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One team from planning to the final report.
Operations that scale from 10 to 1,000 people.
Overview
The Balıkesir Olive Oil Tour is a gastronomy and industry tour designed specifically for corporate companies, held in the Gulf of Edremit (Ayvalık, Edremit, Burhaniye, Gömeç, Havran), one of Türkiye's most important centres of olive and olive oil production. It brings together the thousands of years of culture around the olive, modern production facilities, boutique olive oil producers and the flavours of the region. The tour is planned with flexible travel options: by air from Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, or by road from the provinces around them.
The Gulf of Edremit is known worldwide for Edremit olive oil, which carries a protected geographical indication — one of the rare Turkish olive oils registered among the European Union's protected designations. On this tour, with professional guides, you follow the story of olive oil from antiquity to the present, every stage of production from harvest to bottling, tasting technique, and the distinctive gastronomy of the region.
The main stops covered on the tour:
Olive oil mills and boutique producers: visits to the region's leading olive oil producers (for example the Selin Ertür olive oil mill, the Nermin Hanım grove, Kürşat Zeytincilik, Dem Green and Moyy Atölye), with the chance to see cold-pressing and extra virgin production techniques first-hand and to taste.
Olive oil tasting workshop: an interactive workshop that can be arranged with the Edremit Chamber of Commerce, led by expert panel leaders, covering the sensory analysis of olive oil, quality criteria, aroma profiles (fruitiness, pungency) and correct tasting technique.
Olive harvest experience (October-November): in season, field visits to the groves to take part in the harvest and pick olives by hand or with a rake.
Historic and cultural sites: the historic stone houses and narrow streets of Ayvalık (the Sakarya, İsmet Paşa and Macaron quarters), Cunda Island (Alibey Island), the Taksiyarhis Church (Rahmi M. Koç Museum), Şeytan Sofrası (for the sunset view), the grounds where the traditional "Meci Festival" is held in Edremit, and the Güre area with its old olive oil mills.
Local food stops: olive oil dishes, sprat, seafood, Ayvalık toast, Cunda biscuits, village breakfasts with olives, and tastings of the region's well-known wines.
Planned as roughly two days with an overnight stay, the tour starts with transfers from Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport or İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport for those arriving by air. For those arriving by road, it starts from the agreed meeting point in central Ayvalık or Edremit. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and the mill and tasting workshop fees can all be included.
The Balıkesir Olive Oil Tour gives corporate teams both a sector-specific discovery and a restful escape into the Aegean landscape.
Highlights
Additional Services
Who Is It For?
To see how the Gulf of Edremit's liquid gold is produced, meet boutique producers and discover the flavours of the Aegean, join the tour by air or by road from Istanbul, Ankara or İzmir. Get in touch with us now.
Corporate Suitability and Sustainability
The Balıkesir Olive Oil Route suits department and project teams of 8-35; it sits in the standard segment and can be considered for corporate travel planning with local economy, ecological, carbon free, low waste and accessible programme features.
Corporate Fit
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Suitable Team SizeDepartment and project teams of 8-35
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SegmentStandard
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Extra FeaturesLocal economy, Low carbon, Low waste, Accessible
Included Services / Excluded Services
- Professional guiding service
- Corporate event planning
- Tour coordination support
- A programme designed for your group
- Transport along the agreed route in the Balıkesir region (by vehicle)
- Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport - region - airport transfers (for groups arriving by air)
- Olive oil mill visit and tasting workshop fee
- One night's accommodation (on the package including a stay)
- Air fare (can be added as an additional service)
- Food and drink (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Museum entry fees (Taksiyarhis Church and others)
- Grove visits and the harvest experience during the harvest season (additional service)
- Personal shopping
- Transfer to the airport from the surrounding provinces (additional service)
Tour Gallery
Tour & Event Plan
FAQ
The olive harvest generally runs in October and November, and the harvest experience is possible then. Olive oil tastings and mill visits run all year. Spring and autumn are ideal for the weather. The traditional Meci Festival is held in Edremit in January.
Depending on the season and availability, the programme can cover boutique producers such as the Selin Ertür olive oil mill, the Nermin Hanım grove, Kürşat Zeytincilik and Dem Green. A preliminary conversation with a specific producer can be arranged at the company's request.
Roughly 25-30 km, a 30-40 minute drive. Our programme is designed to move comfortably between the two.
Yes, the tour is planned entirely for companies. Mill visits, tasting workshops and catering are arranged according to group size.
Yes, the programme can be arranged flexibly around company needs. The producers visited, the length of the tasting workshops, the harvest experience and extra activities (the Cunda tour, Şeytan Sofrası, the Meci Festival) can all be added or removed on request.
Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport (EDO) has direct flights from Istanbul. Alternatively, Ayvalık is roughly two hours by road from İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport. By road it is roughly eight hours from Ankara and 5.5 hours from Istanbul.
