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Quick Answer: A private Turkey tour from New Zealand starts from USD 1,575 per person for four days and reaches USD 5,395 for fourteen, two sharing. Turkey Family Tours, TURSAB-licensed (no 13538), runs nine packages, priced at about NZ$2,760 to NZ$9,445 at 1 USD ≈ NZ$1.75. Each one runs for your party alone, on the start date you choose. The price covers hand-picked 4-5 star boutique hotels with breakfast, a private vehicle and a licensed local guide in each region. Entrance fees and the route’s domestic flights are inside it too. Four of the nine reach Chunuk Bair and Anzac Cove: the 14-day, the 11-day by road, the 10-day with Gallipoli and Troy, and the 4-day. The flight from Auckland or Christchurch is booked separately. A 25% deposit confirms the booking; 75% is paid on arrival. A day-by-day plan and a fixed quote come back within 24 hours. Get a Private Quote →
Turkey tours from New Zealand are mostly sold as escorted group departures on set dates. Some of them bundle the Auckland fare into the price. The nine packages from Turkey Family Tours work the other way. Each is a private tour for your party only, and it starts on the day your flight lands. The price is quoted in US dollars, USD 1,575 to 5,395 per person, with the NZ$ figure beside it. You pick the length, from 4 to 14 days, and book the flight from NZ yourself. Four of the nine routes reach Chunuk Bair, where the New Zealand National Memorial stands, and the price table names the day.
Nine Private Turkey Tour Packages, from 14 Days Down to 4, Shown in NZ$
Grand Turkey Tour: Gallipoli, Ephesus & Cappadocia
Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Fethiye, Antalya, Cappadocia · Chunuk Bair on day 3 · 2 domestic flights
Cappadocia & the Turquoise Coast
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Fethiye, Pamukkale, Ephesus · 3 domestic flights
Turkey by Road, No Internal Flights
Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Troy, Gallipoli · Chunuk Bair on day 10 · one minivan throughout
Turkey with Gallipoli & Troy
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Pergamon, Troy, Gallipoli · Chunuk Bair on day 9 · 2 domestic flights
Istanbul, Cappadocia & Antalya
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ephesus · 3 domestic flights
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Kuşadası, Pamukkale, Ephesus · 3 domestic flights
Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Kuşadası, Ephesus · 3 domestic flights
Istanbul & Cappadocia with a Cave Hotel
Istanbul, Göreme and the Cappadocian valleys · return domestic flights
Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus & Pamukkale
From Istanbul: Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale · Chunuk Bair on day 1 · 1 domestic flight
Prices are per person, two sharing, and are billed in US dollars. The NZ$ figures use 1 USD ≈ NZ$1.75 and move with the rate on the day you pay. Hand-picked 4-5 star boutique hotels with breakfast, domestic flights and entrance fees are inside every price; the flight from New Zealand is not. Shorter add-ons: 2-day Gallipoli & Troy (USD 945), 2-day Cappadocia (USD 1,030) and 2-day Ephesus and Pamukkale from Istanbul (USD 1,140). The one-day peninsula visit from Istanbul is USD 495.
Turkey Tours from New Zealand — Table of Contents show / hide
- Nine Private Turkey Tour Packages, from 14 Days Down to 4, Shown in NZ$
- What the NZ$ Figure Buys: Inclusions, Extras and How You Pay
- How Many Days on the Ground the Trip from New Zealand Leaves You
- Chunuk Bair and the 25 April New Zealand Service: Which Routes Reach the Ridge
- Auckland or Christchurch to Istanbul: One Stop, Three Hubs
- New Zealand Passport, SafeTravel Advice and Money in Turkey
- Turkey Tours from New Zealand: A Private Tour Beside Escorted Group Departures
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Send Your Dates from New Zealand, Get a Day-by-Day Plan Back
What the NZ$ Figure Buys: Inclusions, Extras and How You Pay
The 14-day private Turkey tour costs USD 5,395 (≈ NZ$9,445) each for two, USD 4,640 for four and USD 4,315 for six. The per-person price falls as the party grows, because the vehicle and the guide are shared across more people. Take a New Zealand family of four on the 10-day route with Gallipoli and Troy. They pay 4 × USD 3,280, which is USD 13,120, about NZ$22,960 for the ground. Children aged 4 to 6 pay 40% less and ages 0 to 3 pay 70% less; from age 7 the adult rate applies.
