Reviews

Salih was an outstanding guide for this walking tour through Fener, Balat, and the old Greek and Jewish quarters. His knowledge of the neighborhoods' history was impressive; he brought the streets to life with stories about the different communities that shaped this part of Istanbul over the centuries. He was engaging, spoke excellent English, and clearly loved sharing his city with visitors. He also gave us great tips for exploring on our own afterward. Highly recommend this tour, and ask for Salih if you can. He made the experience truly memorable.

Exploring Balat in Istanbul was easily one of the highlights of my trip. The tour brought this historic neighborhood to life with its colorful streets, charming old houses, and deep cultural history. Walking through the narrow alleys felt like stepping back in time, with every corner offering something unique, from vibrant cafes to hidden churches and local artisan shops. What really made the experience special was the guide. They were incredibly knowledgeable, sharing stories about the neighborhood's diverse past, including its Jewish, Greek, and Armenian influences. It wasn't just sightseeing, it felt like understanding the soul of the area. I also loved how authentic Balat felt compared to more touristy parts of Istanbul. It's a perfect mix of history, culture, and everyday life. If you're looking for something beyond the typical attractions, this tour is absolutely worth it. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Istanbul, especially if you enjoy photography and history.

The tour was wonderful. Onder Denker is an excellent guide, kind, attentive, and he explains how other peoples, such as the Greeks and Jews, have been part of Istanbul's history. The Fener and Balat neighborhoods, with their hillsides and colorful houses, are delightful. The stop to have tea and a traditional dessert was wonderful. Having a guide on this tour is essential, as it's the only way to learn about the history of the area, including the churches we visited. I highly recommend it!

Une visite au top Superb experience! Our guide was outstanding, and the tour was absolutely fascinating. We loved every minute of it. To top it all off, we were treated to a lovely cup of tea at the end, such a thoughtful gesture. Without a doubt, this was one of the best guided tours we have ever had.

Incredible walking tour, just do it This was an incredible tour packed full of insights and history of the city of Istanbul. The tour was set at a really easy and enjoyable pace with so much to take in, lots of variety and an absolute highlight for my stay in Istanbul! I would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in history, early settlement, identity and culture including architecture and just getting acquainted with the real side of Istanbul along the way.

Perfect afternoon tour in Istanbul, loved it Excellent half day tour of 4 of the major sites of Istanbul. My guide, Beyhan, was very friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating and fun. She explained everything about each stop in detail. The tour moved at just the right pace. We ended with stopping for coffee and tea at a local coffee house and then walking through the Grand Bazaar. Highly recommend.

Perfect tour, could not have been better Best tour guide ever. She, Karacebeyhan, was very profound concerning all historical items and she was a friendly and joyful person. Her English was very good, so we, as German tourists, could understand everything without problems. Thank you for the time being with us!

Historical tour with a local guide Omer from My Local Guide was extremely knowledgeable about all the locations visited on the tour. He has his masters in the Ottoman Empire and is a wealth of knowledge. The pace of the tour was appropriate for the hot day. He took us to the old section of the Grand Bazaar which has makers rather than just sellers, which I found very interesting.

Amazing walking tour, 100 percent recommend Visiting from the states. Awesome tour! Guide was very knowledgable with the history and culture of the city. Group was 4 people, so much more manageable and intimate. Timed everything perfectly around the prayer times. Would 100 percent recommend.

Istanbul day cruise It was a great experience! We were on a cruise and only had a day in Istanbul and they were extra flexible with our arrival and departure time. The guide was very knowledgeable and made sure we hit all the must see spots while also recommending great food! My coworker recommended this tour and I am very grateful she did because it was totally worth it!

Excellent tour of Istanbul sites Omar was a terrific guide. He had a great knowledge of the history of all the sites and explained everything in detail. We especially loved stopping for coffee at the local coffee house. He even helped us get the best price at the Grand Bazaar. A great tour.

Yum Great first day in Istanbul exploring different areas and the local food. Burak was very knowledgeable, shared a lot of history over the day. Highlight was food markets on the Asian side, away from the tourist areas, very authentic and vibrant. Our guide went above and beyond helping us orient to the city, and helped us with planning the next few days too. Highly recommend.

Exceeded expectations Binnur was a wonderful tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and provided a lot of facts about the food and Turkiye as a whole. The tour was very well paced and never felt rushed. This was our favorite food tour we have done in our travels thus far.

