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Eat Smart in Turkey

October 6 to 15, 2026
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2026 Eat Smart Culinary and Cultural Tour to Turkey

Experience the rich culinary and cultural heritage of Turkey on this immersive journey. Explore Istanbul's historic sites, savor authentic Turkish cuisine through hands-on cooking classes, and discover the unique landscapes of Cappadocia and Pamukkale. Enjoy local traditions, vibrant markets, and the warmth of Turkish hospitality throughout your adventure.

Journey Highlights

At a glance

Day 1 - Flight to Istanbul

06-Oct-2026

Depart for Istanbul

Day 2 - Arrival in Istanbul and Hotel Transfer

07-Oct-2026
Day 2 - Arrival in Istanbul and Hotel Transfer image

Arrive in Istanbul and Settle into Hotel

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Arrival in Istanbul and Transfer to Hotel

After collecting our luggage and exiting the baggage area, we will proceed to Exit 14 where we will find our guide holding a sign with our company name Eat Smart Culinary Travel. Our guide will take us to our vehicle and accompany us to the hotel.
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Optional Visit to Hürrem Sultan Hamam

Late afternoon optional at extra cost, you can visit the famous Hürrem Sultan Hamam. Exfoliate, steam up and rub down at the Hamam. After changing into a pestemal (a traditional checkered cloth, loosely wrapped around the body), you’ll enter a steam room where an attendant will lather you with soap and then scrape it off with a kese (a brillo-like mitt meant to remove the dead skin); a massage and sometimes a hair wash follow. By spending the afternoon at this 18th century-era Hamam, you’ll be following in the footsteps not only of countless Turks, but also Franz Liszt, Florence Nightingale, and Kaiser Wilhelm, all of whom got the treatment when in Istanbul.
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Dinner on our own

Dinner on our own.
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Return to the hotel and overnight

Return to the hotel and overnight.
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The Ritus Hotel Istanbul Sultanahmet

Check inWednesday, Oct 7, 2026
Check outSaturday, Oct 10, 2026
In the heart of Istanbul, just steps from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and Basilica Cistern, your journey begins. Here, the spirit of Byzantium and the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire meet modern comforts to create unforgettable memories.

Day 3 - Discovering Sultanahmet and Cooking Class

08-Oct-2026
Day 3 - Discovering Sultanahmet and Cooking Class image

Explore Sultanahmet, Hagia Sophia, and Turkish Cooking

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Discovering Sultanahmet

After breakfast at the hotel, we will start our day with a walking tour of Sultanahmet.
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Visit Theodosius Cistern

We will start our visit to the Theodosius Cistern (known as Serefiye Sarnici in Turkish), which was built by Roman Emperor Theodosius II between 428 and 443 to store water supplied by the Valens Aqueduct.
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Visit Hagia Sophia

We then visit Hagia Sophia, the most magnificent of all Byzantine churches and one of the world’s finest and largest architectural works of art.
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Lunch at a nearby local restaurant

Lunch at a nearby local restaurant.
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Visit Topkapi Palace and Harem

Afterwards we will visit Topkapi Palace, the private residence and seat of government of the Ottoman sultans from 1465 to 1853. After entering a gate once lined with the severed heads of those who dared oppose the Sultan, we will wander through rooms of precious artworks and artifacts, visit the newly remodeled Kitchen, and explore the famous Harem.
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Cooking Class and Dinner at Chef's Table Cooking School

We will end our day with a cooking class and dinner at the Chef’s Table cooking school with Chef Serkan Bozkurt: a food lover’s dream: gaining knowledge of Turkish cuisine on site, using authentic spices under the tutelage of an award-winning culinary expert! We will give away one apron per person as a gift!
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Overnight at the hotel

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 - Istanbul - A Journey Through Flavor & History

09-Oct-2026
Day 4 - Istanbul - A Journey Through Flavor & History image

Rustem Pasha, Spice Bazaar, Baklava Factory Tour, Bosphorus Cruise

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Rustem Pasha Mosque

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Eminönü to visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque: this mosque is one of the city's architectural gems. The interior is covered in some of the most exquisite Iznik tiles ever produced. The tiles have the famous red color that was difficult to produce at the time. Rüstem Pasha was the son-in-law and a grand vizir of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520- 1566).

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Spice Bazaar

Next stop is the Spice Bazaar: this extensive market was built in the 17th century to finance the upkeep of the nearby mosque, Yeni Cami. The bazaar is often referred to as the “Egyptian Market” due to the fact that spices used to come to the market from India and Southeast Asia via Egypt. Despite the fact that the bazaar is becoming more touristy, there is still plenty to discover for the “foodie.” We will also visit local stores in the back streets of the Spice Bazaar that sell şimşir cooking spoons and spatulas.

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Exclusive Baklava Factory Tour with Lunch

We will then have an early brunch at the Gulluoglu Baklava Factory in Karakoy. We will tour parts of the factory, including the area where the dough is rolled out, and later enjoy savory and sweet varieties of baklava, along with Turkish coffee. 