| Route | Per person, two sharing | In NZ$ | Per person, four sharing | Per person, six sharing | Chunuk Bair | Domestic flights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-day: Grand Turkey Tour: Gallipoli, Ephesus & Cappadocia | USD 5,395 | ≈ NZ$9,445 | USD 4,640 (≈ NZ$8,120) | USD 4,315 (≈ NZ$7,550) | Day 3 | 2 |
| 12-day: Cappadocia & the Turquoise Coast | USD 4,770 | ≈ NZ$8,345 | USD 4,095 (≈ NZ$7,165) | USD 3,815 (≈ NZ$6,675) | Not on route | 3 |
| 11-day: Turkey by Road, No Internal Flights | USD 4,365 | ≈ NZ$7,635 | USD 3,615 (≈ NZ$6,325) | USD 3,365 (≈ NZ$5,890) | Day 10 | None |
| 10-day: Turkey with Gallipoli & Troy | USD 3,815 | ≈ NZ$6,675 | USD 3,280 (≈ NZ$5,740) | USD 3,050 (≈ NZ$5,340) | Day 9 | 2 |
| 10-day: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Antalya | USD 4,010 | ≈ NZ$7,020 | USD 3,450 (≈ NZ$6,040) | USD 3,210 (≈ NZ$5,620) | Not on route | 3 |
| 8-day: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus | USD 3,205 | ≈ NZ$5,605 | USD 2,755 (≈ NZ$4,820) | USD 2,565 (≈ NZ$4,490) | Not on route | 3 |
| 7-day: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus | USD 2,815 | ≈ NZ$4,930 | USD 2,420 (≈ NZ$4,235) | USD 2,250 (≈ NZ$3,940) | Not on route | 3 |
| 5-day: Istanbul & Cappadocia with a Cave Hotel | USD 1,940 | ≈ NZ$3,400 | USD 1,670 (≈ NZ$2,920) | USD 1,550 (≈ NZ$2,710) | Not on route | 2 |
| 4-day: Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus & Pamukkale | USD 1,575 | ≈ NZ$2,760 | USD 1,575 (≈ NZ$2,760) at any party size | Day 1 | 1 | |
On the 11-day Turkey by Road, three pay USD 3,865 each (≈ NZ$6,765) and eight pay USD 3,315. The 4-day route keeps one rate at any party size.
Inside Every Price
- Hotels with breakfast: hand-picked 4-5 star boutique hotels, named on the quote before you pay. In Cappadocia the night is in a cave hotel in Göreme.
- Private vehicle and driver for every transfer and touring day, including the Istanbul Airport pickup and drop-off.
- A licensed local guide in each region, for your party alone.
- Domestic flights where the route uses them: none on the 11-day by road, one on the 4-day, two or three on the rest.
- Entrance fees for the sites listed in the day-by-day plan.
Paid Separately
- The international flight from New Zealand.
- Lunches and dinners. Every day leaves you free to choose where to eat.
- The Cappadocia hot air balloon, USD 250 to 350 per person, booked through us if you want it.
- The Harem section of Topkapı Palace and the Terrace Houses at Ephesus, which carry their own tickets.
- Tips and travel insurance.
Paying an Istanbul Agency from New Zealand
The tour brands sold through New Zealand travel agents come with a local office and a freephone number. We are in Istanbul, so the safeguards are different. Turkey Family Tours is the family-travel brand of Skylux Edition Travel, an agency holding TURSAB licence 13538, the operating licence for Turkish tour companies. The agency is rated 5.0 from 41 reviews on Tripadvisor. The quote is a written, fixed price in US dollars with every hotel named. A 25% deposit by card or bank transfer confirms the booking, and the remaining 75% is paid on arrival in Turkey, by cash or card. Three quarters of the cost is handed over only after the driver has met you at the airport. The deposit is non-refundable, and cancellations inside 7 days of the start are charged in full.
