• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Did you know that the Istanbul tour of your dreams exists? Yes, and it’s 100% personalized and created by your local host around your interests. Customize and see only the places that spark your interest. From classic landmarks to neighborhood walks - your wishes are our command!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 horas

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español, Türkçe, Deutsch, Italiano, Português, العربية

Included

• Private guide
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral

Excluded

• Entrance tickets
• Tastings
• Transport
• All of the above can be arranged with your local host through a personalized offer

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 20 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of Gallant Galata coffee shop - Istanbul to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. ¡Esta experiencia es TUYA!

   Visita los lugares y puntos de interés de Estambul que elijas en un tour 100 % personalizado. Convierte esta experiencia en algo único que satisfaga tu curiosidad con la ayuda de un local. Todo lo que tienes que hacer es decirle tus preferencias e intereses.

4. Ver LAS Principales Atracciones

   ¿Qué tienes en tu lista de cosas por hacer? Ve de un lugar a otro admirándolos desde fuera y recibe recomendaciones de tu anfitrión local sobre cuál es la mejor manera de disfrutarlos al máximo.

5. Fuera de los caminos trillados

   ¿Y si existiera una manera de ver la principal atracción de la ciudad desde un ángulo diferente? ¿Y todo esto evitando las multitudes de turistas? ¡Es posible con un local a tu lado!

6. Explorando el vecindario

   Dedica un tiempo a explorar los barrios de Estambul; ¡hay muchos tesoros por descubrir! ¿Qué zona te gustaría visitar, desde historia y arquitectura hasta lugares de reunión locales?

7. Impresionantes vistas de la ciudad

   Encuentra los mejores miradores de la ciudad donde podrás ver tus lugares favoritos y disfrutar de impresionantes vistas de la ciudad: un recorrido personalizado perfecto.

8. Todo Estambul

   Disfruta de un tour de un día completo para ver lo más destacado de la ciudad. Elige los lugares, la duración y deja que un local te lleve en un viaje en el que podrás tachar de tu lista los lugares imprescindibles de Estambul.

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

JAMI

(About local Lorena)

26 junio 2025

5 STAR ⭐️ for the most amazing tour guide Lorena!!! What an outstanding way to start my solo travel trip to Istanbul. I spent 2 days touring Istanbul with Lorena and she is one of the most personable and informative guides I have ever met. She knows how to navigate her way through this city like a pro. Lorena let me move at my own pace, I didn’t feel rushed at all. She left me a list of recommendations on things to do next after our tour, taught me about the metro and made great suggestions for food etc. Had I tried on my own, I would have missed out! Fantastic time !! I highly recommend Lorena, if you are solo or a large group. You will love her !! Thank you again Lorena . 🙏5 star ⭐️ tour guide !!

Hanna

(About local Safiye)

19 junio 2025

I spent the day with lovely Safiye looking around all the "off the beaten track" locations that the locals know. She showed me great turkish coffee, amazing location for lunch, lots of cool suburbs including around Balat and the Asian side as well. She understood my needs and wants as well as catered to my lack of fitness so was able to supplement the walking with public transport in places. More than the obvious, Safiye is easy to talk to, knowledgeable, entertaining, cheerful and I really enjoyed my time spent with her. Thank you Safiye!Safiye is delightful 😊

Angela 🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Abdullah)

13 junio 2025

My husband and I had a fabulous 4 hours with Abdullah as he showed us his city. We got an insight to the major sites plus some hidden treasures. It was fun , interesting and gave us a good introduction to Istanbul. Thankyou so much Happiness makes the world go round

Daniel🇧🇷 Brazil

(About local Emre)

9 junio 2025

The tour we had with Emre was a real gem! He took us to places we would never have discovered by ourselves, in a really nice neighboorhood, where apparently he knew everyone :) Getting to know the city by its food and what locals really eat was amazing. Besides that, he gave us really valuable tips for sightseeing and for other restaurants and cafes. 10/10 experienceThe best experience in Istanbul!

