Ayfer

The Explorer of History and Lifestyle

Responds quickly
  • I live in Istanbul
  • I speak English, Türkçe
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 13 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Ayfer

Hello travelers!

I'm Ayfer, I am a licensed professional tour guide, a yogi, an artist and a passionate traveler. I love life and everything that makes it fun and joyful!

History, food and travel are passions of mine, I love travel and witnessing history, tasting different food & beverages and exploring local life and neighborhoods. Different tastes mean indulging in the new cultures for me and helping you experience this is a joy. I love Istanbul and meeting new people from all over the world; Istanbul has never let me down in that matter!

I currently host number of tours at Withlocals that you may review on my profile. If you are looking for something else or different timing, just send me a message about your preferences and I'll create an experience that is tailored just for you.

Looking forward to meeting you!

  • I live in Istanbul
  • I speak English, Türkçe
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 13 hours

Book one of my offers in Istanbul

Let's explore Istanbul together! As your local guide, I'll show you the best of Istanbul on a private & personalized tour for you.

Did you know that I can personalize your experience?

All Withlocals tours are completely customisable to your needs. Just let me know your preferences for a private and personalized experience!

Responds quickly

Reviews

James
28 August 2025
We had a perfect day with Ayfer today. She took care of everything from meeting us at our boat to dropping us off at the same location 7 hours later. Her knowledge of Istanbul and the history was excellent and we learned a lot. Her English was perfect and she was extremely friendly. We highly recommend her if you need someone to show you around Istanbul!Ayfer is the best!
Andrea
24 August 2025
Ayfer was incredibly knowledgeable! She added so much to our trip and created memories that will stay with us for years to come. Great experience!
Jamie
4 August 2025
Our family of 5 (includes 3 teenagers) had a fantastic 3-hour tour of Istanbul with Ayfer! Ahead of our tour, Ayfer helped us determine how we wanted to spend the time, giving us a few options, and was really flexible the day of, tailoring the tour based on what we were enjoying most. Ayfer was really friendly and engaging, and made us all very comfortable asking questions. She is so knowledgable about the city and history and includes lots of interesting stories and details. Ayfer really went above and beyond, helping us order lunch at the conclusion of the tour and giving us helpful tips for spending the rest of our time in Istanbul including tram details. We would highly recommend Ayfer for an insightful and memorable tour of Istanbul!Fantastic Tour of Istanbul
Cecilia
18 July 2025
Ayfer was great at communicating before the event, so we knew the best way to get to her and exact where to meet. She was also kind enough to give us some suggestions for off the beaten track places to visit in Istanbul before we met her for the cruise. The cruise itself was amazing, the shores of the Bosphorus are spectacular particularly at sunset and Ayfer provided great commentary on all the sights as well as historical and cultural insights. Her English is superb. We really enjoyed this trip and it is highly recommended. Fantastic experience
Sue
15 July 2025
I had a 24 hour layover in Istanbul, and decided to do a quick tiur before catching my next flight. Ayfer was a wonderful guide. She gave me a marvelous overview of Istanbul. I waa able to see the most famous sights and I learned a lot about the history of the city. Ii would love to return and bookna more in-depth tour with Ayfer.Quick Tour of Istanbul
Masha
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
Rachel
5 July 2025
On our last full day in Istanbul, Ayfer took me and my 12yo daughter to the Basilica Cistern, and to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market for some supported shopping (it can be quite overwhelming to choose among the 4,000 shops). Her knowledge of the city’s history was just wonderful for both of us, increasing our ability to enjoy each experience. We ended our day with a narrated cruise around the Bosporus and Golden Horn at sunset, for the perfect farewell to a beautiful city. I would recommend Ayfer strongly to any visitor, especially those who love history.Just Like Family
Armando
1 July 2025
My wife and I met Ayfer for a food tour in Kadicoy. Within 5 minutes, she surpassed the guide we had hired for the previous two days for the old city, Aya Sophia, etc. . . As we say in Spanish, Ayfer is “simpatica.” She is full of cultural, historical, social and religious knowledge. She met us at the Pier which was super easy. As we walked towards the markets, she casually weaved into our walk wonderful historical tales about Istanbul and the start of Istanbul, the developments of neighborhoods over time and how it influenced the food and architecture and culture. She took us to excellent restaurants that are not on lonely planet and therefore not crowded. She explained the food and how it can differ from similar cultures. I am a veteran of probably over 20 food tours and this is by far the best. Ayfer is Awesome. After the food tour, she helped us with other restaurant suggestions and then found out we were going to Bodrum and took her time to explain the top things to do in Bodrum. We were in Istanbul for two more days and she stayed in touch with us to see if we needed anything else. I realized later that she does a private boat tour. We had already done a much more expensive boat tour without a guide. You need a guide to tour the Bosphorus to understand all the incredible buildings on the water. Once again, start your Istanbul vacay here. More Than A Food Tour - Awesome Ayfer
Tina
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
Hugh
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

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