Uncover the best of Topkapi Palace the local Way

"We booked a three hour Istanbul introductory tour with Safiye. She met us right on time at Galataport. We took public transport to Sulthanamet via the tram. I booked specially because three in the group prefer Spanish and Safiye has a great working knowledge of the language, plus her English is excellent. We toured the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, and the Topkapi gardens, plus she provided tips to continue visiting Istanbul the next day (which was the last day as we were on a cruise). Safiye is very kind, personable, and patient, and deeply knows the city’s history and its landmarks. We very much enjoyed our time with her and highly recommend her if you are visiting Istanbul."

"We have mixed feelings for our private tour with Emre. Tour with him was like hanging out with a much younger old friend who you are able to have an honest conversation & joked around with without concerns of being judged. But we also know that unlike an old friend we can't call or message Emre to whine about life at odd hours of the night, hence the mixed feelings 😅. In the end, we just snapped out if and accept that Emre was an amazing tour guide with a perfect combination of warmth and professionalism. Loved his hidden gems which we came back to. Thank you Emre for your kind hospitality, you truly are a gracious host. Dave & Linda"

"Nihal was well versed in the history and gave us so much information. It totally enhanced our experience in Istanbul. She was obviously passionate about her city and infused us with her passion. She was also so personable and related with each of us on an individual level. I just can’t come up with enough to express our appreciation for such an incredible experience. "

"Met Kadir at the German Fountain, he asked us want we wanted and then gave us a good rundown of the history of Istanbul before visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Sistern.. managing to shortcut some of the queues which was great. Kadir had extensive knowledge of all 3 places and knew the best photo stops. We enjoyed our tour with Kadir."

"We spent a lovely day with Gulce touring the most famous sights in the Old City of Istanbul. She is extremely knowledgeable about the history and is able to present it in an approachable manner. Without her, we never would have appreciated was we were seeing. I am now a convert to taking a private tour! "

"I hope I can write a review that encourages someone to choose Abdullah. I now see why he is so popular!!! Friendly, funny and courteous. And!!!! Incredibly knowledgeable about the history and cultural intricacies of Istanbul and Turkey. More important, he is sensitive to his audience. He dials it up when there’s interest in the subject and knows when to move on when interest wanes. I would trust Abdullah’s suggestions and wisdom on anything Istanbul! It’s also obvious Abdullah’s kindness has gained many admirers around town. Store owners, food vendors, musuem staff all knew him by face and name and were so warm and welcoming to us by association. Can’t wait to return and spend another day with Abdullah. "

"Abdullah gave us a great tour of the old part of Istanbul. He was friendly, warm, funny and incredibly knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, learned absolutely loads and couldn't have got our trip to Istanbul off to a better start, thank you Abdullah!"

"Abdullah was absolutely fantastic. He didn’t stop with just the highlights of the city: he’s a huge history buff and was able to give us loads of great information and history associated with the sights, as well as the different periods & civilizations that preceded them. He also gave some wonderful restaurant suggestions tailored to our interests in local fare. Very highly recommended!"

"Esra is a lovely person. She is very knowledgeable about Istanbul and the culture and history of Turkey. She went out of her way to come to the port to meet us and took us on the tram to the centre. I would not hesitate to recommend her. "

"We truly enjoyed our time with Kadir Celal. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. Kadir helped us experience Istanbul in a way we could never have done on our own. We highly recommend him and would definitely book a tour with him again. "