• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Istanbul? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Istanbul!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Türkçe, Español, Deutsch

Included

• Private Guide
• 1 Local Drink or Snack
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 19 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 the German Fountain in Sultanahmet - 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. City Highlights

   See from Topkapi, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Istanbul so unique

4. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

5. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

6. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

7. 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

Masha🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Ayfer)

6 July 2025

Ayfer was a wonderful guide—knowledgeable, warm, and engaging. She brought Istanbul’s history and culture to life with fascinating stories and insights. Highly recommended!Brilliant guide

Daniel

(About local Oğuz)

29 June 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

Tina🇹🇷 Turkey

(About local Ayfer)

23 June 2025

Ayfer was incredible. We were given a fantastic orientation to the city and great insight to the history. She also gave advice on restaurants and other trips. Many thanks Ayfer 10

Sabrina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

23 June 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

Warren🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Abdullah)

23 June 2025

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

sylwia and Adrian

(About local Ugur)

23 June 2025

We had a truly outstanding experience with our guide, Ugur, in Istanbul. From the moment we met, it was clear this would be a very personalized and enriching tour. Ugur tailored the experience to our interests and brought the city’s rich history to life with incredible depth and insight. We learned so much, not only about the architectural features across the European side of Istanbul, but also about the centuries of political tensions that have shaped the region, including its modern dynamics. One of the highlights was simply sitting down for a great coffee with him, where the conversation flowed as easily as if we were old friends. He also recommended a fantastic local restaurant for dinner—authentic, tucked away, and absolutely delicious. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and personable guide in Istanbul, I couldn’t recommend Ugur more highly.Great overview of best in Istambul

Fernando🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Neslihan )

22 June 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

Barbara and Rob🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Oğuz)

22 June 2025

Oguz met us on our first morning in Istanbul and we are very glad we arranged this tour. We began with an overview of the old city and walking past the major tourist ‘must see’ sites and bazaars and then he took us to some of the lesser visited and very beautiful mosques. Oguz was knowledgeable and friendly and our time with him was a highlight of our visit.Great introduction to Istanbul

Ray🇺🇸 United States

(About local Safiye)

21 June 2025

We booked a three hour Istanbul introductory tour with Safiye. She met us right on time at Galataport. We took public transport to Sulthanamet via the tram. I booked specially because three in the group prefer Spanish and Safiye has a great working knowledge of the language, plus her English is excellent. We toured the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, and the Topkapi gardens, plus she provided tips to continue visiting Istanbul the next day (which was the last day as we were on a cruise). Safiye is very kind, personable, and patient, and deeply knows the city’s history and its landmarks. We very much enjoyed our time with her and highly recommend her if you are visiting Istanbul.Perfect Time in Istanbul

Alastair🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Kadir Celal)

19 June 2025

Met Kadir at the German Fountain, he asked us want we wanted and then gave us a good rundown of the history of Istanbul before visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Sistern.. managing to shortcut some of the queues which was great. Kadir had extensive knowledge of all 3 places and knew the best photo stops. We enjoyed our tour with Kadir.Istanbul with Kadir

Hugh🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Ayfer)

19 June 2025

Ayfer was very knowledgeable about Istanbul’s history, politics and culture as well as being a lovely person. We took a tour of the neighbourhoods and learnt how to take the trams, ate the best fish wraps and discovered fermented turnip drink. We expressed an interest in Turkish rugs and she incorporated this into the tour. I would highly recommend Ayfer as a tour guide for this fascinating city! Excellent guide

Kate

(About local Gülce)

17 June 2025

We had a lovely visit to Istanbul with Gülce! She's a very knowledgeable and friendly guide and she made sure we got to see everything we wanted to cover in our short visit. Being able to skip the line for the basilica cistern was especially handy! Thanks for a lovely day Gülce!Lovely informative guide!

