Turkey At Its Best - Private Tours By Newport International

07/14/2024

As Turkish Airlines is the airline that flies to most number of cities in the world, there are millions of people who, at least, change planes at the Istanbul Airport. It has now been selected as the #1 Airport in the world by Travel + Leisure readers. Deservedly so - it is quite an amazing site! If you are able to use the Turkish Airlines Lounge, you will see that it is also the best lounge in the world! Don't forget to try MANTI, Turkish Ravioli, which comes out at around noon!

The best international airports in our annual “World’s Best Awards” survey for 2024.

07/07/2024

Istanbul is truly one of a kind city in the world! You can spend 2-3 weeks and we can easily fill everyday with amazing itineraries. Ask us for a list of tour ideas!

Here is a lovely article describing even more new places that are coming back to life, penned by Jennifer Hattam. The whole city is an open-air museum. Make it the whole country of Türkiye!

An extensive culture and heritage restoration campaign is revealing previously overlooked layers of the world's most visited city.

05/27/2024

For those who have been to Turkey will agree that Turkish breads and pitas (called Pide in Turkey) are really very tasty,

In the recent listing by Taste Atlas, the first two are from Turkey from the Black Sea Region. Number 1 is The Bafra Pide!

05/05/2024

Our very own Engin Kadaster was delighted to speak with Jessica Puckett of Condé Nast Traveler about Turkey now offering digital nomad visas.

Turkey is a great country to visit, whether for a short or long time!

Everything you need to know about Turkey's new digital nomad visa, including who is eligible and where to go.

03/09/2024

Turkish Airlines started their first flight to Melbourne via Singapore. On the second leg all the pilots were Turkish pilots who were born in Australia! What a nice gesture!

02/15/2024

Delighted and proud to - yet again - have Engin Kadaster on the A-List of Travel and Leisure for Turkey!

Türkiye is our passion!

T+L TOP TRAVEL ADVISOR | TURKEY SPECIALIST

02/04/2024

Any idea where this place is?

01/21/2024

Great news for our Aussie friends!
Turkish Airlines will launch flights three times a week from Melbourne to Istanbul starting on March 15. A lovely program will be a few nights in istanbul, a day in Gallipoli, a few nights in Cappadocia, Ephesus and Bodrum to relax or enjoy a gulet sailing or walk on the Lycian Trail!

01/17/2024

The underground cities (there are many of them) are simply amazing. This short video gives a better idea how hundreds of people could live in those cities for months at a time!
People at that time didn’t know the word claustrophobia!😀

01/12/2024

Engin Kadaster is on the Travel+Travel + Leisure A List for Turkey for another year! We are proud of our collaboration with such a fine travel publication!
Virtuoso Travel

T+L TOP TRAVEL ADVISOR | TURKEY SPECIALIST

01/09/2024

Turkish cuisine is one of the richest cuisines in the world! We have 150 eggplant recipes alone! Stuffed vegetables are extremely popular. They can be consumed cold if they are stuffed with rice, herbs and spices and prepared with olive oil; or hot when they are stuffed with ground beef and spices. Grape leaves and cabbage leaves are called “sarma” which roughly translated as “Wrapped“; and stuffed peppers, eggplants and tomatoes are called “dolma” which literally means “stuffed “. Greeks call them dolmades from the Turkish dolma. 🇹🇷

01/06/2024

Entrance fee for the Topkapı Palace has increased to $44 and for the Underground Cistern to $20! It is probably to make up for the lost revenues when Hagia Sophia was converted from a museum back to a mosque. Istanbul tour rates will increase unfortunately!

12/27/2023

Last night Istanbul was even more beautiful, if that is possible! Full moon, unforgettable silhouette of the historic peninsula, and amazing cocktails and food!
Where is all of this? The new Istanbul Peninsula Hotel! Their Topside bar is where you start this gastronomic journey with their very creative cocktails. This is followed by a memorable dinner at the Gallada restaurant which has a menu that is quite unique, following the cuisine of the Silk Road. Of course, the creative chef is Fatih Tutak of the TURK Fatih Tutak restaurant which is the only 2 Michelin star one in Istanbul! Visit Istanbul! Consider

12/26/2023

The favorite dish we call İskender Kebap (Greek call it gyro) was invented 166 years ago in the city of Bursa. The original restaurant is still functioning under the administration of the same family. It is one of the oldest and tastiest dishes ever n the world. Luckily, there is a branch of this restaurant in Istanbul! Come to istanbul and taste this amazing dish!
🇹🇷

12/24/2023

Happy Holidays everybody!

Greetings to all from the real Santa Claus from the ancient Patara, Türkiye!

12/08/2023

Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends!
Hanukkah candles illuminating Istanbul! Two religions, both believing in the God of Abraham! Let us all pray for peace in the world tonight!

