Every once in a while, someone joins our team who just clicks — not because they try to fit in, but because they stand out. Burak Plakay is one of those rare souls.
Introduction to Burak
He didn’t come to guiding through the usual channels. Born and raised in Istanbul, in a proud Albanian family full of strong personalities and big hearts, Burak’s connection to this city runs deep — not through textbooks or tourist brochures, but through the streets, the markets, the neighborhoods, and the ever-changing rhythm of local life. You feel that when you walk with him. His Istanbul isn’t curated. It’s lived.
Burak’s license limits him to the Marmara Region — which, frankly, is perfect. Because he’d rather go deeper than wider. He knows this city inside-out: not just the Byzantine relics or Ottoman marvels, but the weird shortcuts, the makeshift tea gardens, the neighborhood gossip, and the stories behind street names even most locals don’t notice.
And besides Istanbul, he ventures out to Cumalıkızık in Bursa or Iznik (Nicaea) across the Sea of Marmara. or Selimiye Mosque to the west of Istanbul in Edirne (ancient Adrianople). Burak not only guides in these sites but also writes articles about them on our blog. You can read Burak’s blog posts here.
Impeccable Language Skills
Burak didn’t just learn English in a classroom. He picked it up the way real passion grabs you: through curiosity, obsession, and a lot of late nights spent playing strategy video games, watching endless documentaries, and falling down YouTube rabbit holes on everything from political philosophy to urban planning.
Today, he speaks like someone who’s read a thousand books and had ten thousand conversations — with a style that’s both sharp and approachable, like a stand-up comedian who also happens to be a historian.
This unconventional background makes Burak an incredible guide for the kind of travelers who crave more than just surface-level facts. He’s the guy who’ll explain Ottoman tax systems in a way that actually makes you care — or tell you which emperor had a nervous breakdown and why it still matters today.
Improvisation is His Superpower
One of the things we love most about Burak is his unshakeable confidence in the unknown. He can sense a group’s mood in seconds. Loud family? He brings the energy. Quiet couple? He slows things down, finds the poetry. Retired professors? He pulls out niche references that even we have to Google.
In his own words, “Some call it improvisation. I call it intuition.”
We call it magic.
Burak’s tours aren’t just personalized. They’re alive. He doesn’t carry a script — he carries a mental database of history, psychology, architecture, and raw street knowledge. Every step with him is flexible, responsive, and deeply human.
Why Travelers Love Burak (and Why We Do Too)
We’ve seen guests tear up during his stories. We’ve seen them laugh until their faces hurt. We’ve also seen them invite him to weddings, family reunions, and even Thanksgiving dinners across the ocean. He’s that kind of guy.
There’s an honesty to Burak that’s rare in this world. He’s open-minded, self-aware, and not afraid to admit when he doesn’t know something — which, ironically, makes you trust him even more. And when he does know something (which is often), he delivers it with clarity, color, and that slightly mischievous twinkle in his eye.
What Makes Burak Truly Different
Unlike many licensed guides in Istanbul who are often counting down the minutes to the end of a tour, Burak doesn’t just guide — he sticks around. He stays with guests as long as they’re enjoying themselves. Whether your energy runs out after three hours or you’re still going strong after eight, he’s right there with you, matching your pace and never rushing you out of an experience.
Even more rare — he doesn’t dominate the conversation. Burak knows when to speak and when to step back. He listens. He gives you space to share your own thoughts, questions, or random historical theories. His tours aren’t monologues — they’re conversations.
Book Burak Now
At The Other Tour, we don’t just work with guides. We work with people. People with depth, quirks, stories, and values. People who can handle complexity, connect across cultures, and make strangers feel like old friends.
Burak Plakay is one of those people.
If you’re lucky enough to explore Istanbul with him, be ready to learn, laugh, reflect, and wander off the beaten path — not because it’s trendy, but because that’s where the real stories live. And Burak? He knows where they’re hiding.
Burak was my guide for two long days and I can say I came away with a feeling for the place that I don’t usually get with other guides. This was one on one, from most of Sinan ‘s mosques to another continent and back, streets I’d never see on my own plus a lively monologue on the Bosphorus cruise. I felt like I’d made a friend along the way, and gained a much better understanding of the history of the people and the place. If you are ready to walk, go for it! No regrets.
Thank you so much for putting in the effort to leave this review on our website, Barbara. Highly appreciated! Burak is an amazing guide and we feel lucky to be working with him.
Thanks for organizing our tour earlier this week, we had a wonderful two days with Burak and Ömer.
Hey Jeremy. Thank you so much for the feedback. Burak and Ömer are the top two guides we have, and you were blessed with having both of them at the same time! I’m really glad you liked it. This comment coming from an MIT alumnus means a lot. Hope to have you back soon 🙂