I was traveling alone to Egypt and had a seven hour nighttime layover in Istanbul. Latif met me in the airport and had his driver promptly pick us up. We took a wonderful odyssey through Sultanahmet and Taksim before going to a 500-year old hammam where I had a wonderful body scrub and steam before heading back to the airport. All in all, I learned a ton, felt very safe and paid a totally reasonable price for a very engaging, one-on-one tour. A must-do addition to any trip if you have the opportunity.
It would be an understatement to say that Latif is great tour guide. He is—without a doubt—easily the best tour guide in Istanbul and probably one of the best in the world. I've traveled to nearly 40 countries and have gone on tours whilst visiting nearly all of them and Latif's experience, expertise, knowledge, attention to detail, and concern that you are having an enjoyable time as a tourist is second to none. I had an eight hour layover in Istanbul and after going back and forth on taking the free Turkish Airlines tour, I decided to book a private tour with Istanbul layover tours. Latif met me at the airport and had a driver waiting for us to take us into the city. On each stop of the tour, whether exploring the Hagia Sophia, drinking traditional turkish coffee, wandering into the Basilica Cistern, taking the ferry to Asia, or eating Turkish Delights in the spice market, Latif never made me feel as though we were in a rush, always answered my questions with depth and breadth, and introduced me to the real Istanbul away from all the tourist traps. More importantly, he's a genuinely good guy that cares about his clients and truly wants them to experience all that Istanbul has to offer. If you have any doubt in your mind as to whether or not you should do this tour, I guarantee you that it is money well spent and you will not regret it.
My wife and I had a nine hour layover in Istanbul. Since neither of us had ever been to the city we really wanted to use the time to see at least some of the sites. I found Istanbul Layover Tours by searching for one of the highest recommended layover tour provider and could not have been happier with our decision. Instructions on how to find meeting point were easy to follow and the private van was great service. We were able to see Byzantine hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Spice Market, Eat a delicious late breakfast next to the water, and take a quick ferry ride to Asian side and back all with enough time to get back to the airport with plenty of time to catch our next flight. I highly recommend booking with Istanbul Layover Tours.
Night layover in Istanbul