Istanbul Free Tour - Reviews

Rating of the activity

9.40 / 10

9.3536275598682 17,107 reviews | 244,910 travellers

1271 traveler-submitted photos

Customer scoring

12287

3546

862

269

140

Type of traveler

Traveling alone (1463)

Couple (5416)

Group of friends (3173)

With small children (506)

With older children (2441)

Reviews from real clients who booked our products.

See only reviews with text

Jun / 21 / 2025

Patrizia Riva

Milano, Italy

I travelled with teenagers

La ns guida era preparata e attiva. Peccato mi abbia chiesto sin dall'inizio una cifra fissa, cosa assolutamente non facente parte degli accordi. Eravamo un piccolo gruppo di quattro persone. Abbiamo ovviamente dato il ns contributo a ns discrezione. Mai ci saremmo allontanati senza pagare. Alla fine, pochi hanno davvero elargito cifre ragionevoli. Non ho gradito tali pretese. Translate this opinion into English.

Our guide was prepared and active. It's a shame that he asked me for a fixed amount from the beginning, which was absolutely not part of the agreement. We were a small group of four people. We obviously gave our contribution at our discretion. We would never have left without paying. In the end, few really gave reasonable amounts. I did not appreciate such demands. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

May / 30 / 2025

Rosa Di Pierro

Firenze, Italy

I travelled with my partner

Visita molto interessante. La ragazza che ci ha accompagnato per il tour e molto simpatica, ha dato tante informazioni non solo storiche ma pratiche su cosa e non cosa fare a Istanbul, i luoghi dove mangiare cosa vedere ecc. Tour da fare per avere una panoramica prima di visitare singolarmente i vari monumenti Translate this opinion into English.

Very interesting visit. The girl who accompanied us for the tour is very nice, she gave a lot of information not only historical but practical on what and what not to do in Istanbul, places to eat what to see etc. Tour to do to have an overview before visiting the various monuments individually Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jul / 13 / 2025

Ricardo Moggia

Mar Del Plata, Argentina

I travelled with teenagers

Muy buena planificación, excelente nuestro guía, profesional, culturalmente muy formado, hablando un español perfecto. Tuvo para con nosotros una gran cantidad de información muy buena sobre Estambul, lugares, barrios, bares, restaurantes, lugares de compra. Si tuviéramos que calificar nuestra experiencia como clientes de Civitatis, como siempre, 9,50/10 sobre 10. Translate this opinion into English.

Very good planning, our guide was excellent—professional, culturally well-versed, and spoke perfect Spanish. He provided us with a wealth of excellent information about Istanbul, its sites, neighborhoods, bars, restaurants, and shopping. If we had to rate our experience as Civitatis customers, as always, it would be 9.50/10 out of 10. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jul / 12 / 2025

Marisa

Argentina

I travelled with my partner

El recorrido fue muy bueno como introducción a algunos de los principales lugares de Estambul y su riquísima historia. Yasin es un guía ideal, conocedor de los detalles de su ciudad y de su cultura. Él fue muy accesible a nuestras preguntas y nos proveyó de información, más allá del contenido de la visita. ¡Recomiendo absolutamente este tour! Translate this opinion into English.

The tour was a great introduction to some of Istanbul's main attractions and its rich history. Yasin is an ideal guide, knowledgeable about his city and its culture. He was very responsive to our questions and provided us with information beyond the scope of the tour. I highly recommend this tour! Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jul / 11 / 2025

Adriana

Jaen, Spain

I travelled with my partner

La actividad fue muy bien organizada, con explicaciones claras y muy instructivas. Muy interesante todo lo relacionado co la historia muy bien hilado los acontecimientos, Y muy útil la información sobre tema prácticos sobre estambul ,cambio ,tarjetas ,horarios transportes , por supuesto repetiremos el free tour en la próxima ciudad que visitemos Translate this opinion into English.

