BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

Our contract

All bookings are made with Istanbul Turkey Travel operated under the name of Gurtour Turizm Ltd Sti. trading as Istanbul Turkey Travel (hereafter referred to as as Istanbul Turkey Travel, us or we).

By booking a product with us you will be deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Booking Terms & Conditions (which constitutes the entire agreement between you and us) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation / invoice.

A ‘Client’ (You) is all persons named on the booking form intending to travel with Istanbul Turkey Travel.

A ‘Product’ is any service sold by Istanbul Turley Travel.

A contract between you and us comes into existence when we have confirmed the booking in writing and issued a Confirmation.

The person submitting the booking form (that incorporates these terms and conditions), either in hard copy or online warrants that s/he has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons whose names appear thereon, and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and understand these terms and conditions.

We reserve the right to decline any booking at our discretion without further explanation.

Pricing Tour Options

Istanbul Turkey Travel offers many travel options, tours, packages and other services with two different hotel category options within each tour. These range from carefully selected  4 & 5 star hotels all around Turkey. Prices are set according to the specific period that is noted in the pricing section of the tours. The given tour prices are not available for special occassion days such as national holidays, newyear period and other holiday days unless it’s indicated as otherwise.

Reservation

Having fully explored Istanbul Turkey Travel website and found a tour which suits you, simply complete the short booking form located at each tour itinerary page or call our office in Istanbul on (+90) 212 232 17 47 or you can send mail to gul@gurtour.com . We will check availability for your preferred date and respond by e-mail or telephone. Once availability has been confirmed and you are happy to go ahead with the booking, we charge a booking deposit to your credit card. (or bank payment can be done) An e-mail confirming all the details of the tour, including hotel name and domestic flights if booked with us, will be sent to you immediately. Most importantly, please ensure you send us your full name as per your passport so we can make your flight reservations correctly.

Deposit and Payments

Tour payments are divided into 3 steps. Your reservation will be confirmed upon receipt of your online order and a non refundable deposit as shown in the table below. Progressive payment is then due as indicated below.

These payments can be made via credit card, bank transfer. Please find below Istanbul Turkey Travel bank details for booking via bank transfer.

Visa and Mastercard payments can be charged in Dollars, Pounds, Euro or Turkish Lira. Please note that 5% bank fee can be charged with credit card payments and *please add minimum 35 euro for bank fee service when you make bank payment.

The full amount of your tour must be paid 14 days before the tour start date. If full payment is not received by this time we consider it a cancellation and cancellation penalties will apply. If you have booked any of our tours including domestic flight tickets, then cancellation penalties and the full amount of the flights will be charged.

A reservation can be changed only if space is available. An entire reservation that is changed will be considered a cancellation and will be subject to cancellation fees (100% loss of deposit).

Booking Changes

Once your booking in confirmed, the first change on your services is free. For subsequent changes a €50.00 fee will be charged.

Cancellation and Refunds

Cancellations must be made in writing and signed by the tour participants. In the event that a tour participant cancels his or her reservation, the cancellation penalty may apply. The reservation deposit will not be refunded in case of any cancellations. If you have booked a tour including domestic flight tickets then the domestic flight tickets are charged at the full amount. Cancellations must be made at least 6 weeks before tour date otherwise late penalties will apply.

Cancelation Penalty

Tour payments are divided into 3 steps. Your reservation will be confirmed upon receipt of your online order and a non refundable deposit as shown in the table below. Progressive payment is then due as indicated below.

*No refund policy applies on all flight tickets.

Change of Hotels and Itinerary

We publish all product information in good faith and we will use our best endeavours to operate all Products as advertised. However, we reserve the right to change the tour itinerary at any time.

If we make a major itinerary change before departure, if time permits, we will inform you as soon as possible before your departure. A major change is one that affects at least one day out of five of the itinerary. When a major change is made, you may choose between accepting the change, obtaining a refund of money paid on the land portion of your trip, or accepting an alternative tour of the same or lesser value.

We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or events outside our control. In such emergency circumstances, any additional costs of necessary itinerary alterations will be covered by you. We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred as a result of a change of itinerary, including visas, vaccinations, or non-refundable flights.