ANDREW🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Esra)

15 June 2025

Esra was an excellent guide for our day in Istanbul. She is full of knowledge and was great at explaining the history of the city. She organised a great tour for us and also recommended a great hammam experience and excellent restaurants. The grand bazaar was something to be seen as well. We loved her bubbly and professional personality. Would highly recommend her for anyone visiting Istanbul. We hope yo be able to see another part of Turkey with her at some later stage. Thank you Esra. 🙏❤️Great guide!

Chloe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

11 June 2025

My daughter had a 7hr layover in Istanbul. Abdullah was nice enough to meet her early in the morning, and he showed her amazing parts of Istanbul. She really learned a lot, and she said that Abdullah had terrific knowledge and energy. She was safe and happy being with him. Highly recommend Abdullah - he rocks!Awesome experience

Karina🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Neslihan )

8 June 2025

Neslihan was an exceptional guide during our time in Istanbul. She effortlessly showed us all the best parts of the city, providing insightful historical context and making sure we experienced everything to the fullest. Her knowledge and enthusiasm made our trip unforgettable. Highly recommend Neslihan for anyone visiting Istanbul!Unforgettable Istanbul Experience

Ken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Esra)

4 June 2025

My wife and 2 friends were very fortunate to select Esra as our Istanbul guide. Esra has a great knowledge of the top attractions, to include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Grand Bazaar. Esra is enthusiastic, dedicated, and made sure we were treated as guests in her care. She made sure our expectations were exceeded!#1 Tour Guide!

Elisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oguz)

4 June 2025

Ouzo was a great guide. He brought us to some areas less crowded. Explained the Tram to us which we used several more times while in the city. We had had a wonderful day with our new friend. Thank you Oz. A quiet day in Istanbul

Sylvia

(About local Ayfer)

3 June 2025

We booked Ayfer for a 3 hour walking tour of the main sights and insights into historic and modern Istanbul. She was great company, really easy to talk to and a lot of fun. She explained the fascinating history of the country, and the history of the beautiful buildings in the old town and then took us on a magical journey across the Bosporus to a vibrant enclave full of foodie shops and trendy cafes. A really interesting morning With a superb guide. We cannot recommend her enough. A comprehensive insight into Istanbul

Karen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Nihal)

1 June 2025

Nihal was well versed in the history and gave us so much information. It totally enhanced our experience in Istanbul. She was obviously passionate about her city and infused us with her passion. She was also so personable and related with each of us on an individual level. I just can’t come up with enough to express our appreciation for such an incredible experience. Extremely informative

Jacinta

(About local Mine )

1 June 2025

Mine is an excellent guide. Her knowledge is incredible & she is full of energy & enthusiasm for her role which makes the experience very enjoyable. Having a guide makes it so much easier to navigate around the many wonderful places to visit. Also, Mine’s recommendations for places to eat & shop were all great. Overall we had a wonderful time in Istanbul & I would definitely recommend Mine. 😻🤓😻

Katja🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Emre)

1 June 2025

We had an excellent tour with Emre. He took us to highlights like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and enriched the experience with fascinating stories and details we wouldn’t have wanted to miss. Emre is a natural storyteller — knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate. Highly recommended!Excellent tour

Karen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Esra)

1 June 2025

Esra is a lovely person. She is very knowledgeable about Istanbul and the culture and history of Turkey. She went out of her way to come to the port to meet us and took us on the tram to the centre. I would not hesitate to recommend her. A very interesting tour and lovely guide

Alex

(About local Emre)

31 May 2025

First class. Excellent tour. Insightful but also casual. Emre is a wealth of knowledge. An amazing introduction to Istanbul on our first day. Highly recommended. The guru of istanbul

Sabine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

30 May 2025

We truly enjoyed our time with Kadir Celal. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. Kadir helped us experience Istanbul in a way we could never have done on our own. We highly recommend him and would definitely book a tour with him again. A wonderful introduction to Istanbul

André

(About local Esra)

30 May 2025

We met Esra as a wonderful person with lots of experience and knowledge about the history of Istanbul. All recommendations from our side for all guests looking for a unforgettable time exploring Istanbul. Best Experience to explore Istanbul

Kate🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mine )

29 May 2025

We had a great custom tour with Mine! She is very accommodating and pleasant to work with. She shared a lot of history and stories with us. We appreciate her expertise! It was our first time in Istanbul and she provided very helpful recommendations for us too. I strongly recommend doing a tour with Mine! It will be fun and educational. Mine is super knowledgable and kind!

