Uncover the best of Topkapi Palace the local Way

"We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Esra as our city tour guide! We were a group of five friends from Germany, and she truly made our time unforgettable. Esra is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and her knowledge of the city is outstanding. She was able to answer every single question we had with ease and enthusiasm. What we appreciated most was her flexibility—she offered great suggestions and ideas but was never pushy, always adapting the tour to our wishes. A real highlight was when we ended the tour together in a cozy café, enjoying Turkish coffee and great conversation. Beyond the tour itself, Esra went above and beyond: she recommended an excellent restaurant near our hotel, called ahead for us, and even discussed a food intolerance with the manager to make sure everything would be perfect. She also suggested the ideal time for us to go so we could enjoy a beautiful sunset from the rooftop—and everything worked out flawlessly. Even after the tour, she checked in to make sure we were having a great time. You could truly feel how much she cares about her guests. We can wholeheartedly recommend Esra as a city guide—she is simply fantastic. Thank you so much for this amazing experience!"

"We had a truly wonderful day in Istanbul with our private guide, Cengiz. As a group of eight women, we telt completely at ease from the very beginning. His deep knowledge especially of the city's social and political history brought everything to life in a way that felt both engaging and effortless. We visited the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace the Basilica Cistern, and the Galata Tower area, and even navigated the tram like locals in 8hours. In the Grand Bazaar, Cengiz offered genuine insider access: introducing us to a renowned textile and costume merchant, guiding us through the gold jewelry street, and showing us a silversmith transforming raw silver into an ingot. We even stopped at a currency exchange to get a behind-the-scenes understanding of how it all works. Cengiz is warm, personable, and in perfect tune with the rhythm of the city. He also took us to a delicious lunch spot near the Grand Bazaar. Thanks to him, Istanbul felt vibrant, immersive, and full of character. I would highly recommend him as a private guide"

"We were so lucky to have Cengiz for our 2 days in Istanbul - he was amazing! We had originally booked him just for one day, but he was so wonderful we asked him to do another day with us. We were a family of 4 with daughters 19 and 22 and he totally got us all as a family and understood the kind of tour we wanted. I could feel him flexing and adapting the tour as he got to know us as a group more and more. It was raining for our trip to Istanbul but Cengiz made it not a problem at all, brought lots of energy and laughter and made it a real experience. He took us to all the big sites and his knowledge and bringing the buildings and stories to life was wonderful. But he also took us to the back streets, took us to local cafes we'd never have found ourselves for lunch, and told us about Turkish history, life today and the changes around. HE was our trip to Istanbul. He made the city come alive and we loved every moment. We highly highly recommend him - go and book him!"

"We were a group of 4 from UK and Australia. We booked online not knowing which guide to choose. We soon realised that we had hit the jackpot with Bulent! He was amazing!! Bulent's ability to understand what we needed in regards to the sights and the amount of detail and depth of information was fantastic! Bulent was a wealth of information but didn't overwhelm us, he answered all our questions, of which there were many, in a very thoughtful manner. Bulent has a great sense of humour which suited us all and the males in our group loved the banter. We visited the attractions we wanted to see and then Bulent took us to a great local cafeteria for a marvellous lunch. We were all incredibly impressed with Bulent's local and international knowledge. We all agreed that we had found the best tour guide in Istanbul. Thank you Bulent for such a great adventure and sharing your knowledge. Don't hesitate to book Bulent if you need a guide around this amazing city."

"My husband and I did three individual tours with Ugur as our personal guide. On our first day in Istanbul, we did the City Kickstart Tour & then on the following day, the Explore Topkapi Palace & Surrounds, as well as the Highlights & Hidden Gems of Istanbul. They were two days very well spent. Ugur is a highly professional, experienced and talented guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his city and his country’s history. He’s a fine storyteller with a sharp sense of humour and a quick wit. He’s also charming, personable and empathetic. He readily tailored the three tours to suit our special needs and interests. At the end of the two days, we felt we had a solid understanding of contemporary Türkiye and it’s magnificent past. We are so thankful we had such an exceptional guide and would unreservedly recommend Ugur to all. "

"We had a great time with Cengiz. He was prompt, thoughtful and interesting. He engaged with each member of our group individually as we were walking and talking, learning more about what we each wanted to see and do. He was flexible and continued to customize the tour as we went, with plenty of good stories, historical context and background information through the day. The full day city tour of Isatanbul highlights was a lot to see and do, and he kept us moving and learning without ever feeling like we were rushing around. It was also very appreciated that he had recommendations for our whole time in Istanbul, virtually providing support, recommending restaurants, calling contacts and generally helping to make the entire trip enjoyable. Thank you Cengiz!"

"We had an incredible experience using the Withlocals app for our tour in Istanbul. We booked the eight-hour tour with Gülce, and it was easily one of the highlights of our trip. She took us all around Istanbul and showed us so many of the iconic sights, but what really stood out was how knowledgeable she is. Gülce shared the history, culture, and stories behind everything we saw, which made each stop so much more meaningful. One of the best parts of the day was the food experience. She guided us through a fantastic local food tour where we got to try traditional dishes and flavors that we probably would have never discovered on our own. It gave us a real taste of the culture, not just the landmarks. Gülce also showed us hidden gems and spots around the city that you’d never find if you were exploring on your own. It felt less like a tour and more like exploring Istanbul with a knowledgeable local friend. If you’re planning a trip to Istanbul and thinking about booking a tour through Withlocals, we highly recommend requesting Gülce. It was an unforgettable day and an amazing way to experience the city."

"My son and I were visiting Istanbul for the first time, and Oguz understood the assignment. We hit the highlights of all the top spots, outlined us with deep dive activities to do on our own later through the week in each area. Pro tips, off the path food vendors, coffee shops... hands down the perfect tour after asking us a few questions and getting to know each other while touring the Blue Mosque. Would recommend him or a small or big group, sight seeing or cutlutural deep dive. He is a wealth of knowledge and pro!"