So much to do....so little time. Istanbul is a gorgeous city, where the East meets West and results…read morein a multitude of colors, cultures and people... but conquering it within 48 hours is no mean challenge! Enter Walks in Istanbul. Our two day 'Highlights of Istanbul' tour with Walks in Istanbul and our guide Ebru was one of the best decisions we made during our short Istanbul trip. Here's the lowdown: Ebru gave us a precise directions on where to meet and the meeting point was easy to find. She also communicated with us two days before confirming the itinerary and other details. Ebru has a fantastic sense of humor, is warm and a virtual powerhouse when it comes to Istanbul. We loved our time with her - she was patient when we wanted to take a dozen pictures in the same spot, but also managed to herd us along and made sure we stuck to our schedule. We were a small of group of four and this was a really personalized tour, unlike being shepherded in a group of people on a shuttle or bus. We walked around Sultanahmet soaking in the sun and sights and took the tram/train when we had to get from point A to B. All this added to our experience of getting to know the city intimately and get a local flavor. On Day 1 of the tour we started with the Hippodrome and then visited the Ayasofya, followed by the Underground Cistern. After lunch we did the Bosphorus cruise and the Spice Bazaar. Day 2 was reserved for the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. My favorite parts of the tour with our guide were the Ayasofya, the Cistern, lunch at Hamdi restaurant and the Blue Mosque of course. Observations and comments: * We were given enough time to soak in both the Ayasofya and the Basilica Cistern and loved every minute of it. * The Blue Mosque felt a tad rushed (barely 15 minutes) and would have liked some more time to soak in the brilliance of this splendid piece of history. * Topkapi palace IMHO could have been a shorter visit - I felt dedicating 5 hours to it was a bit too much ...I understand it's an important pit stop, but I would have liked Ebru's expertise a bit more to navigate the complicated labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar. * At the end of each day Ebru left us at one bazaar - 1st day the tour ended at the Spice Bazaar & the next day at the Grand Bazaar. After giving tips and tricks to navigate both, most guides leave you to do your own thing. If you want more of their time or have specific questions - ask or make a list beforehand so you can maximize within the given time. * Lunch at Hamdi restaurant on Day 1 was excellent - the food, service and views were all beyond par. It was a great choice for vegetarians as well. * With a lot of other walking tour companies the entrance fee to major attractions and lunch is included. With Walks in Istanbul it's not. To sum up, none of this detracted us from enjoying or getting the complete essence of Istanbul's major highlights. While I was debating on which tour company to choose, I did email a few other before picking this one. Arzu, the owner and proprietor of this company was always prompt to respond and infinitely patient with all the hundred questions we had... she also sent in a detailed helpful list of 'Useful Hints to the City' and these small details went a long way. Splendid experience over all.

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I'll start with WOW and go from there. I've done a few of the free walking tours with the…read moreSandeman's folks and they did a great job in Edinburgh and Prague but they're not in Istanbul so I turned to Yelp and found these folks. Meeting by the Cistern, we walked a solid 20,000 steps (according to my Fitbit) through a half dozen of Istanbul's best known sites including the Topkapı Sarayı, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. Along the way, we made several stops and there were a good number of spots where our super tour guide gave us time to explore on our own. When she led us around, she had constant knowledge of the sites and the city of Istanbul and of Turkey. A vast and deep knowledge. I was impressed. Our tour was well organized and well run. The lunch spot was excellent. A couple of tips. - Bring a backpack and a bottle or two of water. - An umbrella is a good idea as the tour runs even if it's raining. - Sunscreen! - Comfortable walking shoes that have a good tread. Istanbul's streets are smooth stone and you don't want to slip and fall. - For the Blue Mosque, you'll be expected to dress appropriately. There are free head coverings. - Extra batteries for your phone/camera. You will take a lot of pictures in six hours! - Pay attention to the meet up spots after the self-exploration. A certain Yelper *cough* Bruce K. *cough* got himself separated from the tour and was nearly stuck on his own until he spotted the green umbrella!

