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A hidden gem located in the western part of the old city and still waiting to be explored by you!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

6 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide

What you can expect

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 Oğuz.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at German Fountain - 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. Süleymaniye Mosque

   Suleymaniye Mosque is the symbol of Istanbul for most people. It was constructed by Architecture Sinan and is considered one of his masterpieces. Sehzadebasi Mosque and Valens Aquaducts will be other spots to visit in the neighborhood.

4. Tekfur Palace Tile Museum

   After a short break near Chora Museum, we walk near city walls and visit the old Byzantine Palace which is formally a tile museum today.

5. Balat and Fener

   Now is time to walk through Balat and Fener's districts. It's covered by narrow streets and full of creative houses and different colors. Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Greek High School, and other churches are worth seeing in the neighborhood.

6. Chora

   Finally opened again after 4 years! It was a Byzantine Church and turned into a Mosque but still covers the old mosaics and frescoes inside. So peacefull!

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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Adnan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

9 December 2024

Oğuz has charted an excellent walking route through the city. It takes you through the inner streets. You see the rich history, culture and real day to day life of this vibrant city. He's very knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommended. Get the real feel of the city!

Ann🇺🇸 United States

5 June 2024

We met Oguz at our hotel near Beyazit. He gave us a wonderful customized tour of mosques and history and art and the communities of Fener and Balat. It was my request to see mosques, not being Muslim I wanted to understand more about them. I was impressed with their beauty, history and tilework. We also saw the Chora Church. It was amazing. I have never seen anything like it, and Oguz knew all the stories that went with the mosaics and made it come to life. It was so wonderful to have a knowledgeable guide and to learn about the history of these buildings and their faith communities. I also appreciated seeing the city walls and touring the tile museum. It was a wonderful full day. Wonderful tour!

Chris🇺🇸 United States

19 April 2024

Our time with Oguz was very informative. He knows his city and was helpful getting us around using public transport. I had informed him that one of the members of our group was having trouble walking and he needed to give him time to rest. Oguz seemed to have a hard time with that. He would walk way ahead at his pace and not wait for this member when necessary. Several times he just took off and would not wait. I found it not very considerate. He had to wait on us of course eventually but I thought he should have just walked at the pace of the slowest member. We realized we would not see as much but that was fine with us.A nice walk around Istanbule

Paige🇺🇸 United States

11 September 2023

Karen🇺🇸 United States

14 July 2023

Oguz met us at our hotel right on time. He was very lovely and took us all around the city and was in frequent contact before our arrival. He even spent extra time with us when I mentioned wanting to buy some gold jewelry (which he admitted was tricky to do in Turkey as it's sold by weight a lot of places). He helped us order one of the best lunches we had (on the Asian side) and added the Hagia Sophia to our tour (we were going to go the next day) since there was miraculously no line (something I appreciated the next day when the line was around the building). I recommend him! He's fairly soft spoken, but we all liked him. Oguz is great!

Leanne 🇦🇺 Australia

24 August 2022

Such a Great day with Oguz getting away from the packed tourist places and into the more interesting (and just as beautiful) back streets. Oguz is packed with knowledge about the city, historical and recent history that the day just flew by. Highly recommend this tour!The best of Istanbul

Adam🇨🇭 Switzerland

30 July 2022

Oguz was an excellent guide. He provided a lot of insightful information on Turkish and Islamic history and other useful tips. He was great with the kids too and very accomodating with our pace and wishes. Excellent tour of historical sites

Jeff

30 December 2024

We did a six hour tour with Oguz and he is excellent. Very knowledgeable and patient and friendly. He took us to all the main sights in Istanbul including a boat trip to the Asian side where we had a great lunch. I highly recommend him!Ogus is great

Jennifer

11 December 2024

We had a very interesting visit to Hagia Sofia with Oguz. He met us on time and guided us through ticketing, security and finally through this amazing mosque. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the history, architecture and interior adornment. He also helped us better understand the contemporary use of Hagia Sofia as a mosque. He also had some great recommendations for us for the remainder of the day including a great local restaurant.Interesting Hagia Sofia

Adnan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

9 December 2024

Oğuz took us through Topkapi early morning when there were very few people around. It felt like we were getting a personal tour...no lines, waiting or crowds. He showed us all the parts of the palace and very patiently answered all our queries. We throughly enjoyed listening to the history and left feeling elated. Highly recommend!Personal tour of Topkapi!

