Top Istanbul Historical Tours - page 62

Both the Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern were amazing, and you observe and learn much more with a guide vs. doing it on your own. Huseyin was an excellent guide, providing great insights and then delving deeper based on our questions. He kept us on an appropriate pace without rushing us, and I would highly recommend him to others. The only thing I would change is to tell people that they can purchase Basilica tickets with a credit card. That will prevent them from bringing more currency than necessary. Also, patrons should beware of hawkers outside the Cistern trying to misdirect you. Somebody tried that with us, but fortunately Huseyin had been in communication with us and even shared a picture of himself so we know who to look for.

Perfect way to see the three major sites of Istanbul. Omer our guide was very knowledgeable and kept the interest of our 12 & 14 year old well. We got lucky we were the only ones on the tour. The half day tour was good timing for us and left with so much appreciation for the history and people of Turkey.

I took my father to Istanbul to celebrate his 60th birthday, and Batu made the day very memorable. He met us right at the Ahikapi pier and from there it was a full day packed (Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and its gardens, the Hippodrome, and the Basilica Cistern). Batu clearly knows Istanbul inside out, weaving together its history from the Roman period right up to today, and he did it all with a sharp sense of humor that kept the day light and fun rather than feeling academic. As Scots, we ended up chatting away about Scottish football and British television over a Turkish coffee break. It felt less like a guided tour and more like spending the day with a very knowledgeable local. He also arranged great value tickets to Hagia Sophia, at the last minute, which was a nice surprise. What really stood out was his kindness. He stayed with us right until our hotel transfer arrived, well beyond what he needed to do. I’ve done a fair bit of traveling over the years, and Batu is one of the best guides I’ve come across. If I’m back in Istanbul, I’ll be booking him again without a second thought.