Marvelous! Absolutely marveIous! I was in luck since I was the only one having booked the tour that day. So a small-group tour turned into a private tour for me. And this tour was the highlight of my trip. After having experienced the big tourist attractions I wanted to find the hidden historical gems... and this tour did not disappoint! My tour guide was extremely friendly and he was also extremely knowledgable, and imparted the knowledge in really fun ways! I highly recommend this tour if you have visited all the big attractions Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque etc and want something a little different.

Oh, and the lunch included? Absolutely fantastic! Normally an included lunch is fairly standard, more filling than anything, but this lunch was at a restaurant with home cooked anatolian food.

One fair bit of warning for this tour though, there is much walking involved so if you are not prepared for that this tour might not be for you.

My tour guide Serhat is very knowledgeable and friendly.

Great tour guide. We were able to see and experience the remaining gems of the old Byzantine Monasteries. Not much remains intact, but if you enjoy history and wandering through the old streets to piece together the clues, it is a fun time.

My day with Ilker was the best part of my trip to Istanbul. He was very knowledgeable about Christian sites and history, but also took time to explain many Muslim traditions and practices as well. Overall I could not have had a better day. Thank you!

Illcare (phonetic spelling), the Guide, was a very knowledgeable and friendly person who took his time to explain the background to each church, mosque or space we visited in a packed and thoroughly enjoyable itinerary. Thanks to the company "Istanbul Walks".

having already done the major sites in Istanbul i wanted something a little different and this tour did not disappoint - it did turn out to be a very small group tour - just me and the guide but that made it all the better - the guide was great well informed and it made a very interesting day - quite a bit of walking involved so best to be a little fit, lunch was ok nothing special but then I wasn't expecting a gourmet meal - a great way to get another perspective on Istanbul

This tour is outstanding. There were only two of us and we got more detail and insight and sights than we had expected. While its a full day walking tour, it was pretty easy. The guide was very knowledgeable on history and we learned a lot including walking back streets off the beaten tourist routes and through some local market areas and several churches. A great experience that is well worth it to see the real Istanbul.

This is a remarkable off the beaten path tour of churches and mosque's from ancient times with remarkable paintings. Our guide, Ilker, is a knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the features of the walking tour, which go through some fascinating back streets of Istanbul. The lunch was excellent, more than we could eat.
I suspect that most tourists who have never been to Istanbul want to see the more famous sites, which we had done before, but if time allows, this is a remarkable tour.

Great guide. Answer all our questions. Bring your walking shoes. It is a good tour to see the non-touristic areas of Istanbul. The only issue I found is for the money you pay, they should take you to better restaurant for lunch.