Hagia Sophia Private Tour

Mr. Metin Koca was an amazing tour guide and did a great job explaining the history of the Hagia Sofia to us. We didn't feel rushed at all and he also helped us get to the main level to pray. Highly recommend Mr. Koca and the skip-the-line tour!

Metin was fantastic. Super knowledgeable and enthusiastic! Great communication/coordination leading up to and during the tour. Generally not a fan of guided tours, but our time with Metin was worth every penny!! Highly recommend.

This was an amazing tour.Metin had gotten all the tickets ahead of time. He got us to the front of every line (and the lines were long!). Perfect English, lots of interesting history. And the Cisterns were an unexpectedly beautiful place to see!

Metin was very knowledgeable and friendly. We were the first ones in the door at the mosque thanks to him. He even offered a great local place for lunch after. It was an enjoyable tour.

Do not hesitate to book a tour with Metin! Our family group of six adults toured Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace with him and we all agreed he is one of the best guides we have ever had! He is professional, intelligent, and engaging in a way that makes these sites come alive in a very special way. He encouraged our questions, which were many, and impressed us with his depth of knowledge. Do yourself a favor, book a tour with him!

Metin is a very knowledgeable, friendly and personable. He is a wealth of information and will show and tell you about things you won't see or hear about on the big group tours. Highly recommended.

We had a wonderful full day tour with Metin. He was extremely knowledgable of the city and provided us with a great trip to many of the local sites. This was a highlight of our trip to Istanbul!

Metin did a fantastic job on our tour. He was knowledgeable and kind. He was able to answer all questions and didn’t pressure or push us through the tour.

Metin gave us a wonderful tour of Aya Sofia. He explained the history of the mosque, how it was bulit and how it changed over the years. He pointed out mosaics and other things of interest that we would have missed had we done the tour by ourselves. Highly recommended!

Metin was informative, engaging and entertaining! We skipped the line and learned things not in the tour books. Money well spent given the ridiculously long line even before the place opened.

Metin Koca was a fantastic guide: his knowledge was interesting and entertaining, as well as historical. The most important part for me was that he enthusiastically shared his love and respect for the Hagia Sofia, the Cistern and Istanbul . I came away with such a different knowledge of Turkey and its people, as well as a deeper understanding the long and complicated evolution of this beautiful city straddling two continents.

Great tour! The Hagia Sophia is amazing but there's a huge line and we didn't have to line up at all. We even got in before it filled up with tourists and got to witness the almost empty interior. The tour itself was great. I'm not usually a fan of yours but the information was very interesting, exactly what you'd want to know without being superfluous.

If I could give 10 stars I would. It was my husband and my first trip to Istanbul. We didn’t want to take an organized tour, but rather one tailored to what we wanted to see. Metin listened to what we wanted and absolutely delivered. He is a genius at getting through (or avoiding altogether) lines. Impressive knowledge of history. He taught us how to navigate the local transportation. He basically made our day stress and hassle free. Exactly what we requested. If you’re looking for a guide that will do what you want and give you a delightful day he is the guide for you. Thank you Metin. We’ll never forget this magical day.

Metin is a very kind local to Istanbul who is a certified tour guide and historian. He gave us a tour of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul on our honeymoon, but also does private tours "off the beaten path" in Istanbul. The tour was extremely thorough and concise, and what we appreciated the most was his view on the intersection of cultures which makes Turkish history so rich. He also introduced us to an excellent Turkish rug store and a ceramics store. He really had nothing to gain from us purchasing there and took us there for nothing in return because we didn't have a great experience looking for Turkish rugs on our own. It was a real testament to his kindness.

Metin was fantastic. Took us straight to the front of the line (there is a really good reason - just trust me as I don’t want to spoil the surprise!). Haja Sophia is wonderful and worth seeing with an experienced guide.

My friends and I spent all day with Metin yesterday taking in the sights and sounds of Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkai Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and Spice Market). We had the most EXTRAORDINARY day!!! Metin is the best—super knowledgeable, funny, and loves this city, which makes it really fun to learn from him. His English is fabulous, and he seemed to know everyone, which helped us secure prime spots in lines or skip them altogether (a perk when you’re trying to make the most of your day). We could not believe our luck in getting to see the Hagia Sophia first thing in the morning and had it almost entirely to ourselves for a few minutes. We learned later that Metin got up early to get in line before we got there, so we could hop right in. He also helped us find a non-touristy breakfast place with some of the most amazing food, and later took us to see a rug dealer who helped us learn not only how rugs were made but let us see a wide collection. As a female traveler, I felt safe with Metin and even learned some awesome photography tips from him, which I put into practice right away. Like other reviewers have said, do yourself and your group the biggest favor and book a tour with Metin. I’ve traveled all over the world and his tour is up at the top of my list! If we could give him more than 5 stars, we would!

