorts for rest of the places on your tour.

Is it safe for a single female traveller to take a tour on her own.

Safety is a priority for us, and we hand-pick all hotels, guides and transfer companies.
Some regions are safer than others when it comes to exploring on your own.

Is there an extra cost for luggage weight on domestic flights?

Domestic flights allow 15 or 20 kg. total weight of all pieces, depending on airline, with reasonable charges for overweight baggage.
Packing light will be to your advantage.
There is a small per kilo charge on domestic flights when bags are overweight.
Please notify us so we will allow an extra 20 minutes for your airport check-in if you know you are carrying overweight baggage.

What amount of cash should we bring with us?

The best way to obtain local Turkish Lira (TL) currency is to use your ATM card at local bank machines, so we advise our clients not to bring a lot of cash with them to exchange in person.
Much touristic shopping can also be done with US$ if you have them along.
Visa and MC are also accepted widely.
Please do notify your bank before traveling to avoid security blocks when using your cards overseas.

Is it Safe to Travel in Turkey?

Hey – this is a fair enough question with issues in Syria and Iraq. Let me address this with the following points:

We would never invite you to travel here if there was legitimate safety concerns for tourists.
In the event that the U.S. State Department positively restricts travel to western Turkey we will refund your trip costs less any direct expenses previously incurred (such as pre booked flights for which we are unable to get full refunds).
We live here with our small children and often see that what the media portrays and what the on the ground reality are very different. In fact in all the years of living here we’ve never been concerned for the safety of ourselves, our families or any of our travelers.
Don’t take our word for it check out these other expert friends or ours that also give wisdom related to travel here: