Istanbul Guided Private Tours
Guided Istanbul Tours
Guided Istanbul Tours by Istanbul Private Tour Guides
Private Istanbul Tours guided by experienced guides. Our guided istanbul tours include the most visited sites in Istanbul such as St. Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace as well we also offer you many types of tour options that are totally different than the other itineraries you have been offered. All of our tours are conducted by dynamic, licensed and expert local guides with many years of experience behind them.
Bonita Springs, Florida
Jun 5, 2008
Six of us spent May 19th and 20th in the Cappadocia region. We felt like special guests at the Cappadocia Palace. The staff took wonderful care of us during our stay Ahmet not only made us feel welcome each time we entered the hotel but was outstanding in making sure all our needs were met with his suggestions and help. We enjoyed the special treat of staying in the cave rooms and enjoyed the very inviting patio.
The tours had been set up for us and the reservations made via e-mail through Tarik Saylan in Istanbul. Tarik and Ahmet made sure that we five former flight attendants and our guest enjoyed every minute of our time in Turkey.
The trip lived up to our expectations in everyway and you can be sure we will recommend Complete Travel Services and the Cappadocia Palace to anyone we meet traveling to Turkey.
As-salaamu Alaikum, Tarik,
My husband, Ahmed, and I speak often of the wonderful trip we took to Turkey this past October. The trip was noteworthy in many, many respects and was made so enjoyable because of the assistance you provided, both in travel arrangements and advice in general.
We are pleased that you have decided to open your own agency and hope the general state of the world economy does not hamper your success. The next time we visit Turkey we might like to spend more time in Istanbul to see more of that beautiful city and to explore another region of the country as well. For now, though, our photos and the carpets we purchased at Apaslans Yorek must suffice to provoke wonderful memories. Please remember us to him and his family of employees, all of whom we remember with fondness.
We surely will recommend you and your new travel service to friends who might wish assistance in visiting Turkey.
Thanking you for your every attention to our comfort and pleasure during our visit,
Sincerely,
Linda and Ahmed Raiss
P.S. Please do not hesitate to use us as references, should that be of interest to you
Tarik is the Best ( TripAdvisor Review March 2017)
We spent a day tour of Istanbul with local tour with Tarik. He came highly recommended TripAdvisor and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed a safe, informative day with Tarik. He was very patient explaining the Byzantium and Ottoman wonders to us neophytes. He also was kind enough to explain the history of Islam which clarified the dynamics of the region to a couple of North Americans.
A natural with people he has a very welcoming personality. At all times we felt safe under Tarik's care. We finished off the tour dining in a local frequented restaurant. Absolutely delicious.
We highly recommend Tarik to those looking for a tour of Istanbul and Turkey.
Visited February 2017
“A great day in Istanbul!!”
5 of 5 Stars Reviewed January 12, 2017
Tarik my tour guide was amazing. He was well versed on all the history of his city and the best places to go in order to see as much as possible in one day. He met me at my hotel and from there took me to many churches, mosques, museums, historical sites, markets, restaurants and more. Well worth it. I was traveling by myself and this made the experience so much better being with a local guide who knew his way around the city. I highly recommend to anyone looking to get a more personal experience in Istanbul!
Visited November 2016
“Istanbul Family Tour”
5 of 5 Stars Reviewed January 11, 2017
My family and I visited Istanbul December 17-21 and worked with Tarik and his staff at Istanbul Guided Private Tours during our visit. We greatly enjoyed both the tours and the personalization, professionalism, and attention to detail provided. We were impressed by the knowledge displayed, the attractions toured, and the restaurant's recommended. My family and I highly recommend Tarik at Istanbul Guided Private Tours.
Visited December 2016
“A wonderful must-do experience”
5 of 5 Stars Reviewed January 24, 2017
I decided to book four tours with Tarik and Istanbul Guided Private Tours. I was flying separately ahead of my mother before we would meet up in Italy, so we were each looking for solo tours during our extended layovers and then we would do a tour together on our last extended layover before returning to the states. We made the absolute best decision.
I received my private tour first in December 2016. Tarik had a driver (in an extremely nice and comfortable vehicle) meet me directly at the airport, it was extremely easy to find, they took me straight to my hotel (for no transfer fees since I booked the tour) and Tarik met me there. We were able to do the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Cisterns, Turkish coffee, the Grand Bazaar and lunch like a local all within 6 hours without feeling rushed. Tarik is born and raised in Istanbul, has two separate licenses that he maintains, and knows practically EVERYTHING you could possibly ask about this history of his city, the culture, religion, modern-day society, etc. I felt comfortable asking him any questions, extremely safe both with him and in the city, and he made great recommendations for shopping at the most authentic shops.
On our tour together in January, my mom and I were able to see the more contemporary parts of the city, eat dinner like a local, tour many more mosques and churches, go through the markets, visit a hookah bar, enjoy the spice market, etc. Everything that my mom and I wanted to do Tarik was able to make happen, without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. He helped us see different parts of the city and really feel like you learned and were a part of it. Not once did I ever feel unsafe, or unwelcome, in Turkey, with or without Tarik, It was one of my favorite places I've ever traveled to. I would highly recommend visiting and contacting Tarik to set up your private tour. 25 years later, he's still doing it, and doing it fantastically. Thanks, Tarik! I hope to see you again soon.
“our kids walked for 8 h without complain! Well Done!”
We are just back from Istanbul and our kids had a terrific experience with Tarik!
