Kapali Carsi is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.The grand bazaar consists of 12 major buildings and has 22 doors.
Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque - Camii) built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets. Due to its magnificent hand-dyed blue, green and white Iznik tiles it has been named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The central dome is 43 m in height and is 33.4 m in diameter; it also boasts 260 windows.
A storical Market where you can find Spices,Local Food, Souvenirs.
1,400 years old Byzantine cathedral which houses mosaics, relics and iron work. Hagia Sophia was, for nearly a thousand years, the largest enclosed space in the world, and is still seen as one of the world's most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey's most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art. It was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD. Recently it is re - converted to a Mosque.
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Very well organized and interesting tour. Picked us up from the cruise port on time and immediately visited the most famous sites of Istanbul. The tour guide had all of our tickets in advance, so we went straight to the front of the line. I definitely recommend this tour!
We asked the guide to bring us out of the main tourist drags, which he did. He provided good comments, he was mindful of our pace (I take time to get the right picture). Very professional
Beautiful eight-hour tour to discover the best historical and non-historical places in Istanbul. Thanks to Emre, our precious guide, we were able to experience intense moments immersed in the Ottoman atmosphere. I recommend this agency to everyone and especially Emre, professional, prepared and kind!!!!
It was a really nice experience. Emre was fantastic and make my day in Istanbul much more beautiful and easier. I was alone, so it was much better to stay with him. He was really kind, gentle, and helped me a lot, since my departure from Athens to Istanbul. He gave me many tips and he was always messaging me to know if everything was OK. I really appreciate and recommend the tour.
We spent a wonderful day with Bilge. She tailored our experience to our every need and provided very informative commentary throughout the day. A definite A+ tour.
5 ! Our guide knows everything about Istambul history. He is very kind and made our tour unforgetable!! We felt very confortable sighseeinng with him. The day was perfect, and we got short cuts to the mosques and attractions
I has recently the pleasure of exploring the enchanting city of istanbul through the guidance of Emre. While this city is truly mesmerizing, my experience would have not been as extraordinary without the expertise and passion of Emre. He really tailor made the tour for me and my parents and he brought us to some hidden gems we would have not discovered without him. I would highly recommend this private tour for everyone willing to discover istanbul.
Emre was professional, knowledgeable and displayed every one of his 35yrs experience as a tour guide
Mr Onal is fantastic, great tour, very complete, very well explained. We had a great day and we strongly recommend. Besides the fact that with oficial guide you scape the linea.
A very interesting and fascinating tour with a good guide whose information was excellent but not too detailed.
Yesterday we did a highlights Istanbul historical (&shopping :) tour with Mr Emre, our guide - All was very sharp and accurate planned, his excellent guidance and history knowledge, good language knowledge, very balanced and tailor-made touristic approach. Our guide Mr. Emre and his tour really fulfilled all our expectations about highlights, not going into details we did not want to waste time. Friendly, professional, and helpful approach - honestly, I would recommend him for individuals, couples, family, and other touristic groups!
Having Emre as our tour guide was the string that tied our trip to Istanbul together, as well as being the absolute highlight of our trip. He is so passionate about his country and it was always fun to hear what he had to say about topics. His love for his job is clearly evident by the way he guided us and gave local inputs about the city. He went absolutely above and beyond for us as well, taking us to buy specific things that we wanted hours after we asked that even we forgot about. There is no doubt in my mind when I say that he made our trip to Turkey whole.
Our travel agency organized our entire trip around Turkey and we were so lucky that they chose Emre as our guide in Istanbul. Emre picked us up from the hotel and took us around the city. Not only does he know every detail about everything you will see, he also knows his way around the city, so you won't be wasting time in traffic (and this is GOLD!). He is kind, funny and also a great photographer :) You'll really enjoy the time with him. Emre took us from the European side to the Asian side, a ferry ride, riding the metro, the Bosphorus tour and pretty much every place we wanted to check out, always with a smile on his face. He also took us to a great lunch place and then this little but delicious sweet shop where we got to eat a really delicious Baklava. He also gave us tips for when we were in other places in Turkey, which we really appreciated (try the "Pottery Kebab" in Cappadocia). We are so thankful that Daroute Travel chose Emre for us, he was the perfect fit and the greatest company in our 2 days in Istanbul.
