Private Guided Istanbul Tour: Discover Istanbul's Highlights in 1, 2, or 3 Days
5.0
5,359 Ratings
Istanbul
Experience the best of Istanbul with a private guided tour. Explore the city's top attractions in 1, 2, or 3 days, with a flexible itinerary tailored to your preferences.
Duration: 21 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Sultanahmet District - Sultanahmet District
  • Hippodrome - Hippodrome Square / Atmeydanı
    Hippodrome; where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire time and today German Fountain is the main cornerstone of the square of Ottoman Empire.
  • German Fountain - Germa Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi
  • Sultanahmet Square - Sultanahmet Square
  • Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia Museum / Ayasofya / Santa Sofia
    Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconoclastic, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque then a museum and now it’s a mosque for the second time. The most important stop of an Istanbul tour is operated in Old City Istanbul / Constantinople.

*Please note that as it’s not a museum anymore, tour guides don’t have skip-the-line priority there. You may need to wait in the security line, in order to avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.

  • Topkapi Palace - Topkapi Palace Museum / Topkapı Sarayı
    More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles the power of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Basilica Cistern - Have to skip one of the mosques to save time to visit the interior of The Basilica Cistern.

A former water storage chamber and one of Istanbul’s greatest surviving Byzantine sites.

  • Grand Bazaar - Grand Bazaar / Kapalı Çarşı
    One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops with colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold.
  • Bosphorus Strait - Bosphorus Cruise by Public Ferry or Private Cruise ( if option is chosen)
    Take the public ferry for Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the Rumeli Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridges, mosques. Your best Istanbul tour memories will definitely include the Bosphorus.
  • Dolmabahce Palace - Dolmabahce Palace / Dolmabahçe Sarayı
    Elegance and beauty with the most luxury decoration, chandeliers, rugs, crystals, ceramic fireplaces. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with gorgeous furnishings, paintings, porcelains made in particular to Dolmabahce.
  • Taksim Square - Taksim Square / Taksim Meydanı
    A great place defining modern Turkey which witnessed important historical moments. Close to Istiklal Street (Istiklal Caddesi) and Galata Tower along with embassies of European countries in Taxim. Cicek Passage has very good food joints, cafes, shops, bars, night clubs around Taksim.
  • Blue Mosque - Blue Mosque / Sultanahmet Camii
    Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire, the Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.
  • Istiklal Caddesi - Istiklal Street is the modern and colorful face of Turkey with churches, modern art galeries, embassies, pubs, cafes and shops selling different kind of products.
  • Galata Tower - We will see the tower FROM OUTSIDE, due to the regulations unfortunately tour guides don’t have skip the line priority here so it takes long time to wait queue. Your tour guide will make you explanation about tower.
  • Misir Carsisi (Spice Market) - Spice Market / Mısır Çarşısı
    Egyptian Bazaar is a colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a variety of spices, purses, flavored teas, Turkish delight, nuts, as well as ceramics, and small souvenirs. Spice Bazaar is located in Eminonu Square which is the connection point of Bosphorus and Golden Horn.
  • Cicek Pasaji - Cicek Passage / Flower Passage
    Originally named as Cite de Pera, a combined structure of traditional and modern construction methods and architectural style by Ottoman Empire is reflected and today we see the small shops and cafes here.
  • Suleymaniye Mosque - Suleymaniye Mosque / Süleymaniye Camii is the largest mosque in Istanbul and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. In the garden behind the mosque, the Suleymaniye terrace offers lovely views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.
  • Balat - Fener-Balat Neighborhood backstreet walk
    Continue exploring Istanbul’s rich religious history with a stop at the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, the church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion.
    Balat District; lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Century-old Ottoman houses lean against each other in a combination of reds, blues, and greens. And art galleries and design shops dot the area along the water.
  • Fener Rum Patrikhanesi - Orthodox Patriarch
  • Historic Areas of Istanbul - Historic Areas of Istanbul
  • Pierre Loti Tepesi - Pierre Loti Hill and Cable Car are some of the most popular sights to visit since it offers great views for visitors. Take the cable car to reach the top and enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your Turkish coffee or tea.
  • Rahmi M. Koc Museum - Rahmi Koc Museum is on the northern part of Golden Horn, here we visit industrial and cultural museum built by famous family of Koc who were the leading power of Turkish Republic in industrial field since early period of 20th century.
  • Halic - Golden Horn region which is one of the oldest settlements of the city of Constantinople.
  • Bulgarian Orthodox Church - St. Stephen Church; Located on the shore of the Golden Horn, the church is also known as the Iron Church due to the fact that it’s made entirely of prefabricated cast iron in 19th century.
What's Included
  • Professional local guide
  • Private tour
  • Central hotel meet-up
What's Not Included
  • Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites (unless option selected)
  • Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets
  • Lunch
  • Gratitude (suggested)
Additional Information

