Private Guided Tour Hagia Sophia, Cistern, Topkapi With Skip Line

Erdem was an amazing tour guide! We were a family of four with kids ages 10 and 12, and he did a fantastic job showing us everything we wanted to see in Istanbul, plus a few wonderful extras along the way. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience enjoyable for the whole family. One of our favorite parts was that he took us to a local spot to eat, giving us a taste of authentic Istanbul beyond the typical tourist experience. He really listened to what we wanted and made the day feel personalized and special. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and would absolutely recommend Erdem to anyone visiting Istanbul!

AK was amazing. Very knowledgeable and personable. We enjoyed every minute of our tour of Istanbul!

Erdem was a fantastic guide. He was thoughtful, engaging, and clearly passionate about what he does. He showed us around, answered questions, and also helped is ask great questions as well. Ask for him as your guide. He’s amazing.

We have had a fantastic two days city guide with Tugba, in Istanbul, and we were extremely pleased by her knowledge and passion in the way she tells you the history and the culture of her city. She is kind, on time, she can give you tons of good recommendations and she is generous in giving you the best time you can have. I would recommend her a million of times, thanks Tugba for taking us with you around Instanbul, we loved it!

The only way to do this tour is with a private guide. Erdem, our guide, was clearly a passionate historian and knew SO much about the three sites. Fielded every question as well with terrific answers. Ask for him if you can!

Tugba speaks fluent English and is a most knowledgeable guide, bypassing queues and procuring necessary tickets efficiently. Over two days she ensured that we enjoyed every site visited and derived maximum benefit from her experience. She took care of us on trams and ferries and in the bazaars, helping us to enjoy our stay in Istanbul. A most charming companion, we unreservedly recommend Tugba as a guide to the city from Byzantium through Constantinople to present day Istanbul.

Erdem was our tour guide - we were so lucky to have him. He met us at a hotel and was on time. We wanted to wonder around the city, and he took us to different neighborhood and areas, telling us a lot of the story of Istanbul. Very personable, knowledgeable, and extremely nice.. Erdem did amazing and made a difference! You will be lucky if you get him!!!

Our tour guide Murat was great. His knowledge of the history and places was amazing. We had individual tour with my husband and Murat have build our Tour based on our preferences, he had very great suggestions.

Erdem is a very knowledgeable and competent guide. He gave us very detailed insights and was able to answer all our questions. I particularly appreciated his competence about sources and facts from the different historical periods.

Tugba was the most pleasant tour guide. Her knowledge, friendliness and flexibility made for a wonderful relaxed tour experience in Istanbul. I would highly recommend her as your guide. Her depth of knowledge kept us engaged throughout the tour.

Very interesting tour: Erdem is passionate and fully informed about the history and curiosities of the sites we visited together. Another plus was the ‘skip the Line’ that proved to be really useful in order to avoid the crowd.

We Had a fantastic time and where able to see the hagia sophia blue mosque the cisterns as well as the the grand bazaar and the hippodrome all in one day our guide was very well versed in the history and was able to answer all of our many questions couldnt recommend getting a tour enough we where able to skip every ticket line and all the little details where already sorted out 10/10

Murat’s tour was exceptionally detailed and insightful. He explained the historical timeline of every major landmark with remarkable clarity, as well as how the surrounding areas have evolved over time and influenced one another. He answered every question thoroughly and demonstrated an impressive understanding of both Istanbul’s rich history and its present-day realities. His insights into current affairs, everyday life, and Turkish society were equally fascinating. If you’re looking for a knowledgeable local guide who can provide an in-depth understanding of Istanbul’s history and culture, Murat is definitely the right person to choose.

We had an amazing experience. Tuğba was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing good cultural and historical context at each of the sites we visited. We highly recommend her if you are looking for a great tour guide in Istanbul.

Absolutely brilliant experience. Our tour guide Tuğba was excellent. Her knowledge was outstanding & she spoke perfect English & was so friendly & personable. We learned so much from her about Istanbul & the history behind it. Would highly recommend her as a tour guide.

