Walks In Istanbul - Tours
Walks In Istanbul - Tours
5
City ToursCultural ToursWalking ToursPrivate ToursFood Tours
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
WALKS IN ISTANBUL Istanbul's premier walking tour company. We are specialists in expert-led guided tours in Istanbul - our home town. Join our small group or private tours for: -Skip-the-line tickets -Expert guides -Interactive experiences -High quality and well-priced tours
Istanbul, Türkiye

Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours and Tickets by Walks In Istanbul - Tours

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles379 reviews
Excellent
341
Very good
27
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
7

Kim P
Dallas, TX39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Solo
I booked the morning 3 hour Fener and Balat walking tour. My guide was Sabih and it was just me and him for the tour. (COVID times... Turkey just opened up fully at the beginning on July 1st.) We met at the Karakoy Ferry Pier and took the 20 minute ferry through the Golden Horn to the other side. Sabih told me such interesting history and information from the beginning. He's been a travel guide for 40+ years so you could pretty much ask him anything Turkey. We visited Greek Orthodox churches. Depending on what day of the week you go will determine which churches you can go inside. Each church has designated days they have service. I got to sit in on one and it was intense. We saw synagogues from the outside as at this time they are not letting the public in. We got to walk around the neighborhood and see how it's beginning to morph into a more tourist friendly place and we stopped for a cup of coffee and conversation. Sabih plays guitar, is in a band, and is on Spotify! He can also speak German. Such an interesting man. I learned that being a tour guide is a 4 year degree here which makes sense since they have so much history to learn and remember. He was also so kind and watched out for me like a father would.. like when we would cross the street. And when the tour was over, he took the time to hail me a cab to make sure I got to my next destination. I recommend going to visit these neighborhoods as they're a nice outlet away from the busy tourist areas and you can say that you have been there before a Starbucks eventually gets built there. 😉
Written July 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anonimnamama
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
We spent delightful 3 hours with our guide Çetin exploring this bohemian looking and history rich neighborhood . Balat and Fener definitely are giving the hipster vibe,yet they are witnesses of the turbulent and exiting past of the amazing city of Istanbul.
So many lovely spots there and people to meet! Caution: Istanbul is a hilly city and you will experience some climbing of the steep streets, but it’s more than worth it.
Thank you Çetin for showing us the gem and sharing your knowledge about it!
Written September 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sswsellier
Houston, TX7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
We booked 3 tours with Guzin through Arzu. She is delightful, very knowledgeable, communicates well & super organized. We are Seniors not as agile as we once were - she was accommodating and our tours were a lot of fun. We learned a lot about this lovely city. Highly recommend this group. Susan & Peter Sellier
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Susan and Peter! It was a delight having you as our guests in Istanbul. Guzin is a gem, I am very proud to have her in the team. We are very glad that we were able to make your trip in Istanbul special! We look forward to seeing you in our other cities! All my best, Arzu
Written February 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Maria S.
Athens, Greece70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Friends
Fener is one of the prettiest and most laid-back neighbourhoods in Istanbul. Seeing it with Walks In Istanbul was a unique experience. We learnt so much from our knowledgeable guide, Cetin. Without him it wouldn't have been possible for us to understand the importance of those two historical neighbourhoods, Balat and Fener. This small group tour is off-the-beaten-path Istanbul at its best and we can't recommend it enough.
Written May 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

StOuennais
Jersey, U.K.7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Friends
On reading the previous reviews of this company, I feel we must have met Arzul on a very bad day for her as our experiences were nothing like this.

We joined a walking tour of Istanbul arranged through a fellow passenger on our cruise ship. It was supposed to be for four hours from 2 to 6 pm. There were fourteen of us altogether. It was going to cost $42 or E30 per person.

However, the tour proved to be the biggest let down of our cruise. In fact it was the worst value for money tour we have had in twelve cruises.

Arzul met us a bit later than the allotted meeting time as she had gone to another area and then we all set off to get the tram to the Grand Bazaar. A short walk to the tram and then another short walk from the tram stop to the Bazaar. She gave us some brief information along the way.

We were then taken a walk round the Bazaar for about half an hour by the tour guide with a few comments about the shops etc. and she suddenly announced she would leave us there for an hour and a half and pick us up at 5 pm to take us back on the tram to the ship. She then asked for payment!

Well I think we were all so shocked we did actually pay her, something that I later really regretted. At the very most we should have just paid 50%.

It was not a walking tour at all and we could have easily made our way to the bazaar on the tram or by taxi for a very minimal cost.

I know the organizer has written directly to Arzul with her views but I would strongly recommend not using this company as it was a total rip off.

