Topkapi palace is an essential on any visitors agenda and I was really glad I’d booked a guided tour given the ground to cover and the centuries of history to hear about. Emre our guide was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain what would happen on the tour and give an excellent overview of the palace history. He covered the purpose of each building in the palace and had a good sense of humour as well as being sensitive to the individual quirks of the group! It would be very easy to spend an entire day at the palace, absorbing the history, the artefacts, the gardens and stunning views from the terraces but I would definitely recommend a tour from someone who knows what they’re talking about as it makes he experience so much more beneficial and enjoyable.

The group was quite big and sometimes it was difficult to hear everything. The guide was engaging but did keep answering phone calls in the first part of the tour and at the end asked for money ‘to help him rescue cats and as a tip for the tour’. Very uncomfortable because this your was pretty good expensive anyway, other guide certainly didn’t seem to expect a tip but this guy blatantly asked for money! There wasn’t a line to skip. Although I haven’t tried it, I would probably recommend the free audio guide instead- this wasn’t well advertised but many people seemed to take it. The relics had a 20minute queue after the tour- these weren’t well organised, and to me at least, not worth queuing for. It was a few swords and cups from prophets with no real meaning unless it’s a topic you know well I wouldn’t bother.

Dan was very knowledgeable and courteous He made the tour enjoyable and fun We learned a lot about the history The first stop shopping before the tour in Bethlehem was too expensive and unnecessary and the lunch buffet restaurant was to expensive and not enticing