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hi, we had a lovely time in turkey (and greece). one thing i'm curiuos about (if others experenced the same thing) is with tour guides. We only had one for Ephesus..and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour (private Ekol guide), but sure enough ended up at a 3 hr lunch/carpet sales pitch. While the carpets were lovely, it was WAY out of our budget so we left empty handed. They told us some amazing stories..but when we made it to istanbul, were told many were fabrications. Ah, all part of the fun of the trip! anyway, anyone else have similar experience? We're saavy travelers, but found it a little unnecessary to have so much time spent for "lunch" on a paid private tour.

Hi Jubi - I've had 4 holidays in Turkey - just returned from the latest last week.

These Turkish carpet/ jewellery factory visits seem par for the course on organised excursions.

I opt out on each occasion now - and find a nearby bar or sit in the sun.

These companies pay the tour operator to bring their tour buses - so it's a source of income for them - and the rep no doubt gets commission.

For the traveller it usually means the excursion is at a lower price than it would otherwise be - so I don't complain. But it's a little annoying ...

Steve

P.S. If yours was a private tour just for you, surely you could have told your guide you weren't interested in the factory stop?

well it was a private tour guide and he said he had a wonderful, authentic spot for lunch. After a 2hr tour of Ephesus that sounded great. We weren't exactly of the mindset that it might in fact be a carpet detour.
I don't think the onus should be on the traveller who has specifically paid for a tour and will have their guard down. If the tour guide ASKS if we'd like to do some "shopping" or visit a factory, then yes, we can say "yes or no", but if it's embedded in some lunch pretense, that's another story.

I agree. If it had happened to me I would have been more than a little annoyed.

Mine was a bus tour - and I was advised when I booked it that the itinerary included a couple of factory visits.

On a private tour it should not have happened. He was obviously on commission ...

Steve

We have been on private tours and had the same done to us. Now whenever we are picked up we say NO shops NO jewellery/carpets/whatever! Sometimes they still don't listen and we have to refuse to go into the premises.