Jody

(About local Mine )

4 junio 2025

Mine was clearly knowledgeable especially historically and politically. It was very interesting to talk with her. She packed a lot into the 3 hours, teaching us history and architecture. She didn’t take in our comments or appear that interested in what we had to say. That would be an improvement area for her. All in all, we appreciated the tour. Mine

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emir)

2 junio 2025

Emir is truly a citizen of the world. Having lived in several countries, he brings an exceptional perspective to his tours. He has a depth of knowledge on history and it is obvious he loves both the subject and his city. We enjoyed his tour very much. Not least was the excellent baklava at the end.World Perspective

Kulvinder

(About local Deniz)

1 junio 2025

A great tour guide with interesting stories of Istanbul. Had a high energy 3 hr tour which ticked all the boxes. Would highly recommendIstanbul with Deniz

Christina🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Emre)

28 mayo 2025

Mein Mann und ich hatten eine tolle Erlebnis Tour durch Istanbul. Emre empfing uns wie Freunde. Er ist ein ausgesprochen netter und warmherziger Mensch. Mit großer Begeisterung, kleinen Geschichten und persönlichen Erinnerungen zeigte er uns sein Istanbul. Ohne ihn hätten wir die Stadt nie so kennengelernt. Es war ein ganz besonderes Erlebnis was wir nicht vergessen werden. Ganz lieben Dank.City Tour mit Emre

Colette and Marc🇺🇸 United States

(About local Aysenur )

22 mayo 2025

We just spent 3 days exploring Istanbul with Aysenur. She is fantastic. Aysenur developed an initial plan for our 3 days together but was very willingly to modify our schedule based on our needs. Her knowledge of the history of Istanbul as well as the intersections of the many cultures of the area is amazing. Her love of history and her desire to share her vast knowledge is very apparent. We were very impressed by her continuing studies in a variety of fields - the mark of an excellent teacher. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our time with Aysenur. I am sure your experience will be as impressive as ours. 3 fantastic days with Aysenur in Istanbul.

Angie & Rachel🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Emir)

8 mayo 2025

Emir was a very accomplished guide, very knowledgeable & passionate about history & Istanbul. We saw lots of little gems that we wouldn’t have seen as a tourist & really enjoyed our tour. Great fun time with Emir

Cristina🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Lorena)

5 mayo 2025

Lorena is very gentle, she knows Istanbul very well and will suggest off touristic roads itineraries that really are worth the price. You will experience the real Istanbul and save a lot of time, off the tourists traps. So very advisable! She is more that fluent in Italian and English, and has an International background, having lived in many countries. TOP.10/10 very advisable

Ysabel

(About local Abdullah)

27 abril 2025

Abdullah is an personable, knowledgeable guide, who knows everyone you need to know in the old part of the city. His stories, both of the places and the people were great and his tips on avoiding tourist traps were invaluable. Would certainly book again --but will reach out first so we can plan the best route and time of day to avoid crods.Uncovering Istanbul's secrets

57mf65pcrb🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Abdullah)

22 abril 2025

Verena🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Emre)

21 abril 2025

Emre ist ein phantastischer Guide, der uns die Köstlichkeiten Istanbuls gezeigt und gleichzeitig interessante Informationen zu den besuchten Stadtteilen geteilt hat. Wir empfehlen die Tour mit Emre als unverzichtbaren Teil eines jeden Istanbulbesuchs. Unverzichtbare Tour in Istanbul

Petra

(About local Emir)

21 abril 2025

We are a three generation family and were for the first time in Istanbul. It was an amazing experience with Emir! He was able to respond to the different needs of the family. He showed us a colorful variety of culture, history, lifestyle and character of different parts of the city. We had delicious authentic lunch and the best Baclaca of the world. Emir is very friendly, warm hearted and full of humour. His knowledge is immense and he can share it in a very interesting way. We felt very safe and decided, to come again! We look forward to meet Emir again. Wonderful day in a wonderful city

Felix🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Esra)

15 abril 2025

We enjoyed the tour with Esra a lot! She has a great knowledge and an exciting way to explain it! Great trip!