In the past year I've had some pretty fun adventures all over the USA, in China, Korea, Australia,…read moreNew Zealand, Canada, Germany, the UK, Spain, the UAE, and now Istanbul. While I've had a lot of fun in all those places, I can say unequivocally that my Istanbul Classics small group tour with Metin has been the best $90 USD I have ever spent on any activity in any of those places. If you are considering a tour of Istanbul and questioning whether you should do it with Daily Istanbul Tours, with some other tour organizer, or on your own, I can assure you that the best decision will be to book with DIT and be sure to request Metin as your guide. I won't bore you with details of the sites we saw, since you can get all of that information from their website. What I'll do instead is share a little about why this tour ended up being the highlight of our holiday: * It's easy enough to find and get into the sites, but there is so much information out there about them that it's really hard to distill it all into useful material. Metin is an expert on each site and knows exactly what the most interesting and relevant details are; he'll definitely help you make the most of your time at each place you go. Going on our own would be been stupid; we would have wasted hours wandering around, not really knowing what the more significant parts were or what we were looking at, etc. With so little time and so much to see, it was important to use our time efficiently, which we definitely did. * There can be something intimidating about being in a foreign country, especially if you are easily recognizable as a foreigner, don't speak the language, and aren't traveling with a group. Spending a day with Metin lets you truly relax and focus on the amazing sites without having to constantly watch your back or worry about getting screwed (which is a concern in any major city). With Metin, there's no pressure to buy any random crap, no worries about cultural faux-pas, and nobody bothering you at all when they see you are with him. If someone does approach you, he will dispatch them quickly. * Whatever random questions you have, I guarantee Metin will be able to answer them. Want to know what material a wall was built from? Metin knows its chemical composition. Want to know what year a building was constructed? He can tell you when each part of it was created, how long it took, how it was made, who made it, how many times it has been destroyed, where the materials came from, etc. Curious about some Turkish or Islamic history? Metin knows the years, the people, the hows, and the whys. And don't worry about being able to understand him and communicate easily; his English is fantastic, with a slight British accent on some words, which is an extra bonus for us Americans who don't get to hear real English very often * Metin is very personable and took a sincere interest in making sure we had the best possible time in Istanbul. When I mentioned that I really wanted to smoke some narguile, he made sure we were able to get some after our lunch. While we were hanging out at the café, several of his friends happened to be passing by or were around, so he introduced us to all of them and we ended up having some very interesting conversations. We had such a great time on the tour but didn't have any plans later for our last night in Istanbul, so Metin invited us to meet up with them later since they would be hanging out along Istiklal near our hotel. We ended up spending another few hours together that evening and into the early morning hours talking about all sorts of interesting topics, exploring some really fascinating areas that we would otherwise have missed, and meeting more people. This was advertised as a 4 to 6-person small group tour, but due to the season and perhaps people's irrational fears about coming to Turkey, it ended up just being me, my dad, and Metin. This definitely helped contribute to the awesomeness of the experience, but I have no doubt that a group of any size would get great value out of a tour with him as well. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Daily Istanbul Tours and Metin for making our trip to Turkey so memorable.

Although Semih could personally give me a tour, he set up a perfect personal tour for me. All…read morethe arrangements were made from the United States via e-mail. His communication was excellent. He even provided me with a map of the airport and a photograph of the gate I was supposed to meet his guide. Every detail was planned for me. The guide was great. I felt that I had a person friend walking me through his personal haunts. Not only did we visit the significant usual sites, but he took me for Turkish coffee at his favorite place and for kebabs. My only regret was that I wasn't able to spend more time in Istanbul. When I come again, I would definitely have Semih plan a more thorough and longer tour for me.