The hotels listed on the our website are intended to be used on all departures, however, from time to time hotels may be changed in order to meet operating requirements and local conditions. We reserve the right to substitute hotels without prior notice. If a change becomes necessary for any reason, including alternate hotels for additional departures on the same date, or hotel location changes within or outside itinerary cities, the hotel substituted will be of equivalent or higher standard, when available, to those shown. No refunds are provided for hotel changes. Full cancellation penalties as noted above apply.

 Accommodations

Organised tour accommodations are based on twin/double/triple share accommodation.

Single travellers may share a twin room with another traveller of the same sex, if available. If a same-sex room share is not available then the single room supplement will be payable. Room shares are arranged in order of booking.

For pre and post tour accommodations the entire room will be reserved for you. We cannot arrange shared pre and post tour accommodations for single travellers. Payment of a single supplement is required in this instance.

We will make every effort to accommodate people travelling together in their requested room type, however, this cannot be guaranteed.

Special requests such as bed types, smoking preference and connecting rooms are subject to availability.

If you are booking a triple room, please note that in some hotels, the third bed may be a “fold-away” bed. Availability of triple rooms is limited. We are not liable if a hotel can only provide a fold-away bed, and no compensation is payable to you in any such instance.

Single rooms may be smaller than a twin-bedded or double room.

The advertised hotels are intended to give an idea of the type of accommodation that may be expected. The actual hotels used for any given tour may change due to many reasons such as group size, availability, time of year, hotel standard has dropped or simply we found a better hotel. We update the website immediately if and when any changes take place. If and when we do change hotels it will be to a hotel of equal or higher standard and will be at no extra cost.

Change of Hotels and Itinerary

We publish all product information in good faith and we will use our best endeavours to operate all Products as advertised. However, we reserve the right to change the tour itinerary at any time.

If we make a major itinerary change before departure, if time permits, we will inform you as soon as possible before your departure. A major change is one that affects at least one day out of five of the itinerary. When a major change is made, you may choose between accepting the change, obtaining a refund of money paid on the land portion of your trip, or accepting an alternative tour of the same or lesser value.

We reserve the right to change an itinerary after departure due to local circumstances or events outside our control. In such emergency circumstances, any additional costs of necessary itinerary alterations will be covered by you. We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that may be incurred as a result of a change of itinerary, including visas, vaccinations, or non-refundable flights.

The hotels listed on the our website are intended to be used on all departures, however, from time to time hotels may be changed in order to meet operating requirements and local conditions. We reserve the right to substitute hotels without prior notice. If a change becomes necessary for any reason, including alternate hotels for additional departures on the same date, or hotel location changes within or outside itinerary cities, the hotel substituted will be of equivalent or higher standard, when available, to those shown. No refunds are provided for hotel changes. Full cancellation penalties as noted above apply.

Hotels Terms and Conditions

Some of our hotels have specific terms and conditions which we must abide by. In some cases, this terms and conditions can be different from Istanbul Turkey Travel terms and conditions.

For hotel accommodation for large groups with a minimum of 10 people different terms and conditions will be applied depending on the chosen hotel and their policy.

Prices and choice of accommodation are always subject to availability. Subject to availability, Istanbul Turkey Travel and its hotel partners reserve the right to move guests into accommodation within the same category.

Guarantee Prices

Our price guarantees that no increase in land costs will occur once you have paid the deposit for your tour. This is your protection against international currency fluctuations. When you have paid for your domestic flight in full, there will be no change in the cost of the ticket, even if airfares rise later.

Last Minute Bookings

The price of your domestic flights may change when booking at last minute. Prices indicated are subject to flight availability and a minimum of 8 weeks notification prior to the commencement of your tour.

Discounts for children

* If you have only 1 child;
0-2 age: Free of charge
3-6 age: 25% will be charged
7-11 age: 75% will be charged
* If you have 2 or more children, please contact us.

*Baby seats for buses will have an extra charge of 35% of the tour cost and they must be requested prior to the starting date of the tour. Where the baby is carried by the parents, there will be no extra charge.

**Children under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult, without exception.

Group Sizes Tours

Please ask for special group discounts if you are a group of more than 10 people. For the accomodation, we can manage single, double and triple rooms depending on the number of people and according to availability. Note that in some periods of the year, the group sizes will be from 10 to a maximum of 30.

