Private Istanbul Highlights & Skip The Ticket Lines

Ali was beyond excellent, from beginning to end of our amazing tour. He is a great communicator and is passionate about Istanbul. He met us at our hotel exactly on time, was flexible with our interests and shared, without being at all pushy, to get us to the right shopping spots after he led us through the city’s historical venues. Should we be fortunate to again visit Istanbul, we would love to employ Ali again. Highly, highly recommend! PS it is worth mentioning that Ali was also very responsive in pre-tour communications via the Tours by Locals website!

Ali was great ! He was very accommodating and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our day with him in Istanbul and would recommend him.

Istanbul is an incredible, multi-faceted city that one could spend days exploring and still not scratch the surface. That said, there are a few items that absolutely must NOT be missed. Ali will make sure you not only see them, but that you see how much they mean to the people of Istanbul and to history itself. Starting early and going all day, Ali was a gracious and engaging host. Both knowledgeable and entertaining, he kept us fully immersed in this glorious city for 6+ hours. He took us to a fantastic family-run restaurant for lunch, got water for my mom when she started getting dehydrated, and made sure my folks got back to our hotel at the end of our tour, even when my husband, brother, and I decided to continue exploring on our own. My parents are aging (gracefully, I might add), and often need to slow down or navigate stairs and cobblestones with care. Ali was patient and kind, and filled any temporary stops with fascinating Turkish history and interesting facts. Thank you, Ali, for making our first day in Istanbul so perfectly memorable and taking care of my family.

Ali provided a well-organized walking tour, incorporating some public transportation along the way. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and spoke excellent English. We collaborated on what we wanted to see and were able to visit all the sites that were open on the day of our tour. Along the way, we gained insight into both the rich history of the area and the country’s current position on the global political stage. Overall, it was a comprehensive and educational experience—one we will never forget.

Kim A.United States

Ali was amazing!! We saw all the highlights and his historical explanation of all we were seeing was exceptional! Highly recommend Ali!

We had a fantastic time with Ali! He was so friendly and knowledgeable-he navigated us to all the top sights with ease and we beat all the crowds! He brought us to a wonderful lunch place and we really enjoyed our whole tour. He made what could have been a rough day of jet lag an unforgettable experience!