Turkey Food, Wine, Events and Nightlife Tours 2024/2025

“Beatrice was brilliant, as was the company's willingness to arrange our tour at very short notice. There could have been more transparency about the exchange rate to be used (this wasn't Beatrice's fault) - we had calculated a different amount of lira needed and this made for an awkward end to the tour.”

“I had tried to pick a tour that covered a different itinerary as I had previously been to Istanbul before and was already staying in Sultanahmet. The guide was great and knowledgeable but the tour was just okay for me as we spent close to 2 hours at the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome (both places I had previously been to and walked by daily) while our guide patiently answered beginner questions on Islam. My experience was also soured by being required to wear a skirt covering over top of my long pants despite being dressed modestly. None of this was the fault of the guide but this had lowered my experience.”

“My tour with this operator was a great one! I signed up for the Istanbul Uncovered tour at the last minute (late the night before), which was really easy to do on their website. I enjoyed not having to organize everything well in advance if I didn't yet know my plans and being able to do everything seamlessly online. Unfortunately for me, there was a sudden snow storm overnight and the city was a nightmare to get around in its wake. My guide, Pinor, very kindly called me the morning of to ask if I wanted to reschedule my tour, but because I was already on my way to the meeting point and leaving Istanbul the next day, I requested we move forward with the tour. She could have just said no because the weather-affected traffic made it too difficult to reach me, but she didn't. Her kindness and determination to make it to the meeting point on time were incredibly admirable. She even called me a few times to give me updates on how soon she would arrive! Despite the snow bearing down on us, Pinor still gave a top-notch tour. She tried to take me down as many of the paths that are included in the tour when Istanbul ISN'T freezing over and did her best to deviate the tour when necessary while still showing me the highlights. Her knowledge of the sites was enviable. I wish I could know as much as she does! Given that the tour was one-on-one, I felt really comfortable asking her all sorts of questions, ranging from things we were looking at to aspects of Turkish daily life. My only suggestion would be that the walk through the Grande Bazaar was more than just that: a walk through. We went in one side and out the other in under five minutes. If we could have wondered the streets a bit more and heard about the culture of the Bazaar, or perhaps stopped to take a coffee/tea in one of the cafes inside the Bazaar, it would have made the site feel more authentic. Though I understand that once you've seen one rug shop, you've seen them all, so there might not be much to examine in-depth. Thank you Pinor for your amazing tour and your ability to put up with that horrible, rare weather! You made my otherwise iffy time in Istanbul (stupid snow!) an experience to remember.”