How Many Days on the Ground the Trip from New Zealand Leaves You
The journey between New Zealand and Istanbul takes about three calendar days out of any trip, there and back. So start from the days you can be away, not from the tour length. Flying west, a flight that leaves Auckland in the evening lands in Istanbul the next day. Coming home you cross the date line the other way, and the arrival is usually two calendar dates after you leave Istanbul. The working rule: days on the ground = days away minus three.
| Days away from home | Days on the ground | Route that fits |
|---|---|---|
| 9 to 10 (one week off, both weekends) | 6 to 7 | 7-day: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus |
| 13 to 14 | 10 to 11 | 10-day with Gallipoli & Troy, or the 11-day by road |
| 16 (a two-week school break, Saturday to Sunday) | 13 | 12-day with one spare day, or a 10-day plus a stopover |
| 17 to 18 | 14 to 15 | 14-day Grand Turkey Tour |
| 21 or more | 18+ | 14-day, a stopover each way, or extra nights on the coast |
Seven days still works, but it uses a lot of flying for three regions. From this distance 10 days is the practical floor. At that length the Gallipoli peninsula fits without pushing out Cappadocia or Ephesus. The 10-day Turkey itinerary shows how those days sit, and the 2-week itinerary does the same for the longer loop. A stopover of two nights in Singapore, Doha or Dubai on the way home takes two more days from the same total.
Where the Four New Zealand School Breaks Land in Turkey’s Year
New Zealand schools have four breaks a year, and each one lands in the opposite season in Turkey. Term dates shift a little every year and are published by the Ministry of Education; check them before you fix flights.
| New Zealand break | Length | Turkey at that time | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
| April, between Terms 1 and 2 | 2 weeks | Spring. Mild days, green valleys, wildflowers on the Gallipoli peninsula | Turkey in April |
| July, between Terms 2 and 3 | 2 weeks | High summer. Hot at Ephesus and Pamukkale, so site visits start early; the sea is warm on the coast | Turkey in July |
| Late September to early October | 2 weeks | Early autumn. Warm sea, cooler inland, and the summer heat has passed at the sites | Turkey in October |
| Mid-December to late January | About 6 weeks | Winter. Cold in Cappadocia with a chance of snow, short days, quiet sites. The only break long enough for 14 days plus a stopover | Turkey in January |
25 April falls inside the April break in some years and in the first week of Term 2 in others. A family aiming for the services should check that year’s calendar before fixing flights.
Chunuk Bair and the 25 April New Zealand Service: Which Routes Reach the Ridge
The Wellington Battalion took the summit of Chunuk Bair at dawn on 8 August 1915, and New Zealand troops held it for two days. The New Zealand National Memorial stands there now, a few metres from the statue of Mustafa Kemal, whose counter-attack retook the ridge on 10 August. From the top you look down on the Dardanelles on one side and the Aegean on the other, which explains why both armies wanted it. It sits at the far end of the ridge road, after Anzac Cove and Lone Pine. Four of the nine packages reach it.
Each of the four puts a licensed local guide and a private vehicle on that road:
- 14-day Grand Turkey Tour: the peninsula is day 3, with a 06:30 pickup in Istanbul and the night in Çanakkale.
- 11-day tour by road: day 10, coming up the Aegean coast from Troy, then the drive back to Istanbul.
- 10-day tour with Gallipoli and Troy: day 9, after Pergamon and Troy.
- 4-day Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale: day 1, then south to the Aegean sites.
The other five routes do not pass the Dardanelles. Any of them can take the 2-day Gallipoli and Troy add-on at USD 945 (≈ NZ$1,655) per person. The one-day visit from Istanbul is USD 495 (≈ NZ$870). The peninsula is about five hours’ drive from Istanbul each way, so the one-day version runs 13 to 15 hours door to door. With children or grandparents in the party, the night in Çanakkale is the kinder choice.
The 25 April services. The Dawn Service is held at the Anzac Commemorative Site, and a New Zealand service follows at Chunuk Bair. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has an account of both services. Attendance passes are free, and each person registers on the official Anzac Day services booking site. Registration opens late in the year before the services. New Zealanders can also log the trip on SafeTravel. We cannot issue passes. What a private tour can do is start on the date that puts your peninsula day where you need it.
Outside Anzac week the ridge is quiet, and a guide can take the day at your speed. The walking order, the cemeteries and the New Zealand story of August 1915 are set out in our guide to the Gallipoli battlefields. Every format we run on the peninsula, with prices, is on the private Gallipoli visits page.