Best tour ever We had a fantastic time wandering and eating our way through Istanbul. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, not only about food but about the history of Istanbul. We tried food on the European side and on the Asian side of Istanbul, some quiet neighborhood restaurants and some bustling markets which were lots of fun. Also had a tour through the Spice Market. I really cannot say enough about what a wonderful tour this was! The only downside was we were so full we only ate half of our dessert!

Experience the local flavours of Istanbul on a first class food tour This is a very worthwhile experience that was well organized and fun and expertly lead by Burak our local tour guide and leader. We contacted ahead of time via Whatsapp, then were met on time and in the location specified. The tour group was only 3 so we were especially looked after. The explanations given and food locations visited were all great as was the tasty food. So do not eat breakfast before doing this tour as it starts with a full typical Turkish breakfast and then just keeps going. Coffee, tasty snacks, lunch and dessert were all part of wandering local markets, small restaurants, just like a local would. Also 2 ferry rides and great conversations with Burak made this tour an extremely memorable one. I rate it 10 out of 10 and a must do.

Onder was the best Onder was amazing! Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was our favorite experience in Istanbul! It started with breakfast, where we had red lentil soup that was so delicious, I have already made it here at home since we returned. Onder was so knowledgeable and interesting, we learned so much and had such delicious food and fun! We took the ferry to the Asia side of Istanbul, walked and met kind and friendly locals. There was a lot of walking but completely manageable because it is broken up into shorter increments. I highly recommend this experience and if you can ask for Onder, you will be so glad you did. Have fun!

Wonderful day We had the best day in Istanbul, all thanks to our wonderful guide Beyhan. We were able to see a lot in just a few hours and cannot wait to come back! Beyhan was able to work with our requests to see certain sites and skip others and she even took us to a restaurant for lunch! The only thing to note is that the driver on the way back to the airport drove a bit too fast, so that can be improved upon. But the tour itself was phenomenal and I would highly recommend it if you have a layover in Istanbul.

Wonderful day in Istanbul This was my second experience with this company. Beyhan was such a lovely tour guide. Sweet, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I had a great time at Hagia Sophia, both Bazaars, loved the Bosphorus ferry ride and experiencing the city on both sides. Very happy with pick up and drop off at the airport. Highly recommend.

After purchasing, the tour operator contacted me right away via Whatsapp. The pickup at the airport was quick and efficient. I was dropped off and met by my guide at the city center for the walking tour. Omar was excellent, with a wealth of knowledge of history of Istanbul. Overall a great experience and definitely recommend.

A must do Amazing guide who was extremely knowledgeable. He made it easy to customise my trip around my timeframe and location. Everything was very easy to book and get sorted. I just had to show up at the designated time. Highly recommend!

Exceptional tour, makes you feel like a local My Local Guide Istanbul provided an exceptional tour by a knowledgeable and friendly guide that was individualized to my needs and preferences and in doing so far exceeded my expectations! I have taken other layover tours in different cities but never had such an incredible experience. I learned more and had more fun than on any other tour during an experience that made me feel like I was a local for the day. I cannot emphasize enough how highly I recommend booking this tour!

One of the best tours of a 14 day visit Our experience honestly couldn't have been better! Omer guided us through Topkapi Palace, the Harem, the Eunuch's quarters, and Hagia Irene. As history buffs, we were completely drawn in by how much he knew and the way he shared it. He didn't just list facts, he told stories, added context and details, and made everything so much more interesting. His sense of humor and easygoing personality made the whole tour even more enjoyable. We could tell Omer is someone who genuinely loves what he does. We loved everything about Topkapi Palace and felt this tour was worth every penny.

Beautiful palace This was my first time visiting Topkapi palace. I had been to Istanbul 6 times and have always wanted to see this place. Our guide Omer was very knowledgeable and an amazing guide! Thank you for showing us this beautiful palace!

A window into the everyday world of the Ottoman sultans Omer, the guide, shared lots of fascinating knowledge about the Topkapi palace and the world of the Sultans and the Ottoman Empire. The tour provides a window into the everyday world of the sultans' household. Was really worthwhile.

This is the tour to book You could not have asked for a better tour of the palace. Our guide took us through the entire complex explaining everything we were seeing and gave us a flavor of what life was like in that time. He also was able to take us to the areas that normally get busy before the crowds got there. Since we were the only ones on the tour he was kind enough to help us get a transportation card so we could use the tram system. He was also kind enough to help some other confused tourists having trouble with the machines. He then took us to a local eatery off the main road that had good food. He also showed us what other food places have and explained what was in the dishes. He also gave us tips on when to go to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia to avoid some of the crowds. The entire experience was everything we could have hoped for and more. After the tour we felt very comfortable to explore on our own. I highly recommend this tour and these guides.

