Elite Turkey Tours, Travel Agency

Europe Tours with Private Local Guides

Whitewashed houses above the Santorini caldera at sunset on a luxury Europe tour

Ancient capitals, island escapes and timeless coastlines

Private Europe Travel

How we travel Europe

Europe is where our story starts. Turkey is our anchor: our founders are Turkish-American, our New York office has been designing private journeys across Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale and the turquoise coast for more than twenty-five years, and the relationships we built there set the standard for everything else we do. From that base we now craft tailor-made itineraries across Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal and Switzerland.

For an American traveler, Europe is the easiest long-haul continent to reach. Nonstop overnight flights from New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Miami and Toronto put you in Istanbul, Athens, Rome, Madrid, Paris, Lisbon or Zurich in seven to eleven hours, and you land in the morning ready to begin. Short one-hour hops between countries mean two or three destinations in a single trip is genuinely comfortable rather than exhausting.

Our signature experiences here are the ones you cannot arrange from a laptop at home: a historian guide walking you through the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace before the cruise groups arrive, a sunrise balloon flight over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys followed by breakfast on a cave terrace, a private gulet along the Lycian coast, a caldera-view suite in Oia with a chartered catamaran at sunset, a private after-hours Vatican viewing, a truffle hunt in Piedmont, a Rioja tasting with the winemaker, and a Glacier Express carriage through the Swiss Alps.

Travel privately with us and there is no coach, no fixed departure and no group of forty. You have your own licensed guide and driver, hotels we have inspected in person, and a New York-based team reachable at any hour. The combinations that work best are the ones we have refined over decades: Turkey with Greece, Italy with the Amalfi Coast and Sicily, Spain with Portugal, France with Switzerland by rail.

Turkey

Turkey is a breathtaking destination where Europe meets Asia: the perfect blend of ancient history, vibrant culture and stunning landscapes, from Istanbul's iconic landmarks to the magical valleys of Cappadocia.

Turkey Overview →

Greece

Known as the birthplace of democracy and Western civilization, Greece is one of the world's most unforgettable destinations: ancient history, breathtaking islands, vibrant culture and Mediterranean beauty in perfect balance.

Greece Overview →

Italy

Tailor-made luxury Italy tours from the Colosseum to the Amalfi Coast. Private vault access in Rome, after-hours Vatican visits, Renaissance Florence with an art historian, and slow days on the Amalfi lemon terraces.

Italy Overview →

Spain

Private luxury Spain tours from Gaudí's Barcelona to the Moorish palaces of Andalusia. Tapas crawls with local chefs, priority access at the Alhambra and Sagrada Família, and flamenco after dark in Seville.

Spain Overview →

France

Bespoke luxury France tours pairing Paris icons with Provence lavender roads and Loire châteaux. Private Louvre mornings, Champagne cellar tastings and Michelin tables reserved in your name.

France Overview →
The Eiffel Tower on a private luxury tour of Paris, France

Paris, Geneva & Mont Blanc

Paris, Geneva, Chamonix, Montreux

Nine days from the boulevards of Paris to the roof of Europe: TGV Lyria to Geneva, the Aiguille du Midi at Chamonix and the vineyard terraces of Lavaux.

9 days from $7,900

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Château du Clos de Vougeot surrounded by Burgundy vineyards, FranceSIGNATURE

Burgundy & Bordeaux Wine Journey

Paris, Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion, Médoc

Ten days through France's two great wine regions: grand cru cellars in Burgundy, a balloon over the vines, and Left Bank châteaux from Margaux to Saint-Estèphe.

10 days from $9,400

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Portugal

Tailor-made luxury Portugal tours from Lisbon's tiled hills to Porto's port lodges and the golden Algarve. Fado nights, vineyard lunches in the Douro Valley and palaces of Sintra: all privately guided.

Portugal Overview →
Terraced vineyards above the Douro River on a Portugal food and wine tourNEW

Lisbon Flavors & Porto Wine

Lisbon, Sintra, Óbidos, Porto, Douro Valley

Portugal eaten and drunk properly: Lisbon's markets and fado tascas, a pastel de nata workshop, Gaia's port lodges and two days among Douro quintas.

9 days from $6,200

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Switzerland

Bespoke Switzerland journeys aboard the world's most scenic trains: the Glacier Express, Lake Lucerne, Zermatt's Matterhorn views and chocolate-box villages, arranged to Swiss precision.

Switzerland Overview →
The Eiffel Tower on a private luxury tour of Paris, France

Paris, Geneva & Mont Blanc

Paris, Geneva, Chamonix, Montreux

Nine days from the boulevards of Paris to the roof of Europe: TGV Lyria to Geneva, the Aiguille du Midi at Chamonix and the vineyard terraces of Lavaux.

9 days from $7,900

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Planning Europe

Best time to go

April through early June and September through early November are the sweet spot almost everywhere in Europe: warm days, cool evenings, open sites and far fewer people. This is when Istanbul, Athens, Rome and Seville are at their most pleasant and when Cappadocia's balloon flights are most reliable.

July and August belong to the water. If beach time is the point, that is the season for the Greek islands, the Turkish coast, Sardinia and the Algarve. Winter has its own case: snow-dusted fairy chimneys, empty museums in Florence and Madrid, Christmas markets in the Alps, and considerably better hotel value.

How long to stay

Ten to fourteen days is the natural length for a first European journey. A single country deserves seven to ten days; two countries paired well need twelve to sixteen. We would rather you sleep three nights in each city than collect six countries in a blur.

If you only have a week, keep it to one country and two or three bases. Turkey alone fills seven days beautifully with Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus.

Combinations that work

Turkey and Greece is our most requested pairing: Istanbul and Cappadocia followed by Athens and Santorini, a ninety-minute flight apart and complementary rather than repetitive. Italy pairs naturally with itself, Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast, or extends to Sicily.

Spain and Portugal work as one overland journey, Madrid and Andalusia into Lisbon and the Douro. France and Switzerland connect by high-speed rail, Paris to the Alps in a few scenic hours.

Europe travel: your questions answered

What is the best time to visit Europe for a luxury tour?

Late April to mid-June and September to early November give you the best combination of weather, open sites and manageable crowds across Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. July and August are best reserved for coastal and island travel, and winter is excellent value for the great cities and the Alps.

How many countries can I combine on one Europe trip?

Two countries in twelve to fourteen days is the pace we recommend, and three is realistic in eighteen days or more. Intra-European flights are short and frequent, but every move costs you half a day, so we would rather deepen two destinations than skim four.

Are your Europe tours private or group tours?

Every itinerary we design is private and tailor-made. You travel with your own licensed local guide and driver on a route built around your interests and pace, never on a fixed group departure, and our New York team provides 24/7 support while you are away.

How far in advance should I book a private Europe tour?

Six to nine months ahead for peak season, especially if you want a caldera-view suite in Santorini, a Bosphorus-facing room in Istanbul or an Amalfi Coast villa. Shoulder-season travel can often be arranged three to four months out, and we do handle shorter timelines when hotels allow.