The one and only Jose Salcedo talks about his day on The Other Tour in Istanbul.
Best Istanbul Tours 2026
Discover the ultimate guide to Istanbul's best tours in 2026, featuring unique experiences, hidden gems, and unforgettable cultural adventures.
The one and only Jose Salcedo talks about his day on The Other Tour in Istanbul.
Discover the ultimate guide to Istanbul's best tours in 2026, featuring unique experiences, hidden gems, and unforgettable cultural adventures.
Discover Istanbul with Batuhan Çataltepe who combines Church history and unique visual archives to bring the city's living past to light.
Salon Galata sits at the foot of Karaköy's Camondo Stairs in an 1870s bank building with modern Turkish plates, grilled octopus, sidewalk tables,...
A four-day Istanbul cat tour blending street cats, historic neighborhoods, ferries, local life, and soulful encounters across the city.
Discover Turkey with Samet Koytepe. Expert guide in Marmara & Cappadocia, blending literature, humor, and epic storytelling.
Explore the haunting beauty of Turkish cinema—existential dramas, feminist tales, and bold stories that challenge and captivate.
The Other Tour offers alternative, human-centered cultural experiences and custom private travel across Istanbul and the rest of Turkey, built around local daily life, food, and neighborhood storytelling rather than standard landmark sightseeing.
What we specialize in, above all, is matching each client with the right professional guide for wherever they’re headed — though if we’re being honest, our roster is still concentrated mostly in Istanbul. As of July 2026, that roster stands at fifty guides, each one personally vetted rather than pulled from a directory. Most of what we arrange are daily and multi-day private tours, guided primarily in English, with guides available in other languages on request.
Our guides are licensed professionals — historians, archaeologists, and storytellers — who aim for honest conversations about contemporary culture and local heritage rather than a script. We favor alternative sightseeing that bypasses the typical crowded monuments in favor of off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods, small businesses, and everyday community life.
The Other Tour is an immersive way to experience Istanbul and the rest of Turkey, led by licensed local guides who take you beyond the tourist spots into the lived culture and quiet corners of Cappadocia, Antalya, Ephesus, Bodrum, and the Mediterranean. We also build personalized travel planning, private tours, and custom itineraries — crafted around what you’re actually curious about, in any region of the country.
After returning from a magical vacation using our guide Fethie, I can honestly say that his involvement made our trip exceptional! I am drinking the coffee purchased by the bazaar, which his mama also drinks, good recommendation! Aside from the coffee, everywhere we ventured with Fethie at our side, we felt comfortable. His honest perspective about his country resonated with us.
I highly recommend using his services. He works hard and wants you to have the best experience. A highlight of our trip was meeting his mama and eating her finely prepared delights. Both are gems!
Thanks so much Michelle. We had a great time together, didn’t we? I loved it so much! Until next time… -Fethi