Guaranteed Departured Daily Tours  / Hop on hop off pick up point Hotels

If you have booked your own hotel, you should let us know the details – the hotel, hop on hop off address, hotel phone number and your room number as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that your hotel must be in a specific location as shown below:

Istanbul: City Center, Taksim, Sultanamet and Old City

Canakkale: Eceabat, City Center and Güzelyali

Kusadasi: City Center and Ladies Beach

Pamukkale: City Center

Antalya: Lara Beach and Old City

Cappadocia: Goreme, Urgup, Avanos, Uchisar and Ayvalik Koyu

Airplane Service

None of our packages includes international flights and taxes

When you arrive after your customs and baggage collection, our friendly staff will be waiting with your name and an Istanbul Turkey Travel sign at the arrivals gate. They will asist you to our transportation and with your onward tour.

Tours with domestic flight tickets

Some of our tour packages include domestic flight tickets. A copy of all your flight tickets, tour voucher, itinerary, hotel contact information and confirmation email will be sent to you upon request before your arrival in Turkey. You should check all the information carefully (names, arrival and departure times, flight details…) and notify us immediately of any discrepancies, as once booked and confirmed we will not take responsibility for any errors in this information.

*Please keep in mind that a maximum of 15-20 kilos are allowed on domestic flights.

Travel Insurance
We recommend that you purchase travel insurance for the same reason that you have house and car insurance – to protect you, your loved ones, your possessions and your travel investment. If you or your family have unexpected health problems, experience flight delays or have possessions stolen during your vacation, you will be covered for costs.

Transportation
All the buses we use are luxury, air conditioned buses. Most of them have TV and freezer available and our luxury Mercedes Sprinter has internet and mini bar. All of the buses used intercity are very clean, comfortable and safe. You will see a lot of interesting and beautiful views during the journey. For long bus journeys, we provide a small rest break every 2.5 hours.
The table below includes all our buses, available seats and maximum people allowed.

*We will allocate the bus according to the availability and the number of pax requested. *Please keep in mind our bus luggage restriction. We need to leave some free seats in case the clients bring large luggage.

Tour Transfers
We arrange transportation from all destinations in Turkey. Departure time of the buses for the tours depends on the itinerary to be covered on any particular day, but are usually between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. We will also drop you off at the hotel at the end of the tours. Tours usually finish from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm depending on the tour and the traffic.

Airport Transfers
Transfers from and to the airport mentioned in itineraries are included in our tours. If your international flight is delayed, Istanbul Turkey Travel staff will wait for you for a maximum of 2 hours. After this time, if you notify us of the expected delay we will arrange a transfer for you. Otherwise you will need to arrange your own transfer to your hotel.

Istanbul Turkey Travel will deliver you to the airport a minimum of 1 hour before your domestic flight departure time, or 2 hours before your international flight departure time.

Transportation Schedule
The transportation and your guides are bound by a strict time schedule and cannot be kept waiting for passengers who do not adhere to scheduled departure times. We kindly ask you to pay attention to the departure times of your group at each location visited, and that you be present in the hotel lobby at the required times. Istanbul Turkey Travel does not accept responsibility for instances where it’s customers do not abide by this rule.

Luggage
On bus tours space for luggage is limited so each passenger is permitted to take one piece of luggage only (suitcase or garment bag) per person. In addition, all passengers on coach tours receive a handy carry-on bag, which may be stowed under your seat or overhead in the coach.

Private and Regular (Guaranteed Departured) Tours
Regular and private tours are available on the Istanbul Turkey Travel website. A private tour is limited to people who has booked it, while in a regular tour more people are able to join. Prices are dependent on the number of people and the kind of tour required.

Many of our tours incorporate walking tours in interesting places such as Topkapi Palace, Pergamon, Ephesus and Cappadocia. These are leisurely paced walks with a guide. We suggest that you take a pair of comfortable walking shoes with non-slip soles as many historic places have uneven paving.

Istanbul Turkey Travel may make changes in the order of the activities included in the booked itinerary if as and when required. Please note also that Hagia Sofia is closed on Mondays, Topkapi Palace on Tuesdays, Dolmabahce Palace on Mondays and Thursdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays.

The itineraries will also be take into consideration public and national holidays such as Ramadan, Republic Day, New Year’s Day and so on.

Travel Documentation

It is your responsibility to be in possession of a valid passport, visa permits, vaccinations, preventative medicines and other medical certificates and all necessary travel documents.

