The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a grand arena for chariot races, ceremonies, and public events, built in the 3rd century and expanded by Constantine I. It featured the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, and the Walled Obelisk on its central spina. A hub of Byzantine culture and power, it hosted celebrations and conflicts, like the Nika Riots. Its legacy endures despite its ruins today.
The Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is a stunning masterpiece of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul. Built in the 17th century, it features six minarets, a grand courtyard, and an interior adorned with over 20,000 blue İznik tiles. Visitors can admire its grandeur, peaceful atmosphere, and intricate design. Entry is free, but dress modestly, and visit outside prayer times for the best experience.
Topkapi Palace, a symbol of Ottoman grandeur, is a must-visit in Istanbul. Once home to sultans, this sprawling complex showcases opulent architecture, lush courtyards, and treasures like the Harem, Holy Relics, and the Imperial Treasury. Explore the stunning Bosphorus views and historical artifacts. Plan ahead to enjoy the rich history and allow time to immerse yourself in this iconic UNESCO site.
Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, is a breathtaking fusion of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. Originally a church, then a mosque, and now a mosque again, it features a vast dome, stunning mosaics, and intricate Islamic calligraphy. Visitors can marvel at its rich history and spiritual ambiance. Entry is free, but respectful attire is required. Best visited early to avoid crowds.
The Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, is a vibrant hub in Istanbul. With over 4,000 shops, it offers a unique shopping experience, featuring jewelry, carpets, spices, and souvenirs. Stroll its maze-like alleys, soak in the lively atmosphere, and enjoy traditional Turkish hospitality. Bargaining is encouraged! Visit early to explore comfortably and savor this iconic cultural treasure.
We had a great experience with Salim! He was very friendly, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. He took his time explaining everything and never made us feel rushed, which we really appreciated. We were able to enjoy everything at our own pace and learned so much along the way. Salim is honestly one of the best guides we’ve ever had. We would definitely recommend him!
Best day out in Istanbul. Murat’s knowledge of Turkey and history was excellent. The tour was lots of fun and customised so we saw all the highlights on our ticklist in just 1 day. But we also saw lots of different things that we would not have seen on a big tour. Back lanes, Turkish delight tastings, tea tastings and more. Murat was fun , his English was excellent and we had lots of laughs along the way. We could not recommend this tour and guide and more higher. If you have 1 day in Istanbul to see everything ( as we did) - this is for you. Have a read.
Our tour guide Hasan was awesome!! Very knowledgeable and we didn't feel rushed even though we saw the 3 major sights, went to the Grand Bazaar to shop and had an amazing lunch!! Would definitely recommend. 10/10
Amazing! Our guide was so knowledgeable and very fluent in English. He knew his way around, skipped us past all of the crowds, and taught us all about the history and significance of each spot. We enjoyed every second of it, and the day flew by!
The perfect day tour for any combination of attractions you may want to see. My guide was great and made excellent suggestions along the way such as places to eat with locals and more activities to add when we finished early. Great way to spend the day! I highly recommend.
Salim is friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He crafted a tour specially for my family based on our interests. We loved seeing the Hagia Sofia and the Cistern. He answered our many cultural questions about Istanbul also. We went to the Grand Bazaar with Salim, and it was great to have him show us the best places to shop. We had an excellent tour!
Loved our tour guide, had a wonderful day exploring Istanbul, learning about the city, culture, and the impressive sights. He managed our day by organizing our itinerary to skip the lines, skip the traffic, making sure we got to see everything on our want list. Skip the tour bus and book with these folks for a great day customized for you.
My daughter and I had a great tour. Our guide was super informative about Istanbul and also gave us many suggestions and tips for our next day. Would highly recommend this tour.
Salim is an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable, friendly. I didn't feel like traveling in a foreign country. My 2 kids and I felt so free and felt as if our brother is showing his hometown. Absolutely recommend Salim.
Our guide was very informative. He accommodated all of our interests. It was nice to have a private tour guide. I learned a lot.
Our guide was very helpful and seeing Istanbul fulfilled a long held wish. My wife, whom I traveled with, has limited mobility. Salim was able to accommodate her with minimum hassle.