We had a daily tour aroud Sultanahmet Tarik was able to control the tour on children needs he entertained them and giving them many many information they will never forget!
Thank you so much for the great work done and the lovely time we got.
Laurastanga Visited May 2011
“You made 1 day in Istanbul manageable and so enjoyable! Thanks!”
On short notice, this company was able to accommodate our 1 day layover tour of Istanbul and made it so totally worry free, fun, personal, enjoyable and manageable. It wet our appetite to return someday and see more of Istanbul and Turkey and I would definitely use their services to do so. Our only regret was that our stay was not longer. Our email communication with Furkan to organize the trip was very efficient, prompt and professional. Tarik, our guide, was such an informative, professional and personable guide. He was able to take a very ambitious goal of seeing Istanbul highlights in 1 day and make it memorable. He has a real talent for taking the "classic Istanbul tour" and making it come to life by sharing the facts, culture, history, in a warm, humorous, respectful and personable way. This was the first time we had participated in a private tour and would definitely recommend this company for a private tour in Istanbul. We did not realize it prior to booking with them but they could have organized our whole Istanbul experience i.e. hotels, tour etc. In hind sight, it would have been good to use their services for booking hotels and activities for Istanbul as Tarik, knowing the area so well, had great insight as to where to stay, what to do in your free time and how to best get around. Next time, for sure. Many thanks to both Tarik and Furkan.
K G
Visited January 2014
I stayed in Istanbul for a week in September and was stoked to have Tarik the me to all the best places (all the ones I wouldn't have found). He is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about turkey and really gave me an insight into every aspect of turkey's long and rich culture and history. He also gave us heaps of ideas for fun things to do whilst there! I left having had an incredibly good time, knowing more than I ever expected and feeling like I have a friend for life. Cheers Tarik
Lindsay90
Reviewed January 2, 2014
Would Give 6 Stars If Possible
This was possibly the best guided tour that we have ever had. Anyone looking to experience Istanbul should book this tour as far out in advance as possible. The email interaction was great as there were many questions answered, and based on our inquires, the tour was tailored to what we wanted. Online, Kadir was a pleasure to work with and our guide, Mr. Tarik, was awesome. We were met at our hotel and set out on a walking tour of the City – stops include the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome, Grand Bazar and more. This is a walking tour, so anyone going on it should plan on walking a lot. But our guide was very informative and eager to share his city with us. Topics covered included Roman, Greek, Ottoman, Turkish and Byzantium history, religion, architecture, language, politics, and more. Our guide took us to off the beat stores and locations based on what we were interested in and at the end of the day, we were tired, but not exhausted. Anyone visiting Istanbul would be well encouraged to reach out and inquire about a tour – you will not be disappointed.
Reviewed March 2020
Review of: Istanbul Food Walking tour ( Small Group Tour )
Excellent day. Guide met us at the hotel promptly at 9. We were taken via a tram ride to galata area for turkish breakfast followed by baklava next door. Guide explained the food we ate, checked likes and dislikes, and ordered for us. We then walked the area and took in the galata tower which we paid for. We were lucky with no queue and guide said we should take advantage of that. Worth it for the view on a sunny day and the lift means not that many stairs to climb. We stopped at a cafe for Turkish coffee and had a taxi ride to a ferry terminal. We went to the Asia side for lunch walking through the fish and food market. Excellent lunch again organized by the guide. We finished with a boat ride back to spice market. The guide helped us buy Turkish delight and spices. All travel and food was included in the price and the tour finished at 4. So a full on day taking in lots with a knowledgeable guide, including ferry. We had sunny weather which helped but I thoroughly recommend this. Having a local to guide you round is so useful even to the point of sorting out Turkish stamps to send postcards home. Reviewed March 2020
Contacted Kadir after positive reviews here. We had a 1 day stay at Istanbul and he arranged everything airport pick up, drive to Centre to meet our guide Gorkug.
What followed was a tour of all the main attractions Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and going through some hidden gems until meeting our car to take us for dinner with views over the Bosphorus.
Gorkug was very friendly, knowledgeable and easy to interact with. He surely knows his way around this amazing city.
Driver for the day was also professional and he waited for us to finish dinner before taking us back to airport for flight.
Highly recommend this company for Istanbul guided tour. Reviewed Nov. 2020
Review of: Europe and Asia Walking Private Tour
What a fantastic experience! From start to finish this was just great!
Communication was excellent. I presented the time we had available (two day layover) and our interests and Istanbul Private Guided Tours did the rest. I quickly received an email with a proposal of a private tour with options based on our interests. The proposal included clear pricing. Everything was included in our price, ground transportation, food, snacks etc, even airport pickup and drop off. Fantastic! I also asked for a hotel recommendation and that too was perfect.
My wife and I took a combination of the Europe and Asia Walking Private Tour and the Food Tour. The city was wonderful and our experience with Istanbul Private Guided Tours made it all the better. They took care of all the details and let us focus on enjoying the city, its culture, history, architecture and wonderful foods.
Our guide, Mr. Goktug Ustunkaya spoke perfect English, was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, passionate about his city, knew all the tricks to get to and from locations smoothly, arrived promptly and was well prepared for our day together. The perfect guide, and a perfect gentleman. He also recommended a wonderful restaurant for dinner that my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed.
We would have loved to take additional tours of the surrounding area but our time was limited to one day only. We hope to return to Turkey one day and when we do, we will certainly be using Istanbul Private Guided Tours. We greatly enjoyed our time and can whole hardheartedly recommend this agency and it's guides.