Private Guided Istanbul Tour: Discover Istanbul's Highlights in 1, 2, or 3 Days
5.0
4,890 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
5.0
(4890 Ratings)
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Egorc350
Apr 19, 2024
Highly recommend taking a personal tour guide as a solo traveler!! - 15/10 personal tour guide with Goktug. I was able to skip the lines with him, experience local restaurants, and experience the Asian side of Istanbul. There is a lot of walking but it is 100% worth it. You get to experience Istanbul much better than if you go around on your own.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bigtaps
Apr 19, 2024
Beyond Expectations - Everything about GIT was absolutely seemless. From booking to meeting. We had one day driving around and then 1 day walking. There are not enough superlatives to describe the professionalism, knowledge & friendliness of our guide Kemal. He was absolutely superb. Cannot recommend Kemal & GIT enough. And of course ALL the sights of Istanbul are amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nigel_d
Apr 14, 2024
An excellent tour with a truly superb guide - We have used your service a few times and have always found it to be excellent with interesting tours and friendly, professional and expert guides. On our recent two day tour we met Gamze as our guide who surpassed even our highest expectations. Not only was her knowledge excellent, but also her professional and friendly approach to everything was engaging and refreshing. Nothing was too much trouble and everything was done with a smile. It’s also really useful to have someone who knows their way around to avoid the longer queues. A really memorable and enjoyable couple of days made better with our wonderful local guide.
Review provided by Viator
Randyskiwi
Apr 12, 2024
Full Day of Sights and Sounds - I was looking forward to learning some history about Instanbul and put it into immediate context while walking the streets. Sercan Kurt did not disappoint! He listened to what I wanted to experience and made sure to make that a reality. Full day of sights, sounds and history.
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Esc_nyc
Apr 11, 2024
Memorable One Day Istanbul Tour! - One Day Istanbul Tour - Old City! Dilek, our knowledgeable and wonderful local guide exceeded our expectations for very packed last minute tour during Ramadan Holidays. She met us at our Galata area hotel and guided us to Old City to see the incredible sights. History of this vibrant world class city is amazing. Over 10,000 steps so be ready and in shape for maximum positive experience! Tour is guide only. Entrances are self-pay but guide can help you navigate thru mosques/Palace entry system in most efficient manner. Local and Tourist lines are separate. It’s highly recommended if time is tight. Enjoy!
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Dreamer15676578294
Apr 8, 2024
Fun custom experience with a great guide! - We had our tour with Serdar! Our flight was 3 hours late but he was so flexible and understanding about it and we made the best with the 4 hours remaining. He was funny, knew a lot about the area, and also asked us what our priorities were so we could decide how we wanted to use our limited time. We also recommended a great restaurant too and helped us make a reservation there. it was all in all a great experience!
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Meredith_d
Apr 3, 2024
Highly recommend - We had a wonderful private tour for six of us. The company and the guide were very flexible with our plans and our guide even accommodated mid-day adjustments. Everything was exceptionally smooth and having our guide helped us avoid additional waits in line. Our guide was also able to offer substantial history and information about all the sights, museums, and monuments.
Review provided by Viator
Cadasila
Apr 3, 2024
Excellent two days tour! - Our guide Sercan is very knowledgeable and has a prodigious understanding of ancient history. He is kind, patient and makes it easy to do whatever it is that you want to do. Highly recommend, especially if you are not comfortable with navigating trams, tickets, and itineraries on your own. :-)
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260josea
Apr 3, 2024
Wonderful experience - Wonderful 2-day experience... perfectly directed by our guide Erkan... a great professional with a lot of historical knowledge
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Travel60754411917
Mar 31, 2024
History Tour with Arif Rakici - Arif Rakici led our tour. I’d say we got lucky to find such a kind knowledgeable guy! He really know his history and does such a great job explaining everything! Really enjoyed the day.
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