Turkey with Insight Travel

Turkey My sister and I spent five days in Istanbul in September ’04, and on two of those days we scheduled private tours of the city with Insight Travel (Akbiyik Caddesi No. 104, 34400 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey; phone 90 212 638 6310 or visit www.tour-turkey.com).

Rina Svensson Tirasoglu and Suleyman Tirasoglu own the agency. Rina answered all our e-mailed questions promptly and completely, and we have nothing but praise for the arrangements she professionally provided for us, including airport transfers, guide, drivers and superlative, comprehensive itineraries.

Our two full days of touring cost $562 for the two of us. This included the services of our excellent guide (Serkin, a font of information on Turkish history and culture) plus an air-conditioned van, drivers, all entry fees, a cruise on the Bosphorus, airport and hotel transfers and lunch one day. We thought this very reasonable for the exemplary services rendered. Insight has tour packages for the rest of Turkey as well.

— KATHERINE FINCH, Bethesda, MD