Meet Your Private Istanbul Tour Guides and Turkey Travel Team
Private Istanbul Walking Tours
Operated by Off The Beaten Path Travel Agency | TURSAB License No. A12755
We are a boutique, women-owned, and owner-led travel agency based in Istanbul. Since 2016, our team has helped international guests from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and beyond discover Istanbul and Turkey in a more thoughtful, private, and well-planned way.
We specialize in private guided tours, custom-made Istanbul experiences, and tailor-made Turkey itineraries for travelers who value comfort, trust, quality, and personal attention.
For Travelers Who Want More Than a Standard Tour
We are not a mass-market tour platform, and we do not offer inexpensive group tours. If your main priority is finding the lowest-priced shared tour, platforms such as Viator, GetYourGuide, or Expedia may be a better fit. Our focus is different.
Our work is designed for guests who expect a higher standard of private travel. Every experience is shaped around your pace, interests, hotel location, arrival details, comfort level, and travel style.
When you travel with us, you can expect:
Licensed Private Guides
Professional local knowledge with a personal, thoughtful approach.
A Trusted Local Team
We stay closely involved from your first message to the final day of your trip.
Comfortable Pacing
Itineraries designed to feel smooth, relaxed, and realistic.
Transparent Pricing
Clear costs confirmed before booking, with no hidden costs.
High-End Custom Experiences
Whether you are planning a single private tour or a longer journey across Turkey, we carefully arrange private travel services in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Gallipoli, Pamukkale, and beyond.
Our core services include:
Private Istanbul walking tours and custom city experiences
High-end, tailor-made Turkey itineraries
Private shore excursions, Istanbul Galataport, Kusadasi Ephesus, and layover tours
Food-focused cultural experiences
Private transportation, airport transfers, and hotel coordination
A Local Partner for Travel Advisors
We also work with travel advisors seeking a reliable, Turkey-based local partner for their clients.
We understand that travel advisors need more than a supplier. They need a responsive local team that communicates clearly, protects the guest experience, and pays attention to the details.
Our team can assist with licensed private guides, custom Istanbul experiences, private shore excursions from Istanbul Galataport and Kusadasi, food tours, private transportation, airport transfers, hotel coordination, and tailor-made multi-day Turkey itineraries.
Our role is to support travel advisors by providing carefully planned private travel services across Turkey, delivered with professionalism, discretion, and local expertise.
Transparent, Private, and Carefully Planned
Our tours are exclusively private, and our pricing is clear. There are no hidden shopping stops or commission-driven detours.
Shopping visits can certainly be arranged upon request, but they are never forced.
We invite you to read our real guest reviews on Google to see what travelers say about our licensed Istanbul tour guides, private guided tours, clear communication, and tailor-made Turkey itineraries.
Furkan Gokcel
Senior Travel Advisor and Professional Tour Guide | 20+ Years
Furkan is one of the key experts behind our private tours and tailor-made Turkey itineraries.
With more than 20 years of experience guiding in English and designing custom travel experiences, he knows how to create a day that feels smooth, well-paced, and genuinely personal. His strength is understanding what each guest actually wants, then turning that into a private experience that feels carefully planned without feeling over-managed.
Furkan is also the creative eye behind our brand. Many of the photos on our website and social media are taken by him, which makes sense because he rarely visits a place without noticing the light, the angle, and where the good food is hiding.
When he is not guiding, he is usually traveling, exploring new places, discovering quality restaurants, or planning the next detail most people would probably miss.
Quick Facts:
20+ years of guiding and itinerary planning experience
Traveled across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa
Loves photography, quality food, and a good Turkish tea break
Favorite cities: Istanbul, Siem Reap, Washington DC, and Saint Petersburg
Favorite authors: Dan Brown and George Orwell
Non-smoker
Derya Artan
Licensed Tour Guide, Bazaar Expert, and Shopping Specialist | 15+ Years
Derya brings warmth, energy, and confidence to every private tour.