I am pleased to say we had an excellent tour guide the following day from a different company and we were all so delighted after our disappointment of our first experience in Istanbul!
Written June 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your response. I am extremely sorry for your discontent, my business is too small for such failure. After I read this, I've done a lot of thinking around the tour we did and went many times through our correspondence with the organiser of this tour. I feel very uncomfortable about the way your experience has ended because I feel something terribly wrong is happening here. Please find my description for this tour: "How do we handle tour around Grand Bazaar? We take the whole group together, walk around the major areas ( it is huge so you won’t be able to see all of it this time) … Your guide is experienced so she will show you the best areas to shop certain products. Then she will point out a certain meeting point ( generally a coffee shop) where everyone can have their own shopping experience and can make their own way back to the café and leave their stuff etc… tired ones just sit down and enjoy tea…" I do now understand I should have been clearer about the way I describe my tour. Because shopping is a personal experience and I do believe that it is important to give people the opportunity to wander on their own. As in the case of one fellow traveller, I was available for purchasing gloves. I was available for anybody else's personal shopping needs. It was solely everyone's own decision whether to stay with the group or go back with us and finish the other half of the tour after you were done with your shopping. With regards to the fee, for a group of 14 people, 10USD for an hour is totally reasonable as per my tour description above. I am saying this based on my experience as a guide for 16 years in the industry. I would charge the same fee if you wanted me to guide you in Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque; my fee doesn't change with the itinerary. So, just because it's a shopping tour, I didn't ( and won't) charge less. The group might have benefited from my expertise in historical places but Grand Bazaar offers this much. Please also note, any other agency or guide would do their best to get the group into stores but we are not interested in store commissions; so our fee is fair. I believe your discontent is due to miscommunication, had you seen my original description of the tour, I am sure your expectation would have been different. Again, I am sorry for any misunderstanding from my side and I do apologise not having been clearer with my tour description.
Written June 10, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karl R
Dumfries, VA46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Couples
Short version: We had an outstanding time with Adnan!

Details: My wife and I were ending our cruise in Istanbul and wanted to spend a few days exploring the city. I started out looking through Trip Advisor and after reading many reviews, I decided that I liked what others had said about Walks in Istanbul. I sent an email and within a few hours I had received a response from Arzu. Arzu asked about what we would like to see and do, and with that, made recommendations. We decided on two days, and since our hotel was not within walking distance of the sites, she recommended that we also get a private vehicle. Arzu used PayPal for payments which made the transactions quick, easy, and painless. When we were on our cruise we discovered our friends had not made any plans for their time in Istanbul so I fired off a quick email to Arzu to ask if I could add two more to the tour, and of course I heard back right away that it would be no problem.

Adnan was our guide for the two days. He picked us up at our hotel and as we drove to meet our friends, I could tell right away that Adnan was a perfect guide for us. He has a wonderful personality that fit wonderfully with our group. Adnan not only took us to the major sites (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar), but to the quieter Asian side where we meandered through the streets, explored a few shops, and even had morning tea like locals. We thoroughly enjoyed his knowledge of Turkey, the city and its people, along with his in-depth understanding of its history and his ability to communicate that in a style that we all enjoyed. In addition to the tour, Adnan made reservations for us at Turkish bath (hamam) at the conclusion of our second day. He also recommended and made reservations at a great rooftop restaurant where we had the most excellent fresh sea bass. This was perhaps our best meal of our trip, with the excellent back drop of the Bosphorus on one side and the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque on the other; all at sunset! Perfect.

I highly recommend Walks in Istanbul and our guide Adnan Duvenci! It was an experience we will not soon forget! Thank you for sharing your city with us.
Written June 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

frequent_flyer29
Oxford, UK71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2013 • Friends
After reading the glowing reviews on this site, I got in touch with Arzu to book two days of guiding for a group (we were six people between the ages of mid-20s to mid-60s). She wasn't able to take us but she offered her colleague Asli. I was hesitant at first since all the reviews I read praised Arzu but I took a chance and I am so glad I did!

Asli was fantastic. We spent two days in her company seeing all the usual tourist sites (Topkapi, Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Suleyman's Mosque - don't miss this one, by the way! - The Cistern, Spice Market, Grand Bazaar etc. etc.). She also took us across the water to the market in Kadikoy (not very touristy area of town where the locals live and shop) and I loved it so much that I went back at the end of my trip and spent an evening wandering around among the locals.

Asli knows what she is talking about. She was able to answer any question we had and patiently gave us a run down of Turkish history (in fact she had to repeat this history lesson again and again because some of us had a hard time getting all the complex comings and goings straight - Turkish history is not straight forward!). She shielded us from the tourist hordes by taking us down quiet back streets, getting us into fast track lines, using her guiding pass to skip ticket buying lines (this is really such a valuable part of having a guide....we visited in late April and already the lines were insane and in some cases, people were standing in the wrong lines). With Asli to guide us, we made the most of our two short days and saw a lot. She also knew some very good spots to eat.

The price per day was $350 USD (we were also given the option of paying in euro or lira). This was the price for the whole group, not per person. Our days were meant to be 9:30 to 4:30 but on the first day, we went way overtime and Asli did not seem to notice or mind. And on the second day, we started half an hour early. So I really appreciated the flexibility.

