I'll start with WOW and go from there. I've done a few of the free walking tours with the…read moreSandeman's folks and they did a great job in Edinburgh and Prague but they're not in Istanbul so I turned to Yelp and found these folks. Meeting by the Cistern, we walked a solid 20,000 steps (according to my Fitbit) through a half dozen of Istanbul's best known sites including the Topkapı Sarayı, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. Along the way, we made several stops and there were a good number of spots where our super tour guide gave us time to explore on our own. When she led us around, she had constant knowledge of the sites and the city of Istanbul and of Turkey. A vast and deep knowledge. I was impressed. Our tour was well organized and well run. The lunch spot was excellent. A couple of tips. - Bring a backpack and a bottle or two of water. - An umbrella is a good idea as the tour runs even if it's raining. - Sunscreen! - Comfortable walking shoes that have a good tread. Istanbul's streets are smooth stone and you don't want to slip and fall. - For the Blue Mosque, you'll be expected to dress appropriately. There are free head coverings. - Extra batteries for your phone/camera. You will take a lot of pictures in six hours! - Pay attention to the meet up spots after the self-exploration. A certain Yelper *cough* Bruce K. *cough* got himself separated from the tour and was nearly stuck on his own until he spotted the green umbrella!

We had such a wonderful day tour in Istanbul with our very knowledgeable and informative tour guide…read moreOzlem. She had so much insight and took us to the places where everyday Turkish people shop, visit and go about their daily routines. We went to many neighborhoods including Kadikoy and Moda. We saw so much including going to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. My sister was looking for a specific item and Ozlem knew just where to get it. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch in Kadikoy where the locals eat and had the best food where some items are only made in one city in Turkey which made it very special! There was a special shop we asked her about that makes this out of the world ice cream sundae and she took us there to have it. Beautiful picture taking everywhere and on the boat over the Bosphorus. There is a lot of walking but you get to see everything and Ozlem is a wonderful guide and only takes you to the best of the best places!

My wife did the research...I took the tour. This tour was a bit more then some of the ones we…read morelooked into, but I was able to customize what I wanted. For me I wanted to start at my time....I wanted to see what I wanted. I wanted to enjoy a meal with the guide. I also did not want to be part of a group. That is exactly what I got. If you add in I was able to skip the long lines you have the perfect tour.

From the owner: My Local Guide Istanbul, with over ten years experience in providing excursions by English-speaking…read moreguides, offers sightseeing and food tours designed and delivered by local people with a passion for Turkey and travel. We specialise in small group tours for the independent traveller who likes to walk side by side with the locals and explore places that are not easy to discover on your own.

Although Semih could personally give me a tour, he set up a perfect personal tour for me. All…read morethe arrangements were made from the United States via e-mail. His communication was excellent. He even provided me with a map of the airport and a photograph of the gate I was supposed to meet his guide. Every detail was planned for me. The guide was great. I felt that I had a person friend walking me through his personal haunts. Not only did we visit the significant usual sites, but he took me for Turkish coffee at his favorite place and for kebabs. My only regret was that I wasn't able to spend more time in Istanbul. When I come again, I would definitely have Semih plan a more thorough and longer tour for me.

Semih was my tour guide for about four hours as we walked around old and new Istanbul. During the…read moretour, we covered a significant amount of ground as he showed me some of Istanbul's true hidden treasures- such a beautiful Armenian church hidden just out of view and a historic theater where I will be catching a whirling dervish performance tomorrow night. He is knowledgable of both distant and recent history as well as modern social issues and politics. He can customize the tour based on your needs and availability. I'd highly recommend contacting him if this is your first visit to Istanbul or if you'd like to find new areas to discover. Enjoy Istanbul while you're here!

Want to design your own custom tour of Istanbul? Ensar of Istanbulday will introduce you to the…read morehistory, the flavors and the charm of what makes Istanbul such an amazing city. Spread between two continents, Europe and Asia, it was challenging to decide what to see and do in a city that has so much to offer. We already had tours scheduled for the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Grand and Spice Bazaars, and a cruise on the Bosphorus. Ensar was so patient and gave our family a framework for two fantastic, and very different, days. On our first day, we visited royal palaces and more. It is important to know what is open and when to visit. We visited Dolmabahçe Palace (closed on Mondays) and Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays) on a Sunday. It was so nice to skip the lines and experience the palaces that defined very different Ottoman times at the beginning and towards the end of a very long empire. We also visited an underground mosque (Yeralti Camii), walked along İstiklal Caddesi, learned about water supply for the city at Taksim Square, and saw Sent Antuan Bazilikasi, the Roman Catholic Church where Pope John XXIII preached for a decade as the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey. Our second day focused more on the three religions that coexist in Istanbul. Started with a visit to Balat Ahrida Synagogue which predates the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. Amazing to visit a synagogue that has been in continuous use for around 600 years. Walking through the Balat Jewish Quarter, we were also able to see other synagogues, historic libraries, hospitals and even a doctor's office building. Meandering through the neighborhood led us to our next stop, Chora Church. This medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church is covered with some of the oldest and best preserved mosaics and frescoes in the world. Amazing to see the biblical story unfold in the stunning mosaic art. The next stop was the Ottoman imperial Süleymaniye Mosque and complex which attracts both visitors and worshippers. Designed by Mimar Sinan, it is an architectural masterpiece. This was definitely a highlight of the day. We also visited the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews and the Neve Shalom synagogue. Interesting to learn about the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish Sephardic Jews to the Ottoman empire. Took a ferry across the Bosphorus to see Bet Yaakov in the Kuzguncuk area on the Asian side. Interesting to see a synagogue, a mosque and a church within one block of each other. Throughout the day, it was fun to sample simit (Turkish bagels) from a red cart street vender, eat dondurma(Turkish ice cream) with a knife and a fork, and take a break at Cafe in Balat for a Turkish Tea. Loved how we were able to use transportation like the metro, trams, the funicular and ferries to see the city like a local. Ensar will definitely treat you like family as he shares the sights, sounds, history and delicious tastes of the beautiful city of Istanbul with you.