Linda🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Emre)

25 May 2025

We have mixed feelings for our private tour with Emre. Tour with him was like hanging out with a much younger old friend who you are able to have an honest conversation & joked around with without concerns of being judged. But we also know that unlike an old friend we can't call or message Emre to whine about life at odd hours of the night, hence the mixed feelings 😅. In the end, we just snapped out if and accept that Emre was an amazing tour guide with a perfect combination of warmth and professionalism. Loved his hidden gems which we came back to. Thank you Emre for your kind hospitality, you truly are a gracious host. Dave & LindaMixed feelings

759bfwjtnx🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Oguz)

23 May 2025

We were total newbies to Istanbul and are very happy that we found Oguz. At first he not just stuck to a fixed plan but asked us for our interests and thus we adapted the tour to what suited the day, our interests and available time best. Awesome! Oguz is very knowledgeable. We focused on the history of the city, some hidden gems and in between turned the tour in a cultural exchange about history, people, politics and other topics between our countries. Awesome again! By the end Oguz gave us tips on how to spend our time left in Istanbul wisely. We finished the tour very fulfilled and happy to have taken it. Worth every dime! Awesome again! Thank you!Highly recommendable

Cathrine🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Oguz)

21 May 2025

Oguz was excellent at telling story and history in very engaging way. Nice pace and took us to some fabulous places without crowds. Great story teller

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mine )

21 May 2025

It was raining when we met Mine and she made the most of it, adjusting our site while doing her best to keep us out of the rain. She left us at a great restaurant for lunch. Made the best of a rainy day in Istanbul

caroline🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Abdullah)

20 May 2025

Abdullah is a great guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of the city and Turkey but also in recommending shops and restaurants. Very helpful as well and a great photographer. I can highly recommend him.Wonderful walking tour!

Richard and Garrett🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ahmet Can)

20 May 2025

Ahmet was a phenomenal guide; cheerful, personable, knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend Ahmet, you will not be disappointed. Incredible

Sej🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Kadir Celal)

18 May 2025

Really enjoyed the morning tour with Kadir! Gave us many insights into life in Istanbul and of course the history. He was very helpful and thoughtful. Thanks Kadir! A great morning of history!

Ben🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ayfer)

18 May 2025

Ayfer took us on a morning tour of Istanbul - we were 4 friends visiting the city for the first time. Ayfer’s knowledge and interest of the city old and new was exceptional, taking us from its beginnings to the present day. All delivered with great communication and enthusiasm. Engaging and knowledgeable guide

Kathleen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mine )

18 May 2025

Offered flexibility with tour Great knowledge of history and local culture Has a sense of humor Knows the ins and outs of all attractions!Mine is the best

Zac🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

18 May 2025

Abdullah was absolutely fantastic. He didn’t stop with just the highlights of the city: he’s a huge history buff and was able to give us loads of great information and history associated with the sights, as well as the different periods & civilizations that preceded them. He also gave some wonderful restaurant suggestions tailored to our interests in local fare. Very highly recommended!Such a wonderful way to discover Istanbul

Aoife🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Ahmet Can)

13 May 2025

Ahmet was an excellent guide for our tour of the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. His is incredibly knowledgeable and very entertaining. We were so lucky to be able to get him on a late booking and it really made our tour. He is also great at being by able to navigate away from crowded areas and avoid queues. Highly recommend Ahmet.Excellent guide

Colby🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

12 May 2025

Kadir was an outstanding tour guide for my family and I. He shared great local stories and history, was flexible with our groups needs and kept us moving efficiently so we saw so much in a short time! Thank you, Kadir! You are the best. Amazing tour with Kadir!

