ILKER (guide) arrived in good time to pick me up, and then we walked quite a way to the transportation. I was the only one on this tour, which meant that I had a private tour and it was great. Ilker was generous with his time and his knowledge. He was enthusiastic and kind, and he went to extra efforts to show me other things, e.g. one of the mosques that was under restoration but we gained entry (legitimately); he succeeded in getting us to see Ataturk's room at the Pera Palace Hotel by asking Siva at the hotel to show us around. We had hoped to be able to see Agatha Christie's room(411) but it was occupied. Still, Ilker did try to get me to have this experience. The tour was informative, and it was clear that Ilker loved what he did, all of which he shared. We also went into the Orient Express museum at the station that housed countless treasures from the period. Anyone who has read Murder on the Orient Express or any other Agatha Christie books should not miss this tour.