Istanbul Tour Studio
Istanbul Tour Studio
5
City Tours • Multi-day Tours • Walking Tours • Private Tours
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Monday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Full view
About
Istanbul Tour Studio is a boutique travel agency that offers perfectly designed experiences across Turkey: Istanbul, Bursa, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Troy, Kars and Ayvalik. We offer fully customised and turn-key travel options to enjoy unforgettable visits. Our team passionately and carefully takes care of your Turkey trip at each step: airport welcoming, hotel bookings, tailor made tours, dinner reservations, transportation in and out of the cities and much more.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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(23 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
302 reviews
Excellent
287
Very good
12
Average
0
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Andrew N
Brackley, UK1 contribution
Dec 2019
I contacted Istanbul Tour Studio to help us run a treasure hunt at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul for 200 people during our annual conference. We knew we wanted our participants to experience Turkish culture and get them out of the hotel whilst spending time with colleagues who they may not see regularly.
Sinan and his team were professional in their approach and quick with their responses and we were able to deliver an excellent event within a few short weeks. They listened to our ideas and limitations and made sensible and practical suggestions to enhance the logistics, safety and engagement and create a personalised experience for our team.
The treasure hunt was managed via an app that participants downloaded to their phones and was supported with 4G hotspots. This eliminated the need to use large amounts of data or access the Turkish mobile network and overcame the network deadzone within the Grand Bazaar. This was a fantastic idea and meant our teams could upload photos and video to share afterwards.
Many of the participants are Purchasers, who negotiate as part of their job and are naturally competitive. As well as photo challenges and general knowledge questions, we gave each team 350 TL and they were tasked with buying the most pashminas and gloves for their budget, which were donated to charity afterwards. The participants loved this part of the challenge – the interaction with the shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar, the negotiation and trying to get more for their money than the other teams and the donations to a good cause.
Ultimately, the success of any event like this is measured by the participants and the feedback, and ours was universally positive:
“Very well organised and slick”
“Worked perfectly with digital and real time action”
“It was perfect”
“The best team building we’ve done”
Thank you Sinan and the rest of the ITS team for your efforts. It really was an excellent event.
Sinan and his team were professional in their approach and quick with their responses and we were able to deliver an excellent event within a few short weeks. They listened to our ideas and limitations and made sensible and practical suggestions to enhance the logistics, safety and engagement and create a personalised experience for our team.
The treasure hunt was managed via an app that participants downloaded to their phones and was supported with 4G hotspots. This eliminated the need to use large amounts of data or access the Turkish mobile network and overcame the network deadzone within the Grand Bazaar. This was a fantastic idea and meant our teams could upload photos and video to share afterwards.
Many of the participants are Purchasers, who negotiate as part of their job and are naturally competitive. As well as photo challenges and general knowledge questions, we gave each team 350 TL and they were tasked with buying the most pashminas and gloves for their budget, which were donated to charity afterwards. The participants loved this part of the challenge – the interaction with the shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar, the negotiation and trying to get more for their money than the other teams and the donations to a good cause.
Ultimately, the success of any event like this is measured by the participants and the feedback, and ours was universally positive:
“Very well organised and slick”
“Worked perfectly with digital and real time action”
“It was perfect”
“The best team building we’ve done”
Thank you Sinan and the rest of the ITS team for your efforts. It really was an excellent event.
Written January 7, 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.
Sid Das
Singapore, Singapore10 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
We had a wonderful day tasting food from the European and Asian side. Yasemin was knowledgeable, supportive and was able to accommodate all of our requests. We had fantastic Turkish breakfast and then went to an incredibly cute cafe for some authentic Turkish coffee. Yasmin also told my wife’s fortunes by looking at the coffee which was HILARIOUS. We then sampled Turkish delights and got a good sense of the sheer variety of options there. It was a cold and rainy day so we stopped off for some soup which was in a delightful place that only served soups. We then moved onto the Asian side and eat some great mussels, Kofte and ended up with a delightful Kokrec (Tripe Sandwich). One tip was to buy a simit (Turkish bagel) for the ferry ride and feed them to the sea gulls. It is amazing to watch them swoop down and catch the bread. Makes the 20 min ferry ride very enjoyable. We ended with an incredible Baklava that cemented the day for us.
