Three Lines of Service. One Licensed Expert.
Tours. Citizenship. Real Estate. Whether you're visiting Istanbul for 8 hours or investing for 8 years, you talk to the same person — Akın Güzel, licensed tour guide and travel consultant with 17 years of experience.
Licensed
Professional Tour Guide License (Kokart) issued by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Erciyes University, Faculty of Tourism graduate.
Independent
You talk directly to me — not a call center, not a chatbot, not a junior agent. Every conversation, every plan, every tour: directly with Akın.
Multi-Lingual
Fluent in English and Turkish. Conversational Russian. Basic Arabic. 17 years of communicating with international visitors from 30+ countries.
Experienced
1,000+ international clients served since 2008. Viaturkey founded 2016. Specialized in US, GCC, and Russian markets.
By Akın GüzelLicensed Tour Guide & Travel ConsultantPublished June 2026Updated June 2026What I Do for International Visitors
Viaturkey exists because international visitors to Turkey deserve three things: an honest guide, a clear plan, and one person who actually picks up the phone.
I'm Akın Güzel — a licensed tour guide based in Istanbul. Over 17 years, I've helped more than 1,000 international travelers and investors navigate Turkey, from Istanbul layover tours to multi-year citizenship processes.
What I offer isn't packaged. It's customized. Whether you need a walking tour of Sultanahmet between two flights, or you're planning to relocate, invest in property, and apply for Turkish citizenship — the conversation starts the same way: a direct message to me.
My services are organized into three categories: short-term travel experiences (tours, transfers, itineraries), medium-term planning (custom trips, translation, support), and long-term advisory (citizenship, real estate, residence permits).
For tours requiring full agency licensing, I work with TÜRSAB-licensed partner agencies. For consulting and advisory services, you work directly with me.
Travel & Tours
Private Istanbul Tours
Customized walking tours of Istanbul's historic districts with a licensed guide. Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet, Galata, and beyond.
Learn moreOld City Walking Tour
Half-day or full-day expert-led exploration of Sultanahmet — Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar.
Learn moreLayover Tours
8-hour standard private tour for transit travelers at IST Airport. From €270 for two people.
Learn moreInvestment & Long-Term Services
Turkish Citizenship Advisory
Citizenship by Investment guidance: process, documents, timeline, property selection. End-to-end advisory.
Learn moreReal Estate Consulting
Investment property guidance in Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya. From sourcing to closing, with bilingual contract review.
Learn moreResidence Permit Support
Contact for detailsLong-term Turkey residency: documentation, application, renewal. Practical guidance for foreigners settling in Turkey.
Learn moreTrip Planning & Logistics
Custom Itineraries
Contact for detailsMulti-day Istanbul or Turkey trip planning. You tell me your interests; I build the plan.
Learn moreAirport Transfers
Contact for detailsPrivate vehicle transfers from IST and SAW airports with English-speaking driver.
Learn moreTranslation & Local Support
Contact for detailsDocument translation, government office accompaniment, business meeting interpretation. Turkish/English/Russian.
Learn moreSpecialty Experiences
Bosphorus Cruises
Private or shared Bosphorus tours by boat. Sunset cruises, dinner cruises, full-day Asian side combinations.
Learn moreFood & Culture Tours
Halal-friendly food tours, market visits, cooking experiences, meyhane evenings with local families.
Learn moreLayover Quick Tours
6-hour express tour for tight layovers (under 8 hours). From €180 solo.
Learn moreSee What Our Guests Are Saying About Us
5.0/5 on TripAdvisor — 26 Verified Reviews
2026 Tours in Istanbul
“Akın made visiting all the main attractions hassle free and easy to enjoy. We walked at a gentle pace with lots of information shared and a lovely Turkish lunch.”
Verified TripAdvisor Review
“Relaxed, knowledgeable, personable and flexible. His relaxed demeanor in a chaotic city is a breath of fresh air — and no hard sells!”
Verified TripAdvisor Review
“He put together a custom program based on my needs. Feels as much like a friend as a guide. My second time touring with him.”
Verified TripAdvisor Review
“You felt as if you were hanging out with a longtime friend. He took us to the finest shopping and great restaurants.”
Verified TripAdvisor Review
“Akın was a great guide. Knowledgeable and manages the needs of his clients. Could not have been happier with our day in Istanbul!”
Verified TripAdvisor Review“Speaks English perfectly, very knowledgeable about every historical attraction. Always on time and a great guy to be around.”
Verified TripAdvisor Review“Akın has been our family guide. Extremely caring and a thorough professional. He is a brother now!”
Verified TripAdvisor ReviewCommon Questions
How do I get started?
Send me a WhatsApp message with what you need — a tour date, a citizenship question, a property inquiry, anything. I respond within 2 hours during business hours. There is no form to fill out, no ticket system, no chatbot. You message me, I reply. From there we figure out timing, pricing, and logistics together. Most clients go from first message to confirmed plan within 24 hours.
Do you charge for consultations?
Initial consultations are free — whether it is a 10-minute WhatsApp chat about your layover options or a 30-minute call about citizenship timelines. I only charge when we move to actual service delivery (a confirmed tour, a property viewing trip, a citizenship filing). I would rather spend 15 minutes helping you figure out if Turkey is right for you than push a service you do not need.
What payment methods do you accept?
For tours: a small deposit via bank transfer or online payment to confirm, with the balance paid in cash (euros, dollars, or Turkish lira) on the day. For consulting and advisory services: bank transfer or Western Union. I do not currently accept credit cards directly, but I can arrange card payment through partner agencies for tour bookings if needed.
Are tours licensed and insured?
I hold a Professional Tour Guide License (Kokart) issued by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. All tour bookings are facilitated through TÜRSAB-licensed partner agencies, which means full financial guarantees and professional liability insurance. This is not a freelance operation — it is a properly licensed, regulated service with legal consumer protections.
What languages can you serve in?
I am fluent in English and Turkish — these are my primary working languages for all services. I speak conversational Russian (enough for tours and basic consulting discussions) and basic Arabic (greetings, directions, simple conversations). For complex legal or financial discussions in Russian or Arabic, I can arrange a professional interpreter.
Let's Plan Your Turkey Experience
Whether it's one of our Istanbul layover tours tomorrow or next year's citizenship application — I'm a WhatsApp message away.