Small Group Full-day Istanbul Tour: Old City, Asian Side & Lunch

Old City portion was okay. Guide did not read his audience and walked too fast (and not just for older people). Rug shop was great but went on too long with them showing too many rugs for sale. Lunch was perfect but should have told us how much time we had as our table mates were not done eating. We had the after lunch Asian side tour and our morning guide tried to talk it out of it. Glad we did it as our afternoon guide was terrific. Right amount of information and made it very interesting. The driver to the Asian side and back to our hotel was very good.

It’s a great way to see the important highlights of Istanbul. Even driving in the van to pick up the other guests, at their hotels, gives you an appreciation for the city.

Absolutely fantastic full day tour. Shakir and Muzzafar were so accommodating, fun, and great story tellers! Would definitely recommend anyone to take this tour. I even got lost in the Grand Bazaar and they found me with no problem. Legends!

A great all day tour hitting all the main highlights in both the old city and the Asia side. Ali, our tour guide, was very informative, and shared great insights. A day well spent.

Beautiful experience, we will come back to Istanbul… Thank you for beautiful tours… The asian side & food tasting tour every one must try!!!

Ali was an outstanding guide, knowledgeable, helpful, approachable and just wants to make sure everyone has a great experience. When he says to walk a bit faster to beat the line ups you should listen as he was so right! We beat the lines and had a seamless experience. Sophia Hague for me was the highlight.

This was a great two part tour. Ali was our tour guide for both the European and Asia sides of Istanbul. He was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our questions. He deftly moved our group thru the many crowded stops.

We had an excellent time on this tour on 20 November, where we were a family group of 12 people. The guide allocated to us Mr Mehmet really was fantastic and full of knowledge. The booking process was really easy and Aras kept us informed and responded very quickly. A thorough enjoyable experience The tour was really good, informative and we tasted various delicacies. Unfortunately a Palace was shut on the day unexpectedly but Mr Mehmet quickly reorganised and made the day even better.

Wow! This is a great way to see a lot of Istanbul if you are short on time. We saw so much and were able to get a real overview of the main highlights of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque is stunning. The next we day we were able to independently wander around Istanbul, as now we had our bearings. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. We even enjoyed lots of free tastings. Thank you for a wonderful day.

Erm it was ok, far too much walking which wasn’t on the description. I went with my mum, if I knew we was walking pretty much for several hours, I wouldn’t have booked it as it’s not for the elderly. Great knowledge etc but the walking around was exhausting.

There were many Istanbul tours available and I selected Popular Tour due to their 5 star rating. The tour also included a local lunch with is unique. Among all the tours I've had in Turkey, this particular tour left the deepest impression, in a very positive way. Below are the pros, and I cannot think of any cons. 1. The hotel we stayed was not among the regular tour pick up points. As we were unfamiliar with the route to get to the meeting place, we were late. The bus driver was very accomodating and he was also very friendly when he finally sees us; i was concerned that he may be upset but that was not the case👍 2. Our tour guide Sakir (Mehmet Karadibek) was also the best guide we had in Turkey. He is knowledgeable, chill and friendly. He even brought us to a credible money changer when we needed one, and the exchange rate turned out to be the best we had come across. Sakir also conducted himself very professionally, and yet he is very approachable. He made us feel at ease and we enjoyed the tour a great deal. 3. Part of the tour include a visit to an expensive souvenir shop. It was really fun as there were catwalk models showing you the collection. The quality is very good but there is absolutely no pressure to purchase if you do not wish to. 4. The local lunch while was a simple meal, included salad, main course, drinks, dessert and tea. It was delicious and a meaningful way to experience Turkish cuisine. Overall, i would definitely recommend this tour, and I hope you get to have Sakir as your tour guide 😊

Was nice comprehensive and nice experience specially the guide mehmet sakir he was good and explaine everything with excellent background about historical stories

Absolutely amazing, the tour was hands down the highlight of our Istanbul trip. Ali Riza, our guide, was so authentic, engaging and funny. It didn't feel like this was his job, he felt like a friend giving us a tour with interesting facts and stories the whole way through. I loved being able to taste Simit, Kocorec, Turkish Yoghurt, Mussels, Turkish Chocolates. The flow of the tour was so easy, there's absolutely nothing I would change about it. Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

Istanbul is a fascinating city. We were on a cruise and only had a day to spend in Istanbul. Eight hours is truly not enough to spend in a city full of history, culture, and beauty. The good thing was we were in good hands. Mehmet Sakir was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about Turkey and beyond. Our family learned a lot about Turkey, plus more. We visited Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square, Grand Bazar, Spice Bazar, and many more. This tour includes a sumptuous local Turkish lunch. Sakir indulges us with great lunch in a traditional local Turkish restaurant. It was a lot and was so delicious. This was our first time having a genuinely Turkish meal, and our lunch was amazingly delicious. Besides giving us great insight about Turkey, Sakir took us to the best shopping places for souvenirs. The best souvenir food we took home was the Turkish delights. It was out of this world. Istanbul is still on my bucket list as we were not able to see many other interesting places due to time constraints. And I will definitely contact Istanbul Pupolar Travel, highly recommended. Thank you, Mehmet Sakir, for your kindness and hospitality!

We are a family of 8 and I'm the youngest in the family. My mom booked this for in Viator. I'm so glad that she found this company. My favorite part of our experience was the Hagia Sophia. Sakur, our very talented tour guide truly explained the history of this historical building. I highly recommend this tour and this company, well worth the money.

The entire booking experience from the time I booked with popular tour on viator was excellent. Got a prompt response on mail, text and follow-up call as well. The tour started on time despite traffic in Istanbul and special mention of our tour guides - Ali and Ahmad who shared some great info about the sites we visited as well as were fun to interact with and helpful. An enjoyable experience indeed with a nice, small group of fellow tourists. Besides, loved the Asia side of Istanbul.. beautiful and scenic. The berlerbeyi palace and camilca mosque were exquisite. Hagia Sofia is a marvel indeed but the blue mosque is undergoing restoration work - so couldn't really see much of it. Overall, a great experience!

This is my third tour while in Turkey and it was the most organized on time one. Ali the tour guide was very informative as well as helpful. Will definitely use the service again if I have Ali as the tour guide.

We just came back from Istanbul with great memories thanks to best tour guide Mehmet Sakir Karadibek ! He was very professional, extremely knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul and we learned so much from him. Not only that he was getting sure that my mom and her cousin were doing good as they are older, he went above and beyond to make everything perfect. He also heard about my moms birthday and he surprised her with cake , candles and Turkish coffee when we were visiting Camlica hill. I traveled all around the world but I never had such a great tour guide like Mehmet Sakir Karadibek ( Not only that he is amazing tour guide, he is also such a beautiful person inside and out) I already recommend him to my family and friends but I highly recommend him to anyone visiting Istanbul and can't wait to come back!

All the Tours were extremely well organised and always on time. In fact I noticed we never waited long if at all at any sites because we always arrived before the crowds. The tour guides are excellent they will answer your questions no matter how random and they always make sure you get the best pictures. The transfers to and from the hotel was superb.

good tour, very friendly guide, he is recommended