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Bosphorus Cruise

After bunch, we will enjoy a 1½ hour cruise up the Bosphorus strait.

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Dinner on own

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Overnight at hotel

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 - Depart for Cappadocia

10-Oct-2026
Day 5 - Depart for Cappadocia image

Explore Cappadocia Valleys, Open Air Museum, Whirling Dervishes

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Check Out and Transfer to Airport - Flight to Cappadocia

After breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we will transfer to the Istanbul Airport for our flight to Cappadocia. On arrival we will be transferred to our cave hotel.
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Utopia Cave Hotel

Check inSaturday, Oct 10, 2026
Check outMonday, Oct 12, 2026
Utopia Cave Cappadocia is ready to welcome guests with a new and unique concept in Cappadocia, which has dazzled with its enchanting blend of history, trade, culture, and beliefs for thousands of years. Utopia Cave Cappadocia presents the unique beauty, history, and mystical atmosphere of this magical geography with a modern touch through its specially designed rooms.
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Tour of Cappadocia - Visit Devrent Valley - Zelve - Göreme Open Air Museum

Start your tour of Cappadocia in the Devrent valley, where the rock formations are amazing. A walk through the Zelve Open Air Museum is a journey into the past, with its troglodyte houses. After Zelve we visit Pasabag’s “fairy chimneys,” where the voice of the wind harmonizes with the songs of the fairies. After lunch, we visit the famous Göreme Open Air Museum to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia.
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Visit to See the Whirling Dervishes

Early evening, visit Saruhan Caravanserai to see the Whirling Dervishes.
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Dinner at a local restaurant

Dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
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Overnight at hotel

Overnight at hotel.

Day 6 - Hot Air Balloon, Underground City, Avanos

11-Oct-2026
Day 6 - Hot Air Balloon, Underground City, Avanos image

Hot Air Balloon, Underground City, Avanos Pottery

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Hot Air Balloon Trip (optional)

For those interested, we will have an early morning transfer to the location where we will meet the balloon crew. The gentle and stable wind conditions are ideal during the first few hours of the day in Cappadocia. It is also the ideal time for photography, with splendid colours and contrasts. Don’t forget to bring your camera! The deep canyons and gentle winds carry us over places that could never be reached except by balloon.
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Return to hotel for breakfast

Return to hotel for breakfast.
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Underground City, Home Cooking Class and Lunch

After breakfast we will visit Özkonak. Once home to about 5,000 people, it was carved 6 stories deep into the Anatolian plateau. The top 3 stories are open to visitors. Özkonak had sophisticated ventilation and a crude communication system between levels. Massive circular stones serving as doors were rolled across the passages and sealed from the inside when invaders approached. You will then experience the traditional way of living by learning cooking secrets with a local family. You will learn how to make delicious seasonal dishes, followed by a traditional lunch.
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Visit to Avanos

After lunch we will visit Avanos, set on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River, which gets its name from the clay that it deposits. This clay has provided Avanos with pottery for centuries and the town is still dominated by this industry despite the inroads that tourism has made in the area. The main street has numerous shops and workshops selling plain and decorated pots and plates and you can watch the potters at work using kick wheels, the design of which has remained unchanged for generations. Many of the workshops will encourage you to have a go yourself. It's harder than it looks.
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Overnight at the hotel

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 - Transfer and Flight to Denizli

12-Oct-2026
Day 7 - Transfer and Flight to Denizli image

Flight to Denizli and Pamukkale Thermal Stay

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Transfer and Flight to Denizli via Istanbul

Transfer and flight to Denizli via Istanbul. On arrival we will be transferred to our hotel.
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Doga Thermal Health & Spa - Pamukkale, Turkey

Karhayt Mah. 147 Seyir Sokak 9/1, Karahayit, Denizli, Pamukkale, Turkey 20020
Check inMonday, Oct 12, 2026
Check outTuesday, Oct 13, 2026
Doga Thermal Health & Spa, opened in 2014, is more than just a thermal hotel. The Doga Thermal Health & Spa will be more than just a localized thermal hotel; its focus on congress tourism would make Denizli one of the most visited destination for the international business traveler due to its many amenities for conference tourism. Doga Thermal Health & Spa, with its therapeutic thermal water that remains at the same temperature year-round, a 693-square-meter spa and wellness centre, four separate conference rooms, a variety of recreational and social spaces, offers much more than a thermal hotel. One of the most extravagant 5-star hotels in the Karahayt-Pamukkale region.
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Visit Pamukkale / Hierapolis

After checking in and having lunch at the hotel we will drive to Pamukkale, which has the meaning of the Cotton Castle in English. Once known as Hierapolis, Pamukkale is famous for healing thermal / mineral baths and beautifully snow-white petrified waterfalls.
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Enjoy the hotel's Thermal Pools

Late afternoon enjoy the hotel's Thermal Pools.
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Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 - Drive to Gocek

