Best of Istanbul in 1 Day

Kemal provided an excellent mix of deep history, current cultural experience and humor! He calibrated the schedule of events over the course of the day to my daughter’s and my interests and energy levels. He provided a deep well of knowledge about the city including additional neighborhoods and sites we could visit on our own so that we could focus our day together on those places where we could best leverage his knowldege. We not only had a highly enlightening day together, we left with a roadmap of our next days of exploring the city. We highly recommend him to others!!

This was an excellent tour from start to finish. The communication before the tour was outstanding. The evening before, we received a WhatsApp message with all of the meeting details, including a short video showing exactly how to walk through the cruise terminal to the meeting point. On the morning of the tour, our guide, Dolu, introduced himself through WhatsApp and sent a friendly reminder to wear comfortable shoes and bring a scarf, which was much appreciated. Our group consisted of only four people, making the experience feel much more personal than a large bus tour. Dolu was knowledgeable, engaging, and had a wonderful sense of humor that kept the day enjoyable. He shared fascinating historical information throughout the tour while encouraging conversation and questions. Although no audio equipment was used, it wasn't necessary with such a small group, and we were able to hear him well throughout the day. The tour does involve a significant amount of walking, as described in the listing, so comfortable shoes are definitely recommended. Lunch was included and was both authentic and delicious. It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy local cuisine as part of the experience. The tour concluded at the Grand Bazaar, where Dolu took us to a shop he personally recommended. We appreciated being introduced to a local favorite and enjoyed sampling a variety of nuts and teas. My only suggestion for future visitors is to take your time before making any purchases and confirm prices beforehand. Like many busy markets around the world, the sales approach can be enthusiastic, so it's helpful to know exactly what you're buying before committing. One small suggestion for the tour itself would be to build in a scheduled restroom break about midway through the day. While I felt comfortable enough that I could have asked, I think proactively including a brief stop would make the experience even better, especially considering the amount of walking involved. Before our cruise, we had some hesitation about visiting Istanbul. After spending the day with Dolu, those concerns quickly disappeared. We felt comfortable and safe throughout the tour, and having a knowledgeable local guide allowed us to simply enjoy the incredible history, architecture, and culture of the city. Overall, this was a fantastic tour that combined excellent organization, a knowledgeable guide, delicious food, and a truly enjoyable small-group experience. We would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Istanbul.

It was a first time in istanbul. Our guide Kemal Aslan was awesome! He is so knowledge of history and culture. He has a good sense of humor as well. I had such a great time with new friends. Highly recommend!!

We had an amazing day with Kemal Aslan. He took us to all of the places on the list while making a few extra stops that we requested. He shared the history while throwing in humor to keep things from getting overwhelming. We HIGHLY recommend him for anyone looking for a guide who knows the subject but who is flexible enough to keep the tourist happy and engaged.

Great experience with excellent history

We booked this tour as an excursion from the cruise ship. In advance, we received a welcome message via WhatsApp with a detailed description incl. Photos and video to the meeting place, which we also found easily. There Kemal Aslan received us and accompanied us through the day. Actually a small group was planned but with the other visitors something came up so we were alone with Kemal. Kemal was very knowledgeable, he not only reeled off memorized texts, but also has extremely in-depth knowledge of the city, the sights and their history. He responded to our wishes and advised us well when it came to shops or other locations that interest us. During dinner or one or the other shopping he discreetly withdrew and gave us our time. Not like with other tours where you consistently look at the time and it's "going on in 15 minutes". On the paths between the sights there was also time for a small talk or two. Kemal has made Istanbul a great experience for us, therefore 100% recommended!

Super interesting and varied day with a guide who is very knowledgeable about regional history. Kemal Aslan is probably the best guide we ever worked with anywhere. Friendly and knowledgeable, he adapted the tour to our interests, showed us the unexpected and went above and beyond. Thanks!

We had a really amazing guide and it was a great way to learn the history / architecture of Istanbul. Highly recommended.

I don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to write this one because we had such a great experience. Kemal Aslan with City of Sultans met us at the Galaport terminal entrance and we took a small bus to the Hippodrome area. We then visited the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar in the morning. After a traditional Turkish lunch which was awesome, we visited a cistern and explored Topkapi Palace in the afternoon. Kemal is so knowledgeable about these site's and explained things in great detail. He speaks superb English and is also fluent in Chinese and knows Russian. He has his Master's degree in East Rome history. Kemal encouraged questions and I learned so much. He is the best guide we've ever had. We plan to look him up when we're back in 2027.

Baris was fantastic! I had an amazing time on the tour and learned a ton and saw a lot of cool sight around Istanbul. Baris was informative, funny, and a great tour guide! Definitely would recommend.