This custom tour was truly customized between my party and the guide, Salim Basar. He was open & accommodating to our requests for what to see within the timeframe we had for the day. We met at 9:30 AM and were together until almost 5:30 PM. Salim was full of great info to share at each location, and most open to answering any & all of our questions. We used public transportation with ease to move comfortably between locations. Highly recommend this tour as you can make it your own, thanks to the expertise & knowledge of our guide, Salim Basar. September 24, 2023
Mr.Salim our tour guide was phenomenal. He was informative and was amenable to adjust the tour to our specialized interests. We saw and learned a lot of Istanbul history. His driver was a delight as well. I recommend this tour company 100%
All I can say is .... the wonderful custom experience which Salim provided us for (2) days was so educational, extraordinary and inspiring. Not only is Salim extremely knowledgeable as a guide, but funny and charming. This was an amazing start to a 2 week holiday. Thank you Salim.
Unfortunately, we thought this was a tour in a car but it required 5-7 miles of walking. Very disappointed at the difficulty!
Los Picos Travel made our travel experience to Turkey one of the best ever! They took care of us the entire tour from taking time to explain every little question we had to giving us the best food recommendation to managing transportation for the tour. This was one experience my husband and I will never forget and I highly recommend this company to anyone traveling to Turkey!
Unfortunately, time is short. But the guide knew how to manage the day. He also gave advice on public transport
We had a top tour and our guide Bahattin Aybek was unique!!!
We arrived in Istanbul on a cruise, I was contacted by our guide the day before for the arrangements regarding the meeting point. Sadace was an excellent guide, competent, kind, and attentive to our needs. We saw everything we wanted with in-depth descriptions and by organizing the tour in a way that managed to minimize lines as much as possible.
Our guide has been great, it is in line with our expectations and has given us a lot of information both architectural and cultural. Thank you very much to him.
A wonderful rediscovery of Istanbul After twenty years I returned to Istanbul, this time with my partner, for whom it was the first visit. It was our first real trip together and I wanted it to be a special, unforgettable experience. For this reason I chose a guided tour with a local guide who speaks Italian, so as to fully experience every moment without language barriers. To say it was a wonderful experience is really simplistic. Umut, our guide, is an extraordinary person, passionate and incredibly prepared. Thanks to him we discovered the city in an authentic and profound way: he accompanied us for a whole day among the most iconic and fascinating places in Istanbul, telling us the history and secrets of every corner with enthusiasm and competence. His stories, practical advice and valuable information enriched our visit, allowing us to enjoy the following days, with a more aware and in love look towards the city. We could not have wished for better driving, nor had a better experience. Thank you very much, Umut, for making this trip so special. Tourists who are lucky enough to meet you will live a unique experience. And thank you, wonderful Istanbul: your colors, your scents and your soul will remain forever in our hearts.
The best tour we could have to know Istanbul! Timi is an experienced guide with extensive knowledge about everything about the city (history and present). With pleasant explanations he detailed each place we visited. If you really want to know Istanbul, I highly recommend it!!
The guide was a middle-aged gentleman who spoke Italian quite well (although some typo with Spanish but understandable). Arrived on time under our hotel did not immediately make a good impression on us and during the tour did not improve his position much. He was very hasty in visiting the places of interest and explaining them. He was saying the essentials and very often we wondered if he actually knew what he was talking about. On the way from one place to another he even increased his pace and stayed ahead of us without saying a word. Last year I turned to the online agency “discover Istanbul” and I had a great time! Unfortunately this year there were no guides available for private tours and I turned to TripAdvisor.... never again! Money thrown away! The only positive note was that at least we skipped the line in the tank and in Hagia Sophia!
We are a family group of 10 people. We made a bespoke trip of 3 days in Cappadocia and 3 days in Istanbul. Salim, head of Los Picos agency, organized it all without failures and with a minute-by-minute follow-up. Transfers from and to the airport, without failure. Local Guide in Cappadocia, in Spanish. Interesting and well explained visits. Balloon trip (with troubleshooting at 05:00 in the morning from Istanbul). Very good lunches, with the possibility of eating locally or internationally. In Istanbul we were personally attended by Salim, Very good Guide, friendly, pleasant, prepared. Very nice person. Without asking him, he paid us for the visits and food of a member who did not participate one day. He chose Top-rated places and themes. An unparalleled experience, highly recommended.
We were very well cared for and they always accompanied us even on trips that were not theirs, we felt very safe with them and they also looked for very good places to eat
I started organizing this trip in 2019 and because of the pandemic we only completed it in September 2022. Salim guided us throughout with a lot of patience and knowledge of what was best for our trip. The guides we had were spectacular! Murat Kilic Rehber in Istanbul, Asis Acar in Cappadocia and Volha Kocagöz in Kusadasi each of them with their style taught us a lot, and left us more eager to return. Very professional!!!