Experience the best of Istanbul on a personalized tour stretching over 1, 2, or 3 days, tailored to your preference.

Day 1 - Explore the Topkapi Palace Museum, the Byzantine Hippodrome/ Sultanahmet Square, witness the brilliant Blue Mosque, marvel at the Hagia Sophia, and shop at the Grand Bazaar.

Day 2 - Set sail on the Bosphorus Cruise via Public Ferry, stroll through the Dolmabahce Palace, visit Taksim Square, walk down Istiklal Street, explore Cicek Passage & the exterior of Galata Tower, and spice up your trip at the Spice Market.

Day 3 - Visit the magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque, tour the Fener and Balat Districts, admire the St. Stephen Church (Iron Church), relish the view from Pierre Lotti Panoramic Hill by Cable Car, and absorb some culture at the Rahmi Koc Museum (or alternative sites)

Important Information:

  • Expedited entry is not applicable for active mosques - there’s an entry line.

  • If a mosque is not part of the tour, the Basilica Cistern will be visited as a substitute.

  • Kindly be informed, that for tours commencing after 11 am, it may be necessary to skip one or more attractions as they close at 7 pm. Your guide will adjust the tour based on your preferences.

  • Skip the line service is not available for active mosques - there is a queue for the entrance.
  • If one of the mosques is not visited, Basilica Cistern will be visited as a replacement.
  • On Fridays, Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque will be visited from outside because of the worship.
  • Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to museum regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
  • Tour guides don’t have skip-the-line priority in Hagia Sophia. You may need to wait in the security line, in order to avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.
  • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays can be replaced with Spice Market.
  • Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives.
  • For the tours that start later than 11 am, kindly note that you may have to skip one/a couple of sites as the sites are closed by 7 pm. Your guide will adjust the program according to your priorities.
Location
Sultanahmet District
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(5359 Ratings)
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U4779oycatherinec
Jun 17, 2024
For the perfect way to see Istanbul – Numan is your man! - Just back from a wonderful from a long weekend in Istanbul. What made our first experience of the city perfect is Numan. Cumhur Numan Tasdogan was our private guide for 2 days. He is extremely knowledgeable about the city and Turkish/World history. I took my 82 year old Aunt with me, who is quite fit, but with the heat and some steep walking, she was tired on the first day. So Numan, rearranged our second day touring, to suit our needs and desired. He was so kind and generous with us, he went above and beyond to take care of us – even texting us to check we were OK in the evening when we had booked an evening excursion. It felt like we were exploring the city with a friend. When he knew what things we wanted to buy along the way, he brought us only to the best cafes, restaurants and shops and introduced us to his friends, who rolled out the red carpet for us. We had an amazing 2 days with Numan, he is a perfect guide and gentleman, with a great sense of humour. If you want to explore Istanbul properly, but experience the best Turkish warmth and hospitality – Numan is the guy you want with you. We only saw a small bit of the city, but I hope to return to see more and will ensure Numan is my guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mohammed_a
Jun 17, 2024
great experience - great, wonderful experience, i can suggest for any new tourist. they have a very good guide who listens well and understands tourist.
Review provided by Viator
Franktree
Jun 17, 2024
A relaxing city tour - It’s well arranged and paced city tour. Our tour guide Abdullah was kind and very helpful. We are glad we chose this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mmerkel07
Jun 16, 2024