Written January 15, 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.
Explorer635162
1 contribution
Feb 2022
On our private one day Istanbul Tour we visited the main historical sights and got to know the city form a culinary point of view. Our guide Esin was very experienced and responsive to our wishes and readily answered every question. The information we got about the city in the short amount of time was amazing and I would recommend the tour to every first-time visitor as a must-do.
Written March 21, 2022
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.
Azziep
Cookham Dean, UK3 contributions
Jul 2022
I have been travelling through Istanbul for a number of years now always to get to another location in Turkey and have been trying to make time to see the sites. I finally arranged this half-day tour for me and my son to see the key sites of Istanbul through the Istanbul Tour Studio and I can't recommend it more highly. The team responded to all my queries in a timely manner and were able to tailor the experience to what we needed (I was travelling with my 9-year-old who would have struggled with a full day).
On the day of the tour, the tour guide (Nilgun) met us in the lobby and we were taken by a private car to the key sites. Nilgun Khanom not only talked us through the key sites of the tour but as we drove around she was able to give us a tour of Istanbul as a city. She even suggested a great place for my son to try traditional Turkish ice cream. The car was clean and the driver was incredibly courteous.
All in all a fantastic day and I would definitely be booking more tours via the Istanbul Tour Studio in the future.
On the day of the tour, the tour guide (Nilgun) met us in the lobby and we were taken by a private car to the key sites. Nilgun Khanom not only talked us through the key sites of the tour but as we drove around she was able to give us a tour of Istanbul as a city. She even suggested a great place for my son to try traditional Turkish ice cream. The car was clean and the driver was incredibly courteous.
All in all a fantastic day and I would definitely be booking more tours via the Istanbul Tour Studio in the future.
Written July 30, 2022
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.
Blanca
Valencia, Spain2 contributions
Aug 2022
We took a private 4 hours walking tour, visiting Blue Mosque, Saint Sophia Mosque and Underground Cistern. From the very beginning, the tour guide (Yasemin) was very professional and efficient. She met us at the lobby and took us to the Hippodrome of Constantinople by tram. She had already booked all the museum tickets for the tour and knew all the tricks to not waste too much time in queues, She even adapted the tour timing to my 9-year-old son rhythm, which was very helpful. When the tour was finished, she even walked with us on her way back home to the Grand Bazaar and suggested us a few great places.
The tour exceeded all our expectations. Istanbul Tour Studios is worthy of the five stars and I highly recommend it.
The tour exceeded all our expectations. Istanbul Tour Studios is worthy of the five stars and I highly recommend it.
Written September 3, 2022
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.
Tam
1 contribution
May 2022 • Couples
Istanbul Tour Studio was wonderful - we had a great time on the cruise, and the guided tour with Huseyin Salikoglu was particularly noteworthy. I would highly recommend him if you would like to see the city from a local person’s perspective, but he is also extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography, and art of Turkey. Thank you!!
Written May 24, 2022
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.
Global Student
1 contribution
May 2022
I'm a historian by training who recently finished my doctorate at Harvard University and traveled to Istanbul to learn more about the city's history, food, and culture. I traveled with my aunt and we were lucky to obtain Dr. Hüseyin Salikoğlu as our tour guide. Dr. Salikoğlu teaches at a local university so his knowledge about religion, ancient and early modern history, and modern Turkey leads to an experience that others may not be able to provide. It takes years of training to have the expertise he has. It also takes years to develop the kind of patience, calm, and care he takes in his work. We felt comfortable and safe throughout our trip with Dr. Salikoğlu and I learned so much from the vast sea of knowledge he holds. Dr. Salikoğlu also worked around my own interests and incorporated them into the preset tour itinerary which I deeply appreciated. I only wish there was one of him everywhere we traveled.
Written May 8, 2022
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.