Fergus🇮🇪 Ireland

19 October 2024

Oguz’s knowledge, wisdom and guidance was excellent. He adjusted the tour to our general interests, was courteous, perceptive and very knowledgeable. We got to see many hidden gems with him, and particularly appreciated helping us plan later events in our trip in Istanbul. Excellent guide experience

Andrew🇬🇧 United Kingdom

19 October 2024

Oguz was really knowledgable and flexible with what I wanted to see - from sites to local shopping and food . Be prepared for a lot of walking and experiencing the local transport - boat across the Bosphorus and trams and vehicular train to the Galata Tower. It was an incredible day and Oguz is highly recommended.Great Guide and flexible

Robert🇩🇪 Germany

30 September 2024

Marvin🇩🇪 Germany

30 April 2024

Fantastic tour with Oguz, who showed us around the main sights, provided a lot of information and was flexible to adapt the tour to our wishes.Great tour

Kelly🇺🇸 United States

15 April 2024

Oguz was very knowledgeable and flexible. We recommend!Great experience with Oguz

Abdur🇺🇸 United States

13 August 2023

Oguz was simply the best guide I could’ve hoped for! He was extremely knowledgeable but also very flexible accommodating our interests! We never felt rushed and just had a wonderful time thanks to Oguz, strongly recommend!!Strongly recommend, highlight of our trip!

Bruce🇺🇸 United States

7 August 2023

Oguz had great English and extensive local knowledge. He customized the tour for us, allowing changes as we found ourselves near great places to visit. I highly recommend oguz. Great day with oguz

Feroze🇨🇦 Canada

19 December 2022

Oguz is a walking talking encyclopedia on the history and culture of Turkey and Istanbul. History, Architecture, culture, cuisine are some of the high points of this tour. I thoroughly enjoyed his tailor made tour of Sulaimanya mosque, Fener, Balat, Eyüp, Spice Bazar along with his recommendations of some interesting and delicious street food thrown in for good measure. His professionalism is second to none. A lovely day overall. Thanks Oguz A tour worth taking!

Carlota🇪🇸 Spain

12 December 2022

Nos encantó el tour! Muy recomendable!Genial!

Randy🇺🇸 United States

27 November 2022

We had a customized tour with a list of activities, primarily shopping, that we wanted to do and Oğuz took us to handpicked stores. In addition there was time for other places to visit and he suggested several places off the beaten track. This included a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul, which is a lot different than the European side. At lunch Oğuz pointed out dishes and desserts to try. We enjoyed these activities and it enriched our Turkish experiences. Oğuz was personable and knowledgeable and provided interesting narrative along the way.A great guide

Laura🇺🇸 United States

19 November 2022

Oguz was knowledgeable and friendly. He showed us everything we wanted to see in Old Town and more. He recommended a good restaurant for lunch on the Asian side. Be sure to tell him everything you want to see and buy and he will guide you there.Nice day in Istanbul

Colleen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 November 2022

We had the pleasure of Oğuz‘s company on two separate days in Istanbul. Both days he met us at our accommodation after breakfast. Our first day was the day after we arrived, a Saturday. As we were staying in Sultanahmet, we concentrated on the sights on that district, a good choice, as it was raining on and off, so being in and out of buildings was better. We saw Topkapi Palace and Harem, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia Mosque and the Grand Bazaar (where Oğuz recommended a reputable stall for us to purchase a Turkish Coffee set). We had a traditional Turkish Coffee break and a ‘local’ lunch to keep us going. Throughout our tour of the Sultanahmet District Oğuz was knowledgeable, informative and entertains, even when queuing in the rain! Monday saw us use much more public transport (tram, teleferique, train and ferry), and venturing further afield, including the University District and Suleymaniye Mosque, Pierre Lori Hill, Fener & Balat Districts, Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul (where we had a delicious lunch), Rustem Pasha Mosque (Oğuz‘a alternative Blue Mosque), and the Spice Bazaar. Throughout, Oğuz was again, full of stories and open to questions. We had an extremely enjoyable, if tiring, couple of days with Oğuz, but they were worth every step and I would highly recommend him as a guide.Fantastic two days experiencing Istanbul

Arie🇺🇸 United States

27 October 2022

Excellent guidance..! 7+ miles (more than 10 km) by foot together, very knowledgeable, pleasant and accommodating..!Can’t get better…

Michael🇺🇸 United States

26 September 2022

I only had one full day to spend in Istanbul and I’m so glad I could connect with Oğuz. We walked for 12 miles, 8 hours, two continents. His appreciation for history and architecture helped me understand the many sites we visited. Can’t wait to wander again with Oğuz the next time I’m in Istanbul. Excellent guide, amazing day

Giselle🇿🇦 South Africa

22 August 2022

Oguz was absolutely the best tour guide for us. He took us off the beaten path, so we never wasted a second standing in queues. He showed us the gems of Istanbul that were less known but equally as thrilling. He is extremely knowledgeable in his historic facts and is a wonderful, kind and friendly gentleman who felt like an old friend to us.What a treat !

