Istanbul

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ISTANBUL BEST : Iconic Landmarks FullDay Private Guided City Tour

Badge of ExcellenceIstanbul, Turkey

PRIVATE TOUR Historical and Cultural Highlights of Old City ISTANBUL

From $180.00

per group (up to 15)

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

6 to 8 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Enjoy the undivided attention of a personal guide and see the best of Istanbul’s Old Town on a private sightseeing tour. Set at a leisurely pace, you'll enjoy unhurried visits to the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Blue Mosque. With your guide on hand at all times, there’s no chance of getting lost in the Grand Bazaar. Pause the tour at any point to ask questions or adjust the itinerary.

Enjoy the exclusivity of a private tour in Istanbul
Get a comprehensive overview of the Old Town
Customize the itinerary to suit your personal interests
Gain an in-depth understanding of the city's history

What's Included

Professional Private Guide
Private Tour
Fast Track Ticket Avaliable
We will skip the line to buy the tickets for Topkapi palace and Basilica Cistern
Guide will meet you at central Istanbul Hotels, Airbnb Locations or ISTANBUL CRUISE PORT GALATAPORT
Unique time to discover Turkish Handicrafts Traditional Shopping Opportunities at BILGINS

Lunch
Full Day Vehicle or Transfer (Depends on option selected)
Museum/Attraction Tickets
Gratuities (suggested)
Entry/Admission - Topkapi Palace - 1500 TL per Person
Entry/Admission - Basilica Cistern - 600 TL per Person
Entry/Admission - Hagia Sophia - 25 Euro Per Person

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Serpent Column
Binbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd No:53, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Guide will meet you at serpent column. Sultanahmet area. Fatih

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Tour guide will meet you at Istanbul Hotels, Airbnb Locations or ISTANBUL CRUISE PORT (GALATAPORT- Sali Pazari). there are 3 options: 1) Guided tour 2) Guided tour with Transfers ( pick up and Drop off included) 3) Guided tour with Full Day Vehicle. ( Full day vehicle, Airport Transfer and tour, Customizable tour, Pick up and Drop off included) We COLLECT the all tourist from their places. If location is not centrally located, please contact the operator. ıf you want to meet with Guide in a location. meeting point is the front of Serpent column (Yılanli sutun).

What To Expect

Hagia Sophia Mosque

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Blue Mosque

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hippodrome

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Topkapi Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Basilica Cistern

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Sultanahmet District

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Grand Bazaar

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Bilgins Leather & Fur Cağaloğlu (Pass By)

Sultanahmet District (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate

Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives.
Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays can be replaced with Spice Market.
Ladies should bring scarf to cover heads
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

401 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 401 reviews

Viator walking tour

Varghese_C, May 2024

Had the most amazing walking tour yesterday. Opted for this as we were staying at a hotel that was very central. Our English speaking guide was very knowledgeable n well versed with the history of Istanbul. It was a very informative, satisfying n a memorable experience. Would recommend this to any of my friends n family. Thank you Viator.

Excellent guide-had a lot...

sue, May 2024

Excellent guide-had a lot of information to share.Very relaxed. Changed route to avoid crowds and made sure we saw the main sights in Istanbul.

Ozzy was the best tour...

Audra_S, May 2024

Ozzy was the best tour guide ever! He was so personable and knowledgeable. Gave us the most memorable experience in Istanbul, full of history and fun. 10 out 10!

Private Custom Tour

Murtuza_J, May 2024

Thank you Mr Volkan for showing us the beauty of Istanbul with such passion and knowledge! Your guidance made our trip to Istanbul unforgettable. Thank you for everything! We appreciate your expertise and enthusiasm in navigating us through the streets of Istanbul. Thank you! Your insights and recommendations truly enhanced our experience in Istanbul. Thank you for being an amazing guide! Exploring Istanbul with you was a delight. Thank you for your patience and kindness throughout the tour!

Private tour is the way to go to see Istanbul!

Barbara_A, May 2024

Spending time with a local guide was the best way to see the city in one day. When lines were long Ilkr knew how to improvise and we saw many top sites and meet some interesting people. Having him and a drive was money well spent when you only have one day to enjoy this amazing city.

We booked a private tour...

Nikhil_G, May 2024

We booked a private tour and Jaan was our guide. He was very patient and helpful. He answered all our questions and was very informative. Would recommend..

Mehmet is a Superstar Guide.

Yasin_K, Apr 2024

Mehmet was my guide. He was a gentleman. Extremely knowledgeable, respectful of our time and courteous. Highly recommended.

A Great Day!

cyndisparks, Apr 2024

We were a group of 8 friends from Arizona visiting Istanbul and this was a great way to see the sights! Our guide, Volkan, was GREAT! He was so knowledgeable about the city and the history and his love for his culture was evident. He has a wickedly great sense of humor and was a great match with our group. We would highly recommend this tour and Volkan to anyone visiting Istanbul!

