We're a duo of full-time licensed tour guides in Istanbul, Hakan & Emre, both with many years of experience in guiding and interesting background stories. Hakan is a born & raised Istanbulian, he grew up in urban Istanbul in a traditional family that owns a bakery. Spending his entire life in Istanbul, Hakan had the privilage to become a student in the most historical school in Turkey, Istanbul University. Having the opportunity to spend his student years in the only school located in the Old City of Istanbul, he learned the area like the back of his hand. After graduating from collage, he got his first job as a journalist. Fascinated with his hometown's history and the tourism sector, he went to his second university, and became a licensed tour guide. He's been working since 2019. Emre on the other hand, has his roots going back over a century in Istanbul. He spent his childhood in central Istanbul, and found himself abroad for his highschool studies. Later came back to Istanbul, and decided to learn the world's hardest language: Chinese. Spent 4 years in China, mastering the language and even participating in a band that performed in bars and festivals. Came back to his hometown Istanbul to finally realize his teenage dream of becoming a tour guide, did his masters in guiding and got his license. He's been guiding tourists in multiple languages since 2018.
We did this tour with Hakan along with our two teenage children. It was excellent and really interesting throughout. We all agreed it was the best way to start a visit to Istanbul and one of the highlights of our trip. I was initially going to book a shorter tour, but in the end we went for the longer one and I was so glad we did as the time flew. In the middle we had time for a short break and were able to grab a kebab and coffee as the tour extended through lunch time. Highly recommended.
Hakan was extremely friendly, well prepared and made sure everyone was kept together. He spoke clearly and passionately about the history and culture of the city. 3 hours spent well and I would highly recommend.
Hakan was extremely well prepared and entertaining, on top of being really thoughtful and giving us many tips and suggestions. Would absolutely recommend
I thoroughly enjoyed the insightful walking tour and learned so much about the area. The guide's passion for the subject was evident and made the experience truly engaging. The pace of the tour was perfect, allowing ample time to appreciate the sights and take photos. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in exploring this fascinating city. Thank you for a wonderful experience!