I spent a day with Emre touring the Old City. He is very knowledgeable and personable. It seemed like he knew everything and everyone we met along the way. Emre picked me up at my hotel and dropped me off, and lunch was covered. It was a great day!
My sister and I booked a helicopter tour over Istanbul. It was amazing! I love it so much! Thank you very much! ♥️
Fantastic day with personalized itinerary to meet my interests and needs! Outstanding tour of Istanbul highlighting all of the main tourist sites. My tour guide, Emre was so incredible that I booked 2 more tours that week! Emre speaks several languages fluently so I was able learn the history and details about Istanbul. I highly recommend these tours to solo travelers and travelers that do not have much time!
Emre and his team arranged for our family an all inclusive week - including transfers - and hands-on advice and guidance from Istanbul down to Bodrum. Any issue, any question, Emre was on the end of the phone line sorting it out for us, even at a distance. Best beach in bodrum was at our hotel (and we checked out others during our stay); great food in the hotel also; partner company staff there in direct contact with him sorting out anything we needed. And hotel was at Emre’s recommendation. I thoroughly recommend Emre and his company and look forward to using him again on our next trip to Turkey.... which will be soon!
Emre was a wonderful guide. I visited everywhere I wished and he kindly and patiently explained the history of this magnificent city. Would highly recommend Emre as a guide ...
Firstly my flight was late, but Emre ( The Best Tour Guide Ever ) made sure I still got my full tour in even though I was four hours late for pick up! I only had one full day in Istanbul and I wanted to see all of it! Not only did Emre get me to all Three of the main sights I wanted to see but he also took me to incredibly beautiful places in-between. I am a photographer and Emre knew this as he checked out my website before meeting with me. He took me to the bridge where the Fisherman are, and to an incredible shop where they hand weave Turkish Carpets as well as to the most incredible lunch spot with the most divine food ever! It was these places that really made the tour special to me. Emre is not just another tour guide, he loves what he does, is incredibly knowledgeable about his country and he goes all out for you. I enjoyed every minute of the tour. Thank you Emre, hope to see you again soon.
Our guide was exceptional: professional, likeable and with an incredible ability to involve us. It was not limited to classic historical facts, but offered us an authentic insight into the social reality of the city and the lives of its inhabitants. A tour with attention to detail that made us see Istanbul with different eyes. Highly recommended to those seeking expertise and human warmth!
We really appreciated the service of an experienced guide for our first visit to Istanbul. Not only to learn more about local history and culture but also to help fast track access to important sites. Even if we had booked only guide Emre and came with the car and took us from our hotel to the old town and since it rained his umbrellas were welcome.
Very kind and very prepared guide. Recommended. He picked us up from the port by car and cooompagnato us to visit several attractions. Thank you.
Thanks to Emre we had the opportunity to know and experience the city of Istanbul Emre welcomed us and illustrated every historical detail and not. Being a city to discover you need to rely on an experienced and valuable guide like Emre Thank you.
If we had a choice, we would have asked for Emre!! Dynamic, fast and extremely available!! Very attentive and of wide culture!!
Emre, a certainty! We were followed by this guide during our last trip to Istanbul. I have to say, she was very good! Professional and attentive to all our needs. Information on the places visited was accurate and detailed , with perfect suggestions for sightseeing . He was really very nice and company, ideal person to know Istanbul. *Final rating:*5 stars
Emre is an exceptional person: he can solve promptly and effectively any problem related to tourism in a complex metropolis like Istanbul. He speaks very good Italian, is extremely nice and with him the time passes in a pleasant and light way. A really precious companion, able to reserve many pleasant surprises. Emre is an exceptional person: he promptly and effectively solves any issue related to tourism in a complex metropolis like Istanbul. He speaks Italian very well, is extremely friendly, and time in his company flows in a pleasant and relaxed way. A truly valuable guide, full of delightful surprises.
