Legal
Terms and Conditions
Effective: 11 June 2026 · Issued by Tufan Albaycan Seyahat Acentası (TURSAB Licence #18704)
These are the booking terms that apply when you ask TourThese to arrange a private guided tour in Türkiye. The relationship is between you, the lead traveller, and Tufan Albaycan Seyahat Acentası, licensed as a Group A travel agency by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) since 2017. Read them before you confirm a tour — once a deposit is paid we treat both sides as bound.
1. How a booking is formed
A tour request sent through the website, by email or on WhatsApp is an invitation to quote, not a confirmed reservation. Within about twenty-four working hours we reply with a written quote that lists the route, the assigned guide, the language, the inclusions and exclusions, the price in euros and any supplier-specific cancellation rule that overrides the standard one in section 5 below. The booking becomes a contract only when you accept that written quote and we have received either a twenty-five percent deposit or a confirmation that you will pay the full price in cash on the day. Until then we hold nothing in your name and we are free to release the date to another traveller.
2. Prices, currency and what is included
Prices are quoted in euros (EUR). If you prefer to settle in Turkish lira, US dollars or British pounds, the conversion uses the Turkish Central Bank effective selling rate on the day the invoice is issued. Every quote spells out, line by line, what is included — typically the licensed guide, private vehicle with driver inside Istanbul, fuel, parking, toll roads and the first bottle of water per traveller. Items that are quoted separately so you can decide are: museum admission tickets, meals and drinks, optional Bosphorus boat tickets, the Galata Tower lift fee, accessibility equipment hire, child seats and any domestic flight or intercity transfer outside Istanbul. Tips for the guide and driver are voluntary and not built into the price.
3. Your responsibilities
You confirm that the names, dates of birth and passport details you give us match the documents you will carry on the day — several of our partner venues check passports against ticket names and refuse entry when they differ. You are responsible for valid travel insurance, for arriving at the agreed pickup point at the agreed time, and for telling us about any medical, mobility or dietary need that affects the itinerary. If you bring a minor on a tour that includes a boat segment, the minor must be in the company of a parent or legal guardian.
4. What we are responsible for
We are responsible for delivering the tour described in your written quote with a TURSAB-licensed guide and a vehicle that is roadworthy, insured and operated by a driver with a current SRC-2 commercial certificate. If the assigned guide is unwell or unable to attend, we arrange a replacement of equivalent language and specialism. If a venue listed in the itinerary is unexpectedly closed (for example, Topkapi Palace on a government-mandated closure day), we propose an equivalent alternative and refund the unused admission fee. Our liability for direct losses is limited to the price of the tour. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as missed cruise departures, missed flights or accommodation that you booked through a third party.
5. Changes and cancellations
For full cancellation, rebooking and no-show rules, see the dedicated Cancellation Policy. In short: free cancellation up to twenty-four hours before pickup unless your written quote attaches a stricter supplier-specific rule (this happens with hot-air-balloon flights, dinner cruises with allocated seating and some Cappadocia ATV operators). Inside twenty-four hours we apply a sliding scale that reflects the costs already incurred on your behalf.
6. Force majeure
Neither side is in breach if a confirmed tour cannot run because of events outside reasonable control: severe weather that closes the Bosphorus to passenger traffic, earthquake, civil disturbance, transport strike, official airspace closure, a pandemic-related public health order, or comparable disruption. In that case we offer a written choice between a free rescheduling within the following twelve months and a full refund of all monies paid to us, less any non-refundable third party cost (typically domestic flights and balloon-flight deposits) that we can evidence on request.
7. Complaints
If something goes wrong on the day, tell the guide first — most things can be fixed in real time. Anything unresolved can be put in writing to info@tourthese.com within sixty days of your tour. We acknowledge within five business days and aim to give a substantive answer within fourteen. Unresolved disputes can be escalated to TURSAB consumer arbitration, which is free for travellers, and beyond that to the consumer court (Tüketici Mahkemesi) at the location of the traveller's residence inside Türkiye or the Istanbul Anadolu commercial courts elsewhere.
8. Governing law
These terms are governed by Turkish law, in particular Law No. 1618 on Travel Agencies and the Package Tour Regulation. Where you book as a consumer in the European Union, mandatory consumer protections of your country of residence continue to apply alongside Turkish law.
This document was drafted by the operator and is queued for a final review by a Turkish travel-law solicitor before it is treated as the binding tour agreement. In the meantime it describes, in good faith, the terms on which TourThese arranges and operates private tours.