Experience Istanbul
Beyond the Guidebooks

Exploring Istanbul with my guide, Feruza was like spending the day with a friend, visiting various districts on both the Asian and European sides of the city. I told Feruza that I could see the well known Istanbul sights on my own and asked her to show me some of the local neighbourhoods. She shared many interesting stories about Istanbul’s history, social and cultural scene as well as handy tips on the public transport system, where to shop and eat, and suggestions for what to do for the rest of my stay. I did this tour on my first day in Istanbul and it was the perfect introduction to this remarkable city.

I felt like I was exploring Istanbul with a new found friend. Feruza was friendly, attentive and full of interesting facts and tips. It was the perfect introduction to the city which I can now go and explore further.

Feruza was a wonderful host. She infused the day with historical references, and made sure we hit some main spots, along with spots frequented by locals.

My guide, Feruza, was timely and met me at the discussed meeting location. She inquired about my sightseeing priorities. Her English was very good. She was a delightful guide. L

Our guide, Ipek, was knowledgeable and flexible. She was open to giving us an off-the-beaten-path sort of tour. It was magical and she was amazing.

My daughter is an archaeologist and I am an art historian. We told Ipek that we wanted a more historical and local tour and she did exactly what we needed. She was knowledgeable and was also ready to alter our tour if we wanted to see something unexpected. She was friendly, helpful, was willing to answer cultural and religious questions openly and kindly. I said that I wanted to possibly purchase a rug and she took me to a place that was knowledgeable and trustworthy. I cannot express how perfect our tour was. She is a gem!

This was the only way to experience the sights of Istanbul. Our guide was Ipek and she was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and enthralled us with the history of the city. Had a great time and would recommend it to everyone

We enjoyed the historical sites and Ipek was very knowledgeable and engaging in her descriptions of the places

We really wanted to go to the spice market and get an overview of the Asian and European sides of Turkey. Burak gave us exactly what we asked for. He answered our questions and pointed out the architecture and gave us some history. We stopped for lunch and enjoyed some Turkish foods too.

Great tour great guide

Burak adjusted the itinerary for our group and considering the crowds of the day. He took us to less touristy areas and places we would not have known to go. He was a wonderful guide!

We booked a tour with Tugba with my 6 year old daughter and Tugba was just amazing, so patient and kind with my daughter, adapted the pace, and we overall had a wonderful experience!

An amazing experience with my 6 year old daughter. Tugba was such a kind, patient and knowledgeable guide, it was wonderful

We had a great day in Istanbul with Tugba who crafted her suggestions based on how much we could take in. We really enjoyed chatting with her and hearing more about life experiences in Istanbul. It was as our first day in the city, and it was so nice to let someone else do the navigation. We really recommend a day with Tugba!

We had such a great day with Tugba! She was informative without talking too much, and she was able to answer our questions informatively. We enjoyed talking about Türkiye, but also about her life experience. She was flexible when we wanted to change plans towards the end of the day, and she gave us information about a concert that we would not have known about. It was a perfect way to start our visit to Istanbul! Highly recommended!

Emir manages to combine fun with educational experience. His love of people made us so comfortable while learning cuisine, history and culture.

This tour was both educational and fun. My daughter and I got so wrapped up in the bazaar and market experience we rlforgot reality. Emir is a talented story-weaver. It becomes so lifelike, and the culture so mezmeeing, the stories spring to life and we forgot it was 2025. .. Truly a masree

This was the perfect blend of history and shopping. Our guide took us to just the right places in and around the grand bazaar and spice market. A wonderful experience.

The tour was so perfect for our goals.

We had an amazing time exploring Istanbul with Öztürk. Right from the start, he was warm, friendly, and clearly passionate about his city. He began the tour by showing us a brief history of Türkiye on his iPad, which helped us understand what we’d be seeing throughout the day. He didn’t just guide us—he truly took care of us. Whether it was helping us plan the day’s route or negotiating great prices at the Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, or even Hafiz Mustafa, Öztürk was on top of it. He seemed to know everyone! We started calling him “the mayor of Istanbul” because of how connected and respected he was. The highlight for me was our time at Topkapı Palace. The way he explained the palace’s history, especially the Islamic and Ottoman parts, made it feel like he had lived there himself. He brought the stories to life in a way that was both educational and enjoyable. If you want a guide who is knowledgeable, kind, and makes you feel like you’re exploring the city with a friend, I would 100% recommend Öztürk. This tour was a highlight of our trip.

We arrived in Istanbul two days early for a group tour of Turkey so I scheduled a private walking tour with Tolga to see if he could show us something other than the typical list of sites that were on our group's itinerary. I felt certain that there were neighborhoods that he could show us which we wouldn't otherwise see and Tolga did not disappoint. Along the way, he filled us in on history, culture, religion, and current events. He took us to an historic place for baklava and a cute spot for a quick lunch. We rode the tram, the bus and two ferries, and walked 8 miles! After seven hours, we finally called it quits, but he would have continued longer if we had wanted. We definitely got our money's worth and counted that day as one of the best of our entire three weeks in Turkey.

We arrived in Istanbul two days early for a group tour of Turkey so I scheduled a private walking tour with Tolga to see if he could show us something other than the typical list of sites that were on our group's itinerary. I felt certain that there were neighborhoods that he could show us which we wouldn't, culture, religion, and current events. He took us to an historic place for baklava and a cute spot for a quick lunch. We rode the tram, the bus and two ferries, and walked 8 miles! After seven hours, we finally called it quits, but he would have continued longer if we had wanted. We definitely got our money's worth and counted that day as one of the best of our entire three weeks in Turkey.

Kiymet is awesome tour guide! She made this a memorable experience for my wife and I.

Mert was exceptionally responsive in reaching out to us ahead of the trip and planning the trip with our requests in mind. We highly recommend Mert, especially when it comes to seeing places that are off the usual tourist path (and worthwhile seeing in Istanbul).