Frequently Asked Questions

Fill in our Trip Planner form, message our 24/7 WhatsApp line or send us an email. Our team first confirms availability and price; the booking is then secured with a 60% online deposit, and the remaining 40% is paid on arrival.

Our licensed tour guides work in many languages, including Arabic, English, Russian and Turkish, and our drivers speak Arabic or English.

Children 0-5 years are free of charge; special discounts apply for children aged 6-11. Details are stated on each tour.

Yes. We provide private transfers to and from Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) with meet-and-greet, flight tracking and VIP vehicle options; your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a sign bearing your name.

Yes, we prepare fully personalized private tours according to your interests, dates and budget.

Once your booking is confirmed, 60% of the total is paid online (by secure card link or bank transfer) and the remaining 40% is paid on arrival in Türkiye, in cash or by card. Payment details are sent with your confirmation.

Official check-in is 14:00 and check-out is 12:00 at hotels. Early check-in is subject to an additional charge.

No. Citizens of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman enter visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days within any 180-day period; a passport valid for at least 6 months is recommended. Gulf residents holding other passports (Egyptian, Pakistani, Indian etc.) can obtain an e-Visa from the official evisa.gov.tr only if their nationality is eligible and they hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit; otherwise a consular visa is required.

Meat sold in Türkiye is almost entirely halal-slaughtered; the restaurants we recommend on tours are halal, and alcohol-free venues are chosen on request. Our guides and drivers stop at a mosque for Dhuhr and Asr prayers on every tour, and hotels can provide the qibla direction and prayer mats on request. In Ramadan, programmes are timed around suhoor and iftar, and an iftar restaurant is reserved in advance.

Yes. If you state the number and ages of children at booking, we block a connecting room or a family room for 4–6 people with written confirmation from the hotel; the room type appears on your confirmation. Where no connecting rooms exist we guarantee adjacent rooms on the same floor. Most of our partner hotels in Fatih and Sultanahmet have connecting rooms, and at 5-star hotels we offer family suites.

A private car with driver in Istanbul for 10 hours costs approximately 110 USD a day for a sedan, 125–130 USD for a Mercedes Vito (6 seats), 160 USD for a V-Class and 190 USD for a Sprinter (13 seats); current rates are on our Transfers page. Fuel, parking, bridge tolls, child seats, Wi-Fi and water are included, and our drivers speak Arabic or English. Extra hours are 25 USD; out-of-town days (Sapanca, Bursa, Şile) are priced separately. Bookings of three days or more get 10 percent off and keep the same driver throughout. Payment follows our standard terms: 60% online after confirmation, 40% on arrival.

For Eid al-Adha week we recommend booking at least 3 months ahead, and for July–August at least 2 months ahead; in these periods Istanbul hotels, Trabzon flights and Uzungöl bungalows sell out and prices rise by 40–80 percent. For April–June and September–October, 3–4 weeks is usually enough. Bookings are confirmed with a 60% online deposit and the balance is paid on arrival; some Eid-week hotel rates are non-refundable, and we tell you before you confirm.

Once we have confirmed availability, every booking is secured by paying 60% of the total online, by secure card link (Visa/Mastercard) or bank transfer. The remaining 40% is paid on arrival in Türkiye, in cash (USD, EUR, TL or SAR) or by card. Our two live packages, the Istanbul Tour (7 nights/8 days) and the Trabzon Tour (4 nights/5 days), are sold at net prices with no hidden extras. An official invoice is issued for every payment.

Cancellations must be sent to us in writing by email. Day tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours before, shows and dinner cruises up to 24 hours, and chauffeured cars up to 24 hours. Multi-day packages are free to cancel up to 10–15 days before arrival (the exact option date is given before you confirm); after that staged charges of 25–50 percent apply, and there is no refund within 72 hours of arrival. Some hotels sell non-refundable rates, and flight tickets follow airline rules once issued; we tell you about these before confirmation. Balloon, boat and cable-car fees cancelled because of weather are fully refunded. Refunds are made within 5–7 working days by the original payment method.

April–June and September–October are the most balanced months for every region: Istanbul 18–26°C, the sea warm from June, few balloon cancellations in Cappadocia. In July–August the best address for Gulf families is the cool Black Sea (Trabzon, Uzungol at 20–26°C); Antalya exceeds 35°C in these months. December–March suits Uludag and Kartepe for snow, and Istanbul for shopping and cheaper hotels. Ramadan and Eid weeks are a special experience but require early booking.

The Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom counters at the airport sell tourist SIMs against your passport; a 30-day package with 20–30 GB costs about 25–35 USD, and city shops are up to 30 percent cheaper. Today an eSIM is often the most practical option: buy it through an app such as Airalo or Holafly before the flight and it activates on landing. Foreign phones in Türkiye need registration after 120 days; short trips are unaffected. Nivo Travel guests get Wi-Fi in all our vehicles and a free 5 GB welcome SIM on the first day.

It is not mandatory for entry to Türkiye, but we strongly recommend it since a private hospital consultation starts at 100–150 USD. Nivo Travel adds 10-day travel health insurance from partner Turkish insurers to your booking for about 25–35 USD per person, covering 30,000 EUR of treatment, lost baggage and flight cancellation. If your Gulf bank card offers travel insurance, confirm beforehand that it covers Türkiye. Vehicle and passenger insurance is included separately on all our tours.

No. Citizens of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman enter visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days within any 180-day period; a passport valid for at least 6 months is recommended. Gulf residents holding other passports (Egyptian, Pakistani, Indian etc.) can obtain an e-Visa from the official evisa.gov.tr only if their nationality is eligible and they hold a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit; otherwise a consular visa is required.

Meat sold in Türkiye is almost entirely halal-slaughtered; the restaurants we recommend on tours are halal, and alcohol-free venues are chosen on request. Our guides and drivers stop at a mosque for Dhuhr and Asr prayers on every tour, and hotels can provide the qibla direction and prayer mats on request. In Ramadan, programmes are timed around suhoor and iftar, and an iftar restaurant is reserved in advance.

Yes. If you state the number and ages of children at booking, we block a connecting room or a family room for 4–6 people with written confirmation from the hotel; the room type appears on your confirmation. Where no connecting rooms exist we guarantee adjacent rooms on the same floor. Most of our partner hotels in Fatih and Sultanahmet have connecting rooms, and at 5-star hotels we offer family suites.

A private car with driver in Istanbul for 10 hours costs approximately 110 USD a day for a sedan, 125–130 USD for a Mercedes Vito (6 seats), 160 USD for a V-Class and 190 USD for a Sprinter (13 seats); current rates are on our Transfers page. Fuel, parking, bridge tolls, child seats, Wi-Fi and water are included, and our drivers speak Arabic or English. Extra hours are 25 USD; out-of-town days (Sapanca, Bursa, Şile) are priced separately. Bookings of three days or more get 10 percent off and keep the same driver throughout. Payment follows our standard terms: 60% online after confirmation, 40% on arrival.

For Eid al-Adha week we recommend booking at least 3 months ahead, and for July–August at least 2 months ahead; in these periods Istanbul hotels, Trabzon flights and Uzungöl bungalows sell out and prices rise by 40–80 percent. For April–June and September–October, 3–4 weeks is usually enough. Bookings are confirmed with a 60% online deposit and the balance is paid on arrival; some Eid-week hotel rates are non-refundable, and we tell you before you confirm.

Once we have confirmed availability, every booking is secured by paying 60% of the total online, by secure card link (Visa/Mastercard) or bank transfer. The remaining 40% is paid on arrival in Türkiye, in cash (USD, EUR, TL or SAR) or by card. Our two live packages, the Istanbul Tour (7 nights/8 days) and the Trabzon Tour (4 nights/5 days), are sold at net prices with no hidden extras. An official invoice is issued for every payment.

Cancellations must be sent to us in writing by email. Day tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours before, shows and dinner cruises up to 24 hours, and chauffeured cars up to 24 hours. Multi-day packages are free to cancel up to 10–15 days before arrival (the exact option date is given before you confirm); after that staged charges of 25–50 percent apply, and there is no refund within 72 hours of arrival. Some hotels sell non-refundable rates, and flight tickets follow airline rules once issued; we tell you about these before confirmation. Balloon, boat and cable-car fees cancelled because of weather are fully refunded. Refunds are made within 5–7 working days by the original payment method.

April–June and September–October are the most balanced months for every region: Istanbul 18–26°C, the sea warm from June, few balloon cancellations in Cappadocia. In July–August the best address for Gulf families is the cool Black Sea (Trabzon, Uzungol at 20–26°C); Antalya exceeds 35°C in these months. December–March suits Uludag and Kartepe for snow, and Istanbul for shopping and cheaper hotels. Ramadan and Eid weeks are a special experience but require early booking.

The Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom counters at the airport sell tourist SIMs against your passport; a 30-day package with 20–30 GB costs about 25–35 USD, and city shops are up to 30 percent cheaper. Today an eSIM is often the most practical option: buy it through an app such as Airalo or Holafly before the flight and it activates on landing. Foreign phones in Türkiye need registration after 120 days; short trips are unaffected. Nivo Travel guests get Wi-Fi in all our vehicles and a free 5 GB welcome SIM on the first day.