Tugba was a perfect guide. She was able to tailor the tour to our interests - spending more and less time in certain areas based on our interests. She provided a perfect level of detail about the city and sites for our family of five. She even went beyond any asks and guided us to our next spot after the tour was complete!! Thank you Tugba!

The tour is an excellent option to visit the most important tourist and historical sites in the city. It was a very pleasant experience, as it was a relaxed outing where we were able to explore everything at our own pace, without any rush, which made it even more enjoyable. We would also like to especially thank our guide, Tuğba, for her great willingness to answer all our questions and for sharing the history of these beautiful places in such an engaging and informative way. Definitely a highly recommended experience.

I had a wonderful experience on this tour in Istanbul, visiting the most iconic landmarks of the city. The views were absolutely stunning, and it was a perfect way to get to know the beauty and history of this incredible place. I would especially like to highlight our guide, Tuǧba, who was warm, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. She was very kind to us, always willing to answer our questions and provide detailed and interesting information throughout the tour. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul, and I strongly recommend Tuǧba as a guide. She truly made the experience even more special!

Tuba! An amazing tour guide; she was professional, demonstrated exceptional knowledge of the history, geography and culture of Istanbul, Turkey, the Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Tuba is very close to the art of weaving rugs a uniquely Turkish experience. Throughout the tour we felt her love for the history and culture of Turkey. A job very well done.

Tuba is an amazing guide. Knows so much about the places we visited. Her English is perfect, and she never rushed us. She is the best guide we’ve ever had, and we’ve had many.

the best time with the best guide.

We enjoyed our day with Tugba who planned the day carefully, taking into account our other plans, the hot weather and local conditions that day. She was friendly, informative and thoughtful. We felt that having her as a guide gave us a very good insight into past history and present day living in Istanbul.

Our tour with Tuĝba was excellent. She is enthusiastic and very knowledgeable, the two traits you always want in your guide. We would definitely use her again.

We had a wonderful day with Tugba as our guide. She took great care to take us to the places we wanted to see and showed much thoughtful consideration for us. She has a wealth of knowledge about the history and culture of Istanbul and answered our many questions comprehensively. We gained time to spend at the sights as we were able to skip the long queues with Tugba. We were delighted to have her guide us through this amazing city. Tesekkur ederim Tugba!

We had wonderful day with our tour guide Erdem. He was truly exceptional and made the experience in Istanbul unforgettable. We booked the 8 hour private tour of Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, and the spice bazaar, Form the moment we started he expertly guided us through the sites, helping us bypass long lines and pointing out details and hidden gems we would have never seen on our own. He was incredibly knowledgeable and informative, it was obvious he has a passion for history. His stories and explanations brought each place to life and made them fascinating. The historical places are beautiful , interesting and rich in history. Each place was more interesting than the last one. I can’t say enough good things about our tour guide he was the perfect tour guide and made our day one of the highlights of our trip. The tour is the must see places in Istanbul and well worth getting a tour guide. I highly recommend you book a tour with Erdem.

Tugba is a very professional local tourguide. This makes the tour much more interesting and we could skip all the long queues. Thank for this lovely day.

Murat, our tour guide for the day was perfect for our needs. My wife and I were given options as to where we wanted to visit, as many or as few as we wanted. Murat was very knowledgeable and gave us all the information we needed, and more on every site we visited. When we chose to visit sites with an admission fee Murat bought the tickets on line so avoiding the ticket queues and as he was a guide we were able to enter venues with ease. The visit to local ceramic and carpet shops was very interesting and the bizarre to end the day was eye opening. This was a day well spent in Istanbul.

We visited the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace with Murat. I wished we had found Murat earlier to take us through all the places in Istanbul! He is an absolute gem: from the organisation before the visits, his knowledge about the places (he has a wealth of information) through to some practical tips at the end of our visit. Murat was fascinating from a historical point of view but also had lots of anecdotes to bring everything to life. Honestly, don't hesitate!

Murat was a fantastic tour guide! I love history and really learned a lot from him about the history of Turkey and the different eras throughout Istanbul’s eras. We kept a fast pace and really made the most of our time! He also gave good suggestions for what we should look at after we finished our tour.

