2021 Latest Personal Travel Guide to Turkey

— China TO Istanbul

Purpose: Share experiences to help travelers avoid detours. All content is from personal experience, absolutely practical.

Travel cost: 3000 RMB (only personal extra expenses, gifts, etc.)

Special note: Since this was a business trip, besides covering my own personal food, transport, and other expenses, everything else was covered by the client. Therefore, these costs should not be used as a travel reference. During the pandemic, Turkey's economy is not optimistic, and overall consumption is low. As long as you can cover the major expense of round-trip airfare, after experiencing the main attractions in 10 days, the estimated total per person will not exceed 8000 RMB, not including the quarantine cost after returning to China (approximately 6000 RMB).

Target audience: Only for round-trip travelers temporarily departing from within China

Travel time: April 2021~

Required documents: Must be prepared before departure; otherwise, when checking in, if any condition is not met, you will not be allowed to board.

Passport validity must be at least longer than 180 days.

It is said that passport applications cannot be processed during the pandemic.

A) Business and tourism e-visas: valid for 30 days, result issued on the same day.

B) Work visa: result issued within approximately 30 days.

Apply according to personal needs.

PCR test report

Must be able to reach the destination within 72 hours of the test.

That is, arrive at the destination within 72 hours from the test time.

Must provide valid round-trip electronic tickets.

Requires issued ticket information.

Hotel reservation information

All hotel reservation information from the arrival date until the end of the trip.

Requires valid reservation information.

Overseas travel insurance, accident insurance, electronic insurance policy

No limit on amount, depends on personal needs.

Normal luggage less than 25~30 kg

Depends on the airline.

Ensure at least 50 USD per day

Calculated based on total number of days.

Special precautions: It is best to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before departure and bring the vaccination record certificate. This will be relatively safer. Most importantly, if you have only had one dose, your IGG test will be positive. At that time, before returning to China, you need to apply for the International Green Code from the Chinese Embassy in Turkey and upload all data. If the embassy does not approve the International Green Code, airport staff will not let you board. Additionally, the Chinese Embassy will require four consecutive PCR tests, one CT scan, plus 14 days of quarantine observation to confirm that you are not an asymptomatic case. The Chinese Embassy only recognizes people who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and allows IGG to be positive.

Note: As foreigners, after completing the above tests and hotel quarantine costs, you will need at least an additional 8000 lira or more. Losses will be greater.

Departure route

1.5~1.8W (RMB? Probably 15,000~18,000 RMB? Context suggests prices) Need to purchase at least one week in advance.

0.7~0.9W Need to purchase at least one week in advance.

0.3~0.5W Many conditions, need full preparation.

See details below:

Departing from Hong Kong is the cheapest route, but also has the most conditions and is the strictest. Please read the following carefully:

A) Take a ferry from Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Center to Hong Kong Airport, then fly directly to Istanbul. This is the only feasible route to Hong Kong Airport. In addition to preparing the above documents, there are a few other points to note. For details, you can also follow the Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Center official WeChat account.

a) Ferry tickets. There are only two departures per day, and tickets are very limited, with many buyers. You need to book at least one week in advance. Note: When purchasing ferry tickets, the flight departure time must be on the same day, and your stay at Hong Kong Airport must not exceed 24 hours.

b) Departure flight ticket. Be sure to buy a ticket from an airline that allows check-in at Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Center. Otherwise, you still cannot board the ferry.

B) Depart from mainland China to Hong Kong Airport, then fly directly to Istanbul. Prerequisite: You must be able to complete check-in for the Hong Kong Airport flight at the departure airport in mainland China in one go. Otherwise, you still cannot depart. Anyway, I have not found any valid information on this route.

For all the above routes, I have spent a lot of effort and concluded: One of the most feasible routes. If money is not an issue, first choice is to fly directly from Guangzhou. To save money, after full preparation, try to depart from Shenzhen via Hong Kong in one go.

Prefer direct flights unless the direct flight has been suspended; otherwise, you can choose a route with one transfer.

As of March 12, 2021, according to the current epidemic prevention requirements of the embassy, all conditions must be fully met to return smoothly. For details, refer to the WeChat public account of the Chinese Embassy in Turkey.

PCR test report within 48 hours

1) IGG report

2) IGM report

3) PCR report

All three are indispensable and must be negative. Unless you have received two doses of the vaccine, IGG can be positive. If you have only had one dose, the Chinese Embassy will treat you as an asymptomatic case and require quarantine before returning to China. See the explanation later for details. Be sure to note this.

Prefer direct flights.

Hotel itinerary

From start date to end date.

Passport exit and entry stamps

Exit stamp and entry stamp on passport.

COVID-19 vaccination certificate

If vaccinated, must upload.

Supplementary note on return flights:

As of May 20, 2021, the latest flight information: Turkish Airlines has resumed direct flights to Guangzhou, so the only option is to fly directly from Istanbul to Guangzhou. The local time is every Tuesday evening, ticket price is 45,000~50,000 RMB. If money is not an issue, you can book in advance. Otherwise, you need to wait for this route to be suspended before you can buy a ticket with one transfer from Turkey to China. Two transfers are not allowed, and a single transfer must not exceed 24 hours.

