Istanbul is my favorite city in the world — let me show you why.

Hi! I'm Ayfer. Istanbul has been my home since 2009. For eight of those years, I worked as a luxury travel advisor for Türkiye, designing high-end journeys before I returned to full-time guiding in 2018. That background means I think about the entire trip — the pacing, transitions, and the moments between the monuments — not just the sights.

My tours weave together the history, culture, food, and lifestyle of Istanbul so you feel the local rhythm rather than just checking landmarks off a list. I guide through grand imperial monuments as well as quiet side streets where nothing is signposted and everything is interesting. My approach is rooted in misafirperverlik — the Turkish art of treating every guest like a friend of the house.

Beyond the guidebook, I am a yogi, a Vedic astrologer, and a Feng Shui consultant. I love art, architecture, traveling, and exploring different cultures and teachings. When I am not in Istanbul, you will find me along the Turkish Riviera — in small coastal towns, at retreats hidden in the country's beautiful nature, soaking up the Aegean light and mountain silence.

I also help with the details that make a trip flow: restaurant reservations, traditional experiences such as Turkish baths (hamams) or whirling dervish performances, Bosphorus cruises, craft workshops (jewelry, ceramics, cooking, etc.), shopping tips, and those small translations and introductions that turn a visit into a lasting relationship with the city.