Historical Tours
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$55
per adult
Free Istanbul Tours
Free Istanbul Tours
5
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Full view
About
Free Istanbul Tours has assembled the best tour guides in the business, who love their city and love their work in order to provide you with a fun, informative, and intriguing personal tour of our city and it’s fabulous sights and museums.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Food & Drink
3–4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$101
per adult
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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.
Popular mentions
5.0
384 reviews
Excellent
345
Very good
26
Average
4
Poor
3
Terrible
6
jmesk8
Boston, MA3 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Pretty buildings without context are just that. Yunus’ tour gives the historical background that makes Istanbul come alive in a whole new way. For somebody just getting into the city, I’d recommend they take this walking tour before anything else. Yunus provides the practical tips and ideas that will help you make the most of your time in Istanbul, based on your own tastes and desires. Ask him anything, and you’ll be glad you did. I sure am!
Written August 24, 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.
Yvonne S
London, UK8 contributions
Apr 2022
Our guide Yunus was very knowledgeable and the walking tour of the Old Town and Hagia Sophia was very interesting and also fun. Yunus explained clearly, in faultless English, the history of the places we visited and told many humerous anecdotes.
All participants need to make sure that they cover shoulders and knees and women must cove their hair also, to enter the Hagia Sophia (and other Mosques on the tour) - otherwise you have to purchase a coverall for 5 Euros from the site.
Our only issue was that the size of the group was very large - 44 people, so sometimes it was difficult to get close enough to hear what Yunus was saying. Perhaps there should be a limit on the group size of 20?
All participants need to make sure that they cover shoulders and knees and women must cove their hair also, to enter the Hagia Sophia (and other Mosques on the tour) - otherwise you have to purchase a coverall for 5 Euros from the site.
Our only issue was that the size of the group was very large - 44 people, so sometimes it was difficult to get close enough to hear what Yunus was saying. Perhaps there should be a limit on the group size of 20?
Written May 1, 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.
Laura M
London, UK2 contributions
Oct 2020
We did the 'free' walking tour and our guide was so knowledgable and gave us a real insight into the city, culture and history. I particularly enjoyed being taken by the guide into his favourite mosque and discussing Islam. It was so nice to be given a fresh and real view into the islamic faith.
Written October 6, 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.
Andy
Boston, MA5 contributions
Feb 2020
Great, easy, mostly flat, 2.5-3 hour tour which hits all the major sites in the Fatih district (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and more!).
Our very friendly guide, Yunus, kicked things off with a crash course in the history of the city from the founding of Constantinople through the major events leading up to today. At the various stops throughout the tour, Yunus would give short explanations of the history. He was open to and able to answer all of our questions during the stops as well as during our walks from site to site. I particularly liked the great job Yunus did of explaining the short history and five pillars of Islam.
The tour ended at a local sheesha (hookah) cafe/bar where you could order turkish tea, coffee, or sheesha and relax your feet.
Overall, more than worth the 100 TRY (~$16 USD) tip!
Our very friendly guide, Yunus, kicked things off with a crash course in the history of the city from the founding of Constantinople through the major events leading up to today. At the various stops throughout the tour, Yunus would give short explanations of the history. He was open to and able to answer all of our questions during the stops as well as during our walks from site to site. I particularly liked the great job Yunus did of explaining the short history and five pillars of Islam.
The tour ended at a local sheesha (hookah) cafe/bar where you could order turkish tea, coffee, or sheesha and relax your feet.
Overall, more than worth the 100 TRY (~$16 USD) tip!
Written February 29, 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.
Lauren P
1 contribution
Dec 2021
I love getting to know a new city by walking it. What better way to experience a new place than to walk through it with someone who knows the culture, people, and places like the back of their hand. Yunus was an excellent guide. He greeted us with a cup of black tea and a yellow umbrella in hand hand, making it easy to spot him. Yunus was funny and an engaging story teller making it easy to share with friends from back home all the fun facts I learned about Istanbul. We had a small group, which was nice to be able to connect with the others. Yunus also spent extra time with us at the end of the tour to recommend local places to eat and shop. He also shared his whatsapp in case we had any other questions/recommendations during our stay in Istanbul. Highly recommend taking a walking tour with Free Walking Tours Istanbul. We also took another one on the Anatolian side - super fun too! Make sure to find the tours through freetoursbyfoot.com and not through guruwalks.com. Guru Walks gets a commission with every booking they receive through their site. I think the guides should get all of it if they can!
Written February 7, 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.
Chris S
Norfolk, UK11 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
We did the free old town walking tour and it was totally engaging, informative and fun. The guide had so much knowledge about the subjects, the places we visited, the history and so on, all delivered with some passion and an appropriate joke here and there to keep it light. To be honest we did a free tour with another company the day before and left part way through as it was poor. This one though - we learnt more about old town Istanbul in the first five minutes than the hour with the other company. If you have time to spare this is the greatest way to be introduced into the city and the guide will give youts of good ideas on where to eat, when to visit etc
Written April 18, 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.