Keira
3 contributions
Jan 2020
Sinan and team created a customised scavenger hunt in the Arnavutkoy neighbourhood for a team building activity. They were able to include our company values and use businesses in the area our brand is affiliated with. They were extremely professional, always in contact and kept me updated on the progress. The tour itself was of very high quality and fun - a lot of great feedback was received by the team. I without a doubt would use them again and have passed their information around the company so other departments might also
Written February 5, 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.
H. Herman
2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
From the beginning to the end it was a memorable experience. A professional team with excellent service. Communication was outstanding, everything was throughly explained in detail. It’s not always easy choosing a tour company but we definitely would recommend Istanbul Tour Studios for all your travel needs, they fully customized a trip for our diverse family of 9. The personal recommendations never disappointed they exceeded all our expectations, we range from teens to adults and everyone had a wonderful experience. We started our journey in Cappadocia with Nihat Yilmaz, he is a wonderful guide that went above and beyond to make our experience in Cappadocia memorable. His knowledge of the area and history kept us engaged throughout the three days. He was always ready to answer any questions and had a friendly disposition that made it so easy to talk to him.
Our guide, Yasemin showed us the best of Istanbul, she is professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. She surpassed all our expectations.
Istanbul Tour Studios is worthy of the five stars and beyond highly recommend.
Our guide, Yasemin showed us the best of Istanbul, she is professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. She surpassed all our expectations.
Istanbul Tour Studios is worthy of the five stars and beyond highly recommend.
Written July 16, 2022
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.
David L
Dublin, Ireland1 contribution
May 2022
I took a private tour of the Grand Bazaar and Spice market with Istanbul Tour Studio. My guide Betül arrived on time and took the trouble to understand what I wanted from the tour ( I wanted to photograph people at work in the markets) before we left the hotel. She was very knowledgeable and obviously knew some of the market traders which gave me great access and removed any language or cultural issues that I might have otherwise encountered. We walked at a good pace for taking shots and covered not just the Grand Bazaar and but also the nearly Spice market. Her local knowledge of the people and history gave me an outstanding insight into the local culture.
Written June 22, 2022
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.
Dianne D
Adelaide, Australia10 contributions
Hi we are arriving in Istanbul by ship on 18 June for the day. Do you pick up and return to the ship. There are 4 adults what would be the cost and what time would you pick us up if you can pick up from the ship,? We are looking at the one day tour I think it was for 6 hours thank you Dianne
ssokmen
Istanbul4 contributions
Dear Dianne,
Thank you for contacting us and welcome to Istanbul already!
We do offer shore excursions in the city. Our private One Day in Istanbul walking tour for four adults is $100 USD per participant ($400 USD/total VAT Inc). The price includes professional guide - in English - and museum entrance fees for Hagia Sophia Museum and Underground Cistern. We have fast-track at the museum entrances.
If you'd like a private van for the pick-up; a panoramic drive and finally drop-off to Istanbul cruise ship port it's extra $200 USD/day. However, we recommend using public transportation from Fındıklı tram stop (right next to Istanbul port). It's very convenient and efficient.
Please feel free to contact us via our e-mail address (see at our bio) for further questions and inquiries. We'll be happy to help you.
Kind regards,
Sinan Sökmen
Managing Partner
Istanbul Tour Studio
Marie A J
Marco Island, FL8 contributions
Are the museum admission prices included in the cost of the tour or are they extra? Is lunch included or is that extra? How many sites are included in your one-day tour?
ssokmen
Istanbul4 contributions
Dear Marie,
Thank you for contacting Istanbul Tour Studio. The museum entrance fees and lunch is included in the weekly scheduled tour which is $115/person. Meanwhile, museum entrance fees and lunch is excluded in the private version of the same tour.
Either private or scheduled (weekly group tour), we have privilege at the museum entrances and will be avoiding the long ticket lines. Finally, on this one day Istanbul tour you'll be visiting the following places:
1. Blue Mosque
2. Hippodrome Square
3. Underground Cistern
4. Hagia Sophia Museum
5. Grand Bazaar
Please feel free to contact us if you further questions or inquiries. I'll be happy to help you.
Kind regards,
Sinan Sökmen
Managing Director at Istanbul Tour Studio
Istanbul Tour Studio - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Istanbul Tour Studio Information
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