Hidden gems of Istanbul Salih was very knowledgeable and even though the weather was atrocious, it was snowing and raining, he took us to the hidden gems of Istanbul and kept us engaged and warm. We really recommend him!

Be surprised Firstly my guide Salih Batkin was really a great, calm, knowledgable, friendly person. Easy to talk to and answer questions. We went to off the beaten track mosques, neighbourhoods and past authentic butcher shops and restaurants. Tasted 2 authentic brewed drinks you don't see in the main area. I think this is a really good tour to see Istanbul life in the suburb. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A glimpse of the non touristy Istanbul We travelled by tram toward the university district, and started our tour of non touristy parts of Istanbul to see some lesser known but equally historically important mosques, a Women's market, the aqueducts, a small significant shop to try some boza and ended at a magnificent viewpoint. Denker was a knowledgeable and engaging guide. Great to get out of the hub-bub to where people who aren't servicing tourists live and work.

Boza-mazing This was a really nice tour, and I'm very pleased I went on it. The regular sites were impressive, such as the Zeyrek Mosque and Monastery of the Pantokrator, the Aqueduct of Valens and the Sehzade Mosque. It was good to have an interesting little break to taste the local boza, and a buryan lunch was very tasty and filling, you certainly won't need a big dinner later. As a Byzantine history fan, I was also appreciative of the fact that we were able to include the Bodrum Mosque and Monastery of the Myrelaion in the programme.

A great walking tour A lovely, leisurely walking tour through some of Istanbul's less visited sights. Salih was a wonderful guide and host, very enjoyable!

The best way to discover the local areas is with a local Our guide, Burak, was very accommodating! We were running very late with delayed flights and a traffic jam. He kindly suggested we come the following night. Thank you! We would have hated to miss it. We spent most of the time on the Asian side, which was fascinating. It was a truly local experience. Busy but not crowded with tourists, so not hectic. And the local food was all delicious. We were so grateful to be shown around by a local rather than tackle it on our own.

Great tour, fun and a great dinner Great experience! We did it on a Friday evening and our guide was fantastic! We made so many stops and we were stuffed after the fourth stop! Definitely worth the price, includes ferry ride to the Asian side and back! Loved this tour!

A delicious and informative evening Burak was a wonderful tour guide. He provided some really great info on the area, local scene and history of Istanbul. We were super hungry since we skipped lunch and we were very well fed by the end. We had some really great food: pickled veggies in pickle juice (who knew this would be so tasty?), deli platter with several dips, rice stuffed mussels, Lahmacun (my absolute favorite), Iskender meat with hot butter poured on, Turkish coffee and tea, and Kunefe and ice cream for dessert. It was a wonderful experience where we tasted some great food and learned some good history. Some of these things we probably never would have tried on our own. This tour gave us the opportunity to try several things and all 4 of us tried everything. I would highly recommend this food tour with Burak.

Learn about authentic Turkish food for your whole trip Wow! What a variety of delicious foods! Also, I am writing this days later and can say with 100 percent certainty that what we learned about Turkish authentic foods served us well for our entire trip! Well, well done tour.

Peak experience for our trip What an experience! From meeting Burak at the pier early we started a whirlwind tour of the history of Istanbul, cultural influences, local insight, travel tips, and that was all before taking a bite! Burak had so much knowledge and best of all delivered it with an easy manner and a splattering of humour! The food was so different, from lamb sandwich to pickles to local goat and sheep cheese wrapped in pastrami. Served with local tips on what to drink for digestion. If you are nervous to enter a food shop for fear of not knowing what to ask for, this tour is for you. Advice on what is best from the local. Thanks so much Burak, we will be back!

Our guide, Salih was great. He never ducked a question. He also did a great job of not letting one person garner all of his time. A very good friend had him as her leader, she said exactly the same thing.

Salih made this trip. He is exceptional at what he does, a true natural. The entire group felt comfortable asking questions of our leader. He is knowledgeable, friendly, fun, caring and a professional. We all felt like we had made a great friend.

Salih is an excellent tour leader and his experience, commitment and passion for Turkey and his role as tour leader really stood out. I think the whole group came away with a solid understanding and real connection to Turkey thanks to Salih.

Salih was very organised, professional but also very approachable. He loves his country and takes pride in showing its many facets to visitors. He was also caring of the group's needs.

We were so fortunate to have a Turkish born and bred leader. Salih gave us a wonderful insight into the country he loves. Nothing was a bother, and it made for a very happy group.

Salih is a brilliant leader who knows how to make his group interested in learning and knowing more about the country. A really interesting way to meet people and to learn about a country.