We will begin our tour with an old madrasah, a religious school from the time of the Ottoman Empire. It reflects the period before the separation of education and religion, which took place with the founding of the Republic.
We will explore the backstreets of the Grand Bazaar first, and then take a brief look inside to get a glimpse of items related to daily local life. Please note that our visit to the Grand Bazaar will be very short, and keep in mind that the bazaar is closed on Sundays.
We will visit the historic Old Book Bazaar, where we’ll talk about Turkish literature and I’ll share some recommendations of notable Turkish authors.
We will visit the interior of Beyazıt Mosque and learn about how Muslims pray, while exploring the different sections of the mosque
We will visit Beyazıt Square, which was once a significant gathering place where many protests began and spread throughout Turkey. There, we’ll also discuss the current situation in the country.
We will see Istanbul University and learn about the education system in Turkey
We will walk past several university faculties and stop in front of the Faculty of Economics and the hospital to talk about Turkey’s economy and healthcare system.
We will see some old houses, many of which have been turned into non-profit organizations. Here, we’ll talk about daily life in the past, traditional weddings, and much more.
We will visit one of the most beautiful mosques in Turkey, and from its garden, you’ll enjoy a stunning view of the Bosphorus and Istanbul. This spot will also help you better understand the city's unique geography.
We will see this Turkish Bath from outside and talk about the Hamam Culture. At this point, you may choose to leave or continue with your guide for a short 2-minute walk to enjoy a complimentary sampling of Turkish Delight with fruit tea. This is not a shopping stop—no one will try to sell you anything. Instead, you'll experience a peaceful atmosphere with access to a free rooftop view.
Younis is like an old friend taking you around his city with great pride. Amazing communication and content. Easy paced. I will recommend him wholeheartedly anyday to all age groups. I would certainly rate this as a great first day opening on a visit to Istanbul. Gets you a great lay of the land.
Younis is very amusing and informative. Every story has a curious twist.
Quick and effective tour! You hear interesting facts, learn history as well as get recommendations for food/places to enjoy your free time. Would recommend:)!
It’s been a very interesting experience! Thanks Yunus for everything and for answering all of the questions!
Very knowledgeable guide Great variety if sites
This tour was recommended by a friend. During my time in Istanbul I took a couple of tours but this one was by far the best. Yunus was our guide. He spoke excellent English and was available for away questions throughout the tour. He welcomes any questions on any topic. To be honest there were not many questions as he covered all aspects of life and culture in Turkey. I have visited Istanbul many times and the areas we visited in this tour were all new to me. I would highly recommend this tour and you will be lucky if you get Yunus as your guide. He is an asset to his profession and is an excellent host of his country.
Our tour guide Yunus was wonderfully knowledgeable. He’s clearly very intelligent and well-educated and gave us a great sense of what daily life in Istanbul is like. He also was very open to our questions and openly encouraged us to ask questions. We really enjoyed our tour and learning about the local life!
This was a great tour , i had already done another tour with them on my first morning in Istanbul which would highly recommend was a great introduction to the history and getting your baring if your first time in the city , with loads of tips of do,s and don,t ,s .places to see and restaurant recommenations .I took a second tour the culture one a few days later which was very educational and interesting , i happened to have Yunus tour guide on both occasions and he was brillant giving loads of information , making everyone comfortable and giving personal time to take photos and explore 10/10
This tour was a highlight of our trip thanks to our incredibly informative, intelligent, engaging and friendly guide Yunus. We went to places in Istanbul we wouldn't have been to otherwise and learned about Istanbul and Turkish society and culture including customs, economics, religion, cultural and historic influences, politics, literature, education, healthcare and more. Stories and examples ensured we were never bored. Yunus encouraged us to ask questions and we took full advantage, sating our curiosity in a way that a standard tour or internet research could never do. Thanks to this wonderful tour, we have a greater understanding of this incredible city. It provided context for everything we saw before, during and after the tour. Don't miss it!
Yunus is excellent- great local chat about culture and context. Friendly and easy going, coped with cultural disquiet from a mosque security with polite confidence. Delicious Turkish lokum we had to buy some too delightful to leave
An informative, entertaining and friendly tour. Yustas took great care of the group and answered our endless questions with patience and humour, drawing parallels to explain situations to us.
Not the usual tour of Istanbul, perfect if you have already visited the main attractions or to see a different side of the city
This tour is a must in Istanbul, the guide Mohammed was very fun and friendly, answering every question that the tourists had. He took us to a very interesting part of the city. Thank you so much !!
We had a very informative tour into life in Turkey. We were attracted to this tour because it was not about visiting the historical sights, and it delivered on that. We visited two mosques, the booksellers street, the area where the locals who sell at the Grand Bazaar buy their lunch, gold coins and the reason they are important, local economy and healthcare whilst visiting the university, local housing styles (from the outside), finishing off with fruit tea and Turkish delight.
Great tour, very authentic. Love the interesting stories from every day turkish life and about the regional, rich culture.
Great tour! Well balanced thoroughly with walking around different areas and discussing topics on Turkish life and custom. Guide was open to any questions and gave us great overview on several verticals of Turkish life.
This is one of the best city tour that I ever had. The guide told us lots of stories that connect us to the different sits of Istanbul. He will pick shaded areas to give us information. From the details, we know more about significance of houses, historical buildings, custom of people living here. His is truly an awesome tour guide. We will surely join other tours that he organised. We enjoy every moment of his tour.