We are not liable for damages arising from changes in regulations or laws to the necessary travel document requirements. We provide information about these matters in good faith, however without liability.

We are not responsible if you are refused entry to a country because you lack the correct passport, visa or other documentation.

In the case of lost or stolen documents, while we are happy to assist in any way possible, we cannot be held responsible for any additional costs and you are not entitled to any reimbursement or compensation of paid travel expenses.

Tour Guides and Meeting Points
You will be assisted by a fluent English speaking professional tour guide who has an excellent knowledge of Turkey. She or he will be charged with giving you a meeting point referenceto ensure the smooth running of the tour. You will also meet the tour guide at the meeting point after your free time during the tours.

Entrance Fees
Entrance fees make up approx 35% of the tour cost. All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary are included in the tour price and will be paid for by Istanbul Turkey Travel.

Single Supplement Travellers
We have many customers who travel alone. If you don’t mind sharing your room with another traveller then we can arrange a twin share, inwhich case we will not charge you the single supplement.

Optional Tours
Istanbul Turkey Travel provides a number of optional tours not included in your booked itinerary. You can find all the optional tours and rates on the Istanbul  Turkey Travel website. You may wish to book these in advance or you could also book an optional tour on your arrival by calling our staff. Please give them time enough to make all the bookings.

Hotel Accommodation
Our hotels are  4 and 5 star hotels. You can nominate the hotel category that you want. In some parts of Turkey there are special and unique hotels. For example there are cave hotels in Cappadocia, boutique hotels in Urfa and Mardin and treehouses in Safranbolu and Amasya. The open buffet breakfast is included in all hotels.

Check in and check out
You may check into rooms between noon and 1:00 pm, depending on the hotel. If hotel rooms are available then we can help you to check in early, if not we have to wait till 2:00pm. You may use this time to take a walk, have a snack or do a little exploring. Generally check out must be before 12 pm.

Passports & Visas
You are responsible for ensuring that you have all the necessary travel documents and that they are valid and effective. You will need a current passport that is valid for at least 6 months and the necessary visa documentation. Passengers must apply for and obtain a multiple entry Turkey visa for our Turkey programmes, multiple entry Schengen visa for our Greek tour programmes and Single entry tourist visa for our Egypt programmes. If you take a tour in North Cyprus, you will need a double entry visa.

Istanbul Turkey Travel will provide invitation letters to obtain any of these visas for those who have booked and paid a deposit. The cost of visas is not included in your tour package. Check your local embassy and the information below for visa procedures.

For up to date Turkey visa information from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs follow this link: www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
Citizens of most countries can obtain a visa at the border. For up to date border information from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs follow this link:
www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-fees-at-border-gates-for-2010.en.mfa

At Istanbul airport (IST) you can get your visa at the visa counter on your left just before the passport control area. Passport control will send you back to the visa section if you do not have a valid visa. It’s a good idea to have the correct money in the correct currency for your visa.

As of April 17, 2013, electronic visa (e-Visa) replaces “sticker visa” which was issued at the border crossings. Applicants just need to log on to the following link, provide the requested information, (after the application is approved) make online payment and download their e-Visa: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/

Istanbul Turkey Travel Rights
Istanbul Turkey Travel reserves the right to decline, accept or retain any person as a tour passenger should such person’s health, mental condition, physical infirmity or general attitude impede the operation of the tour or the rights, welfare or enjoyment of other tour passengers. Please let staff know if you have any health problems when you are making your booking.

The times on this itinerary are subject to change without notification. Our company is not responsible for last minute delays or changes to the schedules. Our company agrees only to partial compensation in an effort to cover particular not-provided service in case of any failure and will not pay a full refund or full compensation for any disappointment and any extra expenses.

Istanbul Turkey Travel reserves the right to cancel any of the tours in case of insufficient numbers or unfavorable weather conditions, strike, terror, fog and technical reasons and the captain can make changes to the route accordingly. Istanbul Turkey Travel cannot be held liable for the change of your itinerary in the event of such circumstances.

Personal belongings
Personal items including jewellery, money, valuable documents and other personal belongings are the responsibility of each individual. It is our recommendation that customers use their hotel safebox or facilities provided at the Guest Relations Desk. Istanbul Turkey Travel  is not responsible for the loss of any personal belongings that are not committed to the Guest Relation Desk or not kept in the safebox. Travel insurance is professionally advised to travellers for unpredictable incidents.

