Meet Caglar, your expert in Turkey!
🌍 Lives in: Istanbul, Turkey
Regions of expertise: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Mediterranean Coast, Aegean Coast, Ephesus, Ayvalik, Pamukkale, Konya, Mt. Nemrut, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa
Experience: 12 years guiding & designing trips
Languages: English, Turkish
Caglar’s Specialties:
Get to know Caglar!
A note from Caglar:
"Merhaba everyone! I am Çağlar (sounds like Chalar) I’m based in Istanbul but am originally from a small fishing town called Ayvalık. I have been in the travel industry since I was 14, when I started selling souvenirs in front of an ancient site called ‘Pergamon’.
Since then, I’ve worked in a host of roles - tour guide, operations manager, purchasing manager, general manager, and finally managing director of my own tour operator.
I love introducing Turkey and Turkish culture to visitors by taking them to off the beaten track places. My goal is to offer & provide tours which will take you to places that you can't find in a guide book.
My own personal travel style and that which I try to share with guests is to take people to the places that we locals normally go with our families and friends. If you see too many tourists around you while you are on our tours – that means we have done something wrong!”
Turkey Travel Consultations
Plan a better trip with some help from Caglar
Sit down with Caglar for a one-hour planning session to get his expert advice and the best local tips and recommendations.
Our travel consultations are the perfect solution for do-it-yourself travelers who want to plan on their own, but could use some expert local advice. Each consultation is personalized, and Caglar is available to help in whatever way you need.
From working on your itinerary and advising on routes and transportation, to ideas for off the beaten path destinations and truly authentic experiences, he's got you covered.
For the best local advice, go ask a local!
Why plan with Caglar
Spend 60 minutes tapping into Caglar’s hyperlocal expertise to plan a better trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultations cost $150 USD.
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Consultations are held over Google Meet. Once you’ve scheduled your call, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing the link for your video call. On the scheduled day and time, just click that link to join.
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Each consultation is different, but here are some common things that our experts typically help with:
Itinerary planning
Transportation, driving routes, and tips for how to get around
Practical travel information; culture, safety, weather, language, money/tipping, etc.
Suggested hotels/accommodations and advice on where to base yourself
Local recommendations for restaurants, activities, and unique experiences
Advice on reputable tour guides, tour operators, and excursions
Pro tips on how to best visit popular sights and attractions
Ways to avoid overcrowded destinations and tourist traps
Insider ideas on off the beaten path places, authentic experiences, and ways to connect with locals
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What you can get done in an hour depends on your goals for the consultation and how organized you are coming into it.
In most cases, an hour is ample time to create a solid itinerary, answer your major travel questions, get practical advice on how to travel in your destination, and discuss lots of great local tips and recommendations.
To ensure that the hour is used efficiently, when you schedule your call, our pre-consultation questionnaire will ask you what your primary goals for the consultation are. Prior to the call, your Local Expert will review your questionnaire and prepare detailed information addressing those goals.
They’ll come into the call ready to share specific advice, recommendations, itinerary ideas/revisions, and useful links and resources for you to review together.
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Yes! Each consultation is guided by a comprehensive pre-consultation questionnaire that you fill out immediately upon booking.
We’ll ask you a series of 30+ detailed questions that really dig into you, your trip, your interests and travel style, and what you want to discuss with your Local Expert.
The questionnaire will cover things like: the dynamics of your group, the things you enjoy while traveling, your budget, how early you want to start your day and how late you want to end it, whether you want to hit the highlights or roam the back streets, and even what types of restaurants you want to eat at.
Your Local Expert will focus only on your interests and travel style.
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Our Local Experts are seasoned travel professionals who have spent decades working in their countries/regions. While their personal interests may be different from yours, they’ve worked with thousands of travelers and have recommendations and advice for every type of individual.
They know their destinations in-depth and can help plan a trip for every traveler and taste.
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No, this is not a part of our service. Your Local Expert will share lots of links, notes, and other written resources via the Chat Box during the call, but they cannot provide post-call notes, documents, or ongoing planning assistance via email.
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No. Our service is geared toward independent, do-it-yourself travelers who intend to make bookings on their own.
Our goal is not to plan your trip for you, but rather to help you plan a better trip independently. To that end, our Local Experts will give you all of the information that you need to confidently put your trip together yourself.
When Local Experts recommend things like restaurants, hotels, excursions/activities, tours, drivers, etc., they’ll provide you with contact details and links so that you can make the final arrangements on your own.
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Almost every Go Ask A Local expert has at least 10 years of professional travel experience as a guide or trip planner in their country/region.
We work with a vetted team of seasoned professionals who know their destinations inside and out.
Unlike other companies, when you book a call, you’ll always be connected directly with your chosen Local Expert. We never pass anyone on to a junior sales associate or some anonymous back office team. With us, what you see is what you get.
Ready to plan with Caglar?
Here’s how to schedule your consultation:
Tailor-Made Trips to Turkey
Plan and book your dream trip with Caglar
In addition to our Turkey Travel Consultations, Caglar is also a licensed local travel agent. He plans all types of trips, ranging from a few days in Istanbul, to extended travel all throughout the country.
How it works: Schedule a free 20-minute introductory call to meet Çağlar and learn about the type of trip that you could plan together.
Next steps: After the call, if you decide that you’d like to hire Çağlar as your local travel agent, you’ll work one-on-one to collaboratively plan and book your trip to Turkey.
Who is this service right for? Travelers who like to be involved in their trip planning, but want an expert to manage the specifics:
Çağlar will take care of the itinerary creation, bookings and arrangements, transportation & logistics, tours/activities, etc., so that you can focus on the fun stuff.
Learn more about the tailor-made trip planning process here.