The activity was very well organized, with clear and informative explanations. Everything related to the history was very interesting, the events were very well-connected, and the information on practical topics about Istanbul, including currency exchange, cards, and transportation schedules, was very useful. Of course, we'll repeat the free tour in the next city we visit. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jul / 08 / 2025

Esther

Spain

I travelled with my partner

Hicimos el free tour con Arsen y fue un fantástico guía. Habla muy bien español y se nota que le gusta su trabajo. Nos llevó por los sitios más emblemáticos y estuvo atento toda la visita. Contestaba las preguntas y te daba consejos y sugerencias para hacer durante nuestra estancia. Recomiendo hacerlo con él. Translate this opinion into English.

We took the free tour with Arsen, and he was a fantastic guide. He speaks Spanish very well and you can tell he loves his job. He took us to the most iconic sites and was attentive throughout the visit. He answered questions and gave us tips and suggestions for things to do during our stay. I highly recommend doing it with him. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jul / 05 / 2025

Miguel González Boisier

Chile

I travelled by myself

Arsen es un excelente guía, conoce muy bien la historia y además habla castellano perfecto. Entrega constántemente recomendaciones sobre horarios y lugares, lo que facilita poder crear tu propio itinerario cuando se quiere profundizar en ciertas cosas que requieren más tiempo. Translate this opinion into English.

Arsen is an excellent guide, knowledgeable about the history and fluent in Spanish. He constantly provides recommendations on times and locations, making it easy to create your own itinerary when you want to explore certain areas that require more time. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled by myself

Jul / 02 / 2025

Anonymous

Cantabria, Spain

I travelled with teenagers

El tour está bien, explica desde el exterior el hipódromo, plaza de sulthanamet, cisterna de la basílica, santa Sofía, monumento funerario de mezquita azul y algo del palacio Tokapi . Lo que no me gustó es que nuestro guía, (Nachi dijo que se llamaba aunque otros guías le llamaron Ahmed), intento vendernos en varias ocasiones el tour por el Bósforo y tour por la parte asiática y cuando le dijimos que ya lo teníamos contratado no le gustó nada Alguna cosa contada no era exacta

The tour is good, it explains from the outside the hippodrome, Sultanamet Square, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque funerary monument and something of the Tokapi Palace. What I didn't like is that our guide, (Nachi said that was his name although other guides called him Ahmed), tried to sell us on several occasions the tour of the Bosphorus and the tour of the Asian side and when we told him that we had already booked it, he didn't like it at all. Some of the information was not accurate.

I travelled with teenagers

Muchas gracias por tu comentario. Vamos a pasarlo al proveedor para que lo tenga en cuenta y mejore su servicio en lo que pueda. Translate this opinion into English.

Thank you very much for your comment. We'll pass it on to the provider so they can take it into account and improve their service as much as possible. Opinion translated. Show original.

Jun / 29 / 2025

Claudia

Colombia

I travelled with teenagers

Es la segunda vez que visitamos la ciudad y reservamos el tour gratuito en español. De nuevo, nos fue muy bien. El guía habla muy bien español, fue amable y divertido. Este tour lo hicimos en familia, con hijos adolescentes y una niña de 9 años. Lo recomiendo 100% si estás en Istanbul! :) Translate this opinion into English.

This is our second time visiting the city, and we booked the free tour in Spanish. Once again, it went very well. The guide speaks Spanish very well and was friendly and fun. We did this tour as a family, with teenage sons and a 9-year-old daughter. I highly recommend it if you're in Istanbul! :) Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jun / 27 / 2025

Andrea

Spain

I travelled with teenagers

Reservamos el freee tour con civitatis, con la tremenda suerte que nos tocó con Dohan/Diego. El mejor guía que hemos tenido en un free tour. Explica muy bien, y enseña fotos. Tiene un muy buen nivel de español, y con muchos detalles de todos los monumentos vistos. Recomiendo hacer el tour porque es muy completo, pero hacerlo con este guía lo recomiendo mucho más, al 100%. Translate this opinion into English.