13-Oct-2026
Day 8 - Drive to Gocek image

Scenic Drive to Gocek and Coastal Relaxation

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Drive to Gocek

After breakfast, drive through the scenic countryside to Gocek (approximately 3 hours).
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Lunch enroute at a local restaurant for Gozleme

Lunch enroute at a local restaurant for Gozleme.
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Renka Gocek Resort and Spa

Check inTuesday, Oct 13, 2026
Check outThursday, Oct 15, 2026
Renka Hotel & Spa offers guests a unique artistic approach with its handmade stone building featuring a stained glass window depicting the coves of Gocek, the TLOS bath mosaic adorning the indoor swimming pool reflecting the Lycian period, Lycian coins displayed on either side of the hotel entrance, a Gocek map with an olive tree and its branches inlaid in the gallery inside the main building, and original watercolor paintings in each room that tell the story of the region.
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Check in to our coastal resort and enjoy free time to relax by the sea

Check in to our coastal resort and enjoy free time to relax by the sea.
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Drive along the coast from Gocek, dinner at a seaside restaurant

Enjoy a drive along the coast from Gocek, finishing with dinner at a seaside restaurant.
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Dinner at a seaside restaurant

Dinner at a seaside restaurant.
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Overnight at the resort

Overnight at the resort.

Day 9 - Visit to Dalyan, Lycian Tombs, Istuzu Beach

14-Oct-2026
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Explore Dalyan, Lycian Tombs, and Istuzu Beach

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Short drive to Dalyan, Lycian Tombs, Istuzu Beach

Enjoy a short drive to Dalyan, where you can see ancient Lycian tombs carved into cliffs and take a mud bath by the river, followed by Istuzu beach.
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Lunch at a local restaurant

Lunch at a local restaurant.
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Afternoon at leisure and dinner

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure followed by dinner.
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Overnight at resort

Overnight at resort.

Day 10 - Private Airport Transfer and Flight to Istanbul

15-Oct-2026

Private Transfer and Flight to Istanbul

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Private group airport transfer to Dalaman airport

Private group airport transfer to Dalaman airport.

Tour Details

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Tour Details

FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS, MAXIMUM OF 8 PARTICIPANTS

$6,925 per person, double occupancy with 8 participants. $1,270 Single Supplement.

*The tour will proceed if we have a minimum of participants. Final price to be determined by number of participants and will be discussed with confirmed participants prior to final tour commitment and payment of deposits to Turkey tour operator.

Deposit:

​A non-refundable* deposit of $1000 per person is required upon booking.  

*Your deposit is refundable until you have been notified that the tour has filled and the deposits have been sent to our Turkey tour operator, at which point the deposit is non-refundable.

To reserve your spot, please email susan@eatsmartguides.com​, or call 608-285-2390. 

Cancellation and Refund: If a written notice of cancellation is received from a passenger 75 days or more prior to departure, all advance deposits, minus any expenses incurred by Eat Smart Culinary Travel or the Tour Operator, will be refunded. If cancellation is made 74 – 30 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 50% of the tour cost. If cancellation is made 29 – 15 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 75% of the tour cost. If cancellation is made 14 – 1 days before departure, the cancellation charge is 100% of the tour cost.

Included Services:

  • Accommodation in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Göcek. 

  • Domestic flights in Turkey: İstanbul / Kayseri, Kayseri / Istanbul / Denizli. 

  • All airport group transfers.

  • Land transportation by air-conditioned vehicle.

  • Professional English-speaking guide through-out the tour. 

  • Entrance fees to museums and historical sites.

  • Bosphorus cruise with private motor yacht.

  • Private boat for river cruise over the Dalyan in Göcek. 

  • All lunches and dinners, unless specified.

  • Cooking class & Dinner in Istanbul at Chef Table with Serkan Bozkurt.

  • Baklava Workshop & Brunch at Güllüoğlu.

  • Cooking class & Lunch at Village House in Cappadocia.

  • 1 Soft drink, tea and coffee during lunch and dinner.

  • Bottled water (available on the motor coach and at lunch and dinner).

  • Tips for the porters at the hotels and airport.

Services not included: 

  • International flights for the participants and connection flight on departure day from Dalaman. 

  • Alcoholic drinks during lunch and dinner.

  • Tips for driver and guide.

Optional services not included in the price (subject to change)

  • Hürrem Sultan Hamam; Price per person: $ 110 - 24 hours cancellation

  • Balloon Tour; Price per person: $ 350 - 48 hours cancellation

Accommodation and arranged sightseeing are subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond Eat Smart Culinary Travel (ESCT) control. Every effort will be made to operate tours as planned, but alterations may occur after the final itinerary has been issued. ESCT also reserves the right to withdraw a tour or any part of it, to make such alterations to the itinerary or the tour inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable, and to pass on to tour members any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control. In case of any appreciable variation in the tour price due to these circumstances, ESCT reserves the right to make adjustments to the tour costs as necessary.