Istanbul Small Group Shore Excursion: The Highlights Of Istanbul

Initially, we were very concerned due to the fact that there was a bicycle marathon that made necessary to alter our plans. However Pinar saved the day plus we had the extra bonus of being able to travel on the Istanbul streetcar, which was a real treat! Pinar was very gracious and treated us like friends rather than clients. She was extremely knowledgable on historic facts and had empathy for the fact that some of our group were slower walking I would highly recommend Pinar for both her knowledge, perfect English and kindness.

We spent a day and a half in Istanbul and enjoyed a personalized tour with our guide Esra. She contacted us a day before our tour, so that we could confirm our meeting arrangements and on the day of our tour she was right on time. We were able to customize the tour to see the attractions that were important to us and Esra really went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. She was also very knowledgeable and truly had a passion for her profession, which also added to the experience. Thank you for a wonderful tour Esra!

Ayse was an excellent guide. She organised meeting us and called to make sure. She was very helpful and friendly with a broad knowledge of everything around us. It was great having her there to explain the different foods and customs. A great day all round.

Ayse was very good. She guided us around the European side of Istanbul and was a fountain of information. She had a lot of local contacts to introduce us to interesting aspects of her city and Turkish life in general. Highly recommended.

We had an incredible afternoon with Hasan. He communicated effectively with us before our tour choosing a meeting point that was extremely easy for us to find having just arrived at the cruise terminal. He also returned us to the cruise terminal area too. Hasan taught us how to use the tram so that we could navigate it after our guided walking tour. Hasan was so knowledgeable and so receptive to our questions. He took us directly to the historic town and guided us through the palace and also the Cistern Basilica providing a most informative experience. He focused on key highlights about both spots. We were very well satisfied with the info shared and ideas provided for further exploration. To complete our afternoon, he took us to the Grand Bazaar providing both the historical context and helping us to navigate it. He continually wanted to know if we had any questions and what we would like to see and explore. Hasan made the most of the limited time we had in Istanbul. We were so thrilled with his pace, his professionalism and the tour he provided!

Our guide lives in Istanbul and is a wealth of knowledge not only about the vast history of this beautiful city but also the current culture and all the city has to offer. Well worth booking, and request Sam.

We had a perfect private Istanbul tour with Salas who really tailored the day to our pace and preferences. He’s a wealth of knowledge. Couldn’t ask for a better guide.

AMAZING day filled with so much culture and history of not only this city, but of this country and our shared history. Salas, our guide, helped bring to life this unique city and all it has to offer. He got to know us, and exactly the highlights that were most meaningful for us. But perhaps even better… we really got to know about him, his country, his family, and his Turkish roots & traditions. Istanbul is a truly incredible place, and because of Salas, we have a much better and brighter understanding.

This tour was superb - our guide was Ayse (Aysha). She was great fun and gave us the right amount of information at all stops whilst knowing the key things to skip or take in (many of the sights were crowded). Skip the line ticket access also made a huge difference. Aysha also took time to check what we were interested in and tailored the tour accordingly. We saw all the main stops including Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, Cistern with time for lunch as well. To maximise your time in Istanbul I recommend you take this tour!

Emre was excellent. Very knowledgeable and really looked after our group. A very enjoyable day. 10/10

Emre was an amazing guide !!! Definitely worth booking.

Emery our guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, articulate, polite and personable. Highly recommend the tour and Emery.

Esra was a fantastic guide. She started by asking us where we wanted to go and gave us a few suggestions when we asked. She was very knowledgeable and pitched the tour at exactly the right level. We asked for suggestions for food and she checked what kind of thing we were looking for then gave us a few ideas. She picked a beautiful restaurant based on what we said. Would definitely recommend.

Ibrahim was great very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Explained in such detail the history. We had a lovely lunch. I would highly recommend Ibrahim tour of Istanbul. A day we will never forget. Thank you Ibrahim.

Deniz was our tour guide and was very knowledgeable about Istanbul! She answered our questions and was very easy and fun to talk to. She showed us a restaurant where we had a delicious traditional lunch, and later took us to a Turkish rug show. She helped us buy our tickets at each of the sites and sometimes the tour guides get to bypass the long lines to buy tickets. We brought Euros but the ticket booths all had tap to pay. We are very grateful we booked a tour guide for Istanbul!