A) When checking in at the airport, Turkish Airlines does not directly check the International Green Code; they only ask to see it at the boarding gate before boarding. Therefore, before checking in, you must apply for the International Green Code from the Chinese Embassy in Turkey and obtain the result. Otherwise, it will be a wasted effort, and you will also have to bear the cost of rebooking the ticket.

B) The PCR test time must be within 48 hours before arriving in China. Be sure to arrange the test time well, especially if you need to transfer once on the return trip. For direct flights, the test time can be more flexible.

C) If you are returning via a transfer, be sure to calculate the PCR test time properly. Do not delay too much, but also not too early. It is recommended to go to the airport 12 hours before the departure time on the day of departure to take the PCR/IGG/IGM test. Results will be available in 3 hours. Then open the International Green Code via WeChat, fill in the requirements, and upload all materials and data. The International Green Code result will be available within 2 hours.

D) Find the International Green Code in the WeChat mini-program, fill in and upload the materials as required. If the green code review fails, just submit the application multiple times as required. You can also call the Chinese Embassy for consultation. Detailed contact information is provided on the WeChat public account of the Chinese Embassy in Turkey, which is also 24-hour service. Try to fill in carefully and get the International Green Code in one go; otherwise, reapplying will require the system to re-queue for review, affecting the check-in time.

About quarantine after returning to China:

According to the latest domestic epidemic prevention policy, after arriving at the domestic airport, you will be taken to a designated hotel for 14 days of centralized quarantine. There will be three PCR tests in between. If no problems, you will be required to have 7 days of home quarantine. Finally, another PCR test will be done. If everything is fine, congratulations, you can travel freely with the green code.

Istanbul is a famous tourist destination and a veritable open-air museum. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Maiden's Tower, Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, Galata Tower and other popular attractions are all free except Topkapi Palace, which charges a fee. They are all concentrated in the old city. For an in-depth visit, it is recommended to stay in Istanbul for at least a week. In addition, there are many excellent travel guides online; I will omit ten thousand words here... It is worth mentioning that during the pandemic, all online attractions are open, but some experience projects are not provided or are reduced, so you may not have the experience that influencers describe.

1. The highest cost is airfare. If traveling personally, this is one of the most important travel evaluation indicators.

A) Outbound airfare is still acceptable because there are many options. If you can prepare well and depart from Hong Kong in one go, it will be very cost-effective.

B) The only direct return flight to mainland China is the biggest expense, equivalent to a month's salary for a domestic white-collar worker. If money is no object, you can ignore it. Alternatively, unless you have a valid Hong Kong ID, you can choose a round-trip direct flight between HK and IST, costing around 6,000 RMB.

2. The time cost of travel is relatively high.

A) Due to frequently changing policies during the pandemic, my preliminary preparations were insufficient. I spent a week before departure trying all the above routes. Before departure, I took four PCR tests (because the requirement is a valid report within 72 hours). Finally, after full preparation, I managed to depart from Hangzhou Airport and reach my destination.

B) Under current epidemic control regulations, returning to any domestic city requires 14+7 days of self-paid quarantine (assuming smooth conditions). This means 21 days of no travel, no work, unless working from home.

3. The infection risk during travel is relatively high.

A) Turkey is an open country that does not require quarantine for any foreign entrants. You only need to provide a valid 72-hour PCR test report.

B) Daily travel poses the greatest infection risk.

a) There is no personally verified travel green code. Although public places are required to follow regulations, the green code verification is not authentic, and most are merely symbolic, creating many potential risks.

b) Most places do not have real-time body temperature monitoring or personnel flow reporting.

c) Most importantly, there is no mandatory mask requirement. Even if some people wear masks, they often wear them incorrectly. If you accidentally encounter an asymptomatic carrier, it is like a mobile virus lurking around, spreading invisibly, and cannot be detected immediately.

d) After the lockdown was lifted, all businesses, especially restaurants, are operating normally, allowing dine-in without enforcing social distancing.

e) If you get sick, you go to the hospital for testing, treatment, and discharge on your own. Since the infection route cannot be traced, it is like a laissez-faire epidemic prevention policy.

4. Overall consumption cost is low.

Affected by the pandemic, plus the stock market circuit breaker in March and the sharp depreciation of the lira, the overall economy is sluggish. Many companies have closed, people are unemployed, and per capita income has also declined, so consumption costs are relatively low. Whether for personal food, daily necessities, or other common consumer goods, compared to China, it is really cheap. For example, the century-old dessert shops popular among influencers are much cheaper than before the pandemic, especially for those who like Turkish cuisine, desserts, and handicrafts.

5. The biggest gain and benefit is that the popular attractions are definitely less crowded and more beautiful.

Traveling during the lockdown as a foreigner, we can move freely without monitoring. I often had a whole express line, tram, subway, bus, or ferry to myself. At normally crowded attractions like Galata Tower and the Blue Mosque, the staff served me alone, making me feel like a VIP. All the hardships and setbacks before departure were worth it.

In summary, this pandemic trip was entirely based on personal experience. I hope it helps those who aspire to travel, do business, or work in Turkey. Cooperate with the epidemic prevention requirements of the motherland, take personal protective measures, travel safely, and carefully consider according to your own needs.

Travel notes directory: 1. Travel background 2. Travel preparation 3. Travel route - return 4. Special precautions (very very important) 5. Travel guide 6. Travel summary

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