Semih was my tour guide for about four hours as we walked around old and new Istanbul. During the…read moretour, we covered a significant amount of ground as he showed me some of Istanbul's true hidden treasures- such a beautiful Armenian church hidden just out of view and a historic theater where I will be catching a whirling dervish performance tomorrow night. He is knowledgable of both distant and recent history as well as modern social issues and politics. He can customize the tour based on your needs and availability. I'd highly recommend contacting him if this is your first visit to Istanbul or if you'd like to find new areas to discover. Enjoy Istanbul while you're here!

Want to design your own custom tour of Istanbul? Ensar of Istanbulday will introduce you to the…read morehistory, the flavors and the charm of what makes Istanbul such an amazing city. Spread between two continents, Europe and Asia, it was challenging to decide what to see and do in a city that has so much to offer. We already had tours scheduled for the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Grand and Spice Bazaars, and a cruise on the Bosphorus. Ensar was so patient and gave our family a framework for two fantastic, and very different, days. On our first day, we visited royal palaces and more. It is important to know what is open and when to visit. We visited Dolmabahçe Palace (closed on Mondays) and Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays) on a Sunday. It was so nice to skip the lines and experience the palaces that defined very different Ottoman times at the beginning and towards the end of a very long empire. We also visited an underground mosque (Yeralti Camii), walked along İstiklal Caddesi, learned about water supply for the city at Taksim Square, and saw Sent Antuan Bazilikasi, the Roman Catholic Church where Pope John XXIII preached for a decade as the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey. Our second day focused more on the three religions that coexist in Istanbul. Started with a visit to Balat Ahrida Synagogue which predates the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. Amazing to visit a synagogue that has been in continuous use for around 600 years. Walking through the Balat Jewish Quarter, we were also able to see other synagogues, historic libraries, hospitals and even a doctor's office building. Meandering through the neighborhood led us to our next stop, Chora Church. This medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church is covered with some of the oldest and best preserved mosaics and frescoes in the world. Amazing to see the biblical story unfold in the stunning mosaic art. The next stop was the Ottoman imperial Süleymaniye Mosque and complex which attracts both visitors and worshippers. Designed by Mimar Sinan, it is an architectural masterpiece. This was definitely a highlight of the day. We also visited the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews and the Neve Shalom synagogue. Interesting to learn about the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish Sephardic Jews to the Ottoman empire. Took a ferry across the Bosphorus to see Bet Yaakov in the Kuzguncuk area on the Asian side. Interesting to see a synagogue, a mosque and a church within one block of each other. Throughout the day, it was fun to sample simit (Turkish bagels) from a red cart street vender, eat dondurma(Turkish ice cream) with a knife and a fork, and take a break at Cafe in Balat for a Turkish Tea. Loved how we were able to use transportation like the metro, trams, the funicular and ferries to see the city like a local. Ensar will definitely treat you like family as he shares the sights, sounds, history and delicious tastes of the beautiful city of Istanbul with you.

Fed up with lazy time on the beaches of Marmaris and with long tours fixed by local agencies to get…read moreme to the "doors" of sightseeings, I was finally lucky to find myself in the charming city nowadays called Istanbul. Of course there are many many things to see and to admire, especially in case you are at least a little bit interested in history. But the most important thing, at least for me... Istanbul has the particular and very unique magic which we chased with Ensar like without any noticed effort however thanks to his great and kind knowledge of this fantastic city. Switching from East to West side of its life, from past up to the present, from luxury restaurants to "Balik" (fish) bistros, astonished by such a place of interest as e.g. Hagia Sophia where gained humbleness changes in the night easily into the self-confidence in local low level pubs... Thanks Ensar! Missing all of it...

