Where to start? - We met Metin at Taksim Square and he asked me how I was, I was honest and said I wasn’t great as I’d lost my passport the day before. I’d spoken to 3/4 places I’d been to and none of them had it. He immediately asked where the last place was and after telling him very confidently said “I know these guys, I’ll call them for you and I think we’ll get it back” It’s a strange way to start a review I’ll concede, but it’s an example that from our very first interaction Metin couldn’t do enough for us to help. The tour itself can be best described by my partner when she said “it’s like spending the day in Istanbul with an old friend” - the enthusiasm with which Metin went about showing us the city was a beautiful thing. The highlights of the tour are rightly the breakfasts and the Hammam bookending your day what isn’t accurately measured is pit stops for authentic snacks and the flexibility with which Metin adapts the time between to match your interests. I’m an avid review reader, I read dozens of reviews for this tour before deciding to book. I won’t ruin the details of it by over describing each step, but what I will say is our guide was known by almost everybody, put your faith in him and say yes to as much as you can fit an unforgettable experience. To finish - before the Hammam Metin spoke to the shop I potentially had left my passport at, it turns out they’d found it and returned it to a police station. He took us to the station (which without notice had moved to a complete new location) and helped us with the over worked and busy Turkish police officers to quickly get my passport back. This tour is probably worth more than the price you pay, you get food and drinks, your walked about like a local, see history and culture and best of all you feel like it’s done with a friend. Cannot score it any higher

We had a great day being taken through the city - shown hidden treasures, learning some of the history, and tasting great food! It's a long day with a fair amount of walking, but it's paced well with the various stops/eating/sitting throughout the day. A perfect way to preview several sites, experiences, and neighborhoods throughout the city.

We were referred by some friends of ours to make contact with a guide by the name of Metin, who had guided them a week before we got to Istanbul. We made contact & Metin advised us of a few very central hotels to choose from to stay at, which was extremely helpful and then he put together a 1 day trip to show us some of the more interesting parts of Istanbul. His knowledge of the area and it's history were invaluable & he also took us to shoos where the locals shop for their spices & turkish delight, avoiding the tourist traps. The prices were early 50% cheaper!!! He was so accommodating in all that we asked and always with a smile & a great sense of humor. Thank you Metin for making our visit to Istanbul son amazing

Absolutely amazing tour with Metin. This guy is a superstar. I can’t say enough good things about his tour, his service, and his level of knowledge. Seriously don’t look anywhere else.

Ayse was a wonderful guide! Fun time! So glad we did it! Enjoyed getting beyond the typical tourist attractions. So much fascinating history.

Our day with Ayse was phenomenal from start to finish! A visit to Istanbul would not be complete without this comprehensive tour. Each food stop was delicious and gave us a look into the delicious food available in Instanbul. The traditional turkish breakfast was incredible as well as the shawarma (although everything was delicious!). We truly felt like we got to experience the perfect snapshot of Istanbul in one day. Loved the ferry rides on the Bosporus as well as the visit to the Turkish Bath, also enjoyed that we were able to experience multiple modes of transportion (taxi, tram, bus, ferry). We highly recommend this tour as a must do, and well worth every penny! Our tour guide Ayse was an absolute delight! This tour delivered everything in the tour description and exceeded our expectations and then some!

Travel, eat and relax like a local! This tour is part food tour and part historical tour. Our guide Metin really immersed us in the local culture. From breakfast, to lunch til dinner we ate like Turks. We used public transportation and felt how it was to live a day in the life of a local in Istanbul. We rode the metro, ferry and the tram. Metin brought us to the neigbirhoods of Cirjangir, Kadikoy, Fener and Balat. We appreciated the local shops, cafes, restaurants and markets where Istanbulers go. To top it all, we experienced how it was to be pampered in a Hamam. I highly recommend this tour and our guide Metin.

Our tour guide, Ayse Ozge was beyond excellent! Ayse is very knowledgeable about history, art, culture, religion & she did an outstanding job at showing us the extraordinary side of Istanbul beyond the overwhelmingly crowded tourist sights. We visited all the sights (both on the European & Asian side of Istanbul) that are listed on the website & my husband & I truly enjoyed the tour. Besides explaining in depths about each sights, Ayse also took us on a food fare which included a delicious traditional Turkish breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as snacks in between . Ayse is extremely friendly & has an open communication style with us, as well as with anyone she meets. She is genuine & well perceive by many local business owners. For instance, one of the cafe that we visited for snacks did not have a public WC, but she was able to convince the owner to let us use their own personal WC. Another example, she was able to convince the owner to allow us to take a photo of their beautiful restaurant with a romantic backyard without eating there. Ayse is very attentive & kind. She often check with us every moment to ensure we were comfortable & if her pace was not too fast for us. Ayae has an aesthetic eye for photography and often points out the beautiful unique areas to take pictures.. She offered to take our photos & all the photos that she took of us were artistic & vibrant; they captured the essence & beauty of the specific areas that we visited. Ayse is energetic & very enthusiastic. From hearing her talk, we can tell right away that she's is very passionate about her job & her city, We enjoyed her ability to "connect the dots" in history to more fully understand the important lessons that history has taught us & the struggles of the "movers & shakers" that came before us, as well as having a unique perspective about her community & the world. Overall, Ayse is an awesome tour guide! She is extremely knowledgeable, fun, flexible & considerate. She did an outstanding job & we highly recommend her to anyone. We wish there is a tour guide like Ayse in every county that we visit.