Rich🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emir)

13 abril 2025

Emir was a wonderful tour guide, conversation partner, and welcoming committee for Istanbul. On a short visit, we wanted to more time enjoying and learning; less time looking for directions and reading online guides. Emir took us on a great tour of the area we stayed in, even in some miserable rain, working in a strategic sheltered spot or cafe as he could. If you have an interest in the history or the food of the area, Emir is the right guide for you. You can tell his knowledge comes from a true passion for it, and he welcomes questions of all types, and left us with great advice for the rest of our stay.A perfect welcome to the city

Timur

(About local Esra)

9 abril 2025

Esra made Istanbul's history come alive for our group of 7 friends. First, she asked and listened to to what we wanted to see and the style of tour we wanted. Then she delivered and went beyond expectations. We came away awe-stricken by the beauty, intrigue and history of the Ottomans but not because of a boring history lesson, but rather a guide who made the tour like watching a movie or reading a good novel. Bravo and thank you!Esra- the Best Guide in Istanbul

Lillian🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

17 marzo 2025

We had an amazing custom tour in Istanbul with Gülce, and I can’t recommend her enough! She was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire experience enjoyable from start to finish. Throughout the tour, she provided fascinating insights about Istanbul’s history and culture, making every stop more meaningful. She also went above and beyond by giving us fantastic recommendations for additional sightseeing and dining, which will really helped us make the most of our time in the city. We ended the day with a Bosphorus cruise, a perfect way to take in the stunning views and reflect on everything we had learned. If you’re looking for a guide who is knowledgeable, personable, and truly passionate about Istanbul, Gülce is the perfect choice! Fantastic Tour with Gülce!

David🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Emre)

27 enero 2025

We had a great time visiting the old sites of Istanbul with Emre. He was so knowledgable it was crazy. Any question we had, he had the answer for. And he's a super food lover and we went to a grill spot for lunch that was so good. And the kind of spot a tourist would have some difficulty due to not knowing what to order, but Emre handled it all and we had a feast!Fantastic private tour!

Melissa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

19 enero 2025

Wandering Istanbul with such an interesting man- knows so much history and out of the way places. A highlight of our tripExcellent guide!

Marion🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Emir)

13 enero 2025

We had a 3hr walking tour with Emir of Istanbul which was really 4 hrs as Emir was so interesting and so proud of his city. Emir was friendly, very knowledgeable and a great guide. We would give 11/10 if we could. We visited mosques, learnt about the Turkish culture and tried the local food. Would highly recommend for anyone. Emir was inspirational and today I booked French lessons to learn a 2nd language because of him. Anazing tour with Emir

Florian

(About local Emre)

5 enero 2025

Emre hat mit uns eine Führung durch Istanbul gemacht und zwar hat er uns an für Touristen eher untypische Orte geführt, die sehr interessant waren und einen guten Einblick in das Leben vor Ort ermöglichten. Außerdem hat er einen guten Überblick für uns über Istanbul erstellt und welche Sehenswürdigkeiten wir in den nächsten Tagen noch besuchen sollten.Statfürung mit Emre

Sara🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Lorena)

2 enero 2025

Ciao a tutti, abbiamo fatto un tour privato con Lorena che ci ha guidato alla scoperta di Istanbul facendoci scoprire anche cose inaspettate. Lorena è stata gentilissima e disponibilissima. Consiglio vivamente un tour con lei se vi trovate a Instanbul!Bellissima Esperienza

Alain🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

1 enero 2025

Had the pleasure of having Emre as our private guide in Istanbul, and he was absolutely fantastic. We requested a tour focusing on the less touristy parts of the city to immerse ourselves in Istanbul’s local culture and history, and Emre exceeded our expectations. His deep knowledge of the city’s history, combined with his engaging storytelling, brought the sites to life for us. Emre also went above and beyond by providing us with invaluable tips, including recommendations for hidden-gem restaurants and unique experiences for the rest of our stay. If you’re looking for a very good guide in Istanbul, Emre is the one. We couldn’t recommend him more highly!A Great Guide for an Authentic Experience

Giovanni🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Ahmet Can)

9 diciembre 2024

Ahmet Can has been very professional and focused on what I was expecting from this experience and tailored something to exceed my expectations. I’m very satisfied by the tour !Great experience

Juniper🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oğuz)

2 julio 2025

Oguz was very friendly, knowledgeable, responsive, and accommodating! He took us to incredible places off the beaten path and knew all of the history. Having him there to navigate made it so we didn't waste any time, and we would have missed a ton of context and symbolism without him. He helped us to feel safe and confident in going out on our own the next day. Incredible value added to our trip!