We had the pleasure of visiting Istanbul with Emre, and couldn't ask for a better guide! Emre is extremely prepared, empathetic, personable and always available. His knowledge of the city and his ability to share it with passion made us live a unique experience. We felt comfortable and enjoyed every moment of the tour. We look forward to returning to Istanbul to meet him again and discover new corners of the city with him. Experience highly recommended! Very satisfied, Rita & Emanuela
Emre was Fantastic. Very prepared makes you live the experience with professionalism and enthusiasm telling you in detail and, with a very fluent Italian all the details of the sites visited. Super nice, advised us even outside of organized tours 🔝🔝🔝
We had an unforgettable experience during our short stay in Istanbul. Emre, our exceptional Guide, has proved both passionate and of great humanity. Thanks to him, we were immersed in fascinating accounts of the history of Byzantium, Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire. He introduced us to emblematic monuments such as the majestic Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace, as well as the magnificent Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet). A huge thank you to Emre for this enriching and captivating visit. Naš boravak u Istanbulu bio je zaista nezaboravan. Emre je fantastičan vodič, pun strasti i izuzetno ljubazan. Zahvaljući njemu, uronili smo u bogatu historiju Bizanta, Konstantinopolja i Osmanskog carstva. Posjetili smo predivne znamenitosti poput Aje Sofije, palate Topkapi i veličanstvene Plave džamije (Sultanahmet). Veliko hvala Emreu na ovom nevjerovatnom iskustvu koje je obogatilo naš boravak.
Beautiful tour of the city with explanations from Emre. He was very kind and helpful with us. Thank you for this tour
Emre is the perfect Guide to discover Istanbul. Since we met at our Pension, he has taken us on a passionate journey through the exceptional history of Istanbul. Emre has perfectly adapted to our needs and pace, shared with us many incredible anecdotes in good humor and generosity. Perfectly francophone, we highly recommend it as Guide!
Met by chance not far from the Blue Mosque, when we heard Emre speaking French, we asked him if he had a free day. He very kindly informed us and came to pick us up the next day from our hotel. He organized this day completely tailor-made for us, according to our desires and above all our pace! Thanks to Emre, for sharing with us his culture, the love of his city and his country, for his kindness, his trust, his patience, his advice, his good addresses and his sense of humor! We loved our tour of Istanbul with him! So if you come to Istanbul, don't hesitate to ask for Mr. Emre Önal!
Thank you Emre, for this visit to discover the old city of Istanbul. Everything was organized perfectly. The explanations were always interesting and clear. We really loved Istanbul and this day's visit.
Emre Super professional guide!! 5 stars I recommend it for a Wonderful Tour. Private tour with attention to detail: highly recommended
We spent four days in Istanbul and two we were followed by a guide who allowed us in such a short time to see many things even not only famous ones. The guide is very professional precise but also very nice. He knew how to understand what we wanted to experience and see in Istanbul and there 'made it see and do. I highly recommend especially for those like us who had little time. Kindness sympathy and professionalism. Very good
We have spent some amazing days in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Emre has been an exceptional guide! He accompanied us in Istanbul taking us to the iconic places but also those not so much toured by tourists. Also in Cappadocia, the agency organized an impeccable tour. It has been an experience that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone traveling there! Thank you!!
Thanks to Orhan and Emre we were able to discover the beauties of Istanbul with clear and complete explanations. Without them we could of course have accessed these sites, but without their explanations it would not have had the same charm We were able to avoid tourist traps, and visit places we would not have discovered without them Thank you again, and when we come back we will definitely call on you
I've enlisted the services of Emre and I have absolutely no regrets. We were 6 people. Emre Our French-speaking guide has made us discover the charms of Istanbul's old town: The ancient Roman racetrack with the Egyptian and Roman obelisks, the Saint Sofia Mosque, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar. Passionate about history and with a great sense of humor, we had a pleasant visit with him. I highly recommend it.😊
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