Had a great experience. Would recommend.

As a first time visitor to Istanbul, it can be quite overwhelming to try to understand the history and culture that makes this City so captivating. There is a lot to take in and, having looked at several options prior to arriving, we wanted to get the most of our weekend in this cultural melting pot of a city and its place in the past history of the region and the wider world. We, therefore, decided to engage with a private guide, rather than a group tour. Yes, these are more cost effective, but as we moved from landmark to landmark, we were glad we paid the extra to have a more relaxed and bespoke experience. The large groups, seemed to be dashing from one place to another without any real dwell time at the magnificent tourist locations. Even in the off season in February, it was still busy enough for large crowds of visitors to become overwhelming and in some cases, a bit frantic as they were whisked along by their guides, who were clearly on a tight schedule! Our Hotel recommended using one of their network to make the most of the day. Murat met us in the morning and never left our side for the rest of the day. His knowledge, energy and passion for the history and culture of all the places we visited was amazing. Considering he takes tourists on these tours almost every day, his enthusiasm and expertise didn't make it feel robotic or repetitive. As we walked through the many areas of the Topkapi palace, through the Hagia Sofia and Blue mosques, on to Hippodrome Square with its Egyptian Obelisk, and then to the spectacular underground Roman Cistern, his willingness to engage, discuss, as well as his patience to answer the numerous questions my wife and I had, made the time fly by. He was happy to stop and take a coffee break when we asked and sat with us, continuing to discuss what we had seen. A truly memorable experience, which will stay with us, not just because of the spectacular locations, but because Murat made it so engaging, bringing the history and culture to life, forming a lasting connection for us and our time in the City.. Many thanks Murat for showing us the heart of Istanbul. We learnt a lot.... It was a special day!!

Our private guide Murat was amazing. Carefully explaining to us about all the features, history and facts of the sites, reflecting the influences of the Greeks, Romans and Ottomans. Murat was very polite and professional. His knowledge of the history and the cultures was a delight. As this was a private tour it was flexible and made to suit our needs and very relaxed, unlike other rushed tours we have been on. I would highly recommend Murat for your tour, his reccomendations for restaurants etc were spot on too. Thjs private tour was definitely worth every dollar.

We spent the day being swiftly guided by Tugba through the most important/prettiest sights Istanbul has to offer. All throughout the day she offered many insightful information and context to what we were seeing. Whenever we had any questions, she gladly answered them in a highly professional and knowledgeable manner. By being able to skip the lines, we really got a terrific overview over the city in a maximally efficient manner. We would definitely recommend the tour to anyone interested in a condensed and comprehensive tour.

We only had 2 hrs before dashing to the airport, yet Erdem was able to personalize our tour, condensing thousands of yrs of history into a brief, fascinating tour. He chose the top sites, then shared extra tidbits, stories that only someone who loves history would know - so that we, too, saw the richness of Istanbul. Absolutely excellent!

We had an excellent experience. Huseyin, our guide in Istanbul, gave us a wonderful day touring the city and showing us all the points of interest with an unbeatable explanation at each one. He was always attentive and willing to help. Even on our trip to Cappadocia, he was always on hand to make sure everything went perfectly.

Tugba was my guide on a one day tour of the Istanbul highlights. She is very knowledgeable and excited to share the history of this beautiful city. I highly recommend her and look forward to touring with her again in the future. Our lunch in a restaurant away from the tourist area was delicious and inexpensive. Thank you Tugba for a wonderful day!

We were lucky enough to spend 2 full days on walking tours in Istanbul with Tugba. We found her to have outstanding local knowledge and guided us to numerous highlights we definitely would have missed without her. We saw so many sights but never felt rushed. We saved so much time with Tugba's shortcuts and pre purchase of tickets. Nothing was too much trouble for Tugba. She was patient, caring and fun to be with. I would highly recommend her services. 10/10

A fantastic experience seeing spectacular buildings and learning from Atakan about the history and stories behind. He's one of the best guides I ever had.