Es hat uns mit Cengiz sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Soviel Informationen, einfach fantastisch. Jederzeit wieder. Vielen Dank nochmal.
The Tour with Turkey los Picos was more than excellent, it was wonderful. The guide Salim took care of every detail. Transfer and tours. Wonderful guides with excellent Portuguese. I can only leave my very thank you and definitely recommend
Excellent organization, guide in perfect Spanish, very professional, organized from Spain by mail and whatsapp, immediate attention and tips for travel
Wonderful experience in Istanbul. Since we arrived at the airport, Salim took care that our stay in this beautiful city was unforgettable. Very punctual, respectful, knowledgeable and with excellent command of Spanish. We spent three days touring the city and its main attractions. Everything was super. We asked you to include all expenses to enjoy the ride without being aware of anything else. Everything great, even with the details of visiting and eating in places of your own, as well as showing us the best locations for photographs. Thanks for everything. We'll be back.
I can only thank you for this wonderful trip in which for 2 whole days Salim showed us wonders of this city with which I am in love, took us to unique places and we could witness festivities of religion. My 12-year-old son enjoyed and learned about ancient Constantinople and marveled at its landscapes and flavors. We will return Salim!! Thank you.
100% recommended. We booked the excursions with Salim from Spain and it was a success. Commitment and seriousness from the start. Definitely the best local Spanish speaking guide in Istanbul.
We contracted the tour with Salim, by watshapp, he fulfilled all the talk (resolved a problem with seriousness and commitment, which was not his responsibility), 3 days in stanbul, 2 days in cappadoccia, including the balloon, All guides in perfect Spanish, very punctual, super recommended
We hire the services of this agency throughout our stay in Turkey, from the airport upon arrival, the guided tour of Istanbul city for two days and the visit to Cappadocia for the balloon flight and the visit to the most important. The excellent guides! Very professional, with a lot of knowledge of the history of the place and of course Salim the owner of the agency with his friendly and friendly treatment! If you are going to Istanbul do not hesitate to hire your services. Everyone speaks Spanish perfectly.
Our visit was with Ahmed. Right Spanish. We've been on the visit they call classic. Highly recommended. An overview and a complete perspective of the city. With Salim we contacted by whasatp for some doubts and very friendly with your answers. Thank you.
Helpful team. We organized everything via WhatsApp. Guia speaks Portuguese very well, has lived in Brazil. Educated, attentive and knows a lot about the history of the city. Very good price. I recommend!
Organize everything with Salim by whatsapp, always answer very quickly and organize the tour, pay for a link a small portion to book with a little distrust for my culture. On the day of the Tour, Timucin arrived on schedule, our guide, with a perfect Spanish, golden disposition, a knowledge of the history not only Turkish, with soul of photographer (perfect to help us with the accurate photographs in each visit), we traveled 2 days with him, Timucin knows perfect his craft, filling us with knowledge and saving us time in the queues, my lady and I were delighted with Istanbul and the good choice to have taken this type of tour. It exceeded our expectations! Beautiful city.
Ahmed our guide was very friendly, taught us and took us everywhere we asked; his Spanish is excellent and we were very comfortable with it. He has a deep knowledge of Istanbul. If you are looking for a personalized tour Los Picos is the best option
Our personal guide was: Umut, an exceptional person professionally and as a person we left a friend in Istanbul: Transfers and private luxury vehicles. Istanbul is one of the safest capitals I have ever felt, despite recent events
I thank Salim and his staff for the good service at the airport/hotel transfer and the accompaniment and explanations of the tourist sites.
Salim has been a great guide, he took us around all the most beautiful places in Istanbul and we took a great memory of this trip. A polite, friendly and pleasant person. I highly recommend it if you are planning a trip to Turkey.
It is said that trips are lived three times: when you dream them, you live them and remember them... for everything would not have been so wonderful without the help and Service of the Peak Travel. I contacted, almost last minute with Salim, and from minute one, organized a personalized tour (private) of Istanbul and Cappadocia with the best guides in both cities and very attentive to our requests, without neglecting any details. All in Spanish which made the visit to the country very easy. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it an 11. I'll repeat for sure and it'll be with them.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email