Winner of Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2012-2016 – See Our Gallipoli Reviews!
Prior to that, please see the following Gallipoli reviews and tour feedback we received from some of our past guests from Australia, New Zealand and UK visiting Gallipoli/Troy/Cape Helles on our private tours.
We would be happy to put you in touch with some of these guests on request.
October 2009 – Day trips to Gallipoli (3 people) :
I am writing on behalf of my mother, my son and myself to thank you for the
excellent day tour we took with your company to Cannakale and Gallipoli on
10 October 2009.
We learned so much, were in the company of a great driver Razamon, and an
excellent guide in Ilker who was a graduate in history and archaeology.
They were very professional and friendly. The meal provided was also very
nice and the hosts generous and friendly. Our trip from Istanbul to Cannakale and the peninsula was a long one but very, very rewarding.
I was very impressed with your company’s organisation and the fact that we
communicated by email from Australia and on the appointed day at our hotel
in Istanbul everything went smoothly and was well planned. This was without
the need for me to reconfirm by phone which I found very helpful as we were
in transit from London the day before.
Ilker’s knowledge of the areas of interest to us as Australians (my mother’s
father; my grandfather and my young son’s great grandfather had fought at
Gallipoli) and of our interest in the history from the Turkish perspective
was appreciated.
Please accept this thanks and pass on our best regards to Razamon and Ilker.
I would be happy for you to use this note on your website.
Yours sincerely
Susan S, Kate W and Miles O.
Canberra and Cobar, Australia.
March 2008 – Gallipoli & Troy Tour (2 people) :
I wanted to let you know that we had the most wonderful time. Our driver was waiting right on time at our hotel for us on the morning of departure. The vehicle was wonderful – very comfortable, especially for the long drive ahead. Our driver (I am sorry I cant remember his name) was fabulous – he drove very carefully (we had had some interesting cab rides in Istanbul!!!) and we were more than happy with him over the two days.
Once we had arrived and had some lunch we met our guide, Aykut and headed off. We cannot speak highly enough of Aykut – we were looking forward to going to Gallipoli, but we were so blessed with the most wonderful guide. He was so knowledgable and taught us so much, not only about our own country but also about Turkey. Nothing was too much trouble for him and his passion and love of history just shone through. We commented to eachother many times how lucky we were to have such a wonderful guide.
The whole trip was better than we had hoped and we were more than happy with everything we did. I can highly recommend your service and especially your guide and driver, because they very much made our trip the success that it was.
Aykut certainly left a wonderful impression on us and we were so greatful for all that he taught us and his friendly nature. He certainly evoked passion and interest out of us during the two days.
So, again thank you and please pass on our gratitude once more to both Aykut and the driver – we hope to one day come back to Gallipoli and go the the Anzac Day service with Aykut!!!
Regards, Leisha W.
March 2008 – Gallipoli Troy Tour (2 people):
Just to say thanks for organising our 2 day tour of Gallipoli and Troy, it was excellent. Attila our driver is such a professional, driving through Istanbul and back in the traffic takes real talent, he maintained his calm the whole way and drove so well, it allowed us to relax and enjoy the scenery. He was always conscious of our comfort and so helpful.
Our guide Ihtook was also excellent and knowledgeable, we took this tour mainly for Gallipoli but must admit the visit to Troy was a highlight, he managed to really bring it to life. His historical knowledge is amazing.
They really looked after us, they took us to a nice lunch spot on the way to Troy, it was great Turkish food, Ihtook explained the food and ordered for us. On our return journey Attila stopped for lunch at a motorway service, the food was excellent.
The Kolin hotel rooms are very good, just what you need after a busy day.
Kind regards
Julie M.
February 2008 – Gallipoli Day Trip (2 people):
Our trip to Gallipoli was excellent, even better than we could have
hoped. Atilla was a safe and friendly driver and Aykut the best guide
we could ask for. He gave us all the information we needed on the
history of the place in a way which was easy to understand and
thorough. He also put it all into a world context both historically
and for now. We were both very impressed by him and grateful to havehad him as our guide. It was a terrific day.
I will definitely be recommending your tour to friends and family.
Especially as it was so easy to organise also.
The only thing I would have changed was to have more time there but
that was my problem not yours!
Thank you again and if I can convince my parents to make the trip here from Australia I will definitely organise our tour through you.
Regards
Philippa
December 2007, UK – Gallipoli Tour (1 person):
‘Our guide was exceptionally good. I’d be particularly happy to recommend him to anyone who had a personalized schedule.’’
David. P.
‘We have just arrived home from a wonderful holiday, where part of that holiday was very successful thanks to Byzas Tours. We were only in Istanbul for a short while but was greeted and taken around by Resat (Guide) and I’m sorry I can’t remember the drivers name. They were prompt, friendly and Resat informative. While we always felt safe with the driver. We spent a city tour with them and then a day at Gallipoli. Our thanks for making everything run so smoothly. When next we visit Turkey, (and of that I am sure we will as we found Istanbul such a delightful surprise and everyone so friendly I would not hesitate to contact you again to arrange to see more of your beautiful country.
