Istanbul Uncovered: Daily Life, Customs, and Stories - Alternative Tour
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.
Departure: 14:30 pm ( 2.5 Hrs )
Availability: Tuesdays – Thursdays – Fridays – Saturdays- Sundays ( Not available on Mondays and Tuesdays )
Meeting Point: We will be waiting with a yellow umbrella at the entrance of Corlulu Ali Pasha Madrasah , Google map link
Price:
We kindly ask for a minimum contribution of 10 Euros or 400 TL per person to help cover our services. This fee supports booking costs, Google advertisements, organizational expenses, and, most importantly, the expertise of our licensed tour guides.
Our guides are highly trained professionals who have completed an intensive four-year study program and work full-time to provide you with the best possible experience. Given Turkey’s high inflation rate, we truly appreciate your support in ensuring fair compensation for their knowledge and dedication.
Thank you for your understanding—we can’t wait to share this unforgettable cultural journey with you!
Please Note:
Booking is required to receive updates and reserve your spot.
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.
We begin our tour at Corlulu Ali Pasha Madrasah, a historic religious school from the Ottoman era. Here, we will explore its transformation over time and discuss the broader evolution of the Ottoman Empire into the Republic of Turkey. Next, we stroll through the Old Book Bazaar, where we take a deep dive into Turkish literature and the rich intellectual traditions that have shaped the country. From there, we continue to Istanbul University, Turkey’s largest and most prestigious university, to gain insight into the nation’s education system. As we make our way forward, we pause in front of the Faculty of Economics and an active Istanbul University-affiliated hospital to better understand Turkey’s economic landscape and healthcare system.
Stepping back in time, we explore 19th- and 20th-century houses, delving into the daily life, traditions, and customs that continue to shape modern Turkish culture. Our journey then leads us to the breathtaking Suleymaniye Mosque, a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture built by the great Mimar Sinan under Sultan Süleyman’s reign. From its garden—one of the most spectacular observation terraces in the world—we take in panoramic views of Istanbul, stretching across both the Anatolian and European sides. Along the way, we pause at Suleymaniye Bath to uncover the fascinating history of Turkish bath culture.
Finally, we conclude our tour with a moment of relaxation, enjoying authentic Turkish delight and tea, the perfect way to reflect on the day’s discoveries.
This tour has been personally designed to take you beyond the typical tourist attractions and into the heart of Istanbul’s hidden gems. You will experience the city through its stories, traditions, and daily life—something no standard tour can offer.
As the saying goes, “Nothing unexpected is likely to happen if your itinerary in Paris is filled only with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.” We believe the same holds true for Istanbul!
Are you ready for a truly local adventure?
You can tip in Euros, USD and TL and should be in cash.
Alternative tour happen in English and if you have a large groups, we can provide it in other languages as private option.
We will be waiting with a yellow umbrella at the entrance of Corlulu Ali Pasha Madrasah. Google Map
Our tour concludes just a 6-minute walk from the Grand Bazaar, where you’ll enjoy a complimentary tasting of Turkish delights with fruit tea. This is not a shopping stop—just a relaxing break in a peaceful setting. Your guide will also share local restaurant recommendations, and you’ll have the chance to unwind on our exclusive rooftop, reserved just for our guests.
This tour is ideal for individuals, couples, and small groups. If you have a group of 8 or more, we offer private tours tailored to your needs, allowing you to customize the starting time, itinerary, and other details for a more personalized experience.
During our tour, we will visit a mosque. Ladies are required to cover their heads, shoulders, and legs, while men can wear shorts as long as they cover the knees. The mosque provides free coverings if needed, but you’re welcome to bring your own scarf if you prefer.
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.