Eddy🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Safiye)

2 julio 2025

We had an amazing food tour with Safiye. We tried food that we did not know about and we learned alot about Turkiye. Safiye is a funny and interesting tour guide. It was like being on a tour with your beloved sister. Thank you Safiye from Sema, Eddy, Lucas and Silas from DenmarkAmazing Istanbul

Joshua🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Ceren)

29 junio 2025

Ceren was a nice guide, with great communication and a friendly style. She clearly takes great pride in showing off the spots on her tour and to be fair I would have not ventured across to Kadikoy had it not been for the tour. A fun few hours chatting and looking around. A good orientation around Kadikoy

Daniel

(About local Oğuz)

29 junio 2025

Oguz was a wonderful tour guide. We got the start time wrong but he waited an hour for us to arrive. He was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I would definitely use Oguz again if we are ever able to come back to Istanbul.Great city tour

Claire🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gülce)

28 junio 2025

We had a fabulous time with Gulce with 10 food stops on a three hour walking tour. Gulce was informative and fun and the food she chose was a great mix of flavours and dishes. Highly recommended.A great taste of Turkey

Aeric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

28 junio 2025

Alp provided us with a thoughtful and excellent tour of more off-the-beaten-path destinations around Istanbul. As a perfect example of his hospitality, he even quietly arranged a stop at a famous baklava place that served the only gluten-free baklava we saw in our whole time in Turkiye for a member of our group with a gluten allergy. Fantastic!Multi-talented guide and great person!

Aeric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

28 junio 2025

Emre did a wonderful job taking us all around Istanbul and showing us most of the key historical sites there. I can't recommend him enough!Great tour, great guide!

Khashayar

(About local muhammed)

28 junio 2025

Muhammed is an authentic, charming and knowledgeable young man. he took me on a 6 hour private tour, showing me the city on foot with stops in hidden gems and away from the usual crowds, from best places to eating Tantuni and Baklava to buying spices. Both European and Asian sides were covered in the trip, and his explanations actually piqued me interest in Turkish history. Excellent communication, easy booking, accommodated every demand with a big smile, and even complimented me by telling me to walk slower, despite me being 29 years older than him :) It was not just a good tour, I had a great time with good company and friendly conversations.A great choice

Belinda🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Gülce)

28 junio 2025

Gülce was a wonderful guide — warm, flexible, and easy to follow. Her English was excellent, making the experience smooth and enjoyable. The tour offered delicious local food in generous portions (don’t eat beforehand!) and just the right hint of local knowledge about daily life and history. Our group of 4 adults and 4 kids (ages 8–13) loved every stop. Perfectly timed at 3 hours — a real highlight of our trip. Highly recommended!Istanbul Must Do Tour

Darrin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

27 junio 2025

Our guide, Alp, was fun to visit with and he carefully curated our tour stops and tastes. He chose spots where only locals dine. We learned much about Istanbul and Turkey. At the end my wife said, “Turkish is my new favorite cuisine.” The tour enhanced the enjoyment of the rest of our stay in Istanbul immensely. 10 Tastes Were Fantastic

Heidi

(About local Abdullah)

26 junio 2025

We had an amazing night exploring. Abdullah (Apple) was so chill and relaxed ... full of fun laughter and but also very knowledgeable with the sights we saw. Thank you for a great experience! Amazing chill night

luciakaufmann

(About local Emre)

