'The Other Tour' was truly the best tour I've ever attended. After spending a few days touring istanbul's standard tourist sites, I felt like I wasn't seeing all Turkey had to offer. I looked on TripAdvisor, and though 'The Other Tour' was more expensive than their competitors, the reviews and website convinced me to register. I emailed the night before, and luckily was able to get a spot on the following day's tour.

I was picked up from my hotel right on time, and was taken to coffee with Hakan while we waited for the other guests to be picked up. I was a little nervous since I didn't know what to expect, but felt welcomed right away by the guide's explanation of what we would do throughout the day. Our first stop was a nice neighborhood with a great view of the harbor, followed by a a trip to the most beautiful Starbucks I've ever seen, and finally a boat cruise on the Bosphorus. We stopped about halfway on the boat cruise to enjoy some yogurt with delicious Turkish honey on top. All throughout the tour, Fethi and Murat (the guides) kept everyone engaged and comfortable. The day continued with a trip to an elementary school (it was great to see the kids so excited), a bazaar, a poor neighborhood in the city, and finally to Murat and Fethi's family's house for lunch. The lunch was some of the best food I've had in Turkey, and the mother was so friendly and welcoming. It was also interesting to hear Fethi's viewpoint on the current political and cultural environment in Turkey over lunch.

Our afternoon entailed visiting a few other neighborhoods, going to a Turkish bathhouse (so much fun), learning to play a Turkish game, and ending up at a wine bar. After the wine bar, a few of us even went go-cart racing, which was a perfect way to end the evening.

There is no way I could have learned about or experienced as much as I did without this tour. Murat and Fethi, as well as the fun other guests, made an otherwise fun agenda even better. Don't visit Istanbul without going on 'The Other Tour'!

The Other Tour is really something else. We had a great time with Fethi and Murat, and was impressed by the variety of truly unique experiences we were able to have in just one day. We particularly enjoyed the boat trip on the Bosphoros with a short stop on the Asian side, a visit to a local school where we talked to the students and met the head master, and of course the exquisite lunch and friendly atmosphere at their familys place. Everything went so smoothly due to good preparations and connections.

Our guides had a lot of knowledge and humour, it felt more like spending time with friends. We had a nice and relaxing experience in the hammam all by ourselves in the afternoon, which is good also because you need renewed strength for the rest if the evening with games at a cafe and being able to enjoy good turkish wine later.

To get the most out of this trip I recommend that you get some basic knowledge about Istanbul and Turkey in advance because there is so much more to learn from these guides. Bring good walking shoes and leisure clothes. Most important of all; keep an open mind and be an active participant. It's great fun and and an opportunity to see the Istanbul tourists usually don't get to see.

My husband and I planned an impromptu trip to Istanbul for New Year's and wanted to have a combination of traditional tourism and local culture. The main sites to see are easy to navigate on your own but local culture can be trickier. The Other Tour with Fethi and co. was the absolute best way to experience the local culture of Istanbul! The day was so well planned and thought out. Touring different neighborhoods and getting a bit of history along the way was just the tip of the iceberg. Highlights include a fun stop at a local elementary school, a delicious lunch prepared by Fethi's mother (a truly delightful person!), and a stop at a cafe to learn a local game. To be honest, the whole day was a highlight! We had a fantastic time and consider Fethi and Soner to be our new friends! We hope to visit them again!!