Tugba was at our hotel ready to go before our start time and off we went on a fun and very interesting tour of the important, not to be missed sights of old town Istanbul, She’s bright, cheerful and clearly well educated, very knowledgeable about the extraordinary history of the sights of this fascinating area. It’s difficult to say which is most impressive; but the special information she shared about each truly enriched our experiences of them. The Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern were real eye openers. It was a delight to share our day with Tugba. More than just the sights we got a sense of her life and that of her family. And she took us on the tram to a special dining adventure where we could treat us all to 3 kinds of Turkish pizza (pide). She generously walked us back to our hotel by an interesting different route even though it went beyond our finish time. We will long remember and we wholeheartedly recommend this tour with Tugba. Her fee was entirely reasonable and well worth the price, only advice is to be prepared with cash to reimburse for significant entry fees charged by Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. (By the way, credit cards are used easily for just about any transaction most everywhere in Istanbul.)

Murat was a great guide to Istanbul. He took us to the major sights and was friendly, knowledgeable and informative, answering our questions about the city’s history, but also shedding light on modern life and culture. He was happy to go at our pace and adapt the tour to suit our interests. He helped us navigate the ticket queues and entrance requirements. He also gave us advice about other tours we were thinking of doing and through his contacts tried to help us arrange a further at our next destination in Cappadocia. Having a guide to show you the key historical sites was a great way to get through a lot in one day - ideal if your time in Istanbul is limited. Thanks Murat, we enjoyed the day with you!

We completed a full day tour of Istanbul earlier today. Atakan, our guide, was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable, extremely flexible with the schedule, and most of all, very personable. I wish all guides were like him - he brings a very high standard to the tourism profession. He made our day in Istanbul very memorable and fun.

Tugba was an outstanding guide for this tour. Right from the start she showed interest in us as visitors to Istanbul and established where our interests lay. Tugba kept us safe and well informed on our tour of Topkapi Palace and the Grand and Spice Bazaar. Tugba has a great wealth of knowledge of these icons which she passionately shared with us but as we walked along with her, she also pointed out many other points of interest or cultural aspects of Turkish life. By the end of the tour, my partner and I felt we had made wonderful friend in this city and would not hesitate to recommend her as a personal guide. We wish her well in her career as a tour guide in Istanbul.

We only had a few hours free in Istanbul, but our guide Tuğba made it unforgettable. She brought the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and Hippodrome Square to life with her stories, history and local insights. To top it off, she took us to a fantastic local restaurant that ended the evening perfectly. Highly recommend…

We were in Istanbul and had the pleasure of spending two full days with Erdem. His deep insight of the history and culture of Istanbul, combined with his infectious enthusiasm and fun personality, made the two days an absolutely delightful experience. If he is available the day you are touring,Hire him!”

Tugba Kamali is excellent. She is patient, kind and very knowledgeable. My friend and I are senior citizens and Tuba was always watching out for us to make sure that we did not have to wait in long lines and found places for us to rest throughout the two days with us. We are so lucky and pleased to have her guided us through the famous landmarks of the city. We could not have made it on our own. Thank you Tuba for a very delightful and memorable Visit to Istanbul 😁

Our airbnb accomodation booked the tour/ guide for us. Overall, Tugba was a great guide, she was so informative and helped answer questions we had throughout the tour. Furthermore, we had some logistical questions about transportation and things to do/avoid which she was able to help us. Highly recommend booking her for your tour!

One of the best guided tours my wife and I have ever had! Atakan was fabulous well spoken well versed in the local history and a pleasure to be with.

We had a lovely day exploring this part of the city. Erdem has a lot of knowledge to share, much more information and interesting details than what you could do with the placards and recordings. He answered all our questions and could give very rational explanations and comparisons. He also was extremely effective in navigating the crowded venues and shepherding us thru the places to maximize our experience. We also appreciated learning more about the current situation of how life in Istanbul for young people is… Definitely worth using a guide and Erdem was excellent.

This was an excellent tour. Erdem was well versed in the history and culture and provided so much insite into the Turkish history and culture. I highly recommend him for your tour!!