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Popular Istanbul Tours
Enjoy a captivating 2.5-hour orientation walking tour that brings the city’s rich history to life. Gain a deeper understanding of the country’s past, Islamic culture, and the stories behind iconic landmarks like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. This tour will enhance your appreciation of these breathtaking sites, making your visit even more meaningful.
This unique tour provides an in-depth look at daily life in Turkey, exploring customs, weddings, the economy, education, healthcare, and more. Designed for those eager to understand the real Istanbul beyond its history, this experience offers a fresh perspective on the city’s modern culture and way of life.
This half-day tour is perfect for first-time visitors to Istanbul, offering guided visits to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar. With a small group, you’ll skip the ticket lines and explore these iconic landmarks while your expert local guide shares their fascinating history and stories.
Experience the true essence of Istanbul on this unique tour, exploring both the European and Asian sides in a single day. Savor a variety of local dishes while learning the stories behind them, and enjoy scenic ferry rides across the Bosphorus. A perfect tour for food lovers, complete with delicious tastings and cultural insights.
Discover the authentic side of Istanbul, where locals go and tourists rarely venture. Hop on trams and ferries as you explore the city’s unique blend of history and modern life. Starting in vibrant Karaköy, you’ll wander through old Greek and Jewish districts, the bustling Tahtake market, the majestic Süleymaniye Mosque, and a charming second-hand book market. Experience Istanbul’s rich past and lively present like never before!
Discover Istanbul at your own pace with a private tour tailored to your schedule. Explore the city’s top landmarks, hidden gems, and vibrant culture with an expert local guide. Whether you have one, two, or three days, this tour ensures you experience the very best of Istanbul, from historic sites to local flavors.
2-Hour Boat Ride on the Golden Horn & Bosphorus. Escape Istanbul’s traffic and enjoy a peaceful cruise along the Golden Horn and Bosphorus. Take in stunning views of palaces, mansions, and charming local neighborhoods as you glide through the city’s iconic waterways. This open ticket allows you to join any day, with a special sunset option available during summer.
Experience the mesmerizing Whirling Dervishes ceremony in Istanbul! Witness this centuries-old spiritual dance, where tradition, music, and devotion come together in a hypnotic performance. Don’t miss the chance to see one of Turkey’s most unique cultural rituals. Book your spot now for an unforgettable evening!
A Bosphorus dinner cruise offers a fantastic way to enjoy a meal on the stunning Bosphorus, complete with unlimited local drinks—alcoholic or soft. Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture with traditional dances from across Turkey, mesmerizing belly dancers, and a live DJ, ensuring an unforgettable evening.
Experience Football in Istanbul
A Passion Like No Other. In Turkey, football is more than just a game—it’s a way of life. Immerse yourself in the electrifying atmosphere by watching a match of Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, or Beşiktaş. Feel the passion of the fans, hear the chants echo through the stadium, and witness one of the most intense football cultures in the world. A must-do for sports lovers and those seeking an unforgettable local experience!
Please Note: Travel agencies arrange and sell package tours that offer accommodation, transportation, trips, food and beverage, and entertainment with profit motives, including organizing, providing, marketing, and carrying out sports activities; congresses and conferences; religious, health-related, educational, cultural, scientific, and professional examinations; and incentive or supporting travels, and services involved therein, according to Article 5(1), Paragraph (a), Subparagraph (1) of the Turkish Regulation Pertaining to The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB)
Travel agencies shall seek profit for tour services they provide to prevent unfair competition, in accordance with the Turkish Regulation Pertaining to Travel Agencies. Therefore, our agency offers regular walking tours at minimum fees, and these tours are provided by licensed tourist guides. Respectfully submitted for your consideration.
Basis Travel - Free Walking Tour Istanbul
Out of 5 stars
Overall rating out of 600 Google reviews
Lidia Moharic
3 days ago
I had a fantastic time on the Free Istanbul Tour! The guide was knowledgeable and friendly, sharing fascinating stories about the city's history. The pace was perfect, and I loved exploring both popular and lesser-known sights. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Istanbul!
