Walking Tour of Ankara’s Historic Center

We can feel the passion of Hakan for his job and for Turkey. He was very attentify, kind and show so much knowledge about history and culture. We had a inexpected good time. I am sure we liked Ankara more because Hakan’s tour and his company.

Hakin was the ultimate professional and so kind. Extremely knowledgeable on the history of Ankara and of Turkey. He is a great story teller for sure. After the tour, on the phone, he graciously helped me resolve a flight booking problem with the airline. A class act.

Incredible tour of historic Ankara with an excellent guide. Hakan is an extremely professional, knowledgeable and kind person and we felt so lucky to have him give us a tour of Ankara castle, surrounding area including a beautiful mosque and one of the best museums we have ever visited. We felt as if we met Hakan as curious travelers but left feeling we had made a new friend. He took so much time to answer our questions and share insights into Ankara and Turkey and his passion for sharing this was so evident. During our time in the Museum of Civilizations. Hakan explained the timeline of different historical periods then pointed out artifacts from each era and explained their significance. The museum building and the well preserved artifacts are a must see in Ankara. We had time to stop for Turkish coffee. Watching it being made and enjoying it was a memory we will always keep. There was so much more we experienced during this tour and I can highly recommend touring with Hakan who went well above our expectations.

Hakan is a very pleasant gentleman, fluent in both English and Deutsch. We were fortunate to have a private tour with him. We recognized from our planning that Ankara has far fewer tourist attractions and sites than Istanbul which we've visited a couple of times, so we had a proper mindset and expectations. Although the major attractions like the Castle, the surrounding district, and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations were interesting and much more enjoyable with a guide, the highlight for us was the Haci Bayram Mosque. We were there mid-day on a Friday afternoon which is the most popular day and time for prayers. The antiquity of this mosque sharing a wall marked by the Galatians, Hittites and Romans was quite something to see. We wanted to stay and experience as much as we could, so we stopped for lunch at an authentic doner restaurant highly recommended by Hakan and nearest the entrance to the mosque. To be honest, we probably would have walked by this place thinking it too touristic but it was superb! We ate outside and were able to witness the energy and many people gathered for prayer. We were also able to hear the Imam and Hakan graciously interpreted some of the sermon and prayers for us. This was a highlight as we respect all religions and it's a rare opportunity to be so close to such an ancient ritual. The mosque itself was amazing and we were able to walk inside before the prayers --- even me as a woman! A kind old man gave me a scarf to cover my head as I was wearing pants and long sleeves. When we left, I tried to return it but he insisted I keep it. (Note: if you are to visit a mosque as a woman, bring a head scarf and cover your body appropriately...respectfully.) After lunch, our tour was officially over but we opted to walk rather than take a cab downtown and as it turns out, Hakan was headed in the same direction. Our tour continued! He explained the various buildings, their current function and history, we stopped at the postal stamp museum where my husband scored buying stamps. It was free and actually very interesting. While Ankara is a modern secular city, there is so much rich history in all of Turkey. Hakan surely helped us understand and learn much more. Also, Hakan being fluent in both English and German (and of course Turkish!) was able to explain to my husband in Deutsch (his first language) when he stumbled in English. We had such a lovely day with Hakan. He is knowledgeable, kind, and very accommodating. I can't recall a single question we asked that he couldn't answer. We highly recommend a tour with Hakan here in Ankara and he also conducts tours in Cappadocia so we look forward to seeing him again!

Very good person and guide