My name is Muhammad Aljisr. I am Lebanese and living in the UAE. I’m a history lover and have been wanting to visit Istanbul with my family for years. I had many opportunities to join tourist groups but I hate being tied to groups....Read more
My name is Muhammad Aljisr. I am Lebanese and living in the UAE. I’m a history lover and have been wanting to visit Istanbul with my family for years. I had many opportunities to join tourist groups but I hate being tied to groups. I finally decided to take my wife and 2 children and go on my own, hoping that I will find a decent tour guide. Before going, I searched the internet for weeks until I made a list of guides and I finally chose Ismail after exchanging some 25 emails with him. I went to Istanbul and spent a week there. It was one of the best weeks of my life, thanks to Ismail who escorted us from arrival till departure. Here’s what Ismail can professionally do for you:
- He can design your tour, no matter how long or short it is, so that you make full use of your time.
- Before you travel, he will ask you about your preferences and tailor a tour programme to your choice. If you’re going to Istanbul for the first time, you badly need something like this.
- His programme will work without surprises. You will not go to a scheduled place and find it closed or under renovation.
- He’s a certified tour guide with an ID. He studied hard to get this certification, and the history of the city is like an open book to him.
- He will inform you about the cost of visiting each location (entry fees etc.) and the car hire costs before you travel.
- He can help you find a decent place to stay if you want (hotel, apartment, etc.)
- He will wisely safeguard your budget. He will design the tour so that you don’t need to hire a car & driver every day. Where certain locations can be covered by walking + public transport, he will put them together in a single day and save you money.
- He will make the car & driver booking arrangements for you in advance.
- No waste of time. 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. He will come to you on time in the morning.
- He knows the city inside out. If you’re a history freak like me, he will take you to places no other tourists even heard about. He will literally knock on closed doors and have them open for you. I found this really of big value.
- If you appreciate good food and have budget for it, he will not leave you stranded. He knows the best restaurants and will make sure you don’t leave Istanbul before you try its finest food.
- He looks ahead. If tomorrow’s weather forecast is rainy, he will remind you in advance to bring your umbrellas along.
- He will not ask you for any advance payment before you reach Istanbul. He will take his fees at the end of each day.
Ismail is a polite and honest young man. I loved Istanbul and, because there is Ismail, I took the decision to go there once again in the future and see more of it. I certainly recommend Ismail to everyone I know or don’t know.
Thank you Ismail for everything you did.
Muhammad & family.
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