Licensed Guide by the Hour in English
I'm Sinan Topali, a tour guide licensed by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. If your trip is already sorted and all you're missing is an English-speaking guide for a few hours, this is the service for you: you hire just me, by the hour or for a full day, in Istanbul and throughout Türkiye. €250 for 1 to 2 hours and €350 for 3 to 8 hours. Your group's entrance tickets are not included.
How much does it cost to hire a guide by the hour?
Two published prices, plus the extra-hour rate. They cover the guide's time: your group's entrance tickets and transport are extra.
1 to 2 hours
€250
For a short visit: one particular monument, a neighbourhood or a first walk around the city before you explore on your own. One hour and two hours cost the same.
3 to 8 hours
€350
The same price from the third hour up to a full day, which is 8 hours: from the third to the eighth hour the price doesn't change.
If the service goes beyond 8 hours: €50 for each extra hour.
Good to know
- The hours count from the agreed start time.
- Your group's entrance tickets are not included: the easiest option is to buy them yourselves. My own ticket as a guide is on me.
- The rate covers my hours as a guide. Your group pays for its own meals, transport tickets and other expenses.
- The same rates in any city in Türkiye. If I need to travel from Istanbul, my travel costs are quoted before you book.
- Your booking is secured with a 30% deposit, by bank transfer or by card (+3%). The remaining 70% is paid on the day of the service, in cash, by bank transfer or by card (+3%). I issue an invoice.
- Free cancellation up to 30 days before the service. After that, the cancellation policy applies.
- Tell me how many of you there are and I'll confirm the price in writing before you book anything.
How the service works
Just the guide, for the time you book, with nothing else bundled in.
Licensed Tour Guide
Official licence from Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, required to guide inside museums and monuments. More than 11 years of experience and more than 1,000 travellers guided.
All in English
The explanations and all our communication are in English, with no half-translations. I also speak Turkish and Spanish, and Turkish is exactly what it takes to sort things out on the spot.
By the Hour or by the Day
You book the time you need, from one hour up to a full 8-hour day, and if you need more, it's €50 per extra hour. The price is fixed in advance.
You Choose the Meeting Point
The port, the airport, the door of your accommodation or the entrance to the first monument. The place and start time are agreed when you book and confirmed in writing.
Just the Guide, No Vehicle
The service is the guiding itself: we get around on foot and by public transport. If you'd like a private vehicle with a driver, it's quoted separately.
Built Around What You Want to See
Tell me what interests you and where you'd like to start, and we'll plan the route around the hours you've booked. No shopping stops: I don't work on commission.
What the price includes and what it doesn't
So you know exactly what you're paying for and what's paid separately.
Included
- My hours as a licensed guide, as many as you book.
- My own entrance ticket to museums and monuments.
- A route prepared in advance from what you tell me: what interests you, how much you want to walk and who's travelling with you.
- Explanations of history, art and local life, in English.
- Practical help during the service: how to get around, what's worth booking online and where to eat well nearby.
- Written confirmation of the date, start time, hours booked, meeting point and price, plus the invoice.
Not included
- Your group's entrance tickets to museums, monuments and other paid sites.
- Hours beyond 8: €50 each.
- Vehicle, driver and transfers. If you need them, they're quoted separately.
- Your group's public transport, ferry or boat tickets.
- Your group's meals, drinks and personal expenses.
- Accommodation, flights and insurance: you've already sorted your trip.
- My travel costs, if I need to come from Istanbul: they're quoted before you book.
The rate covers my hours as a guide, not museum opening hours: if a site is closed on the day, we rearrange the route on the spot.
How to hire a licensed guide by the hour
Three steps, no commitment.
Message me with the date and hours
Tell me the day, what time you'd like to start, how many hours you need, how many of you there are and which city. With that, you'll already know whether it's the €250 or the €350 rate.
I confirm availability in writing
I'll reply within 24 hours. If I'm free that day, I'll confirm in writing the date, start time, hours booked, meeting point and price. The date is secured with the 30% deposit.