We booked the free tour with CiVitatis, thanks to the tremendous luck of being paired with Dohan/Diego. The best guide we've ever had on a free tour. He explains things very well and shows photos. He speaks very good Spanish and provides many details about all the monuments we saw. I recommend taking the tour because it's very comprehensive, but I highly recommend doing it with this guide. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jun / 24 / 2025

Mariagabriela

Guatemala

I travelled with teenagers

El guía preparado en cuanto a la historia de los edificios y monumentos, lo que me disgusto es que lo ofrecen como tour gratuito y después el guía estaba cobrando una cuota, indico que la propina no era lo que el quería, si fue un poco molesto porque entonces mejor deberían poner un precio por persona, no ofrecerle como gratuito. Translate this opinion into English.

The guide was well-prepared for the history of the buildings and monuments. What I disliked was that they offered it as a free tour, and then the guide charged a fee. He indicated that the tip wasn't what he wanted. It was a bit annoying because they should have set a price per person instead of offering it as free. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jun / 19 / 2025

Laura Califano

Argentina

I travelled with teenagers

El tour fue excelente nuestro guía Erdam o Edu (en español) además de contarnos las mejores historias de los monumentos también fue ameno y explicó interesantes particularidades de la historia de Turquía y de la vida en Istambul. Verdaderamente nos hizo apreciar esta histórica ciudad. Muy contentos lo recomendamos, el.español del guía fue impecable. Translate this opinion into English.

The tour was excellent. Our guide, Erdam or Edu (in Spanish), not only told us the best stories about the monuments but was also engaging and explained interesting details about Turkish history and life in Istanbul. He truly gave us a sense of this historic city. We highly recommend it; the guide's Spanish was impeccable. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jun / 17 / 2025

Anonymous

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I travelled by myself

El guia Enguin muy atento con los datos que da, y muy interesante conocer Estambul asi y luego elegir dónde entrar con mas detalle, Linda experiencia, y habla muy bien el español y se interesa por cada nacionalidad Tambien nos recomendo el barco del Bósforo e ir a estambul en asia, me gustó tener otro pantallazo mas local Me quede con ganas de mas estambul, 2 dias no es suficiente. Gracias Translate this opinion into English.

The guide Enguin was very attentive with the information he gave, and it was very interesting to get to know Istanbul like this and then choose where to go in more detail. A lovely experience. He speaks Spanish very well and is interested in each nationality. He also recommended the Bosphorus boat and going to Istanbul in Asia. I liked having another, more local view. I was left wanting more Istanbul; 2 days is not enough. Thank you. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled by myself

Jun / 15 / 2025

Malu Bonilla

Barcelona, Spain

I travelled with friends

Excelente, Nos explicó todo súper bien, nos aconsejo y recomendó de manera formidable. Contratamos con el el crucero por el Bósforo también. Cuando llegamos al lado Asiático, nos acompaño y nos ayudó en todo momento. Según nos explicó aprendió español de forma autodidacta. Además nos dejó su istambulcard. Translate this opinion into English.

Excellent. He explained everything to us extremely well, and he gave us wonderful advice and recommendations. We also booked the Bosphorus cruise with him. When we arrived on the Asian side, he accompanied us and helped us at every step. According to what he explained, he taught himself Spanish. He also gave us his Istanbul Card. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with friends

Jun / 15 / 2025

Isabel

Spain

I travelled with friends

Arsen ha sido un guía estupendo, habla fenomenal español y muy ameno. Además te da buenos tips para desenvolverte por la ciudad. Por poner un pero, nos aconsejó madrugar para evitar colas, pero fuimos después de comer y no tuvimos que esperar nada. Translate this opinion into English.

Arsen was a wonderful guide; he speaks Spanish brilliantly and is very engaging. He also gives you good tips on how to navigate the city. On the downside, he advised us to get up early to avoid lines, but we went after lunch and didn't have to wait at all. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with friends

Jun / 14 / 2025

Luis Manuel

San Sebastian, Spain

I travelled with friends

La visita estuvo muy bien. La única pega es que, por recomendación del guía, gastamos 5 euros más, por cada una de las 6 entradas que sacamos, al cogerlas on-line, en la oficina de covitatis, para evitar las colas. El guía nos indico que en la cola, posiblemente esperaríamos 45 minutos. Pero, para sorpresa, a la tarde, cuando realizamos la visita, prácticamente no había colas. Translate this opinion into English.