Pros: prompt, fluent English, internet & iPads in vehicles, helpful, professional, luxurious, new…read morelocal business Cons: needs to be arranged in advance Good for: business travel, tourist travel, groups, hotel-airport shuttle, local knowledge of Istanbul. I just got back from my friend's wedding in Turkey. The bride arranged airport pickup because the airport is far outside the city, I'd never been to Istanbul before, and I wanted to make sure I could land and start doing things right away instead of struggling to figure out the local transit. Aytac (pronounced "Eye-Touch"), the owner of Transmetropolis was waiting right outside of customs with my name on an iPad, and called my name as soon as I walked out the door. (He looked up an online photo!) Aytac helped me exchange money and get me a Turkish number for my cellphone before we left the terminal. His driver, Bahadir ("Ba ha") was waiting for us outside in their luxurious custom black Mercedes van. After 16 hours of travel it was so nice to relax in the cool air conditioning, and email my family from their iPads to let them know I was safe and my new Turkish cellphone number. On the drive, Aytac and Bahadir were very candid about where to visit, and what is going on in Turkey when I asked. Two days later, Aytac & Bahadir picked me up on their way to the airport to meet my girlfriend. On the way to the airport I saw Aytac using his phone to track where her flight was and the estimated arrival. While we waited for her to get through customs, Aytac told me how long people usually take to come out, and which flights have been arriving early recently. (I think my girlfriend's flight landed about 20 minutes early) I really hate taxis or shuttles that are late or unreliable, so it was a big comfort to see how important it was to them that we were early. It took me several days in Istanbul before I figured out the public transit system, and some of the transfers were still a little tricky, so using a shuttle was the way to go. My friend, the bride, used them to arrange other pickups and drop-offs as well, and the rest of the group also commented on how nice the pickup was (whether they just slept or wanted to learn about local culture during the ride). Overall, our experience with Transmetropolis was smooth, easy, and very comfortable. Relaxing with them helped me hit the ground running the afternoon after long international flights, instead of struggling to find a taxi or use public transportation. Their English was superb. Born in Turkey, Aytac went to school in the United States. The driver, Bahadir, also spoke German. I was impressed with their prompt service, English, the internet and iPads in the vehicle, and knowledge of Istanbul. Edit: I should mention that their van is bigger than a Taxi. I think maybe up to 8 passengers could fit, so this would be a good option for a small group dealing with the "larger than one taxi" problem.

From the owner: Transmetropolis delivers punctual and dynamic urban traveling services that are also flexible, for…read morethe best customized travel experience in Istanbul. - Airport Transfers - Shopping Tours - City Tours - Ski Resort Transfers - Seminars - Organizations - Events - Weddings - Anniversaries - Valentine's Day

Ok, where do I start in saying thank to Gonca and her staff at at Culinary Backstreets in Istanbul,…read moreTurkey. This trip, tours, food exposure, history lessons and suggestions deserve the highest praise I can give. I have never used this company before, but feel not booking them on future endeavors would be shame on me. The thought that we went to a Jewish breakfast at a families house, the walking through neighborhoods that our guides had personal relationships with the vendors, the food markets and sampling fresh fruits / veggies, the tour of a small farm and breakfast under the farmer's mulberry trees, made this this an intimate experience in a different culture and allowed us to see the Turkish people in their surroundings. A chartered yacht on the Bosphrorus River was another highlight. Being a small group of only 12, coupled us with others of similar interests. The tour did give us ample time to explore areas on our own. The two half days of cooking with a well published Turkish chef, Ozlem Warren was a treat. Always being their to answer questions, point us in the right direction, helping us with spice markets to avoid, airport transportation or immediate medical needs, left us with minimal worries. The first nights dinners was a total show stopper and a phemonal way to kick off our journey. The master making homemade baklava and sitting tableside with the pit master for kabobs was definitely memorable and delicious. I felt like we saw real Istanbul and it's beauty with the people's spirit and culture. Gonca, Ugur and the team completely exceeded expectations. The value here is definitely undervalued for what you get. If you are traveling in Istanbul, you must call Culinary Backstreets to organize your adventure. Gonca, Ugur and the team will make it your best trip ever. These individuals and organization will make Istanbul a memorable experience. A sincere and heart felt, thank you.

Kadir was a superb guide. Small group of great people and lots of interesting facts and brief stops…read morein addition to the food tastings. Wonderful surprises at every stop. A bit longer than anticipated--6 hours, but worth every minute.