Guide was great with knowledge on Hagia Sophia and also taken care of us when there were alot of people. He also knew the best angles to take photos in the mosque for tourist!

Metin was great tour guide . Very informative and a lovely person to have a tour with . His English is outstanding. I could understand very well. I highly suggest him ! You won’t be sorry . Well worth the money .

A great way to experience The Hagia Sophia. We were able to really appreciate all the small details of this beautiful building thanks to the informative tour.

Amazing tour! The Hagia Sophia was fantastic with such rich history. Thank you Metin Koca for being a great tour guide!

Very informative. Very friendly. Good mix of history with some humour thrown in. Would definitely recommend.

I can't recommend Metin (Metin KOCA (metinkoca@gmail.com) enough. It's nothing short of a VIP experience; he has tremendous knowledge of the sights, history, significance; warm, humorous, and kind individual. Make sure to listen to his recommendations about the less trodden but incredibly beautiful sights to see in Istanbul other than the big obvious ones. And his photography tips - take them! Thank you Metin for a very memorable couple of days!

Concise and interesting explanation. Funny, friendly and engaging. I didn’t realize HAGIA SOFIA is inspiration, not a consummation, of mosque architecture. Also a useful recommendation of Sulaimanie mosque, which we would not have gone.

Walking up to the Hagia Sophia before it opened we were approached by Metin, recognizable by the big M on the front of his baseball cap (Michigan in the back). We weren’t too sure, but after he told us that we could sit under a tree and when the gates opened we would jump to the front of the line, we decided to give it a try. True to his word, he hustled us up to the front of the line and we were one of the first people in the mosque…which felt very different from when the crowds caught up to us later. He packed a lot of information into a one hour tour. Very knowledgable and included cultural information about modern Istanbul along with historical context. Great value for what it cost. Through Metin we heard the story of The Hagia Sophia and the walls spoke to us. PS his English is excellent

Fun and informative tour. Metin is knowledgeable and kind. He also provided us with advice and suggestions about other places and attractions. Can definitely recommend him for any tour. Thank you so much Metin!

A+++++ experience!! Metin has a deep knowledge of Ottoman and Roman history. Even my 9 year old really got into it. highly highly recommend!

We ( 7 friends) had the blessing of finding Metin KOCA (metinkoca@gmail.com) outside the mosque on a very busy Saturday, April 15. Metin was able to get us right into the mosque, gave us a great tour that was longer and way ahead of others in line with the cruise excursion for a very reasonable price. He was interesting, fun, easy to understand and answered our questions. We were so happy with this tour. If I return I would take a longer tour and more sites with him. I recommend this tour and this tour guide.

Great guide! With alot of info. Managed to provide insight and history of hagia sophia. Recommended good places for food and shops too

He was so knowledgeable on the history of the building and he really made it evident how much compromise was made to keep all parties happy in the opening of the Hagia Sophia.

We came to Hagai Sophia without a guide and by chance met Metin. He offered to guide us through the building and he was amazing with his detailed knowledge of the building and the history behind it. Metin is extremely personable and speaks superior english so he is easy to understand. He is well worth the cost of a guide and i would not recommend touring Hagai Sophia without a guide. Best of all you skip the line and go directly in which saves you a ton of time. Metin is also registered with the Istanbul City Tourism and has his identification on his lanyard. If you walk the grounds there are many people wanting to "guide" you but they are just regular people who are not registered, they have no identification as a guide. Look for the guy with the Michigan baseball hat, he is awesome!!

Metin really knows his stuff. I was on the fence about spending 20 Euros on a guide but I’m glad I did. His knowledge, sense of humour and, it sounds corny, passion for what he does really make a difference. I can thoroughly recommend him.

Metin is an exceptional tour guide, who made our private tour of Hagia Sophia exceptional. Metin catered well to us - we were both first time visitors to Istanbul, but one has a degree in ancient history and the other has not even basic knowledge - yet despite our wide disparity in previous knowledge, we both agreed at the end of our visit that the tour with Metin was the highlight of our visit to Istanbul. I’ll add - apart from wandering around the area the night before, this tour of Hagia Sophia was the first thing we did. This worked really well: it gave us a terrific introduction to nut just Hagia Sophia (surely on everyone’s must-do list for a trip to Istanbul?) but to Istanbul more broadly, and I strongly recommend this approach.

What a pleasure to have Metin as a guide. Got us to the front of the queue and his knowledge was amazing. Without his knowledge they just would have been walls, but he made them talk to us. His passion for the history was palpable and his delivery style very relaxed. When we were finished, he walked us to the Grand Bazaar and advised us on the rest of our activities for the day. All above and beyond. Thanks Metin.