Auckland or Christchurch to Istanbul: One Stop, Three Hubs
One stop is the minimum between New Zealand and Turkey, because no airline flies the route non-stop. The usual routings go through a Gulf or Asian hub, and the whole journey takes about a day, longer with a slow connection. Airline schedules change, so check the current routing before you book. Passengers from Wellington, Queenstown or Dunedin add a domestic leg first.
| Hub | Airline | From | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doha | Qatar Airways | Auckland | A very long first sector, then a short second leg to Istanbul |
| Dubai | Emirates | Auckland; Christchurch via Sydney | The Christchurch service adds a stop in Sydney |
| Singapore | Singapore Airlines | Auckland and Christchurch | Splits the journey into two similar halves, which suits a stopover |
We do not sell the long-haul ticket. Book it where you normally would, with your own airline points if you have them, and send us the flight number. It sets two things:
- Day 1 is an arrival day on every route except the 4-day. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Istanbul Airport, takes you to the hotel, and nothing else is planned.
- Guided touring starts on day 2 at about 09:00, with Istanbul’s Old City.
Turkey keeps UTC+3 all year. New Zealand is 9 hours ahead in the NZ winter and 10 hours ahead during NZ daylight saving. Jet lag in this direction tends to mean early waking. That suits the 06:30 start on a Gallipoli day and the pre-dawn pickup for the hot air balloon in Cappadocia.
New Zealand Passport, SafeTravel Advice and Money in Turkey
- Visa: ordinary New Zealand passports are visa-exempt for visits of up to 90 days, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There is nothing to apply for before you fly. The ministry advises a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive.
- Official advice: SafeTravel rates Türkiye “Exercise increased caution” overall at the time of writing, with higher levels for specific areas listed on its page. None of the nine routes enters the south-eastern border provinces. Read the current advice before you pay the deposit and again before you fly.
- Insurance: take a policy that covers medical care and cancellation from the day you pay the deposit.
- Money: the currency is the Turkish lira. Cards work in hotels, restaurants and most shops on these routes, and an ATM withdrawal on arrival covers markets and tips. Exchange offices deal mainly in US dollars, euros and pounds, so bring a card in place of NZ$ cash.
- Power: Turkey uses the two-pin European plug at 230V, the same voltage as New Zealand, so an adaptor is all you need.
Earthquake geography, road safety and the city-by-city picture are on our Is Turkey Safe for Families page.
Turkey Tours from New Zealand: A Private Tour Beside Escorted Group Departures
Most Turkey tour packages sold in New Zealand are escorted group departures: one set date, one coach, one timetable. They are a good product for a solo traveller who wants company and one bill. For a family, or for two couples travelling together, the start date, the pace and the hotel choice work differently.
| Escorted group tour | Private tour on this page | |
|---|---|---|
| Start date | Set departures | Any date, matched to your flight |
| Who travels | Separate bookings sharing one coach | Your party only |
| Guide | One tour leader for the group | A licensed local guide in each region, for you alone |
| Hotels | Chosen for the whole group | Named on the quote before the deposit |
| Pace | One timetable for the whole group | Set by your party |
| Long-haul flight | Sometimes bundled | Booked by you |
| Price shape | One figure per person | Falls as the party grows: USD 5,395, 4,640, 4,315 on the 14-day |
The per-person price of a private tour depends on party size. At four sharing, the 8-day route is USD 2,755 each (≈ NZ$4,820). Domestic flights, entrance fees and a guide for your party alone are already inside. On a coach, the Gallipoli stop runs to the group’s clock. With a guide for your party alone you can spend longer at Chunuk Bair and shorten a stop elsewhere.
Turkey Family Tours works from Istanbul. Contact is by email and WhatsApp on Istanbul time, and a written reply comes within 24 hours. The long-haul flight stays with your own airline or travel agent.
Turkey Tours from NZ: Frequently Asked Questions
The nine Turkey tour packages run from USD 1,575 to 5,395 per person, two sharing. That is about NZ$2,760 to NZ$9,445 at 1 USD ≈ NZ$1.75. The 10-day route with Gallipoli and Troy is USD 3,815 (≈ NZ$6,675) each for two and USD 3,280 each for four. Hotels with breakfast, the private vehicle, a licensed local guide in each region, entrance fees and domestic flights are inside that figure. The flight from New Zealand, lunches and dinners, the hot air balloon and tips are outside it. Quotes are fixed in US dollars, so the NZ$ amount moves with the exchange rate until you pay. The full table is in the price section above.
Plan on 10 days on the ground as the floor and 12 to 14 if the leave allows. The journey costs about three calendar days in total, so a 16-day absence gives 13 days in Turkey. Ten days holds Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale and the Gallipoli peninsula without cutting any of them short. Fourteen days adds the Mediterranean coast at Fethiye and Antalya. Seven days works for Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus, and it suits a family already stopping in Singapore or Dubai. The day-by-day plan for 10 days in Turkey lays the days out one by one, with two domestic flights covering the longest legs.
