Private City Kickstart: Exploring the Local Secrets of Istanbul in 90 Minutes

Discover the hidden gems of Istanbul in just 90 minutes with a private city kickstart tour. Avoid tourist traps and explore local secrets with a knowledgeable local guide.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Blue Mosque - Take in the splendor of this world-famous mosque and its beautiful blue tiles inside
  • Hagia Sophia Mosque - See the transformation of this majestic structure from Cathedral to mosque and finally into a fabulous museum
  • Topkapi Palace - Visit the former home of Ottoman sultans and the political epicenter of the Ottoman Empire…
What's Included
  • Local Tips and Tricks
  • City Orientation
  • Private Tour
  • Local Guide
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Food and beverages not listed as inclusions
Additional Information

Begin your journey in Istanbul with a specially curated private tour that perfectly sets the tone for your stay in the city! In a mere 90 minutes, you’ll be introduced to the city by a local guide, ensuring you get the most out of your stay.
You’ll get to know how to find and explore key spots like Istiklal Street and Galata Tower without the usual…

Location
Tunel
Tersane Caddesi
Entrance to Tunel.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(15 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Howiemail
Feb 19, 2025
Orientation and introduction to Istanbul - With just a day in Istanbul we needed orientation and a guide to places close to our hotel. Dilek went over and above, helping us with airport transfer and other advice and guidance before we arrived. The time with Dilek in the morning was all we could have wished for and she was generous with her advice, her willingness and flexibility to meet our needs and her time - we hope to meet her again when we have more time to explore the city
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V7523uaingrids
Jan 25, 2025
Wonderful introduction to Istanbul - Dilek was the best guide I could imagine for our introduction to travelling in Istanbul. She is very warm, knowledgeable, and highly responsive to her clients’ needs. I am travelling with my 75-year old mother who tires easily and my very active 11-year-old. Dilek has been very thoughtful in responding to our varied needs and creating a very enjoyable experience for all. Very highly recommended!!!
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Departure582789
Jan 4, 2025
A wonderful introduction to Istanbul! - We were so fortunate to have Emir as our guide! He was very informative, personable and had a great sense of humor. We learned so many details about the history of Istanbul. He even gave us advice in regards to a trip we were taking outside of Istanbul! His ability to be flexible and adjust the tour accordingly was very impressive and showed his knowledge of the old city and his proficiency as a guide. It was a great way to start our visit to Türkiye!
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Andrewtmao
Dec 17, 2024
Emir was amazing guide. - Emir is the best guide. Knowledgeable and friendly, he listened and adapted his tour to our interests. I ask a lot of questions and he answered or researched to find the answer. I'd 100% use his services again if I was in Istanbul.
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411oliveb
Nov 21, 2024
Excellent - We spent approximately 5 hrs with Hakan on a flight layover. He cheerfully greeted us at an ungodly hr of 6:00am and showed us an area that we had never explored in Istanbul. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating. His driver was also very good. It was interesting exploring the city in the early morning as it was coming alive. I would highly recommend his services.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julian
Nov 3, 2024
Perfect Tour - Our walking Tour with Emir was Perfect. He is such a nice guy with a lot of knowledge. He showed us karakoy and had many recommendations for our time in Istanbul.
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Tourist30651233059
Oct 25, 2024
Exceptional - Emir was brilliant. Intelligent, informative and very good fun. He clearly loves Istanbul and justifiably so ! We were all delighted
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Betsys478
Oct 23, 2024
Excellent guide and tour! - Abdullah was amazing! He personalized my tour so I could get an excellent introduction to Istanbul in a short time! You can tell he is passionate about his city and its history and he is so happy to share. I can’t wait to come back to Istanbul and learn more about its history and culture on another tour with Abdullah!
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Brontee472
Oct 2, 2024
Istanbul, ins and outs. - Actually it was all ins. Safiya did say that there was one place that we shouldn't go (can't remember where) but that Istanbul was a safe city and the people friendly. We found this to be true. Anyway, Safiya's strength was her ability to customise her tour to meet our needs. Starting with our request to meet at our hotel and then changing routes and information, as we asked questions along the way. Lots of useful hints and detailed historical background. Very personable, friendly lady. We had a great time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie
Jun 12, 2024
An introduction to Istanbul - Emir shared lots of useful information and history with us giving us an insight in to Istanbul. It was the start of an amazing few days. We were able to contact Emir for more information after the tour too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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February 2025
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