Istanbul's Best Private Day Trips

My mom and I had the pleasure of spending the day with Alp while he guided us around Büyükada (the largest of the Prince's Islands). Alp was fantastic in every way. He was responsive and kept in close contact with us leading up to our tour, and on the day of our tour was prompt and enthusiastic. He was fun and knowledgeable and went out of his way to ensure we were having a good time. He was also flexible and adjusted the tour to accommodate our needs. At the end of the tour, he made extra efforts to ensure we got on the correct ferry back to our hotel. This tour was a highlight of our trip. Thank you for a wonderful day, Alp!

We booked Kemal when we were home in New Zealand, having reviewed other reviews about Kemal and having checked out his photography online and in instagram. This man is so modest about his accomplishments- everything online is understated. He has a great ability to engage with locals in Turkey in such a warm and genuine manner- people seem to do anything for him, allow him places and are happy for him/us to photograph them, showing their story and humanity. He has travelled to and knows so many countries- it’s not for nothing he was a staff photographer ( and executive editor) for National Geographic for many years. I don’t think we could ask him anything about Istanbul and the surrounding area ( we did two of his tours) which he didn’t know. He organised a car, and made recommendations for meals/ drinks (which were spot on- and we had as part of the tours). Not only that, he is very flexible to fit in with exactly what you want- just guiding, or going to places specifically for photographic opportunities. He met us at our hotel- really takes away any hassle- and you really do get to see a lot more than if left to your own devices. He also has a “voice map” guided out of the Galata area of Istanbul- we didn’t know about that- suggest checking it out. We weren’t sure if Kemal was the same person as “Kemal Nuraydin” in instagram- he is. He is the same Kemal in “Terra Photos tours” ( website and instagram) as well. Also, to remove any potential confusion, he actually lives in London, doing the same work there, but has friends and family in Istanbul, so is always happy to fly over to do your guiding or tour. Sounds like we are advertising him, which we are- only because we think he is so good at what he does. Thanks Kemal! Colin Brown and Ruth Bijl , Auckland, New Zealand

We had a nice time on our tour with Alp! He made the logistics super easy and brought us to a stunning luch vista. He's easy to get along with and knows a lot about IStanbul. Fun experience!

My guided experience with Alp was everything I had hoped for and more! Alp was beyond accommodating to my last-minute request for revamping our whole tour itinerary. He immediately rose to the challenge, was willing to revamp our whole itinerary without any frustration or attitude, and assured me that he will help me find what im looking for. And our journey began. Along the way, he not only helped me find what i was looking for (which actually took us 2-3hrs off the original agenda), but he also guided me to a few different and unexpected places that were rooted in local community where I was able to meet with local scholars at a gorgeous madrasa, have tea, and enjoy meaningful and educational engagements. Alp translated for me every time & ensured that I made an informed decision about my requested need, which made me feel deeply supported and truly guided by him. He was fun, a total gentleman, and gracious with his time and pace with me🕺🏽 Throughout, he gladly took pictures of me upon my request and calmly and gently offered suggestions so that together we may cocreate the next steps of our revamped itinerary. 🫶🏽 Alp is not only an ideal tour guide who knows how to pivot his plan to bravely center my needs, preferences, and pace to give me the best possible experience for what i needed and wanted, but he is a solid human being with a kind spirit and demeanor.💛 I am forever grateful to Alp for giving me the most special experience of my entire journey to Turkey. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