Tour guide in Istanbul Neslihan A.

Hi! I'm Neslihan, and Istanbul has been my classroom for nearly 20 years. I've been a licensed professional guide since 2008 — and I still discover something new every time I'm out with a guest. My background is a little unusual: I studied tour guiding, business, media communications, and history — two degrees, two diplomas. Then I pursued a master's degree at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences (HSLU) in Switzerland, which gave me a very different perspective. I learned how Western visitors think, what surprises them, and what they actually want to understand about a city like Istanbul. I also spent time in Argentina learning Spanish, which taught me that the best way to connect with people is through stories, not facts. When you're on tour with me, I won't recite dates and names. I'll tell you what was really going on behind the palace walls, why the city looks the way it does, and what the monuments meant to the people who built them. History doesn't have to feel like a lesson — it just needs the right storyteller. I'd love to show you my city. Let's make it a day you actually remember.