Turkey with Grand Circle Travel

TURKEY I took the 19-day “Crossroads of Turkey” tour, Feb. 2-March 3, ’05, from Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA) because it appeared to offer the most for the least money. I got more than I expected!

We stayed in great hotels and had wonderful food. Our program director, Aydin Öndül, really loved his homeland and showed it.

Pre-trip highlights included Hattusas, the capital of the Hittite Kingdom during the second millennium B.C., and a tour of Gordion where King Midas is buried. The main tour traveled from Istanbul to Cappadocia, Antalya and cities with Greek and Roman sites such as Phaselis, Pergamum, Ephesus and Troy.

The only negative feature was some cold weather, drizzle and rain in February and March.

Including round-trip airfare out of Phoenix as well as insurance and the 5-day pre-trip option to Ankara and Bursa, I paid $2,669. (2006 prices start at $1,895 for the 19-day tour and from $595 for the pre-trip.)

— G.E. TRUEBLOOD, Scottsdale, AZ