Pearsonalex5🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Neslihan )

12 May 2025

We had a fabulous 3 hour tour of Istanbul with Neslihan taking in the major sights with a great mix of historical detail and modern anecdotes. Highly recommend. Brilliant!

Jane

(About local Ahmet Can)

12 May 2025

We met Ahmed on our first morning and his tour was an ideal introduction to our short stay. He was warm friendly, knowledgeable, and great at assessing what was possible within 3 hours in high season! A great start to our trip

Annetje

(About local Emre)

9 May 2025

Emre was een leuke en prettige gids. Hij wist ons veel te vertellen over de historie en doseerde de informatie goed. Ook voor onze tieners was het daardoor leuk en afwisselend. Heel flexibel in programma en op onze wensen afgestemd. Tevens een aantal goede suggesties voor lunch en diner gekregen. Eem tour met Emre is een aanrader!Enthousiaste en leuke gids

phedgley

(About local Oguz)

7 May 2025

Gave up a great insight into the history of the places we visited. Istanbul experience

John

(About local Mine )

5 May 2025

I was delighted that Mine accepted my request to act as our personal tour guide for just me and Ros. She quite rightly split my list of places to visit into two x 4 hour sessions on consecutive days. This was to enable us to visit the Hagia Sophia Mosque and Topkapi Palace on 2nd May and The Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and the Archaeological Museum on 3rd May. Mine sensibly suggested an early start on 2nd May to avoid queuing behind large passenger numbers from a Cruise Ship. Very thoughtful. Unfortunately on our day 2 we were unable to go inside the Blue Mosque in order to avoid the very large crowd queuing. But we were able to spend more time in useful conversation with Mine outside, and more time in conversation with her at the Archaeological Museum. As a tour guide Mine was everything we wanted from a tour guide. She gave us excellent well-delivered information in a way that was easy to understand. It was clear she has an incredible amount of knowledge on the places we visited and was able to answer our questions. Above all she had a very friendly and professional approach and suggested and took many photographs of us that she forwarded to us at the end of what was our enjoyable time together. These will be great reminders of our enjoyable experience.Mine is an excellent tour guide

Kate🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Hakan)

5 May 2025

Had the absolute pleasure of having Hakan as a tour guide in istanbul recently. From the minute he arrived, he was superb. Took us to all the sites, but was patient, very good at explaining the history with locations and ensured we were working to our time, not his own. Such a nice man, perfect host and ambassador for istanbul and Turkey in general. Highly recommended, would use him again Best one we have done in any city to date. Best City Guide ever

Rietje

(About local Emre)

5 May 2025

Hi Emre, we really had a great walk with lots of ins and outs. It gave us a real feel of the city, its history, but also the present. Thank youBe happy

Debbie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

2 May 2025

Abdullah showed us The Hague Sofia and the Cistern. Walked us through the Grand Bazaar and made two excellent recommendations for dinner that night and a Turkish bath the last evening of our stay. He was fun and also very knowledgeable. It was a great start to our trip!Fun orientation to Istanbul

Anastasia

(About local Abdullah)

29 April 2025

Unknown

(About local Ugur)

28 April 2025

Uger gave us a good and through trip down Istanbul both historical and visually.A historical trip down Istanbul

Mark🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Esra)

28 April 2025

She was very warm and friendly most helpful and made our day interesting. I could have done without the visit to the carpet dealer for that length of time.excellent knowledge and very friendly

Katherine🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Mine )

28 April 2025

I'd highly recommend Mine, she was a brilliant guide for our group of four, we learned so much about Istanbul's incredible rich history. She was hugely knowledgeable, full of great stories and anecdotes, well organised at the busy sites, friendly and really good fun. We had a great afternoon, thank you Mine! Excellent. Highly recommend!