Jessica🇩🇪 Germany

17 August 2022

Luke🇦🇺 Australia

14 July 2022

There were 3 of us booked for a full day walking tour of Istanbul in early June 2022. Oguz turned up at our hotel punctually which was better than us. Nonetheless we were off on our tour within 15 minutes. We had seen a few of the likely places as we had been in Istanbul for a day and were staying in Sultanahmet. No problems for Oguz. He gave us a personalised tour and expanded our knowledge and of course showed us places that we had not seen. He showed us how the public transport system worked. We got on ferries and trams and ended up on the Asian side of Istanbul. We had a great lunch together. He helped us with some shopping and bargaining with the shopkeepers. When we got a bit tired, he refreshed us with baklava and tea. It was a full day and I was exhausted at the end. Looking back, it really was like meeting up with a friend in Istanbul who wanted to show you the highlights of their city. Thank you Oguz.A day in Istanbul with "our friend" Oguz

Unknown

27 June 2022

Our guide Oguz was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Overall, an enjoyable tour including must-see sites, shopping and sampling the local cuisine. Highly recommended!Great!

Jean-Michel 🇧🇪 Belgium

30 May 2022

Oguz was an excellent guide. He was there ride on time and propose an “à la carte” program for us. We started with the Topkapi palace where thanks to him we didn’t have to queue for the tickets (precious time saving). Oguz has an excellent knowledge of the history of the city and share that with us with an open mind. The visit of Haghia Sofia was also a key moment of our visit. He found us an excellent restaurant and a great place (outside the bazaar) to buy ceramic for a fair price. We plan to come back with family and friends and would be happy to make use of his services again.Excellent guide

Christina🇧🇪 Belgium

29 May 2022

Oguz was really a great local guide. We'd enjoyed our tour with him. we'd learned so much about the history of the Topkapi palace, Agia Sofia... Thanks for everything Oguz. Hope that we can meet next time. Wonderful experience

Alexia🇨🇭 Switzerland

28 May 2022

It was our first time in Istanbul. We gad a great day with Oguz, he is very knowledgeable, the tour was well organized we never had to wait anywhere. He us flexible. We will use his services again for our next trip to Istanbul. Thank youAmazing day in Istanbul with Oguz

Sondos🇬🇧 United Kingdom

8 May 2022

We had a fantastic day with Oguz, he gave us a great experience. From recommending places to go, restaurants, and shops he got us set on our plans in Turkey for the coming days. He was super friendly and patient with all our questions, he is really knowledgeable about the area! Would recommend booking with him for sure! Thank you Oguz!

William🇩🇪 Germany

4 May 2022

Oguz was extremely knowledgeable and educated beyond anything we could have ever expected. Our cultural tour included historical sites, hamam recommendations, and reputable local art dealers that were straight and to the point. The tour was longer than we booked (he asked if we were on a time schedule) and he went out of his way to ensure the tour was geared towards our interests showing us things dueing conversation relevant to us. We even reached out to him afterwards for other recommendations and he responded quickly each time. Highly recommendOguz Is The Best!

Bill🇺🇸 United States

25 April 2022

Oguz met us at our cruise port and provided us an informative walking tour that we had decided upon, stopping at all the locations that interested our family of 4. We could not have asked for a nicer, and knowledgeable guide. It was a learning experience that we will never forget. We highly recommend Oguz and our confident you will come away very happy with the service he provides. Bill H.Wonderful guided walking tour

Kevin 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 December 2021

Spent a very interesting and informative few hours with Oguz. Showed me the places I wanted to see with great history and detail. Very good guide and extremely knowledgeable about his City and Country. Would recommend.Excellent Tour Guide

Jordan🇺🇸 United States

22 October 2021

It is amazing how one city can have so many wonders and hide them so well. I never would have seen half the stuff I saw without this tour and would have only gotten a tiny glimpse of the story and history behind each one. Being shown how to use the public transportation and where the different interesting districts are where just bonuses of this tour but unlocked the whole city. This information would have been worth the price alone! Great fun, amazing adventure!

julia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 November 2020

Oguz was extremely nice, super knowledgeable and very flexible (appreciate this!) and for that he deserves a special thank you. We had fantastic 4 hours tour with him which flew by so quickly we didn’t even have time to get tired. We saw everything we wanted. Oguz made us fall in love with Istanbul and this makes him a great guide! A true sample of exellent tour guide

Catalin🇷🇴 Romania

27 October 2020

I will start with the fact that this was the first time I have decided to use the help of a local to discover a city and damn it was awesome. Usually, I prefer to do that on my own, to prepare the list of objectives based on travel blogs, travel apps and so on, but with Oğuz it went to a different level. He clearly knows the city, the history of places, how things are working around and which places to recommend for a meal or a coffee or to party around. I got the full day tour, and for that we met at about 9am and we have spent time until 5pm. If anyone is curious about the level of effort needed for such a tour, that can be adjusted based on everyone's desires, but because my wife and I are really excited about walking and discovering a new city, for that day we have recorded almost 20km of walk. With Oğuz it was easy to adjust the plan based on our needs, it was fun to chat about the city's history, football, food, politics and everythink else it popped into our heads. For you, Oguz, a warm thank you. when I will come again to Turkey, I would love to meet and have a coffee and chat about what's new. Hope the tourism in Turkey will get as soon as possible back on tracks. Simply awesome!