My kids and friends and I enjoyed our tour with Metin very much. He gives enough information, but not too much, delivered in an interesting way. And he’s a nice guy. It’s our second time using his services. We will hire him again when other friends come to İstanbul to visit.

Excellent historical background, lots of details, very rich learning. And fantastic to skip the 2 hours queue !

Had a great time with Metin! Would recommend to anybody looking for a funny, informative, and engaging tour guide. Especially great if you need a guide who speaks fluent English.

Excellent Guided tour!!… very informative, great history of Hagia Sophia and vey kind. Fast entrance and private explanation. Definitely recommended 💯👍🏼😄🥸

Mitin was great as a tour guide! We were the first people to enter Hagia Sophia in the morning, so there was no wait, and Mitin provided a lot of very interesting information. We liked Mitin so much that we hired him to give us a tour of Istanbul for the rest of the day. We saw several other mosques, had an excellent lunch, played backgammon, and had tea at a cafe overlooking the Bosphorus. Mitin is very knowledgeable and was a lot of fun to hang out with. Highly recommended!

Metin has been fantastic , very committed to his job , plus thank to his perfect organisation we didn’t stand for hours in the queue like it happens every time . He was waiting for us at the entrance at 8.50 in the morning , first in the line , and we were the first visitors to get in Haghia Sophia . I would recommmend him to anyone who wishes the beet experience with a guide in Istanbul !

Metin was very nice and super knowledgeable! He told us so much about Hagia Sophia that there’s no way we would have known had we just gone in ourselves! Highly recommend booking with him!

I searched for a local tour guide in Istanbul online and the name Metin was everywhere so I knew we had to book him and I’m so glad we did! He was very knowledgeable about the city and the places we went to. It was easy to plan a customized tour with him through whatsapp and he answered every question we had prior to the tour. We met him in the front entrance of Hagia Sophia as agreed and as soon as we got there there was a looooong line and Metin was right in the front of the line. Apparently, he was already lining up about an hour and a half before our agreed upon meeting time so we’d get in first! That in itself deserves 5 stars! :) The rest of the tour went smoothly. He was able to get us entrance tickets online and we didn’t have to line up and was able to go in right away everywhere. If you’re ever looking for a tour guide in Istanbul, I highly recommend him! :)

So easy to meet up with our guide and entry went quickly. He was so informative and gave us little side stories that only a lifelong local would know. A very interesting and historical tour!

• Skip the line and meet Metin at the entry of the Higia Sofia. • Metin’s voice is easy to understand, even for the hard-of-hearing. • His knowledge of history and the Mosque made the price of the tour worth it even before we entered the building. • Metin is an excellent guide, he answered all of our questions. His love of art and architecture come through and add depth to the experience. • Thank you, Metin!

My husband and I were queuing up for the Hagia Sofia and Metin explained he was a tour guide and we decided to join his group tour. I am so glad we did. We really enjoyed learning about the fascinating building and it’s history. Metin made it fun and was friendly. I completely recommend this tour as without it I know we would not have got as much out of the visit as we did. We will definitely use Metin on future visits to Istanbul.

If you are trying to decide whether or not to visit the Haga Sofia with a tour guide, please go with Metin. He is an absolute expert with a passion for this place. I think if we had gone by ourselves, (even though I had read a lot about Haga Sofia). we would have completely missed all of the details expressed in the architecture, the design and the decor of this building. In essence without Metin, it would’ve been a wasted trip. There are many different kinds of tour guides. Metin is one of the best that we have had the pleasure of meeting. I feel very fortunate that a friend recommended him to us.

Metin's insights and historical knowledge are amazing and he conveys the information very clearly and in an interesting way. I see that he has 211 reviews, and that they are all 5 star ratings (excellent) except for two 4 star (very good) ratings. Those ratings are pretty amazing, but he deserves it !

Metin…. What a great guide. Shared soo much knowledge with us. Clearly loves the city he lives in and that came across in the tour. Thoroughly recommend to anyone

Originally we just wanted to have a look at Hagia Sofia but I'm really glad we did the tour. The guide told us so many interesting things. First about the history of Istanbul and then about Hagia Sophia. The mosque was truly breathtaking and Mr. Koca provided us with information about the constructing time, the symbols and ornaments and ensured that we all get a picture in THE photospot of the mosque. I would really recommend the tour because you are gaining a lot of insights!

What a knowledgeable, personable gentleman, and I mean gentleman in the traditional sense. Our tour was full of interest and brought to life by Metin. He told us about things that we had not read about in the guide books, and explained about the transition from church to mosque to museum and back to mosque again. Full of interest and just a lovely guide.