11/10/2023

We are delighted to share with you the new Michelin-star restaurants in Turkey - with newcomers in Urla and Bodrum, besides the new ones in Istanbul:

In Urla, where some of the best wines come from and often included in our itineraries are these restaurants: OD Urla, Vino Locale and Teruar Urla.

The new ones in Istanbul are Arkestra and Sankai by Nagaya.
And, in Bodrum, Kitchen at the EDITION Hotel Bodrum and Macakizi.

TURK Fatih Tutak still keeps its 2-Michelin-star spot!

Turkey is not only a beautiful country with the richest historic sites in the world and friendly people, but also has a great cuisine, which is now recognized world-wide!

10/22/2023

The city of Kars is the center of cheese manufacturing in Turkey! Cows and sheep graze over 600 species of grass! The city was taken over by Russians briefly until the end of the Russian revolution, so there is a great number of buildings from that era. Every other stop in the city is a cheese shop! You can take the vacuum- packed cheeses to the States! Delicious!

10/19/2023

And Akdamar Island in Lake Van is where the beautiful 10th Century Armenia Church of the Holy Cross is located. There are frescoes from the New Testament inside the church and are beautiful carvings from the Old Testament outside.it is indeed a must-see site in Van.

10/18/2023

Bride and groom! A beautiful Kurdish couple!

10/18/2023

A young couple getting engaged near the Civan Fortress in the Hüsrev built by famous architect Sinan.
This couple got engaged today; they will get married tomorrow!

10/18/2023

There is a lot more to see in Turkey besides the usual popular places like Istanbul and Cappadocia!
I am currently in Van, ancient Tushpa, capital of mighty Urartian Kingdom of the Iron Age. It is located by the huge Lake Van, six times larger than Lake Geneva. The Van Citadel is a massive stone fortification. It is possibly the oldest continuously used fortification in the world for the last 3000 years. It also has a huge inscription in three languages written by a Urartu king. There are also many rock tombs of theUrartu kings. These people excelled in metal work, especially weapons. The canals and dans they built are still in use! Remarkable! It is about 60 miles from the Iranian border!
Perfectly safe!

09/25/2023

Gordion is the 20th UNESCO World Heritage Site of Turkey!
It was the capital city of the Phrygian Kingdom and is famous for the Gordion Knot and Midas with the Golden Touch!
Turkey,ancient Anatolia, is blessed to be the home of so many civilizations, like the Hittites and Urartians among others! Ask us for our tour that takes you to all these capital cities of long-gone empires.

09/09/2023

Three years ago, we had made this short video, encouraging travelers to go to Turkey! What an unbelievable three years this has been! Fortunately none of our guests got Covid while in Turkey, as took very good care of them!

Three years later, we cannot keep up with the demand!

Tourism has geared back up in Turkey, supported by many measures to promote safe and wonderful experiences. We asked some of our Turkey At Its Best travelers to provide their perspectives on traveling in Turkey in September and October 2020.

08/26/2023

Watch Engin's new short video on Izmir, a pearl of the Aegean and wonderful base to explore some of the best ancient cities and resorts of Turkey!

Izmir is a gem of a city on the Aegean Coast that is not only a joy to visit in its own right, but a convenient gateway for exploring some of the most renowned sites of Western Turkey (as well as some of best under-the radar ones as well).

08/21/2023

We are so proud of our partnership with which is selected as #1 hotel in the world and in Europe by the readers of . And as the #2 hotel in Europe! Hats off to them! Congratulations to all our dear friends at both hotels. They make us proud!

08/18/2023

Wonderful news about The Peninsula Istanbul! Today it was awarded “Best New Reimagined Hotel” against other amazing nominees! Hats off the Jonathan Crook and staff for such an accomplishment! We are so proud of them!

08/03/2023

Today is the 530th Anniversary of the Spanish and Portugese Jews coming to Ottoman Empire lands, after the inquisitions. We have been enriched with their arrival and have spent all these years with tolerance and respect of one another. Shalom to our Jewish friends and citizens!

08/03/2023

How about this, folks! Istanbul is one busy city and Istanbul Airport is even busier! Reasons:

(1) Turkey is beautiful!

(2) Turkish Airlines flies to more cities than any other airline in the world, so Istanbul is a great connection point.

07/25/2023

Last October, Michelin awarded their coveted stars to some of the greatr restaurants in Istanbul. In November they will announce the new restaurants which will get their stars in Izmir and Bodrum in November.

Izmir should get her well-reserved recognition in Turkish tourisim, as a most beautiful city, the "Pearl of the Aegean", besides also being the gateway to amazing places like Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardes, Pamukkale, Cesme/Alacati, Urla and another new entry, Torbali, with a great winery! All these within a few hours of driving from the city center!

İzmir and Bodrum join İstanbul as the two new Turkish territories scrutinized by the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors. This extension to two iconic and touristic ...