Four of the nine private Turkey tours include Gallipoli and Chunuk Bair. The 14-day Grand Turkey Tour visits the peninsula on day 3 and the 4-day route on day 1. The 11-day tour by road reaches it on day 10, and the 10-day tour with Gallipoli and Troy on day 9. Each of those days covers Anzac Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair with a licensed local guide and a private vehicle. The other five routes can take the 2-day Gallipoli and Troy add-on at USD 945 per person or the one-day visit from Istanbul at USD 495. Every format is listed under our private tours of Gallipoli.
We suggest sending the enquiry six months or more ahead for a trip in Anzac week, and working back from the attendance pass. The Dawn Service is held at the Anzac Commemorative Site, and a New Zealand service follows at Chunuk Bair. Passes are free, and each person registers online on the official Anzac Day services booking site. Registration opens late in the year before the services, so have dates and flights settled by then. For other months there is no deadline: a day-by-day plan and a fixed quote come back within 24 hours. The Gallipoli travel guide covers the ground itself.
New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa for Turkey for visits of up to 90 days. The rule is published by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There is no e-visa to buy and no form to fill in before you fly. The ministry advises carrying a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival. SafeTravel currently rates Türkiye “Exercise increased caution” overall, with higher levels for specific areas that none of the nine routes enters. Register the trip on SafeTravel and hold travel insurance from the day you pay the deposit. Our family safety guide to Turkey covers the practical side, region by region.
The international flight is not included; every price on this page is for the arrangements inside Turkey. You book Auckland or Christchurch to Istanbul yourself, usually with one stop in Doha, Dubai or Singapore, and send us the flight number. Domestic flights inside Turkey are included: two or three on most routes, one on the 4-day and none on the 11-day by road. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Istanbul Airport, and the first day holds nothing except the transfer. Guided touring starts the next morning at about 09:00. All routes are listed with the tours that start in Istanbul.
A 25% deposit by card or bank transfer confirms the booking. The remaining 75% is paid on arrival in Turkey, by cash or card, after the driver has met you. The deposit is non-refundable. Cancellations inside 7 days of the start date, and no-shows, are charged in full. The same terms appear under Know Before You Book on every tour page, so nothing differs between the quote and the website. Prices are fixed in US dollars once the quote is accepted. If a hot air balloon flight is cancelled for weather, it is rebooked for the next morning or refunded. Start with the Plan My Trip form; a written reply comes within 24 hours.
Yes, the 11-day Turkey tour fully by road runs with no internal flights. It covers Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Troy and Gallipoli in one private minivan with one licensed local guide for the whole trip. It costs USD 4,365 per person for two (≈ NZ$7,635) and USD 3,615 for four. After a day of flying from New Zealand, this route keeps you out of airports for the rest of the trip. The luggage stays in one vehicle. The drives are longer, and the stops along them, such as Lake Tuz and the Sultanhanı caravanserai, become part of the trip. Chunuk Bair falls on day 10, before the drive back to Istanbul.
Yes, any of the nine routes can be reshaped before you pay. They are starting points with fixed prices. You can add a night in Istanbul at the start to recover from the flight, or a second night near the Dardanelles. You can also add beach time in Fethiye, or move the start date so the peninsula day lands where you want it. Send the ages of any children, since ages 4 to 6 pay 40% less and ages 0 to 3 pay 70% less. The revised day-by-day plan and its fixed price come back within 24 hours, and nothing is paid until you accept it. The private Turkey tours page explains how custom itineraries are built.
Send Your Dates from New Zealand, Get a Day-by-Day Plan Back
Turkey Family Tours sends a day-by-day itinerary with hotels named within 24 hours of your message. It carries a fixed price in USD, with the NZ$ figure beside it. Tell us the dates you can be away, who is travelling and the children’s ages. Say whether Chunuk Bair or the 25 April services are part of the plan. Any of the nine routes can be lengthened, shortened or re-ordered before you pay anything.
- Plan My Trip form: turkeyfamilytours.com/plan-my-trip/
- WhatsApp: +90 541 130 30 65
Month-by-month weather is in the Turkey weather guide by month, and every tour that starts in Istanbul is listed under private tours from Istanbul.
