Istanbul Customized Tour - Private

Everything was as we hoped. Ali was a great guide. As we had already seen the Blue Mosque and the Cistern we spent more time in Topakai Palace, taking our time. Ali pointed out items we should not miss. We were also interested in local areas, non-tourist areas as well as rugs. Ali took us to a local restaurant which was excellent. He also assisted us at a rug dealer that was outside of the large bazaar areas explaining more of the intricacies of Turkish rugs. He further facilitated shipment of our rugs home. We saw many areas of Istanbul, as we wanted. Our tour was a highlight of a 12 day visit to Greece and Turkey.

We had a remarkable day with Ali! Could not have asked for a more personable and knowledgeable tour guide. We booked him for 1 day and added a second day. We felt so taken care of. Highly recommended!

Ali took us on a private tour which included the Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern and the Spice Bazar. We have a particular interest in Turkish history and politics and Ali did a superb job of explaining the significance and background to the important moments in history but also, and I think slightly unusually, was able to put them into the context of world events at the same time allowing a fascinating insight. I had the sense that we only skimmed the surface of Ali's knowledge and when we return to Istanbul we will be sure to look him up. As it was just the 2 of us and Ali we took our time which which meant we were able to contemplate and discuss further at the various sites and we parted ways feeling like we had a much better understanding of Istanbul today and in the past. Thanks for your great tour Ali.

My wife and I were very excited about visiting Istanbul, We did not know what to expect since this would be our first time and thought that investing in a knowledgeable guide would be the best way to learn about the city. We were lucky to have Ali as our guide. He is very personable and it was like touring the city with someone we had known for a while even though we had just met. We learned so much about the city, the culture, the food, historical buildings and institutions. We would recommend touring with Ali for a great introduction to an amazing city. Contact him and we are sure you will enjoy a great experience just like we did.

Walking thru the palace abs cisterns in Istanbul was a wonderful experience brought to life by Ali. These tours would have been meaningful without his guidance and teaching

WOWOWOWOW!!! Ali was absolutely FANTASTIC! So knowledgeable--and not just about Istanbul: I really appreciated how he put info in a global and time-relevant context. Our sons--18 and 23--both related to him, as well. He really knew his audience. Besides history and context, he offered insights to modern Istanbul, so we felt like we learned so much more than facts! We would definitely recommend Ali!

Ali’s understanding of Istanbul’s deep history and his ability to relay it to us in a realistic storytelling manner was exceptional. At all times he was aware of our understanding and needs on this personalised tour. A remarkable tour which gave us a much greater understanding of this extraordinary city. Thank you, Ali, for a wonderful experience.

Ali was excellent to be with . He showed us amazing things and had massive amounts of historical info for us. Great time, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We will see him again on our next visit ! Thanks for your book ! Victoria

We spent 3 days with Ali touring the major sites of Istanbul - the principal mosques, the Topkapi Palace, a trip on the Bosphorus, the grand bazaar and spice bazaar and Roman cisterns. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul specifically and Turkey generally and also the country’s current situation. He captured the children’s (16 and 18 yrs) imagination with his stories and humour and they really enjoyed it. We visited some excellent restaurants and ate like locals and on the last day visited the old area Balat, which was like going back in time. He adapted the tour to how tired we were, the weather and the children’s attention span! Bravo Ali - we had a fab time!

Prior to my experience with Ali, I had biases towards 'tour activities'. As a traveler, you want to submerge yourself into a rich culture and learn from your surroundings. And that is precisely what Ali provided to my family and I. The tour Ali hosted was incredible. He has a passion for the city, history, all walks of life, and a drive to educate others. He is personable, kind, and his wide array of intelligence makes for the ultimate tour. Do not think that a tour with Ali will take away from a travelers experience: he enriches every moment and adds a personal touch to Istanbul. P.S- If you get the chance, ask him to take you to his favorite baklava shop. You won't regret it!

Thanks to Ali, our first trip to Istanbul was spectacular! Over three days, he not only showed us the beautiful historic sites, bazaars, mosques and towers, but welcomed us with the warmth and genuineness rarely seen in a guide. As Ali shared his favorite neighborhoods, restaurants, dessert spots and even a street-side cart with delicious muscles, we gained an appreciation for Turkish cuisine and for what life is like as a local. He also directed us to quality, yet reasonable shopping destinations. (Plus, he arranged a fantastic guide (Ibrahim) for us in Cappadocia.) Most of all, we enjoyed Ali’s personality. We shared many laughs each day while he filled our minds with information of Turkey’s storied history, as well as, it’s present. We hope to return to Istanbul and couldn’t imagine not reaching out to Ali again. He was a perfect match!

Our guide from Ali’s protravel tours was professional, knowledgeable and most interesting in every way. We can highly recommend his services

We had a wonderful time. Ali is an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide regarding sites to visit and foods to eat. We went on several tours while we were in Istanbul and this was by far the best. I would go back just to have a tour with him.

Ali started out as our private tour guide and ended up as our friend. We were traveling with with our 2 adult (mid 20's) children, and he nimbly took us through the old city, the bazaar and all the sites we were most interested in, and managed to meet everyone's personal interests. His deep knowledge of history, politics, and global religions plus and story telling talent brought Instanbul to life for all fo us... We will return to Istanbul and be sure to contact Ali when we do.

I hired Ali for a two-day tour in early December and it was excellent! He met us at our hotel on the first evening and escorted us on a food tour that was both fun and delicious. The next morning he picked us up in a very nice van (with a driver) and showed us around the City. We had several stops and it was enjoyable and educational. He was knowledgable and very fun during both tours. I appreciated his willingness to accommodate our requests and make both days really fun! I would definitely use this company again!

My colleague and I had just a brief break in the business trip and decided to take a tour with Ali. It was the best decision we cold have made - Ali put together just the right plan, we never waited in lines and got a lot of historical information we would not have know otherwise. And if you have a chance to go shopping with Ali - definitely do it! Ali communicated with us in advance via email and phone, all arrangements were easy, overall a very high quality experience. I will certainly reach out to Ali if I have a chance to visit Istanbul again.

I have taken a lot of tours and clearly ali knows how to entertain -- he will cater to all ages -- had a 8 yr old , 16 and 21 yr old and he kept engaged -- with his in depth knowledge of the city with ability to modify the tour based on the group made the visit a wonderful experience --- He also reads a lot and has good insight into all religions and very open to understanding other cultures

We hired Ali for a 2 day tour on 2/21/2018 - 2/22/2018. On the first day we saw the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar and the Hippodrome. Ali was extremely knowledgable in the history of every stop that we made. He answered every question that we had and made some great recommendations for lunch and dinner. After the first day I purchased some boxed Turkish delight and was informed that what I purchased was in fact junk so Ali brought me to get some real Turkish delight the next morning. We spent our second day visiting shops at the mall and then used Ali's connections to meet a potential product vendor. Overall Ali was the absolute best. 10 / 10 recommendation and next time I visit Istanbul I will for one stay longer and two will definitely hire Ali again !