Istanbul Essentials For First Timers

We had a wonderful trip of Istanbul with a very detailed story telling from our guide and we learned a lot about the city. I think he’s very flexible, very knowledgeable and I highly recommend anyone who wants to learn about Istanbul.

We (a group of 25 people) spent a full day exploring Istanbul with Unsal on a walking sightseeing tour covering the city's major attractions. He was knowledgeable, well prepared, and adapted the tour to our interests and pace. Before our trip, he was responsive to our questions and remained available afterward when we reached out for additional advice, which we appreciated. Throughout the tour, he was kind, approachable, and easy to talk to, creating a pleasant experience for our group. Overall, we enjoyed the tour and would recommend Unsal to travelers looking for a private guide to discover Istanbul's main sights.

Tour was great. Very knowledgeable, fun guide and added much to the experience of understanding the history and culture of this great city.

We spent a full day exploring Istanbul’s Old City with Unsal together with my British guest. We visited Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice Bazaar. Unsal made the day truly unforgettable. His knowledge of Istanbul’s history was exceptional, but what impressed us most was that he went far beyond the standard tourist information. He shared fascinating hidden stories, symbolism, architectural details, and historical insights that we would never have discovered on our own. It made the entire experience incredibly engaging and enriching. He was professional, kind, patient, and passionate about what he does. His excellent English and ability to explain complex historical topics clearly made a huge impression on my British friend, who thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the tour. If you’re looking for a guide who is knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely passionate about Istanbul, I couldn’t recommend Unsal more highly Thank you so much Unsal!

He was very prompt, ambitious, extremely knowledgeable. Really enjoyed his company.

Istanbul is an incredible city on its own, but exploring it with Unsal made the experience unforgettable. From the moment our tour began, he brought every site to life with his deep knowledge, engaging stories, and genuine passion for the city’s history and culture. He guided us through iconic landmarks including the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, the Grand Bazaar, and even the atmospheric underground Basilica Cistern—famous for its appearance in the James Bond film From Russia with Love. At each stop, Unsal shared detailed insights that helped us appreciate not just what we were seeing, but the centuries of history behind it. What made the day even more special were the thoughtful touches he added along the way. He led us to a beautiful courtyard café for a relaxing break, and later to a traditional restaurant where we enjoyed an authentic Turkish lunch—places we never would have found on our own. Unsal was friendly, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. His storytelling made the city’s past feel vivid and alive, and his enthusiasm was infectious. If you’re visiting Istanbul and want a guide who truly elevates the experience, I can’t recommend Unsal highly enough.

Our tour of Topkapi Palace was unforgettable, entirely thanks to our incredibly knowledgeable and humorous guide. He brought the Ottoman Empire to life with fascinating details on art, architecture, and court life that we would have otherwise missed. We loved how personalized the tour was; he tailored it to our interests, walked at our pace, and enhanced the storytelling with historical documents and photos. His care extended well beyond the tour itself, he gave us an authentic local restaurant recommendation and even helped us navigate the area afterward to shop. I truly believe there is no better guide in Istanbul!

Our tour of Topkapi Palace was absolutely exceptional, and it was entirely thanks to our guide, Unsal. He was incredibly knowledgeable and had an amazing sense of humor that kept the experience engaging from beginning to end. What truly stood out was the depth of detail he shared — things I would have completely missed on my own. He explained everything from clothing, art, architecture, and court life to the broader historical and cultural context of the Ottoman Empire in a fascinating and accessible way. One thing we especially appreciated was how flexible and personalized the experience was. Unsal gave us the opportunity to tailor the tour entirely around Topkapi Palace, allowing us to spend all our time going as deep as possible into the parts that interested us most. He was patient, walked at our pace, and answered every single question we threw at him with genuine enthusiasm and expertise. He also came incredibly prepared with visual material, including official documents, historical references, and photographs from his own previous visits, which added a whole extra layer to the experience. On top of that, he even shared his YouTube channel with us, which was full of insightful content and clearly reflected his passion for history and storytelling. What really made the experience unforgettable, though, was how much he cared beyond the tour itself. He recommended one of his favorite local restaurants — a place he personally visits with his father — which made the recommendation feel incredibly authentic and meaningful. After the tour, he even took the time to help guide us through the area, showing us where to shop for things we needed and helping us find our way back. Honestly we left the tour genuinely impressed, grateful, and feeling like we experienced Topkapi Palace in the best possible way.

We had an excellent day with Unsal. He met us at our hotel. We visited the “essentials” and more. He gave lots of information (he’ll tailor depending how much you want to hear); told us history and made loads of recommendations for the rest of our stay. We ate meatballs (Turkish favourite) and later, baclava in an artisan tea house. We have had a day to remember, highly recommend this tour. 🙏🏻

We had the most memorable tour with Unsal. He has expansive knowledge of Turkish history and culture. We learned a lot of interesting facts . He provided us with detailed explanations of everything we saw. Unsal was extremely accommodating. He met us at the hotel and we started the tour right away. He has a wonderful gentle personality and made us very comfortable throughout our long hours together. He is a great storyteller and very good photographer also. He sent us all good pictures that he took. We spent wonderful day with Unsal. His tour was excellent!!! We are very grateful and have the best memories of our time together!