We meet at the agreed spot
On the day, I'll be waiting for you where we arranged and we start at the agreed time. The remaining 70% is paid that day, in cash, by bank transfer or by card (+3%).
Is this the service you're looking for?
This service is for travellers who already have their trip sorted and just want a licensed guide for a few hours.
Yes, if…
- You already have your flights and accommodation, and all you're missing is the guide.
- You're arriving on a cruise and have a few hours ashore before heading back to the ship.
- You want a guide for a particular morning or afternoon, not a whole trip.
- You're here for work or a trade fair and have half a day free.
- You need a licensed guide who can come into the museums with you: in Türkiye, only licensed guides may guide inside monuments.
No, if…
- You want me to organise your whole trip, with vehicle, tickets and a route through several cities: that's the private guide throughout Türkiye with transport included.
- You'll be in the city for several days and want the itinerary and transport sorted: see the Istanbul tour guide with a tailor-made itinerary.
- You need several days in a row or a route through several cities: message me and I'll quote the whole thing.
Those two pages don't publish rates because each trip is quoted as a whole.
Need a special service?
Some requests don't fit an hourly rate: a visit focused on a particular topic, coming with you as an interpreter to an appointment, a day at a trade fair or conference, or a route you already have in mind. Tell me what you need, with the date, the hours and the language, and I'll look into it: I'll tell you whether I can do it, how I'd approach it and what it would cost.
FAQ about hiring a guide by the hour
What people ask me most before booking.
How much does it cost to hire a licensed guide by the hour?
There are two rates: €250 for 1 to 2 hours and €350 for 3 to 8 hours. A full day costs the same €350: from the third to the eighth hour the price doesn't change. If the service goes beyond 8 hours, each extra hour costs €50. Entrance tickets to museums and monuments are not included.
When do the hours start counting?
From the start time we agree, even if your group arrives later. So it's worth allowing a little leeway when you set the time.
Are museum entrance tickets included in the price?
No. Your group pays for its own entrance tickets, and the easiest option is to buy them yourselves; if you'd rather I took care of them, we can agree on that when you book. My own ticket as a guide is on me.
Do you come into the museum with me?
Yes. I'm a tour guide licensed by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is the licence required to guide inside the country's museums and monuments: I come in with you and explain the visit right there, not at the entrance. My own ticket is on me.
Does the price include a vehicle?
No. Here you're hiring just me: we get around on foot and by public transport, depending on the route we agree. If you need a private vehicle with a driver, tell me when you get in touch and it will be quoted separately.
How many people does this rate cover?
Tell me how many of you there are when you message me and I'll confirm the price for your group before you book anything. Whether you're a couple or a family, the service is the same: a licensed English-speaking guide at your disposal for the agreed hours.
Where do we meet?
Wherever suits you: the port, the airport, the door of your accommodation or the entrance to the first monument. The meeting point, start time and finish time are confirmed in writing before the day of the visit.
What if I need more than 8 hours, or several days in a row?
Each hour beyond 8 costs €50. If you need several days in a row or a route through several cities, message me and I'll quote the whole thing before the date.
Do you only work in Istanbul, or in the rest of Türkiye too?
I work in Istanbul and throughout Türkiye, at the same rates in any city. If I need to travel from Istanbul, tell me the city, the date and the hours: my travel costs are quoted before you book and never added afterwards.
How do I book and pay?
Message me on WhatsApp at +90 552 533 53 35 or fill in the form, and I'll reply within 24 hours. The date is secured with a 30% deposit, by bank transfer or by card (+3%). The remaining 70% is paid on the day of the service, in cash, by bank transfer or by card (+3%). I issue an invoice.
Can I cancel?
Yes, free of charge up to 30 days before the service. If you cancel less than 30 days before, the same cancellation policy as for trips applies; you'll find it on this website.
Can I hire you for something other than sightseeing?
Yes. Tell me about it in the special service form: a visit focused on a particular topic, coming with you as an interpreter to an appointment, a day at a trade fair or conference, or a route you already have in mind. Tell me what you need, the day, the hours and the city, and I'll let you know whether I can do it and on what terms.
More questions about travelling to Türkiye? See the travel FAQ.