Minsk Residents Have Found A Way To Save Money On Vacations In Turkey

30.10.2026, 10:20
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The couple explained which method turned out to be the most profitable.

Anna and Sergey, residents of Minsk, went on a 12-day trip to Turkey, chose a four-star all-inclusive hotel, and spent about 3,000 euros on their vacation. They told a reporter why they regretted choosing an all-inclusive package, how they saved money on excursions, and which payment method turned out to be the most cost-effective. MYFIN.

Paying by card turned out to be more cost-effective than exchanging dollars

There’s a common misconception that booking flights directly is always more cost-effective. The experience of Anna and Sergey Matusevich disproves this.

– We’ve heard from friends that independent travel is only worth it if you’re a pro at “snagging” flight deals and can book a hotel on a promotion right away. If you buy tickets and lodging at regular standard prices, like most people do, the cost ends up being more or less the same as a package tour from a travel agency. At the same time, a package tour takes care of a huge portion of the organizational details: they select a hotel for you, handle the paperwork, and a shuttle meets you at the airport.

The couple brought cash dollars with them from Minsk, but once there, they tried out various payment methods. The Minsk residents used cash lira strictly for small expenses, while paying for excursions with dollars. But cashless payments turned out to be their priority.

– Most often, we paid by card—it’s the most cost-effective option because of the favorable exchange rate. We used “Priorbank” cards, and there were no instances where we couldn’t pay by card at all. There were a few isolated instances with merchants where the payment didn’t go through on the first try. But they usually had two terminals: they’d bring out another one, and it worked on the second try.

Overpaying for All-Inclusive

The biggest financial disappointment of the vacation was the “all-inclusive” format itself, which the couple tried for the first time and didn’t appreciate. For tourists who prefer active vacations, all-inclusive isn’t the best option.

“We always enjoy walking around the city, visiting local spots, and trying street food and traditional dishes. But when everything is already covered by the hotel, going out to a restaurant seems a bit illogical. Of course, we bought fresh-squeezed juice, local ice cream, and ayran on the street, but we wanted to try so much more—like those beautiful desserts at the pastry shop. But after a hearty lunch or dinner at the hotel, we just didn’t feel like going anywhere else.

That said, we had no complaints about the quality of the food at the hotel itself, and we didn’t get the impression that the hotel was cutting corners in any way. There was plenty of food, and it was varied—they regularly served meat and cheese, fish was often on the menu, and there were plenty of vegetables, fruits, desserts, and side dishes.

There was Wi-Fi in the hotel lobby, and it could be purchased in the rooms for $3 per day, so to ensure a stable connection everywhere, the couple bought eSIMs, spending $40 each.

How to save up to $20 per ticket on tours

Hotel guides and street tour agencies traditionally charge high prices for tours. The couple from Minsk optimized this budget by using a local website, following a recommendation from friends. Tours to the Antalya waterfalls, yacht cruises, trips to ancient Olympos, and to the Chimera fires were booked online. The net savings amounted to about $20 per ticket compared to the guide’s price.

– The exception was the trip to Mount Tahtali: the cable car ride itself is expensive, so this excursion cost about the same whether booked through a tour guide, on the street, or online. We booked that one right at the hotel, while the rest we booked online.

In the end, all the tours cost $300.

“What cost 50 liras a year ago now costs 475”

The Belarusians spent another €250 or so on shopping. They bought some clothes at good prices and picked up pomegranate sauce, halva, tea, and other small items as gifts.

– We hardly haggled at all, since we bought everything in regular stores with fixed prices, not at markets. The atmosphere of an Eastern bazaar, with pushy vendors and all the hustle and bustle, isn’t really our thing. We heard from other tourists that you can still haggle and get prices lowered.

The Minsk residents stayed well within their planned budget, but they think they could have saved money on meals by choosing a hotel that only included breakfast. That would also have allowed them to try the local cuisine at different restaurants.

The excursion to Tahtali also left us with mixed impressions.

– The trip up the mountain is expensive in itself, and due to high cloud cover, the views from the top may be completely obscured. We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the scenery, but if you run into thick fog, the excursion might not be worth the cost.

Overall, however, tourists were thrilled by the stunning nature, the mountains, the great excursions, and the opportunity to explore the city and the mountain hiking trails on their own.

– I didn’t like that people smoke a lot in Kemer. My husband and I are non-smokers, and this caused us a lot of discomfort. Smoking is also allowed outdoors at the hotel, so we couldn’t really have dinner or breakfast outside—we had to go inside because of the cigarette smoke. The situation is similar on the bustling city streets.

Judging by other tourists’ reviews, vacations have indeed become more expensive. For example, an admission ticket to one of the sites included in our tour now costs 475 liras, while people said that just a year ago they were paying around 50 liras. The price increase is obvious.

Nevertheless, when it comes to everyday expenses and shopping, prices are quite reasonable and comparable to those in Belarus. That’s why Turkey didn’t strike us as exorbitantly expensive, although it’s also harder to call it a budget vacation than it used to be.

Calculating Expenses

The package tour was the main expense, but additional costs for excursions, communication, and shopping also made up a significant portion of the budget. Here’s how the Minsk residents’ expenses broke down:

package tour (12 days, 4* hotel, all-inclusive) – €2,673;

communications (eSIM) – $80;

sightseeing program – $300;

shopping and souvenirs – €250.

Total: €3,303 for two people for a 12-day vacation in Turkey.

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