It is not mandatory for entry to Türkiye, but we strongly recommend it since a private hospital consultation starts at 100–150 USD. Nivo Travel adds 10-day travel health insurance from partner Turkish insurers to your booking for about 25–35 USD per person, covering 30,000 EUR of treatment, lost baggage and flight cancellation. If your Gulf bank card offers travel insurance, confirm beforehand that it covers Türkiye. Vehicle and passenger insurance is included separately on all our tours.

No. Holders of Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti, Qatari, Bahraini and Omani passports enter visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism; a passport valid for at least 6 months is enough. Gulf residents holding other passports (Egyptian, Pakistani, Indian etc.) can obtain an e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr if they have a valid Gulf residence plus a Schengen, US or UK visa; otherwise a consular visa is required.

All meat in Türkiye is slaughtered according to Islamic practice; the restaurants we recommend on tours are halal and alcohol-free on request. Our guides and drivers stop at a mosque for Dhuhr and Asr prayers on every tour, and our hotels provide the qibla direction and prayer mats. In Ramadan programmes are timed around suhoor and iftar, and an iftar restaurant is reserved in advance.

Yes. If you state the number and ages of children at booking, we block a connecting room or a family room for 4–6 people with written confirmation from the hotel; the room type appears on your confirmation. Where no connecting rooms exist we guarantee adjacent rooms on the same floor. Most of our partner hotels in Fatih and Sultanahmet have connecting rooms, and at 5-star hotels we offer family suites.

A Mercedes Vito (6 seats) is 130 USD for 10 hours a day, a V-Class 170 USD and a Sprinter (13 seats) 220 USD; fuel, parking, bridge tolls, child seats, Wi-Fi and water are included. Our drivers speak Arabic or English. Extra hours are 25 USD, out-of-town days (Sapanca, Bursa, Sile) carry a 50 USD supplement. Three days or more get 10 percent off and the same driver stays with you throughout. No prepayment; pay at the end of each day in cash or by card link.

For Eid al-Adha week we recommend booking at least 3 months ahead (end of February for 2026), and for July–August at least 2 months ahead; in these periods Istanbul hotels, Trabzon flights and Uzungol bungalows sell out and prices rise 40–80 percent. For April–June and September–October, 3–4 weeks is enough. Eid bookings require a 30 percent deposit to block the hotel; the deposit is refundable up to 21 days before Eid.

Day tours and chauffeured cars require no prepayment; you pay on the day in cash (USD, EUR, TL, SAR) or through the secure card link we send on WhatsApp. Multi-day packages are confirmed with a 20 percent deposit (30 percent at Eid), with the balance paid on arrival. There are three ways to pay the deposit: bank transfer to our account in Türkiye or the UAE, a Visa/Mastercard link, or cash to our Riyadh representative. A TURSAB-backed invoice is issued for every payment.

Day tours can be cancelled free up to 48 hours before, shows and dinner cruises up to 24 hours, chauffeured cars up to 24 hours. Multi-day packages are free to cancel up to 10–15 days before arrival, then staged charges apply (25–50 percent); no refund within 72 hours. Flight tickets follow airline rules once issued. Balloon, boat and cable car fees cancelled for weather are fully refunded. Refunds are made within 5–7 working days by the original method.

April–June and September–October are the most balanced months for every region: Istanbul 18–26°C, the sea warm from June, few balloon cancellations in Cappadocia. In July–August the best address for Gulf families is the cool Black Sea (Trabzon, Uzungol at 20–26°C); Antalya exceeds 35°C in these months. December–March suits Uludag and Kartepe for snow, and Istanbul for shopping and cheaper hotels. Ramadan and Eid weeks are a special experience but require early booking.

The Turkcell, Vodafone and Turk Telekom counters at the airport sell tourist SIMs against your passport; a 30-day package with 20–30 GB costs about 25–35 USD, and city shops are 30 percent cheaper. In 2026 an eSIM is the most practical option: buy it on Airalo or Holafly before the flight and it activates on landing. Foreign phones in Türkiye need registration after 120 days; short trips are unaffected. Nivo Travel guests get Wi-Fi in all our vehicles and a free 5 GB welcome SIM on the first day.

It is not mandatory for entry to Türkiye, but we strongly recommend it since a private hospital consultation starts at 100–150 USD. Nivo Travel adds 10-day travel health insurance from partner Turkish insurers to your booking for about 25–35 USD per person, covering 30,000 EUR of treatment, lost baggage and flight cancellation. If your Gulf bank card offers travel insurance, confirm beforehand that it covers Türkiye. Vehicle and passenger insurance is included separately on all our tours.