If you enjoy great food prepared with detailed attention, Istanbul is the city for you. At the crossroads of East and West, ancient and modern, European and Asian, Istanbul is a treat for the dedicated foodie. Merve took us to some truly superb places where people enjoy eating. On our won, we would have missed many of the places we sampled. With Merve's guidance, we were able to see and enjoy all sorts of taste treats, from savory to sweet. She was able to describe many of the seasonings and styles of preparation of the dishes we sampled. We learned so much from Merve that when we were on our own, we were able to order the dishes we enjoyed with her.

Our exploration of the Asian side of Istanbul was a memorable experience. Merve met us and off we went across the water to the Asian side. We went to places where almost everyone you saw was not a tourist. We enjoyed panoramic vistas, all sorts of tasty treats, and most of all enjoyed an evening going to the places that locals frequent. The views, the tastes, the experience of seeing where locals go, riding the ferries, all combined to create a magical evening. Merve is charming, bright, intelligent, and made us feel like we were long-time friends.

It was very nice to have a local with me while going to Grand Bazar. I think I was able to do a reasonably good bargaining myself, but it was good not to be alone, mainly it was good that the other person was a local, spoke the language, etc! Worth it!

My husband and I did the "Let's Shop and Bargain" tour with Merve, and are so glad we did! We were really trying to make the most of each day we had in Istanbul, and the Grand Bazaar is quite big and overwhelming the first time you go in - we honestly didn't have an entire day to devote to going to each stall and trying to figure out who had the lowest prices. Merve knew where to take us for each item on our list, so we never got lost once. Also - don't underestimate how helpful it is to have a native Turkish speaker to bridge some of the language gaps and negotiate the prices (most of the sellers spoke some English, but there were times when we were describing what we were looking for in detail, and she was able to convey that with no problem). Finally, let me just say that Merve is such a genuinely sweet person. We left feeling like we had a friend in Istanbul! Don't miss out on this tour!

Merve is a great guide! Not will you hang out where the locals do and eat where all the locals eat on this tour, you will have great fun and enjoyable conversation with Merve. Thank you Merve for showing me around charming Istanbul! I hope I can come back soon.

Wonderfully upbeat, totally accomodating, willing to put up with 40 degree heat, Merve guided me along the Bosphorus from Besikas to Bebek, giving me a little history, local gossip, companionship, and tons of snacks. A great introduction to some of the less touristy but beautiful areas of Istanbul.

The touristy areas of Istanbul are... painful at times. Merve can help you remember why you wanted to go there in the first place. She is a living Rough Guide, but so wondefully kind and giving and... so Turkish that she makes you feel like you are a part of the family. I feel guilty--I think I took from her far more than she took from me. Show Merve love!

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, finding the best place to go in a country you're not familiar with can be very difficult. Merve can show you where and what the Turkish eat for breakfast.

Istanbul merchants can be very sweet talking and can convincingly persuade you to over buy. Having a native really helps when bargaining and getting the best price. So not only will shopping with Merve be fun, but it will also save you money!

The European side of Istanbul can get touristy so it's best to go with someone like Merve who can show you cool spots and share the stories behind them.

Hookah is always fun to do, but even more fun sitting with locals and people watching. Merve knows places that aren't bogged down with tourists and are great to relax and soak in the sites.

Merve has a lot of insight into the different sides of Istanbul. She is not only a native of Istanbul, but also loves her city. She'll show you great spots to get the best pictures and views!

I had a great afternoon with Merve! We went to quite a few cool places and spots that I wouldn't have found on my own. It was raining, and Merve was really flexible, so we did some other things I had on my to-do list, such as go to the Grand Bazaar and spice markets, and she even helped me bargain! And the hookah place was really cool! I totally recommend this for anyone looking for a really personal experience with a really great local.

As in description, it is a perfect tour for all tourists that came to Istanbul for the first time, but as well for all the people that already have been here! Kasper knows a lot about the city (we visited many neighborhoods - Cengelkoy, Kanlica, Rumelihisari, Bebek, Arnavutkoy, Takim, Cihangir, Galata, Karakoy... etc.), he knows where to eat (amazing local specialities I even did not know about, plus all the local musts to eat before leaving from Istanbul!) and even I though I know Istanbul quite well, he surprised me not once. After these tour you feel your stay in Istanbul is complete!

If you are tourist in Istanbul you may get little bit confused where to eat or perhaps you can pass without noticing that there is the best food lying there. This doesn't happen with Kasper because he has lots of amazing places that are off-the path that you wouldn't come across by yourself. When we met Kasper, he offered us different types of places where we could possibly have our breakfast, and we chose the menemen place which is old style looking but even it was mentioned in Guardian as one of the best breakfast places in Istanbul. So menemen (scrambled eggs with tomato and pepper & different ingredients) was perfect, my favorite was menemen with cheese. And of course you should definitely leave a space in your tummy for Bal and Kaymak ( Honey and sweet cream). I highly recommend this tour to all! Don't miss out having a nice Turkish breakfast and a great, talkative, funny guide before leaving Istanbul!

I always think that the foreigners know better than the locals where is best to eat, where is best to have great view. In Istanbul sure you can find many places and tastes but if you have Kasper your company he will take you to best places from baklava to hookah from breathtaking views to less occupied places by tourists. When I met Kasper, he showed me the best places and these places became my favorite ones, and I am really thankful for that! If you wanna enjoy Istanbul and meanwhile taste some great local foods I definitely suggest you to have Kasper as your guide. And as well he will tell you what to do in the city, where to go after and he always has interesting stories and information about the city!! You will not regret ;)