We loved the variety of experiences on this tour. We saw real neighbourhoods and areas that gave us an excellent overview of Istanbul other than the museums and other must do’s I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to discover this wonderful city. Having an experienced and local guide such as Ayse enabled us to feel safe while enjoying our day.

Great tour with a lot of stories that make you understand Istanbul, its past and present ! I fully recommend Metin.

Metin is a very professional and pleasant guide. I highly recommend him. We enjoyed our tour with him very much. He knows very well how to handle a group.

Metin is an excellent well informed guide that makes the experience worth it. Witty and funny, he takes you to all the right places and tells you all the right stuff. Definitely recommended!

What an amazing introduction to such a vibrant city. Ayse introduced us to her city with passion and love. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone spending time in Istanbul. Turkish bath was icing on the cake. Tastes of turkey plus introduction to many aspects of the city.

Had an amazing tour with Ayse….wonderful food, we loved exploring local neighbourhoods and interesting commentary. Our highlight was the Turkish bath experience… such a fun thing to do. Would highly recommend this extensive tour. Ayse was incredibly knowledgeable and fun to lead us on this journey.

My son (24) and I arrived in Istanbul for the first time. His graduation gift. We found a great little apartment near the Galata Tower. Pefect location to launch day trips from. We had 5 full days to spend. We took guided tours on 1st and 3rd days, both with an amazing woman named Ayse (pronounced Ice-shaw). On the first full day we took the Circle Istanbul tour. Billed as a tour to take after seeing the highlights, we chose to take it BEFORE, leaving the best for latter. Very glad we did. This tour, ~10hrs, took us to all 3 areas of Istanbul plus up the Bosporus on a ferry. Included a traditional Turkish bath!! We became familiar with the lay of the land, how to use the transit system and got an understanding of the amazing food!! 2nd day we were on our own. But after the orientation we got from day 1, we were very comfortable checking out some places, activities recomended by Ayse and wandering around on our own. The following day she took us to the famous sights in the old city, just fabulous. The remaining days we confidently trekked all over on our own using the trams, trolleys, buses and ferryies, exploring the lesser but still impressive sites Istanbul has to offer. Museums for Archeology and Science/Technology were excellent. We have nothing but great memories of the city. Most of that we attribute to Ayse and Circle Tours. So easy to recommend them highly.

This was an amazing tour with an amazing tour guide. It was unique, different and we got to see real hidden beauties of Istanbul. It is an amazing city! You have to do Circle Istanbul once you are in Istanbul

Ayse was the best guide! She was fun, informative and the whole day was a delight. We saw wonderful, off beat areas and ate some amazing food. Definitely a must-do tour when in Istanbul.

Ayse was a wonderful guide and was able to show us so many experienses in one day. Wandering through different neighbourhoods of Istanbul and trying different foods was fun and informative.

This was an amazing day! They purposely keep the groups small to make it a personalized experience and we were lucky to get our incredible guide, Metin, all to ourselves for our tour. We felt like we were being shown around the city by a friend. Metin is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul + added his own views and personal stories of the sights that we were seeing! And we stopped multiple times throughout for food and snacks at places that he vetted and locals loved. I would highly recommend taking this tour early in your trip- the places we covered were unique and different than the typical tourist sites and Metin became a personal friend showing us the city.

Metin is everything most people would want in a tour guide. He is well educated (especially in Turkish history), witty, kind, conscientious, loyal and a great story teller. I was in a group of 17 people, and he managed to entertain, guide, and protect all of us in locations throughout Turkey that were fascinating but sometimes complicated. At the end of the two week tour, many of us felt that he was the most fun person we had ever been on vacation with and a lifelong friend. He sincerely likes people and is skilled at engaging them and making them laugh. Regarding day trips in Istanbul, Metin lives there and is well acquainted with all that is necessary for maximum experience. He is very capable at guiding through the main attractions, but I believe he is extraordinary in directing his clients to the tastiest food places with the very best atmospheres and to extraordinary off the beaten track places (some examples: a traditional Meyhane Restaurant with great food, belly dancers and band, or a travel-back-in -time historic walking neighborhood).