It is important that your personal details are filled in completely to ensure your personal luggage is correctly delivered to your accommodation. Please keep your hand luggage and hand bags with you at check-in for emergency needs.

Travel Prohibitions
Passengers will be prohibited from travelling in the event of pregnancy in advance of 27 weeks or more in accordance with the terms of their own safety and their own health. Travel may be permitted in the instance where sufficient medical documentation is provided till 24- 26 weeks of the pregnancy.

Dietary Requirements
Special dietary requirements of passengers are catered for in the menu including vegetarian, diabetic, children menus and dairy-free. For meal requests, please confirm with Istanbul Turkey Travel at least 2 weeks before your tour start date.

Handicapped Services
Istanbul Turkey Travel provides private services for handicapped people with prior request. Please contact our staff to make arrangements.

Photography & Marketing

Our authorised representatives may take photographs and films of you while using any Istanbul Turkey Travel Product. We reserve the right to use said material for any advertising or promotion in any medium we choose without obtaining further consent. You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable licence to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.

We also reserve the right to use any comments you make, questionnaires or complimentary letters with respect to us, or our Products, minus any identifying information, in promotional literature without obtaining further consent.

Pictures and videos of the tours can be used by Istanbul Turkey Travel for promotion of our services or other marketing purposes. Istanbul Turkey Travel maintains the right to use them without prior consultation. Clients also have the right to refuse the use of their images if they do not these to be published.

Tipping
As you know, around the world you do not have to pay tips if you are not happy with the service, but especially in Turkey, tipping is a cultural fact. People who give you good service expect a tip.

Our company will always give you quality service, but we do not include tips in our package prices. Normally, tour guide tips are 2 Euro per person per day while driver tips are 1 euro per person per day. This will vary according to the quality of their service, so it will be up to customer to decide on the given amount. Remember this is not an obligatory service, but rather a part of the Turkish culture.

Complaints
If you have any feedback or problems about any of our service, prior, during or after the tour, please inform our Istanbul Turkey Travel staff. We will try to fix the problem immediately. We pride ourselves on our service and will follow up with those who complained to be sure they are fully satisfied. We take feedback seriously as we believe this helps us to improve our services and make our company more professional and expert.

Turkish Laws
At all times during the tour, clients must respect Turkish laws. Istanbul Turkey Travel will not be responsible for any clients committing illegal acts. Please remember that smoking rules apply in all restaurants, clubs or closed spaces. Some of these places provide an open area for smokers.

Responsibilities / Consumer Disclosure Notice
Istanbul Turkey Travel, and/or its agents act only as an agent for the hotels, airlines, bus companies, ship lines, owners or contractors providing accommodation, transportation or other services. Receipts and contracts issued by Istanbul Turkey Travel are subject to all tariffs, terms and conditions under which any accommodations, transportation and any other service whatsoever are provided by such hotels, airlines bus companies, railroads, ship lines, or owners or contractors or by any person in their employ. By acceptance of tour membership, receipts, contracts and tickets, the tour member agrees that Istanbul Turkey Travel, and/or its agents assume no liability for any loss, injury or damage to a person, property, or otherwise any connection with any accommodations, transportation, or other service, resulting directly or indirectly from any acts of Nature, danger, incident at sea, fire, breakdown of machinery or equipment, acts of government or other authorities, de jure or de facto, wars, whether declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, pilferage, epidemics, quarantines, medical or custom regulations, defaults, delays, or cancellations of or changes to itinerary or schedules, or from any causes beyond Istanbul Turkey Travel’s control or for loss damage resulting from insufficient, improperly, issued passports, visas or other documents, and that Istanbul Turkey Travel and/or its agents assume no liability for any additional expenses, or liability sustained or incurred by the tour member as a result of any foreign causes.

Istanbul Turkey Travel is neither responsible for nor liable for defaults of those persons / companies not directly under control of Istanbul Turkey Travel.

The prices of the tours are based on tariffs and exchange rates in effect at the time of printing and subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. Istanbul Turkey Travel reserves the right to substitute hotels with best available alternatives and make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by airline schedules or other reasons.