With more than 15 years of guiding experience, she is especially loved by guests who want a relaxed, thoughtful, and easy-going day with someone who knows Istanbul deeply. She is excellent at helping travelers explore markets, bazaars, and local shopping areas in a clear and pressure-free way.
Derya’s style is personal, curious, and full of good timing. She knows when to explain, when to slow down, when to give space, and when a proper tea break is clearly the smartest decision of the day.
She also leads female-only tours for travelers who prefer that option. She studied tourism guidance, Greek language, and history, and brings a warm, intelligent, and human perspective to private Istanbul tours.
Quick Facts:
15+ years of guiding experience
Tea lover, very seriously
Great photographer and shopping guide
Interested in astrology and Turkish coffee reading
Rock music fan
Non-smoker
Mestan
Chief Quality Control Officer | Office Cat
Mestan is 7 years old and, frankly, takes her role very seriously.
She is fully convinced she was a dog in a past life because she genuinely enjoys car rides for about 30 minutes, which is impressive for a cat and possibly better than some humans in Istanbul traffic.
In the office, Mestan is our unofficial detail inspector. She keeps a close eye on itinerary planning, website updates, emails, and any important task that clearly requires feline supervision. If you are working on something important, she will stand next to you until it is done properly.
She does not guide tours, answer emails, or prepare itineraries. She simply supervises the people who do. Naturally, she considers this the more senior position.
Bahadir Can
Travel Advisor and Tour Guide | 5+ Years
Can brings a rare mix of care, structure, and calm organization to private travel planning.
With a background in Physical Therapy and tourism guidance, he understands that a great private tour is not only about what you see. It is also about pacing, comfort, timing, and making sure the day feels easy for the guest.
Over the past five years, Can has become especially experienced in creating premium private itineraries for travelers who want flexibility, clear planning, and a more personal way to explore Istanbul and Turkey.
He helps guests with private Istanbul tours, custom private tours in Istanbul, tailor-made Turkey itineraries, and multi-day private travel arrangements. He is known for being highly organized, calm under pressure, and focused on the details that make a travel day feel smooth.
He speaks English and Indonesian, loves adventure travel, and enjoys creating private experiences that feel well planned without feeling stiff.
Quick Facts:
Speaks English and Indonesian
Background in Physical Therapy and tourism guidance
Loves tennis, football, and adventure travel
Enjoys quality cuisine and great coffee
Traveled widely across America, Europe, and Asia, including an extended stay in Indonesia
Sevgi Eda
Operations and Guest Support | Remote | 4+ Years
Sevgi Eda is the calm, capable force behind the scenes.
She helps keep the details organized before guests arrive, supporting our operations remotely with strong computer skills, careful communication, and excellent attention to detail. Her work helps make private tours, airport transfers, hotel coordination, and tailor-made Turkey itineraries feel clear and well prepared.
In a private travel agency, guests often notice the guide and the driver first. But the smoothness of the experience usually begins much earlier, with careful planning, organized notes, and the right details being in the right place at the right time. That is where Sevgi brings real value.
She also supports solo female travelers and women-only tour requests, helping guests feel comfortable, informed, and looked after from the planning stage onward.
When she is not working, she loves cooking, enjoys great coffee, and brings a warm, steady energy to our team.
Umit Yasar
Senior Driver and Transportation Coordinator | 30+ Years
Umit is the trusted professional who helps keep travel days calm, smooth, and on time.
With more than 30 years behind the wheel, he has built a reputation for careful driving, punctual service, and polished presentation. He learned driving from his father and has spent decades perfecting something that sounds simple but matters enormously in private travel: getting guests where they need to be safely, comfortably, and without unnecessary stress.
As our main driver and transportation coordinator, Umit helps manage private transportation, airport transfers, pickups, drop-offs, and travel days in Istanbul and across Turkey.
He is known for his formal style, calm presence, and steady attention to guests. He is married, a proud grandfather, and always happy to share friendly conversation when guests feel like talking.
Signature Strengths:
On-time service
Safe and smooth driving
Polished, professional presentation
Calm and reliable private transportation