Fed up with lazy time on the beaches of Marmaris and with long tours fixed by local agencies to get…read moreme to the "doors" of sightseeings, I was finally lucky to find myself in the charming city nowadays called Istanbul. Of course there are many many things to see and to admire, especially in case you are at least a little bit interested in history. But the most important thing, at least for me... Istanbul has the particular and very unique magic which we chased with Ensar like without any noticed effort however thanks to his great and kind knowledge of this fantastic city. Switching from East to West side of its life, from past up to the present, from luxury restaurants to "Balik" (fish) bistros, astonished by such a place of interest as e.g. Hagia Sophia where gained humbleness changes in the night easily into the self-confidence in local low level pubs... Thanks Ensar! Missing all of it...

Pros: prompt, fluent English, internet & iPads in vehicles, helpful, professional, luxurious, new…read morelocal business Cons: needs to be arranged in advance Good for: business travel, tourist travel, groups, hotel-airport shuttle, local knowledge of Istanbul. I just got back from my friend's wedding in Turkey. The bride arranged airport pickup because the airport is far outside the city, I'd never been to Istanbul before, and I wanted to make sure I could land and start doing things right away instead of struggling to figure out the local transit. Aytac (pronounced "Eye-Touch"), the owner of Transmetropolis was waiting right outside of customs with my name on an iPad, and called my name as soon as I walked out the door. (He looked up an online photo!) Aytac helped me exchange money and get me a Turkish number for my cellphone before we left the terminal. His driver, Bahadir ("Ba ha") was waiting for us outside in their luxurious custom black Mercedes van. After 16 hours of travel it was so nice to relax in the cool air conditioning, and email my family from their iPads to let them know I was safe and my new Turkish cellphone number. On the drive, Aytac and Bahadir were very candid about where to visit, and what is going on in Turkey when I asked. Two days later, Aytac & Bahadir picked me up on their way to the airport to meet my girlfriend. On the way to the airport I saw Aytac using his phone to track where her flight was and the estimated arrival. While we waited for her to get through customs, Aytac told me how long people usually take to come out, and which flights have been arriving early recently. (I think my girlfriend's flight landed about 20 minutes early) I really hate taxis or shuttles that are late or unreliable, so it was a big comfort to see how important it was to them that we were early. It took me several days in Istanbul before I figured out the public transit system, and some of the transfers were still a little tricky, so using a shuttle was the way to go. My friend, the bride, used them to arrange other pickups and drop-offs as well, and the rest of the group also commented on how nice the pickup was (whether they just slept or wanted to learn about local culture during the ride). Overall, our experience with Transmetropolis was smooth, easy, and very comfortable. Relaxing with them helped me hit the ground running the afternoon after long international flights, instead of struggling to find a taxi or use public transportation. Their English was superb. Born in Turkey, Aytac went to school in the United States. The driver, Bahadir, also spoke German. I was impressed with their prompt service, English, the internet and iPads in the vehicle, and knowledge of Istanbul. Edit: I should mention that their van is bigger than a Taxi. I think maybe up to 8 passengers could fit, so this would be a good option for a small group dealing with the "larger than one taxi" problem.

From the owner: Transmetropolis delivers punctual and dynamic urban traveling services that are also flexible, for…read morethe best customized travel experience in Istanbul. - Airport Transfers - Shopping Tours - City Tours - Ski Resort Transfers - Seminars - Organizations - Events - Weddings - Anniversaries - Valentine's Day

This is the Mecca of Istanbul visitors! Hard to miss if you plan to check out the Blue Mosque…read moreor/and Hagia Sophia since this plaza is right in between them. It was April when we visited, so the trees where in bloom which is nice! The end of the tulips season well. The fountain is pretty, check out the mosaic fresca-s and details that decorate it! Plenty of benches around, ideal to grab a snack near by and sit here and enjoy it. Not an easy task because the area is crowded with lots of locals, tourists, even huge groups. Lots of photo ops here, everywhere you turn is a nice sight! A few restaurants around, as well as street vendors if you want to grab a simit, roasted chestnuts, corn or fresh squeezed juices for a snack break. Prices are higher than in other areas since it's such a touristy area, but oh well... when in Sultanahmet Square... you should expect it! Our hotel wasn't far, so we would the plaza to get around town since it leads you to the tram, shops and restaurants also! Try to visit in the evening, it gets way quieter and the buildings are beautiful lit up! Hard to miss, good area to check out, stroll, take a break in the action. This is the center of historic Istanbul, expect crowds, but try to enjoy the sights as well!

This large plaza is located between the Topaki Palace and the Blue Mosque…read more It quite litterally contains many of the top attractions in the Faith / Sultanament DIstrict. There are also a few parks, plus the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cisterna, The Hippodrome of Constantinople, et al. It is usually packed with people during the day but clears out at night. The fountain near the Hagia Sofia is not exactly the fountains at Bellagio but the color changes with the Mosques in the background are fun to watch. There also is a multitude of restarants, vendors, shops, ATM's and tram station nearby