26 junio 2025

Emre ist der BESTE Guide! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Er hat uns einen unvergesslichen kulinarischen und kulturellen Nachmittag ermöglicht. Durch seine liebenswerte freundliche Art war sofort eine gute Verbindung geschaffen. Emre ist ein wirklich perfekter Guide der sich in allen Ecken von Istanbul gut auskennt. Wir hatten gutes traditionelles Essen,lernten die Gastfreundschaft von der Türkei und viele nette Menschen kennen. Danke für diese tollen Eindrücke! ❤️❤️❤️Ein perfekter Nachmittag

Geeta🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Kadir Celal)

25 junio 2025

Our tour with Mr. Kadir was memorable. He is so well versed with Istanbul’s history, and took us to all the major attractions whilst taking us back in time with all the historical references :) the tour was fun as we stopped by for a bite, Ayran and Turkish cay at spots recommended by Mr. Kadir. Highly recommend leaving your Istanbul tour to Mr. Kadir. Istanbul through the eyes of an expert

Daniel

(About local Emre)

24 junio 2025

The food tour with Emre was everything we had wanted it to be! He is very warm and friendly and knows Istanbul so well. He curated a really good food tour for my teenage son and me. I felt like we had an intimate look at restaurants that are away from all of the tourists and really experienced the food of Istanbul. He also showed us several shops where we could buy mementos, again these were away from the inflated prices in the Sultanahmet area, and gave us several excellent options for eating in the Galata Tower neighborhood. I would certainly use Emre again if we are ever fortunate enough to return to Istanbul!Great day with Emre!

Anneliese🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Emre)

24 junio 2025

Susanne🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Ceren)

24 junio 2025

We had an amazing food tour in Istanbul! Our guide Ceren was lovely. She made us feel right at home. She took us to authentic local spots we’d never have found on our own, and every bite was delicious. Her stories about the food and the city added so much depth. A perfect mix of culture, flavor, and fun – highly recommended!Food tour in Istanbul

Sarah🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Emir)

23 junio 2025

Emir was an amazing tour guide. Me and my two friends came to Istanbul for just 2.5 days, so we knew we needed to make the most of our time. Emir’s kickstart tour gave us a great history of Istanbul, taught us about all the major sights, showed the neighborhood of Karakoy (which we would have probably missed on our own!), and guided us on must try foods and the best spots. He made sure we had a successful trip by showing us the best baklava in the city and giving us a list/links of must see sights. To top it off he has such a great and vibrant energy and is a wonderful storyteller. Thank you for being such an amazing host, Emir & going above & beyond! Incredible start in Istanbul!

Edmée🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Emre)

23 junio 2025

Wir haben zu 6 die Tour gemacht und können Emre nur weiterempfehlen. Toller sympathischer guide mit interessanten Informationen und gute Häppchen. Die Luxemburger Food Tour mit Emre

Simone🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local muhammed)

23 junio 2025

A very nice day with a friendly guide

Sabrina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

23 junio 2025

Abdullah gave us a great tour of the old part of Istanbul. He was friendly, warm, funny and incredibly knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, learned absolutely loads and couldn't have got our trip to Istanbul off to a better start, thank you Abdullah!Wonderful

María🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Faruk )

23 junio 2025

We really enjoyed our walking tour with Farouk. We visited parts of the city that we would have not visited by ourselves but really enjoyed seeing a more authentic part of Istanbul life at night with lots of explanations. He is very nice and his English was perfect. We would really recommend Farouk as your guide: friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable! Very enjoyable walking tour with Farouk!

Warren🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Abdullah)

23 junio 2025

Great guide with lots of knowledge about Istanbul and Turkey and architecture and fun showing local hidden gems.Charming historical expert

Fernando🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Neslihan )

22 junio 2025

We had an amazing time with Neslihan. She knows a lot about history of the sures and turkey, but also with a lot of energy. Highly recommend this your. Amazing experience

John🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

22 junio 2025

If you would like a great guide to show you around Istanbull Abdullah does a great job with a relaxed attitude and lots of local experience, I cant recommend Abdullah enoughRoll up the sky with Abdullah