The visit was very good. The only drawback is that, at the guide's recommendation, we spent 5 euros more for each of the six tickets we bought, buying them online at the Covitatis office to avoid the lines. The guide told us we'd probably have to wait 45 minutes in line. But surprisingly, when we took the tour in the afternoon, there were practically no lines. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with friends

Jun / 09 / 2025

Santiago

Pontevedra, Spain

I travelled with my partner

Hicimos el tour con Doğan y fue una experiencia excelente. Es un guía muy apasionado, con amplios conocimientos de historia y cultura, pero lo mejor es cómo lo transmite: de forma amena, cercana y con un toque de humor. Gracias a él descubrimos detalles que habrían pasado desapercibidos y aprendimos mucho sobre la ciudad y su gente. ¡Muy recomendable! Translate this opinion into English.

We took the tour with Doğan and it was an excellent experience. He's a very passionate guide, with extensive knowledge of history and culture, but the best part is how he conveys it: in a friendly, approachable way, with a touch of humor. Thanks to him, we discovered details that would have gone unnoticed and learned a lot about the city and its people. Highly recommended! Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jun / 08 / 2025

Geronimo Vola

La Plata, Argentina

I travelled with teenagers

El canal por el Bósforo fue hermosa pero no sé si lo que hizo que nos gustara tanto fuese el paisaje o sino el guía Arsen que la verdad fue fascinante, realmente te mete a un mundo en el cual estás en la época antigua. Arsen excelente guía, ayudó en todo lo que fuese necesario y se preocupó por nuestro bienestar. Es imprescindible que Civitatis tenga gente de este nivel porque te hace seguir confiando y estimulando el uso de la plataform. Un recorrido que quedará en la cabeza de todos nosotros Translate this opinion into English.

The Bosphorus Canal was beautiful, but I don't know if it was the scenery or the guide Arsen that made us love it so much. He was truly fascinating, truly immerses you in a world where you're in ancient times. Arsen was an excellent guide; he helped with everything we needed and was concerned about our well-being. It's essential that Civitatis has people of this caliber because it inspires continued trust and encourages the use of the platform. A tour that will remain in all of our memories. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with teenagers

Jun / 08 / 2025

Barbara

Milano, Italy

I travelled with my partner

Il tour consiste in un piacevole passeggiata di circa 3 ore in cui la guida illustra le principali attrazioni culturali di Sultanhmet, con riferimenti storici puntuali. La nostra guida è stata coinvolgente, pronta a rispondere alle domande poste e sempre sorridente! Sebbene il gruppo fosse numeroso (circa 30 persone) verificava che tutti fossero in grado di ascoltare le sue spiegazioni. Consiglio vivamente questa esperienza. Translate this opinion into English.

The tour consists of a pleasant walk of about 3 hours in which the guide illustrates the main cultural attractions of Sultanhmet, with precise historical references. Our guide was engaging, ready to answer questions and always smiling! Although the group was large (about 30 people) he made sure everyone was able to listen to his explanations. I highly recommend this experience. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Jun / 05 / 2025

Saray

Girona, Spain

I travelled with my partner

Nuestro guia Engin Ermiscan lo hizo muy bien! Aclaraba todas las dudas y nos dio toda la informacion necesaria para continuar nuestra visita por Estambul. Caminaba rapido pero cuando se paraba se aseguraba de que estubieramos todos para empezar a hablar. Quiero recalcar que tubimos un problema con nuestro hotel y Engin nos ayudo a solucionarlo haciendonos de traductor y llamando a nuestro hotel desde su propio mobil. Translate this opinion into English.

Our guide, Engin Ermiscan, was excellent! He answered all our questions and gave us all the information we needed to continue our tour of Istanbul. He walked quickly, but when he stopped, he made sure everyone was there so we could start talking. I want to emphasize that we had a problem with our hotel, and Engin helped us resolve it by acting as a translator and calling our hotel from his own cell phone. Opinion translated. Show original.

I travelled with my partner

Showing 1-20

Return to the activity

Istanbul Free Tour - Reviews

You may also be interested in

Bosphorus Night Cruise + Dinner & Show

Troy Day Trip

Turkish Bath & Massage at Gedikpasa Hammam