Cumali was a great guide, and the tour itself — laid-back, very informative, and on point . I learned a lot and had a great time:)
Amazing , fun and interesting tour of Istanbul. Cumali was a great guide and was so entertaining and informative. I highly recommend this tour.
Very informative and enjoyable tour. The guide (Mohamed) answered all questions and provided recommendations. You could tell he enjoyed the subject matter and giving these tours. Would definitely recommend!
Had a great tour. Lots of information on education, economy and social aspects of daily like for Turkish people. Well paced. Really appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and that it was a small group. Would definitely recommend to others.
This tour was absolutely amazing. We went into some beautiful mosques, and had a lovely conversation about the way modern Turkish people live, as well as education, literature, politics and economics. Yunis was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions while showed us amazing places in Istanbul. 100% recommended
Yunus was a great tour guide and gave us an excellent introduction to Turkish daily life. With him, we were out of the bustle in no time and got to know the more quaint places of the old town. Highly recommend!
nice addition to the oldtown tour if you are interested in the city and people's lives. you will see some hidden gems and the suleiman mosque
This was a wonderful tour to take on our first day in the city with the knowledgeable and easy going guide Yunus who looked after us so well. We covered lots of interesting sites around the old town and many topics weaving together the city's contemporary cultural and political life with its unique layered history as well as personal stories that shone a light on Turkish society. The tour ended with delicious tea and treats, bliss. It is great to be able to support this local independent enterprise. Thanks for having us!
We did the Old Town tour as well, but the Alternative Tour was by far the best tour we've ever experienced! It followed such an interesting and meaningful route, offering a deep dive into Turkish culture and daily life. It gave us real insight into who the Turkish people are — from their food and education system to healthcare, weddings, and so much more. Our guide, Yunus, was absolutely fantastic! He presented everything in such an engaging and humorous way that we were never bored for a moment. We highly recommend this tour to anyone who truly wants to understand the place they're visiting — not just see it. It was unforgettable
Outstanding tour with Mohamed. Wonderful experience and one I would recommend and do again with his other tours. Incredibly knowledgeable and pleasant.
We have participated in free walking tours all over the world, but our Istanbul Alternative Tour today with Yunus was a truly unique experience because it offered so much insight into Turkish culture and recent history. So many of our questions were answered with so much outstanding contextual information—our experience here is already that much more enhanced as a result. This is our third trip to Turkey and we can’t wait to explore further now that we have a much greater understanding of Turkish life. Highly recommended, especially because our guide, Yunus, presented such a balanced, nuanced view of a complex society.
My wife and I took the Alternative Walking Tour / Parts Unknown at 2.30 pm and it was terrific. We have taken multiple walking tours and this was one of the best. The tour was really about the culture and lifestyle of everyday Turks and it was lead by a local tour guide. We visited a number of different places but the locations were less important than the narrative and personal stories of the guide. My wife and I had been traveling around Turkiye for the last 3 weeks and had many questions about customs and traditions of the country. All our questions were answered here. I have already recommended this tour to others. I also love the website of this company and the quick email respond to my reservation. I also liked that the walking tour ended right on time which is not easy to do but was appreciated.
We booked a free walking Tour through guruwalk with the request to pay a tip at the end of the tour. Cumali was excellent. He is a professionell tour guide. He gave alot of background Information about the history of the City. The presentation was very engaging. The Information about the great basar was also intersting. Please, be aware that there is no time to go shopping in the basar during the tour. You will need to go back on your own. I would recommend the tour to everybody who is new to Istanbul and is able to walk about 3 to 5 km.
Very informative tour with excellent English speaking guide
[PT] Tour in English. Excellent experience. After touring Japan, Malaysia, etc., we were very impressed. Itinerary very well accomplished, touching on small and large themes (daily life, marriage, economy, health, education, politics, history, culture). Very willing to answer all questions (including sensitive topics). No rush. Some recommendations of restaurants and hamami (nothing forced, as usual on many tours). No brainer > excellent introduction to the city. Guidance from 10€ (nothing forced). In my opinion it is worth 20€ at the minimum of the minimum. Thank you!!!
Excellent visit. We learned a lot about Turkish daily life, while visiting beautiful mosques and mausoleums. Our guide was super interesting and friendly. Things to do in Istanbul.
The guide was very friendly throughout the course, the locations with quite interest. The sharing was pedia and fair. I recommend.
Advice! The guide is super friendly and fun, gave us a great historical framework and great tips to make the most of Istanbul. In the descriptive says it is free but charge a minimum of 10€, but it is a more than fair value.
Guide was very punctual at the meeting point and previous communication was efficient. This tour allows you to get to know the untouristy areas and streets, out of the usual circuits, all surrounded by the stories and "gems" that your Guide will provide, which was very fun and professional. We visited some typical places frequented by locals to smoke hookah, crossed the grand bazaar to get to the book bazaar, saw the university and visited 2 Mosques, including that of Suleiman. On the way we were offered a piece of pita cheese and some sweets with tea, the latter at a shop that represents the last stop of the tour and can be used to make purchases. We are satisfied with our choice and congratulate the Guide who spoke uninterruptedly throughout the tour
Very interesting tour. Our Guide, really very good and prepared, described local customs and traditions, as well as hints of history. Recommendation this tour
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