Chelsea N
Melbourne, Australia54 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
I did the Old Town Walking Tour with Hagia Sophia walking tour and the Alternative Walking Tour/Parts Unknown walking tour and both were incredible. Yunis is a fantastic guide - he’s very knowledgeable, a great story teller, and has a very engaging personality. I highly recommend both of these tours and would especially suggest doing them when you first arrive in Istanbul, they are great way to orient yourself in the city and also get some extra tips for the rest of your stay
Written May 2, 2023
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.
S L
2 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
Great intro to Istanbul! Will cover the major attractions in the old city. Yunus is a professional guide who is very knowledgeable in history of Turkey. It was interesting to learn about current Turkey from local perspective. He also provides good local recommendations caters to your interest. After tour, he showed me to a great vintage Turkish carpet shop upon my request. He helped me communicate with the shop owner who only spoke Turkish and thanks to him I bought a vintage carpet at a great price that is impossible at Grand Bazaar! (My cat loves it too)
Written January 5, 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.
cw0995
London, UK6 contributions
Dec 2021
The Free Istanbul Tours was a great experience for me, especially coming towards the end of my trip in Istanbul.
The tour provided me with the opportunity to see the Old Town, in particular the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, German Fountain, Constantine Column, Grand Bazaar and Madrasah, some of which I hadn't seen in the earlier part of my trip.
I enjoyed Yunus's guidance as he was able to provide the background stories for the sites and monuments. I also appreciate Yunus's guidance in places to visit and eat following the walking tour.
Overall, I would highly recommend the walking tour to anyone wanting to discover Istanbul from the perspective of a local. Thanks so much Yunus!
The tour provided me with the opportunity to see the Old Town, in particular the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, German Fountain, Constantine Column, Grand Bazaar and Madrasah, some of which I hadn't seen in the earlier part of my trip.
I enjoyed Yunus's guidance as he was able to provide the background stories for the sites and monuments. I also appreciate Yunus's guidance in places to visit and eat following the walking tour.
Overall, I would highly recommend the walking tour to anyone wanting to discover Istanbul from the perspective of a local. Thanks so much Yunus!
Written February 7, 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.
Anders S
1 contribution
Dec 2021 • Friends
Great tour given by Yunus. He gave a wide perspective of the city with a broad vision about all highlights. Even after the tour, he helped us with some information. A must do for everyone who isn't familiar with the city.
Written January 14, 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.
Iana
Perm, Russia
Добрый, где могу забронировать бесплатную экскурсию по Стамбулу? если такова возможность еще есть, планирую приехать в ноябре в Стамбул...заранее спасибо
Written October 13, 2019
Iana
Perm, Russia
Коллеги-путешественники привет-) Подскажите пжлста, как забронировать бесплатную экскурсию в Стамбуле free tour ? не могу найти информацию, заранее спасибо
Written October 13, 2019
Hi there.
1. Can you pay in Lira and how do you find out what the Lira cost is?
2. The new town tour - it includes a one way ferry. So this is from Europe to Asia? Are you expected to find your own way back to Europe then?
Thanks
Written October 11, 2019
I tried to book on the website and it broke.. so did the contact us page, and the number is not in service... ! How do I book ?
Written September 17, 2019
Here is the email they used to contact me after booking : freeistanbultoursturkey at gmail
Written September 17, 2019
When you sign-up / reserve a spot the company will message through email or however is convenient to you and explain the details (i.e. where to meet, what to look for, what to expect, etc.). When we met, we met in Taksim Square in front of popular restaurant.
Written June 3, 2019
Hi, my wife and I will be in Istanbul on the 29-30- of this month and would like to book a walking tour, can you please tell us where do we need to book.
Thanks
Danny Lewin
Written April 10, 2019
Type in free Istanbul tours in google and the one you are looking for will mention a ten euro tip per person recommended.They will email you back with meeting points and times.We found them excellent and highly informative.Hope you find this helpful.
Written April 10, 2019
Hello everyone
My wife and me are going to Istanbul at the end of April for 5 days and would like to do the free tour/s in English. Can fellow travellers suggest good ones and their websites to book these.
Thanks
Jess
Written March 31, 2019
I took the tour from the freeistanbultours website. I do recommend the old city tour. There is a minimum tip of 10 euros which felt quite reasonable as the guide really talked through the historical parts of the city. They responded within the day and will give you the meeting point by email. I found it to be very informative and useful.
Written April 1, 2019
Hi there! We will arrive in Istanbul on April 2nd for four days. We have done free walking tours in several other cities and really love them. Can you please tell me where we should meet and what time? Perhaps we could do it on April 3rd if possible?
Any other information you have is most welcome.
Thank you
Written March 6, 2019
Go online and google free Istanbul walking tour. There are more than one operators. The old town tour we took meet in front of the pastry shop at sultanahmet tram stop, the new town tour meet in front of Burger King at taksim. You do need to book online beforehand without prepayment.The tour is 10 euro each, fantastic value for your money. I highly recommend both if you have the time.
Written March 6, 2019
Υπάρχει και απογευματινή ώρα ξενάγηση?
Written February 3, 2019
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