We could not have had a better day in Istanbul. We got off the HAL Oosterdam cruise ship, snaked our way thru the amazing Gagltaport terminal, and waiting for us was a smiling Esra, of Bonita Tours, holding a sign with my name on it. What a welcome site to start our day. Well, we were early but Esra was there. We had a quick meeting before we headed to the tram stop, and we explained what the tour itinerary was exactly what we wanted to see, and they we loved photography and would be stopping to take plenty of photos. We also explained that my wife had a bad knee, and did not do stairs well. Esra took that into account during the entire tour and was very helpful and supportive. It seemed that everywhere we went that our timing was perfect, and that's what happens when you have a professional guide who knows the city. You save so much time, are less stressed and get to see more. We also had skip the line priority where we needed to buy tickets. Esra had an incredible knowledge of every place we visited, and provided us with the level of detail we were looking for and was very patient with our photography. Every place we visited was amazing, but perhaps my favorite was the Basilica Cistern, as I have never seen anything like it anywhere else during my travels. During a late morning water/coffee break, she had arranged for us to meet Fatih Kalek, Bonita Tours Manager, whos office was close by. It was great to meet and thank Fatih, as he was so helpful in working with us to not only schedule this tour, but also our tours in Bodrum and Ephesus with Bonita private guides. Those tours were also outstanding. I cannot stress how important it is to have a knowledgeable, private guide in sites as busy as Istanbul. Then, to have one who is friendly and personable is a bonus. Thank you Bonita Tours for another great day! (Until we meet again.)
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lynnsB6123CE
October 9, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Amazing experience
An excellent tour with Emir as our guide.
A full day and very informative. Learnt so much about Istanbul and the Turkish culture.
Would recommend this tour to friends and family who visit Istanbul in the future.
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Pearse911
October 9, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Exceeded our expectations
Emir did what he said he would. He guided us through the various delights of Istanbul and exposed us to places we would never have found
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smithrs1
October 7, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
A must do experience in Turkey that few have done
Our trip to Edirne from Istanbul with Sedat as our guide was the most amazing day of architecture, history, and culture. I knew about the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (a recently restored UNESCO World Heritage site and Sinan’s self-described masterpiece), but Sedat crafted a personalized itinerary that added so much more. That said, experiencing Selimiye took our breath away. We have been blessed to experience the greatest structures from around the world and nothing moved us like the Selimiye Mosque. The lines were so graceful and the dome seemed to float. It was stunning.
When we were planning out trip, we wondered about investing a whole day to drive to Edirne and back from Istanbul. We also wondered what we would do in a vehicle for that long. We are so glad we didn’t let this stop us from going. The driver was fantastic and Sedat made the time fly by, with information not only about Edirne but the area along the way (Thrace) that gave us an excellent grounding to learn more and appreciate our experience in Edirne. It was so great to be picked up and dropped off at our hotel.
Prior to shifting his university studies to guiding, Sedat had studied Ottoman history, making him the perfect guide for our day. His knowledge went beyond the simple rote memorization of a script. He was able to make connections to history and cultural traditions unlike any other guide I have used. For example, there were a couple of Arabic-script inscriptions that I was curious about and he was able to translate the Ottoman Turkish for us. Incredible.
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graphismo
October 4, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
A great introduction to Istanbul & Turkish food
I was fortunate to be the only person on my food tour (Eating Like a Local: Learn about Diverse culinary Culture of Turkey) with Burek. He took me on an interesting food journey trying a whole array of Turkish food. Everything was a new experience and nothing like I had eaten at Turkish restaurants in the UK which was great. He was very well-informed and gave me lots of additional information about his city. I would definitely recommend this food tour as a great introduction to Istanbul and to see some of its different areas. Make sure to leave space to try everything!
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mariamsT4596IZ
October 3, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Very good
We were visiting Turkey from 24/09 - 04/10. We were in Turkey for 10 days. We had a very good experience. We booked with Fatih. He saw to our every need. From booking our accommodation, booking our domestic flights. He checked on us from time to time.
I was very happy with the services rendered to us and would highly recommend you to anyone in South Africa who would want to come visit Turkey.
Thank you
Mariam Seria
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Sightsee17216065486
October 3, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Istanbul day tour
Great tour. Emir was a knowledgeable and friendly guide.
Excellent day tour
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Trail26485516089
September 30, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
See and learn about historic Istanbul from a local expert.
With so much to see and do in Istanbul I’d highly recommend a private tour to ensure you hit all the highlights and benefit from all the knowledge and insights that a guide provides you.
Selecting a private tour means you can go at the speed that suits you, ask the questions you want answered, and tap
into the in depth knowledge and local experience your guide provides.
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470austraa
September 30, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Istanbul 1 day walking tour
This was a great one day whistle stop tour of Istanbul covering the main sights. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and happy to tailor the tour to our wishes.
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S9743MVmauriciof
September 28, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Knowing Istanbul and the impressive Bosphorus and
This travel was a very good experience, we know the Blue mosque, Soliman mosque, Santa Sofia mosque, Dolmabance Palace, Gran Bazar and Obelisk, we visited the Bosphorus , we enjoyed a lot , the service of the guide was very good, always attentive with us , we recommend the travel, it is very amazing to know Istanbul