Great 2 day tour experience in Istanbul - Merve was excellent. I would without a doubt recommend her to my friends and family. Intensely knowledgeable, we were amazed how much she knows and her passion about history, as well a good story teller. She showed us the local spots, she even helped us negotiate in the Grand Bazaar :). We really learned so much about Istanbul in such a short time. Would definitely recommend to anyone coming for the first time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_s
Jun 15, 2024
Very worth the money - Loved the added historical context in areas where there were no plaques to read (which is many!!). He helped us skip the lines in some places. He also had great food recommendations and gave us advice for the rest of our trip. If you have an audio guide, it might give you the same history, but a live guide will give you the local experience for Istanbul's biggest (and perhaps most controversial) events.
Review provided by Viator
Michael_e
Jun 15, 2024
Kerim Kuvetli was a great guide - very knowledgeable and helpful - I took the three-day tour of Istanbul with Kerim Kuvetli. We visited practically all of the major sites, but what made the tour memorable was the fact Kerim was very knowledgeable about the history of both the city and the sites we visited including dates, the people, and the significance of both. When we went to the Grand Bazaar - which is immense - he took us to shops offering quality items. The one bit of advice I would offer, however, is that you ask to see two or three shops offering similar items as the prices can differ significantly from shop to shop. Kerim also took me to a number of restaurants where I was able to experience local Turkish cuisine (n.b., the expectation is the guest, and not Kermin, pays for the meals). He also recommended I go to the Cagaloglu Hamami Turkish Bath after our tour was over. Kerim made the reservation and the bath and massage were truly something to experience. The tour does involve a lot of walking, but Kerim was happy to tailor the tour to my abilities. If you want an in depth tour of Istanbul, you can't go wrong with Kerim.
Review provided by Viator
Shauna_h
Jun 15, 2024
Incredible Istanbul Experience - We were traveling with 7 adults (family) and a baby. Our guide was Mustafa. He was fabulous! He was very knowledgeable about the history of Turkey and of the buildings and landmarks. He was very aware of our group and in tune with our expectations, striking a great balance of information without it being information overload. We asked him many questions over the two days about all aspects such as history, ceremonial events, religious events, customs, local foods, shopping, etc. He was very flexible and wanted to ensure that the tour met our needs and expectations. We wanted to eat where locals eat and we asked him to join us. There we could ask more questions and learn about every day life. Mustafa was so attentive to us. He was quick to help us navigate anything from ordering food, shopping and negotiating prices, to finding restrooms or a place to feed the baby. We had a fabulous time in Istanbul with Mustafa as our guide. He was so professional but so personable, helpful, friendly and attentive. I would refer Mustafa to all my friends and would gladly request his guidance on another trip to Istanbul.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_b
Jun 19, 2024
Istanbul Experience - Loved the Blue Mosque and the Cistern. The Cistern is a great place to go in the heat as it is cool in there. It requires a lot of walking but well worth it. Our transportation to and from the cruise ship was on the metro train. Very crowded and not particularly pleasant. The tour guide seemed to be disconnected and not involved with the tour at all. No suggestions on places to go. Took us to an expensive place for lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Amrinder
Jun 19, 2024
Nucan tour guide - Nurcan has been an excellent guide. Her 12 yrs of experience clearly shows in her role as an Istanbul guide. The tour operator at the time of booking did not inform about spice bazaar being closed. Had to separately visit the place.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_s
Jun 15, 2024
Interesting tour. A bit pricey for delivered value. - A city rich in history, bustling w/ energy, diverse cultures. Worth visiting. Interesting tour. A bit pricey for delivered value.
Review provided by Viator
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