Great Customized Tour of Istanbul

Alex_N, Apr 2024

I was only in Istanbul for 48 hours on a stopover, and scheduled this tour to see the highlights. Fettah was my guide and was amazing! We had a lot of time, since it was just me and because the Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, which was the day of my tour. He asked what I was most interested in and made sure to tailor what we did accordingly. We saw all the major highlights (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar). Because we had extra time, we also fit in a Bosporus boat ride, saw another mosque, and stopped at a couple shops throughout the day (ceramic and rug shop). Fettah was very knowledgeable about the city, and I learned a lot. I had also told him I was particularly interested in trying the street food, so we stopped for simit, Turkish coffee, grilled corn, stuffed mussles, and doner throughout the day. It was basically the best of both worlds between a city tour and a food tour. Fettah was so kind and personable the entire day. Even after we had been out for over 8 hours, he asked me if there was anywhere else I wanted to go before heading back to the hotel and offered to show me Taksim Square. By that point, I was pretty tired and was happy with everything I’d seen so opted to head back to the hotel. Fettah was a very genuine and enjoyable person who was very generous with his time. Highly recommend!

Amazing time in Istanbul thanks to Volcan

Jason_D, Apr 2024

Our tour was absolutely amazing thanks to Volcan! He provided everything we wanted and more than we expected and was extremely funny. Highly recommend!

Volcan the great !

Martin_R, Apr 2024

Great , friendly guide (Volcan) . He tailored my day perfectly and used brilliant insight and local knowledge to maximise the time we had to embrace everything that Istanbul had to offer

Very good guide Ekram,...

Stefano_D, Apr 2024

Very good guide Ekram, you visit the most iconic sites in an efficient manner, at your rythme. good explanation by a passionate guide

A tour of a lifetime

Kathleen_D, Apr 2024

Our guide Vulkan was fantastic. We visited the important sights of Istanbul in this fulll-day tour, namely, the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Tokapi Palace. Unfortunately, it was a holiday and the Grand Bazaar was closed. Vulkan was very knowledgeable and personable and made manoeuvring through the crowds relatively easy. He not only gave us the history behind everything we visited but also a better understanding of the culture. A highlight of the tour was lunch at a great restaurant where Vulkan guided us through the menu, resulting in a wonderful dining experience. I highly recommend this tour and if you are lucky, you might have Vulkan.

Excellent day in historic Istanbul

Jesse_T, Apr 2024

Great guide, Mehmet. Very knowledgeable with an engineering background. Grew up in this city. Freedom to spend more or less time in places. Great local restaurant for lunch. Plus info/recommendations for things to do on subsequent days.

Simply Amazing. Well worth the price. Kudos to Kerim.

Navaneeth_R, Apr 2024

Loved this experience. Experiencing Istanbul's Old City through this private tour was nothing short of magical. Our guide, Kerim, a true local expert, brought the rich tapestry of history and culture alive in every story and landmark. Kerim tailored the experience for us; we visited Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, and the Blue Mosque - and bunch of other places along the way that weren't even in the guidebooks (for example - the tomb of Constantin; the name behind Constantinople, the old name for Istanbul). We even got to see Turkish carpets being made. Kerim made every moment feel personalized and deeply informative. The convenience and flexibility of the private tour allowed us to explore at our own pace, diving deep into the places that interested us the most. This tour not only highlighted the beauty and depth of Istanbul but also made us feel connected to its stories and traditions. We highly recommend this tour, and Kerim, to anyone wanting to truly understand the heart and soul of this historic city.

Excellent guide (Caner) in a beautiful city

James_A, Apr 2024

Our guide (Caner) was Great! Very informative and fun time. Relaxed pace and customizable. He had lots of local knowledge and insights…as well a historical perspective. Was able to skip lines, knew lots of people, god local connections. I would look forward to go with him on another tour next time I am here. He is awesome.

Great private tour

Margaret_M, Apr 2024

Our tour guide, Caner, was excellent! We were picked up from our hotel, and our tour guide had our whole itinerary planned. Started the day at the Hippodrome, walked to Hagia Sophia where he helped us line up for tickets. Also offered to take photos of our family at great spots. Then walked to Topkapi palace, cisterns, Blue Mosque, grand bazaar. He kept checking in with us about where we wanted to go, and was very efficient with time. We had.a great time, and learned a lot. Would definitely recommend!!

Fun, Insightful, and Memorable Experience!

Neal_A, Apr 2024

Super friendly and thoughtful tour with my guide, Dilek, that was flexible to what I wanted while going above and beyond to share with me facts and stories about the sites we visited that were not common knowledge. From being a tour guide, to picking out the right bites to eat along the way, to being my personal photographer, Dilek was a delight all around!

**Great tour with amazing guide!**

CY_W, Apr 2024

Erkan was a great tour guide. He's funny and extremely knowledgable with everything related to Istanbul and Turkish culture. Topkapi palace and Blue Mosque were exceptionally good. Highly recommended. Remember to wear comfortable shoes and water as there will be quite a lot of walking.

Great experience

Nikhil_K, Apr 2024

Our guide ILKER was very knowledgeable, and provided great details. Our hotel was in Sultanahmet, so we did not need vehicle as all the attractions are walking distance. So, we covered few alternative attractions such as Teksim Square and Dolmabache Palace.

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