Taylor🇺🇸 United States

21 January 2020

Oguz was very accommodating to our interests on our tour and added great stops along the way that we never would have known. He was super informative and brought great insight to the city. I would definitely recommend him for your next tour in Istanbul!MUST BOOK!

Gabriella🇦🇺 Australia

9 January 2020

My husband and I had an amazing day exploring the major sites of Istanbul with Oguz!!! He was super friendly and knowledgeable! Would highly recommend this tour! Thank you Oguz for showing us a fantastic time!!! Can’t wait to come back to Istanbul! Amazing experience in Istanbul!

Corinne🇬🇧 United Kingdom

26 December 2019

I very much enjoyed the evening at Oğuz’s family home. His wife Yasemin cooked a tasty big meal and his son Alp entertained us all nicely. Oğuz takes well care as a guide and host and I felt welcomed at their nice flat. I can absolutely recommend the offer. Excellent dinner and company

Beryl🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 December 2019

Oguz and his family’s hospitality was wonderful, we felt very welcome in their home. The meal was delicious, we had soup, a big starter, main meal and dessert followed by Turkish tea. We were very full and enjoyed the whole experience.Lovely evening

Jim🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2019

We had a wonderful experience walking the old city with Ouz. His local knowledge, pleasant demeanor and flexibility to meet our needs were perfect for us. Highly recommend. Informative and pleasant morning Oguz!

Natalia Emi 🇯🇵 Japan

2 October 2019

Oguz and Jasmine, thank you for receiving us in your home and sharing delicious dinner with us. We had a great time time with you and Alp, and we learned a lot about Turkey. Your warmth and hospitality will stay with us forever. Cok tesekkurler! We have one request. Could you send us your home address. We would like to send something for Alp. Wishing you all the best, Natalia Emi & Jadwiga Teresa Hirai Great & unforgettable evening!!!

Nomiki🇦🇺 Australia

19 September 2019

Oguz was very friendly and knowledgeable. He was happy to adjust the tour according to what we wanted to see. We recommend using Oguz for your tour in Istanbul Very friendly and knowledgeable

Warren🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2019

Our evening with Oguz and his family was so much fun. We learned a lot about life in Istanbul. Oguz's wife, Yasmina, studied food science engineering and is a great cook. And their son, Alp, provided wonderful entertainment throughout the joyous evening. Our four-course meal was superb. We started with a lovely soup that took days to prepare, and it was followed by many small plates of meat and vegetarian salads and dishes. Our entree was a phyllo-dough pastry filled with vegetables and chicken with a spicy bechamel sauce. And finally, a light tres-leches cake that was really wonderful. Yasmina had prepared a beautiful handmade gift for the two women in our group which was so appreciated!! But the best part of the evening was just getting to know this very nice family. What a treat!Wonderful evening, fantastic meal!

Martha🇵🇭 Philippines

27 August 2019

Oguz really spent time explaining things to us. We didnt feel rushed at all and was able to see/ experience all the things we wanted for that day. Flexible and not time conscious

Ananda🇺🇸 United States

15 July 2019

An amazing, personal, tailored tour of all the sites, not just those listed. Oguz was totally knowledgable, knew the best places to go, where to take pictures and was very patient. The tour was done at our pace and we just enjoyed his company. An awesome, outstanding experience. Totally recommend. Amazing Individual

Cristina🇺🇸 United States

12 July 2019

We had wonderful and fulfilling experience with Oguz. With his help, we managed to get a broader picture of Istanbul than we ever expected. Over the course of 2 days, we discovered the well-known as well as the lesser known aspects of the city’s history, geography, gastronomy, current events, and Turkish culture and traditions during our walks. Oguz is outstanding: he is insightful, attentive, and flexible. Also, he loves the English language and speaks it very well. Simply an unforgettable experience!Let Oguz Show You Istanbul and You Will Be Amazed!

Abdel Kader🇺🇸 United States

9 July 2019

My daughter and I spend one full day with Oguz in the Sultanahmet area. Oguz was a great local guide! He is very knowledgeable, courteous and funny to be around. This made our day really an amazing day full that was also full of information about all the Hypodrome, the Blue Mosque, Hagha Sophia, Topkapı Palace and many others. Oguz was flexible to modify the tour as we needed given I have a teenage daughter. He also took us to two underground water cisterns unseen by tourists. And the Baklava place at the end was simply amazing. Thank you Oguz!Amazing Informative Day!