350 USD is not a small amount of money but I would argue that it was worth every penny. Here's why:
1. Our group ranged in age and we all equally enjoyed Asli's guiding and what we saw and did.
2. The tour was entirely bespoke. We customized it before and during, on the fly.
3. On our own, we would never have been able to pack so many sights into two days. The lines alone would have made it impossible (and remember this was in April, not high, high season). There's a good chance, given our group, that we would have gotten lost, become annoyed with each other etc. etc. Instead, with Asli to lead us, we were able to relax, look around, soak up the city and enjoy ourselves.
4. After two days with Asli, my husband and I were prepared to tackle the city on our own and we spent four days wandering around on our own at the end of the trip. We'd already done all the things that benefit most from a guide and we had a good mental map of the city.
5. Sometimes you get what you pay for and as I said, Asli was incredibly knowledgeable and was also willing and happy to answer our questions about more local matters (the political situation in Turkey, for example, something that is interesting at the moment, to say the least). She was candid in a way that guidebooks never ever are. There are many, many completely useless guides around and I think this was money well spent.

A note about Arzu: I communicated with us before the trip and she was also prompt and helpful in her relies, giving me recommendations for things outside of Isanbul as well.
Written May 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Perry J
Saskatoon, Canada2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2012 • Solo
On my recent trip to Istanbul I had prearranged three half day tours with Arzu, however upon my arrival, I had urgent family matters that i had to return home for. Arzu was very helpful and very flexible. She showed me how to navigate a Turkish keyboard, and was a great asset in helping me rearrange my flights. As it turned out I had some time to tour, and it being the slow season Arzu was able to modify her schedule to match mine. The Chora chuch session was incredible.
Written March 12, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

happytraveling24
Athens, GA13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2015 • Couples
In mid-October, 2015, my husband and I spent three days touring Istanbul with “Walks In Istanbul.” Our pre-trip arrangements were professionally made online with Arzu who promptly answered all of our questions and concerns. Since we had been to Istanbul before and done the “A” list we wanted to see another side of Istanbul. We did, and it was great.

For 3 days and one amazing evening, our guide was Etem. Touring Istanbul with Etem provided us with more insight and appreciation than we had from any other guide during our recent one-month trip. We wish we could have had the entire month with him. He is so thorough with profound detail in his commentary, but there is a coherence and eloquence to his delivery that creates a sense of wonder, awe, and appreciation. Because of Etem, we knew how to look at the artistry and meaning of tiles and carpets; we understood what to see and what to look for in a mosque. His pacing is brilliant; it allowed us to absorb details to create firm memories and understanding rather than just see, listen, and rush to the next destination with only a vague recollection of where we had been.

He introduced us to the foods of Turkey and the Monday, “Deep into Islam at Night” venture will be an experience we will never forget. Any and every question we asked received a thoughtful, complete answer that painted a canvas broader and deeper than a mere factual sentence or two. His own appreciation and knowledge of his country and culture was contagious. What's not to love about time with Etem? He's a treasure, truly. After he subtly helped a young American couple who had received terrible advice from a local while riding the tram and whose conversation we overheard, the young woman asked me if he were my son. I only wish!

Needless to say, we were more than pleased with everything “Walks in Istanbul” provided us on this trip. When we visit Istanbul again, our first contact will be Arzu.
Written December 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Nancy, Thank you for your review, I do appreciate the effort. I am very glad you've had a good experience with us. As a small business owner, tourism is challenging and competitive, I'm very happy to have a team of excellent guides. I can say proudly and with comfort that we are the best team in Turkey! I look forward to hosting you in Turkey one more time in the near future. Thank you and happy new year, Arzu
Written December 28, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Catherine D
Hepburn Springs, Australia126 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2015 • Solo
Thank you Arzu and Ebru for an incredible experience. I had fallen in love with your city the instant I stepped out in it; spending two days with your guidance deepened my understanding of it's fascinating history and culture. I have never been one for guided tours, opting to wander the streets of the World and just absorb. I didn't feel comfortable to do that in Istanbul so I sought you out. My apprehension was misguided; I've never felt safer as a woman alone in a city as in Istanbul. Nevertheless, that apprehension lead me to an experience I will never forget and for which I will be forever grateful to you both. Thank you for sharing the wonders of your city with me. There were so many wonderful experiences ... too many to list ... but one stands out being sitting on the carpet in the Rustem Pasha Mosque listening to Ebru talk about one of her favourites. I will be back!!! Hopefully in a month or so. Whilst I'll enjoy spending a day back at Aya Sofya, Topkapi, and Suleymaniye quietly on my own, I'll be booking a couple more days with you; there is so much more to see and do. I will be recommending you two friends who will visit Istanbul this year.
Written April 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 345

Walks In Istanbul - Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)