Hello - my adult son and I are taking a trip to Istanbul in early June for five days. We are looking for a private guide (with a car) to pick us up the first morning that we are there to take us on an orientation tour of Istanbul. We believe we can manage the remainder of our Istanbul itinerary on our own after this first-day orientation tour, and would appreciate any suggestions on a good tour guide. we had booked with Viator, but none of my clarifying questions have been answered - though I've sent a couple of emails. This lack of contact prompted me to reach out to the forum for other suggestions. Thank you!
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
4080 posts
I used Welcome Pickups for an airport transfer, they also offer a pickup and sightseeing tour. No clue if that is well rated but I had a good experience with my driver.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
2 posts
I can recommend Auydin manager of the Magnara Palace Hotel who also does guiding. I used him last week for two days and he's excellent. Cost was 220euros per day and that is a walking tour. He arranged a driver for us on another day when he couldn't join us but he provided the driver with the itinerary for where to take us. The driver and car was 250euros for the day. Whats app +90 534 739 38 46
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thank you very much for the suggestions!
Posted by
Washington State
16 posts
We are just back from two self-guided days in Istanbul, and before two of the 13-day RS tour. I booked Alp, through WithLocals, and he was great. I don't know if he provides car service, however. We booked his "Street Art" tour, which covered a lot of murals and sculptures in a particular region of the city. I think he offers other tours, such as an orientation tour. His english is good, and he was very knowledgeable about the city and its history - our conversation went well beyond art. There are many guides on WL's Istanbul page, offering all kinds of tour. I've booked WithLocals tours in Verona, Madrid (2) and Istanbul and always had excellent, educational, friendly guides. It's usually cheaper than Tour By Locals. Another option is to contact your hotel for help, particularly for transportation. I've had good luck with that; prices are typically good, and service has always been top notch.