Faamanu Lefiti
a week ago
Tour guide was very informative! Hit main points I wanted to see. Would recommend!!
Aj
a week ago
Younes was amazing, very friendly and all around good👍
Darpan Gautam
a week ago
Younes was amazing, would highly recommend for everyone!
Jenny To
a week ago
Albert Packer
a week ago
Had a tour with Yunus and it was a wonderful experience! He took plenty of time to answer all of my many questions! He was super informative and now I see Istanbul and the culture from a totally different perspective. Can’t recommend this tour enough!
Maria S
2 weeks ago
It was an mazing walking tour with Yunus. Thank you very much. High recommended
Prashanth Shankar
2 weeks ago
Mohamed was an excellent guide and a story teller giving us both cultural and historical relevance to each place we went to.
Olga (Meilin)
a year ago
It was our first time visiting Turkey and Istanbul, so as good travellers we decided to learn more about this beautiful and historical place. We have closed Basic travel free walking tour and it was excellent choice. This tour includes all basic sightseeing and Yunus was our good guide to the most attractive and important chapters of the Istanbul history. Dear Yunus, thank you very much for your exciting stories, astonishing moments. And at the end of our tour as a cherry on cake, we visited nice rooftop with very nice food and coffee.
Laura M
4 months ago
Did the old town and off the beaten path tours with Yunus - fantastic!! Yunus was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!
tracy mok
2 weeks ago
it’s a great tour to start off the trip of Turkey with different knowledge…the islamic culture, the history, fun things about the locals etc…the guide is funny and very knowledgeable. highly recommend!
Lorenz Steinkohl
9 months ago
I initially just started with the old town tour but ended up doing the alternative history tour as well. You can tell that Yunus is very educated and knowledgeable because he gives really balanced and insightful answers about Turkish’s history as well as current societal issues. Always open to chat about all sort of questions and made the tour fun. The old town tour was cool because we explored well known sites but also went down alleyways I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. The alternative history tour gave me really good insights into the daily lives of Turkish people. I don’t think I would’ve gotten the same out of more touristy/ organised tour. If you have the option, I’d recommend doing a tour early on because for me it gave me a lot more context for my remaining Istanbul stay. We learnt some useful Turkish words as well. Aside from that, the tour groups were not too big and I got to meet some cool people via them as well! Thanks Yunus!
Alexandra Kutanina
a month ago
The walking tour with Yunas was fantastic! He’s a great storyteller who made the city’s history come alive. The tea and Turkish delight at the end were such a nice touch. Highly recommend for anyone exploring the city!
Sreshya Kamakshi Vishwanathan
a month ago
Excellent tour of the old city by Yunus, who offers many insights along the way and is a fabulous storyteller - the 2.5 hours flew by and we learnt a lot. Thank you so much for also being so approachable and genuine! The Turkish delights and teas at the end are also a very nice surprise.
Jim Butler
4 months ago
Mohamed was a lively, knowledgeable and articulate guide, providing great insight in to Istanbul, the sights, the sounds the culture and the history. He also ensured we all stuck with him on his tour and made sure we were kept safe as we navigated the traffic with him. Great tour, great guide and well worth doing, I recommend this experience to anyone venturing in to Istanbul for their first time.
Marko Švec
a year ago
Definitely one of the best walking tours i have ever been to! The guys are great guides, quite funny and very friendly. On both tours I met interesting people, so I would come againt simply to hang out with them. You shouldn't miss this if you come to Istanbul 🙂
Max
a year ago
Cumali was our guide for the Alternative Istanbul Walking Tour. Cumali has an extraordinary depth of knowledge of Istanbul. He is an exceptional teacher and storyteller transporting us back in time, it felt like we were walking the streets and alleys in a different era! I cannot recommend this tour highly enough, I’ve done many walking tours and this one is top tier. I’ve been thinking about his stories for many days since the tour and learnt so much. Thank you Cumali! 🤩🙌
Renata Lacerda van Dodewaard
11 months ago
What an amazing tour! Imran knows a lot of facts about the history of the city. He gave the group many tips on good spots in the city. He was friendly, and the tour was really great. I would definitely recommend it.