- On 15/02/2020
- In Places to visit Tips for travellers Top tours Turkish Culture
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Do I Need a Tour Guide In Istanbul?
Istanbul is a magnificent city offering you a lot to see, taste, and experience. You may ask ‘Do I need a tour guide in Istanbul?’ Let us explain to you some advantages of having a local tour guide for your visit.
Istanbul is located on two different continents however the historical city of Constantinople is located on the European side and surrounded by city walls. Thanks to Byzantine city plans most of the important sites are near to each other, some of them are within walking distance and during the Ottoman period these methods are followed.
So today most popular sites of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace Museum, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, and Spice Bazaar are within walking distance. You can make your way to them on your own by checking your city map.
However, if you are a person who wants to know the ideologies behind buildings, you will definitely need a tour guide. Booklets of museums or guide books can give you descriptions of monuments however they mostly don’t explain to you real facts of the structures. Superficial knowledge will be lost even before you leave the monuments however a real guide never tells you just the number of columns or the age of the building.
They explain to you the emperor and the era of construction with reasons and results, in addition to this history doesn’t end here because every monument has a different charming story in different periods of time. An experienced tour guide knows how important it is for a real visitor and adorns the explanation with anecdotes. If you would like to find these in texts, unfortunately, you may need to read various sources about each building. When we consider the two thousand years of Istanbul history you may need to create your own library for numerous relics in this city.
Get a Proper licensed Tour Guide
A tour guide must be graduated from university to get a license and during four years of education, countless stories are told from the prehistoric era to the modern world.
Your local friend will help you to get around with experience of the city in the easiest way so you won’t need to wait in traffic and use your time in the most efficient way. Also licensed tour guides have skipped the line priority to buy museum tickets which will save your time. (Please note that Galata Tower is an exception.)
When it’s lunchtime, you may want to taste something local however preference of each guest is different so your guide will suggest you the nearest and best option for you, either this is a luxurious one or a restaurant that is used by locals. Another important aspect of assistance is the best points to take photos, instead of wandering around all day and checking each point your guide can show you the location or take you to the points where you can’t reach yourself as a tourist.
In a conclusion, yes you can walk in Istanbul city on your own and visit some museums however all that matters is who you are, a tourist or a traveler? You can see a city superficially or experience it to say ‘ I have been to Istanbul‘ proudly.
When we consider the increasing number of guests who would like to visit most Instagrammable points of the city, a professional tour guide will help you a lot. Thanks to information on daily city routines, your local tour guide can revise your itinerary according to crowds so you won’t need to visit every site within a rush hour of museums.
Please note that if you contact us in advance and inform us about your special interests, we can assign one of our best and most informative guides about your topic. We wish you an unforgettable Istanbul tour.