Thanks again
J & A. Tindall
October 2007, Australia
Daily Gallipoli Trip & Private Istanbul Tour (6 people)
’’Thanks for all your help. Back home now and the tour was a highlight of the trip. Aykut was an exceptional guide and both Barb and I found every moment with him of value. I tend to think I have a bit of a grasp of the story of Gallipoli but Aykut added so much and brought so much more to life. Fascinating to get an insight into the Turkish side of the story and significance as well. Friends had been to Troy and were underwhelmed. I wish they’d had Aykut. He delivered on explaining the ‘dream’ and the ‘reality’. A very special experience.
Many thanks,
Peter. C. ’’
September 2007, Sydney, Australia
Gallipoli-Troy 3 day Package.
’’I just wanted to let you know how pleased we were with the tour. It was wonderful. The guides were extremely knowledgable and friendly. I was very impressed with their expertise. Our driver did a great job in getting us to the various sites; everything was planned perfectly. We enjoyed ourselves very much. Thanks again.
Best Regards,
M.Brown’’
Australia, June 2007
Gallipoli-Troy 2 day Package.
’’We spend a fortnight in Turkey in April 2007, taking the 12 day Deluxe Tour of Turkey and the two day Gallipoli/Troy extension. It was a wonderful experience for all four of us; we came to love the country and the people and our two sons, aged 20 and 12, both want to return.
Gurkan Ozis and his people at Byzas Tours made it very easy from the outset: there were prompt responses to every email communication and the tour agenda was adjusted subtly to accommodate our interests in history and archaeology.
The organization was meticulous: Turkish Airlines flew us around a big country; a VW or Mercedes people mover greeted us at each airport; the drivers were excellent; we had our own specialist guide in each locality; the hotels were good and on the one occasion when a significant health issue for one member of a party required a change of hotels it was handled by Gurkan, from Istanbul, quickly and without fuss around 9 pm, a flexibility we really appreciated. It all made traveling very easy. We were able to make the most of every day.
It was cultural tourism at its best and made for a memorable experience. Turkey is a big country and there is a lot more to see when we return next year.
Tony and Jan, Adelaide, May 2007’’
Adelaide, May 2007
Deluxe Highlights of Turkey Tour: Istanbul-Gallipoli-Troy-Cappadocia-Ephesus-Bodrum
“May I please thank you for making our first trip to Turkey a very special and memorable one. The arrangements you made on our behalf were excellent from picking us up at Ataturk to dropping us back again. The hotel was ideally situated and was very clean and friendly. The food and service were excellent. We couldn’t have asked for more.
Our guide, Resat, was fantastic; very helpful and knowledgeable and went out of his way to make sure we were well catered for. The trip to Gallipoli, although long, passed very quickly and there were plenty of opportunities to stop when necessary. Resat was most helpful ensuring we knew what we were ordering and whether or not we would be paying too much for an item.
As you may remember, this was a special trip for my husband’s birthday; I think it will be a long while before he forgets this and I hope he will do something similar for me, through you, when I too have a ‘special’ birthday.
We will definitely be coming back to you to arrange another trip for us and have absolutely no hesitation in recommending you to our friends here in England. we are also happy for you to add our comments to your testimonial page on your website.
Thank you so much.
Best wishes
K & S. Smith”
28 April 2007, Australia
‘‘Just a follow-up email following my very successful trip to the Gallipoli Peninsula.The tour went extremely well and I was completely satisfied with all arrangements that had been made. The only variable over which we had absolutely no control was the weather. It was fine on the Sunday but rained continually on the Monday. This did not however dampen my spirits nor did it stop me from seeing all that I intended to see.
My first visit to Anzac Cove and the beach was very emotional and has set me to thinking about my grandfather whom I never had the privelege to meet. The experience was overwhelmingly special and I will go back at some time in the future.
Resat was an extremely good guide, he was very well prepared and very knowledgeble. The driver, whose name I have misplaced was also very good and served us well.
Overall I could not have asked for more and thank you for the service provided.
Once again thanks for the attention.
Regards
Phill. C
Senior Lecturer,
The University of Melbourne”
Nov 2006, Melbourne, Australia
“Both my husband and I had a wonderful day and cannot praise both the driver and Resat our guide enough. The vehicle was extremely comfortable and being just the two of us, plus driver and guide, we had plenty of room to spread out. Your driver was excellent and at no stage did we feel at all concerned with his driving.
We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have had Resat as our guide. His knowledge was excellent and we both learnt quite a lot from him. Resat was very friendly and obliging, nothing seemed to be too much for him and he was obviously keen to make sure we were comfortable and saw as much as we could, which I might add was the entire Gallipoli area.
We have spoken to a number of our friends about our wonderful trip and would have no hesitation in recommending your company for private tours.
Should be make it back to your amazing city, we will certainly make contact with you.
Thank you and with much appreciation.
L.Thompson.”
Sept 2006, Australia
Or view our general Turkey Tour testimonials here
Or view our ANZAC DAY testimonials here
Winner of Trip Advisor's Certificate of Excellence multiple years in a row.