Private Istanbul Layover Tour From Airport

Overpriced Tour That Ended in a Tourist Scam — Extremely Disappointing

Unfortunately, although the tour itself was generally pleasant, we left extremely disappointed with the overall experience and strongly believe that what we received did not justify the price we paid. As first-time visitors to Istanbul, we were not familiar with the city or the distances between the main attractions. The inclusion of a private car was therefore an important factor in our decision to book this particular tour, and we reasonably assumed that private transportation would be necessary throughout the itinerary and was a significant part of what justified the very high price compared with other tours. Once there, we discovered that essentially all of the attractions included in the tour are within walking distance of one another. In practice, the private transportation was only used for the transfers to and from the airport. Had we understood this beforehand, we would never have paid such a substantial premium. Comparable walking tours cost a fraction of the price, and airport transportation could easily have been arranged separately at a much lower cost. We therefore feel that the value of the tour was not at all consistent with the price charged. However, the most serious issue was our experience at the Grand Bazaar. Throughout the tour, we occasionally asked our guide for advice regarding prices before purchasing something, and she was generally willing to help. At Ramazan Canbaz Lokumları, however, her behavior was noticeably different. She did not want to enter the store with us. Immediately before paying, we specifically asked her whether the price was reasonable, and instead of helping us as she had elsewhere, she told us to trust the shop and simply pay by card. Afterward, when we saw the final amount charged to our credit card, we realized that we had been scammed and charged an outrageous amount. We then researched the store and were shocked to find numerous reviews from other tourists describing what appears to be the exact same scam: tourists being charged extremely inflated amounts, with multiple reviews also raising concerns about guides and tourist referrals to this particular shop. We cannot prove that our guide had any relationship with the store, and we will not claim something we cannot substantiate. However, it is extremely concerning that a professional local guide would specifically tell her clients to “trust them” and pay at a shop with this kind of reputation—particularly when we explicitly asked for her help before completing the transaction. This completely destroyed our trust in the experience. We deliberately booked through a reputable platform and paid a significant premium because, as tourists unfamiliar with Istanbul, we expected a vetted, professional and trustworthy experience. Instead, we paid an extremely high price for what was essentially a walking tour, and during that same tour we ended up being scammed at a store after following our guide’s advice. For a tour at this price point, this is simply unacceptable. The guide was otherwise pleasant and the sightseeing portion itself was fine, but that does not compensate for what happened. We are extremely disappointed with the experience and strongly believe that a refund is warranted. At the very least, we hope the platform seriously investigates both this tour and its connection, if any, with this particular shop so that other travelers do not have the same experience.

Response from the operator: Hello dear Alejandra Gonzalez, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the overall experience did not meet your expectations. We would like to clarify that the private vehicle and driver were reserved exclusively for your party throughout the service. As the main historical attractions in Sultanahmet are located very close to one another and vehicle access within the Old City is limited, the sightseeing portion of this itinerary is naturally conducted mostly on foot. The vehicle remains dedicated to the guests throughout the tour and is available whenever required. Regarding the Grand Bazaar, we do not have any agreement, partnership, commission arrangement or business relationship with any stores. The purchase was made directly between the guests and the shop, and our company did not receive any benefit from the transaction. That said, we take concerns of this nature seriously. Following your feedback, we reviewed the matter internally and have also taken additional precautions regarding recommendations to this establishment. We appreciate your comments, as they help us review both how our services are communicated and how similar situations can be handled more clearly in the future. Best regards,

via Viator

Day in Istanbul

Friendly knowledgeable guide tailored our experience to our family’s interests. Enjoyed our time in Istanbul and highly recommend

via Tripadvisor

Great tour guide! Feel confident in having Tarik show you around Istanbul!

Tarik was an excellent guide. His knowledge of Istanbul and the history behind this city is amazing. He truly loves what he does. We were a family of 5, 2 adults and 3 children under 13. He was patient and understanding. He understood our needs with our young kids and adjusted the tour accordingly. Tarik gave us great advice about safety and places to visit or be careful of. At the end he guided us to a safe taxi ride area, put us in and made sure the driver knew where to take us. It finished the day off comfortably. Thank you Tarik for your informative tour, your gentle and kind nature and for making sure we would get back to our hotel safely. We had an awesome day. The kids got in the taxi and said, "That was fun, and I'd do it again". Well.... I think that's a great review in itself. We'll be back..... until next time.... Take care Tarik.

via Tripadvisor

Awesome and educational tour!

The tour was packed with information and was educational in a great way. Our guide Tarik was very friendly and accommodating to what we wanted to see and do. He helped guide us through the different landmarks and attractions and gave us an in depth history of everything we saw. He also took us to a great restaurant for dinner. We would highly recommend this tour with Tarik!

via Tripadvisor

Exactly what we wanted

Hilal was absolutely the best guide and the company made everything easy for us. Van was spacious and spotless and Hilal was attentive to what we were interested in and took us to sights we didn’t even know about. 10/10 would recommend. She went above and beyond!!

via Tripadvisor