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Private İstanbul Tour with Official Guide
5.0
17 Ratings
Fatih
I am an officially licensed tour guide by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, with over ten years of experience.
Born and raised in Istanbul, I still reside here and am eager to share my extensive knowledge of the city with you. With me, you’ll enjoy priority access to museums, bypassing the queues.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Firstly, the place we are going to visit is over 1500 years old and not easy to explore on your own. It’s always busy and crowded. You will skip all museum queues because, with your official licensed guide, you will always have priority access. You will be informed about this historical building by a guide with 10 years of experience.
- Blue Mosque - This stunning building was constructed between 1609-1616 by an Ottoman sultan. We will mainly see the famous tiles on the walls, discuss its magnificent history, and observe how people pray inside.
- Topkapi Palace - Topkapı Palace is a large museum and library located in the eastern part of the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. From the 1460s until the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, it served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and was the main residence of its sultans. Here, we will primarily explore the luxurious Ottoman lifestyle and the historical building.
- Basilica Cistern - The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Located 150 meters (490 ft) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, it was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. Today, it contains little water and is open to the public.
- Hippodrome - The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that served as the sporting and social center of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today, it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square.
- Sultanahmet Square - Sultanahmet Square is a historic square located in the Binbirdirek neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. During the Byzantine Empire, it was called the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and during the Ottoman Empire, it was known as Atmeydanı. The Roman Circus was located in this area, which is one of the city’s most important squares, and the Grand Palace was situated where the Blue Mosque stands today.
- Grand Bazaar - The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, featuring 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops across a total area of 30,700 m2. It attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was ranked No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is often considered one of the world’s first shopping malls.
What's Included
- Skip all museum queue
- Guidance
- Fast track
What's Not Included
- basilica cistern admission fee (25 Euro)
- Private transportation
- topkapı palace (49 Euro)
- Hagia Sophia Entry (€25euro)
Location
The Blue Mosque
At Meydanı Caddesi
IN FROMT OF HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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1 star
Trail25247585826
Aug 28, 2024
Excellent guide - Tanju gives a very thorough background stories of Hagia Sophia. Explaining all the various mozaics and construction details.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amanda_b
Aug 23, 2024
INCREDIBLE! BOOK THIS TOUR IF YOU WANT THE BEST OF THE BEST! - Istanbul was on our "bucket list" but it was our tour guide, Tanju, that helped to make our time there a memory to truly cherish. Istanbul really is a magical city but without Tanju's expertise, wisdom and wit, we wouldn't have truly been able to experience the best of what Istanbul had to offer. Even before our trip, Tanju was kind enough to actively exchange with us on the details and was ready and waiting for us when we arrived for our tour. We saw several of the major landmarks (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, etc) and in his capable hands, somehow managed to avert the lines - I am not overstating the fact that you will be made to feel like a VIP with how swiftly he navigates you through the crowd. He truly went above and beyond for us. Lastly but perhaps most importantly, being in his company is a pleasure - you rather feel like you are with a dear friend (who knows all about the history of Istanbul!) for an afternoon in the city versus an anonymous tourist. My husband and I can't rave enough about the experience so you can stop looking at other options ;-) and book this tour knowing you have found the best of the best. Thank you, Tanju, for making our time in Istanbul amazing.
Review provided by Viator
Trek81236
Aug 18, 2024
Amazing experience! A must do! - How beautiful is Turkey!! I enjoyed the short 2 day visit SO MUCH that I can’t wait to return to see and learn more! Had the most amazing tour guide! Tanju was extremely knowledgeable in the richness of history and culture. We had a full day of exploring Turkey by walking and subway, and taking in the beautiful views! All by way of first class treatment! No waiting in a line/queue to see all the amazing places. Tanju had wonderful suggestions on places to eat and other things to do. Next visit I will definitely try a Turkish bath!
Overall, best experience EVER! Definitely book a tour (ask for Tanju if you can) and GO VISIT TURKEY!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andy78sk
Jul 11, 2024
Great experience in the old town of Istanbul! - We had a great tour in the old town visiting some of the must see places such as Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Top Kapi palace and more. Tanju is a great guide, knowledgeable and very friendly. He knows the place inside out, saved us lots of time so we started tour in the right time, skipped the queues and could enjoy this wonderful places in our pace and without rush. Also he provided us with other valuable tips, showing us a great non touristy place to eat and other tips and tricks. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jefferick
May 11, 2024
Competent and professional - Competent and professional, we had a wonderful day with Khadir, he organised everything for us. He was very patient since we had in group someone with Wheelchair. It was worth every penny
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mchombo
Apr 28, 2024
Private tour with Tanju in Istanbul - Istanbul is a beautiful city but with a private guide like Tanju I was able to discover more about its culture and the secrets that this city hides, it was truly a great experience, totally recommended. Thanks to our guide Tanju
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Silvenar2024
Apr 23, 2024
The best kept Istanbul secrets - Amazing knowledge, passion and dedication to all things Istanbul! Tanju is best kept Istanbul secrets holder. I can’t recommend him enough! Was alone, felt very welcomed and looked after very well, next time I will be with my family
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tour59873936172
Mar 26, 2024
Impressive and awesome experience - The views in Istanbul is amazing. Although we had limited time, we saw the diversified faces of Istanbul, including old and modern parts of the city. Thanks for our tour guide-Tanju. He led us to know the city by walk, train, taxi and ferry. Most important, he is familiar with the history of Istanbul and always have way to make everything smoothly. We are very happy to have this travel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trail50216492758
Mar 2, 2024
Best Istanbul guided tour ( complete) - Tanju was very professional, the tour was complete and very interesting, he also managed our Hotel/Airport transfert
He is very patient and available on WhatsApp to make sure everything is ok
I Recommend 100% !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
498theos
Feb 2, 2024
So memorable - Tanjur will anticipate you needs intuitively. He is very knowledgeable, pleasant, has a great sense of humor. His English is impeccable too
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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