Istanbul Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Red Bus

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Istanbul, Turkey

1 day (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Whether it’s your first time in Istanbul or you just want a convenient way to get around the sights, this hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour is the ideal way to cover all the main sights. Your ticket grants you full-day access to the buses, which depart hourly from Sultanahmet between 10am and 5pm, and allows you to stop at any of the 12 stops along the way.

Pass by the Blue Mosque, Taksim Square, Galata & more
Hop on and off as many times as you like at 12 different stops
Listen to a multi-lingual audio guide & use the onboard wifi
Easy-to-find centrally located starting point in Sultanahmet

What's Included

A-day valid ticket
Audio-guide (8 languages)
Internet access
Professional licensed driver

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Itinerary

Sultanahmet Departure

12 Stops

10 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 day

Operating Schedule: Departure from Sultanahmet at (10:00 - 11:00 - 12:00 - 13:00 - 14:00 - 15:00 - 16:00 - 17:00)

Sultanahmet

Eminönü

Karaköy

Galataport Istanbul

"Dolmabahçe

Naval Museum

Beylerbeyi Palace

Büyük Beşiktaş Çarşısı

Taksim Square

Şişhane Sokak

Egyptian Bazaar

Sultanahmet

Points of interest passed by on this route

Blue Mosque

Eminonu Pier

Karakoy

Galata Tower

Dolmabahce Palace

Naval Museum

Beylerbeyi Palace

Besiktas

Taksim Square

Misir Carsisi

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infant seats available
Near public transportation
Pushchair accessible

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible
Most travellers can participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Reviews

4.3

based on 116 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

A must!

Kristin_W, Nov 2025

Driver was incredible (maneuvered the van like an Indy driver). Sights were unbelievable. Do this when you first arrive!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Dear Guest, Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Istanbul Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Red Bus experience. It’s great to know that our driver made the journey both safe and impressive, and that the views left such a strong impression. We completely agree — it’s the perfect activity to start exploring the city! We truly appreciate you choosing us and hope to welcome you again on your next visit. Warm regards, The Tourmania Team

Don’t do it

Linda_C, Sept 2025

Istanbul traffic is a nightmare. Sat for 2 hours on traffic. Bus was overloaded and very disorganised. No signs said Tourmania on them so we had no idea where to get the bus from. Several had to stand and couldn’t hear the commentary. Standing passengers blocked the view of seated passengers. Decided to get off and walk as it was quicker. This was a disaster compared to the brilliant bus ride around Barcelona a week earlier. The advert should warn of heavy traffic. Very disappointing.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the challenges you experienced during your Istanbul tour. We understand how the traffic, bus overcrowding, and lack of clear signage negatively impacted your experience, and we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused. Your comments are extremely valuable, and we will review our communication, signage, and group management procedures to prevent similar issues in the future. We truly regret that this experience did not meet your expectations and appreciate your input as it helps us improve our services. Warm regards, The Tourmania Team

Worthwhile! Great introduction to Istanbul!

Nancy_a, Sept 2025

Excellent way to see both continents of Istanbul. Timeliness of starting was not good. Started late.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

Dear Guest, Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed exploring both continents of Istanbul with the Red Bus. We sincerely apologize for the delay at the start and appreciate your understanding. Your comments help us improve our service, and we hope to welcome you again for an even smoother experience. Best regards, The Tourmania Team

Do it on Hop On Hop Offf

BRAULTDENIS, Sept 2025

Good way to visit Istanbul but lots of trafic, morning AND afternoon. Good description of monuments.

Response from Host, Sept 2025

hank you for your review! We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the sightseeing experience and the monument descriptions. We understand that Istanbul’s traffic can sometimes be challenging, and we truly appreciate your patience. We hope to welcome you again for more discoveries in this beautiful city! Best regards, Your Tourmania Team

It is very very dear....

Catherine_M, Aug 2025

It is very very dear. They may give you the wrong tickets and no signs anywhere as to when the busses end for the night. You may have to walk home to your hotel

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the hop-on hop-off experience felt overpriced and that ticketing and operating-hour information were unclear, which caused you inconvenience. We understand how frustrating it can be to be unsure about last departures or to receive incorrect tickets, and we sincerely apologize that this affected your plans. Your comments have been noted and will be shared with the relevant team to help improve clarity, signage, and communication for future guests. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and thank you for your honest review. Warm regards, Tourmania

Bus too crowded

Stephen_L, May 2025

Ride back today on the bus was so crowded , didn't see anything on the way back as we had to stand the whole trip, wasn't worth the money.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re very sorry to hear that your ride back was uncomfortable, and we truly apologize for the inconvenience of having to stand during the trip. This is certainly not the experience we aim to provide, and we will take your feedback into consideration as we work to improve the comfort of our transportation. We appreciate your comments, as they help us make necessary improvements for future guests. If you’d like to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.

Okay, but nothing special.

Ben_C, Nov 2024

It was okay for the ride to see the city, but the narrative was kinda boring and bordered in background white noise. It was a bit pricey for a 2 hr drive around.

Very good

ann_b, Oct 2024

Good service good commentary and very clear audio system. It was a great way to get an overview of the city.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us amazing review.

Doesn't work in this City

Sharon_C, Oct 2024

I have booked Hop On Hop Off in other cities with great success but in Istanbul, the traffic is too proibitive for any hopping , it is largely sitting in traffic for hours. Also it was not clear to me that the evening route is different than the daytime route and I would have preferred evening for the sights they covered.

Hop-0n, Hop-off Istanbul -- Pluses and minuses

Thomas_S, Sept 2024

Generally Hop-on Hop off buses are good to preview and see a city in a short period of time. This one had its pluses and minuses. The plus part is that one of the stops is just outside the cruise terminal (Galataport) and the price was reasonable ($40/per person for one day or 24 hour useage). The bad part is that is that the route does a complete loop (we got on at stop #4 and wanted to go to stop #1), and the traffic in Istanbul is horrible...as the complete loop can run from 1.5 to 3 hours). We ended up taking the bus the first day, and a bus/taxi the second day...since we overnighted in Istanbul.

Unfortunately I had a bad...

Marina_F, Apr 2024

Unfortunately I had a bad experience this time with Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing Bus in Istanbul. The driver finished the line on Egyptian Bazaar, and told us to find a way to our destination , by train or bus. My distination was Sultan Ahmet. We decided to walk due we couldn't catch a bus due they all were overloaded.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your experience with the Istanbul Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Red Bus. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you faced when the bus route ended and alternative transport options were limited. We understand how frustrating it must have been to walk to your destination due to overcrowding on public transport. Your feedback will be shared with the bus operator to improve communication and ensure a smoother experience for future passengers. Kind regards, Tourmania Team

High price and low value

andreif, Apr 2024

Timing of the bus arrivals was completely unpredictable. Some stops were so short that some people didn't have enough time to hop on or off, literally. Hard chairs in the bus. Grossly overpriced.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding the Istanbul Hop-on Hop-off Red Bus. We sincerely apologize for the unpredictable bus timings, short stop durations, and discomfort you experienced during your trip. Your comments are important, and we will share them with the bus operator to improve scheduling, seating comfort, and overall service for future guests. Kind regards, Tourmania Team

A good way to get an overview of Istanbul

Sheryl_N, Oct 2023

Great option to see the sights of the city before you decide where to focus your time. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Disappointed completely.

Alejandra_N, Apr 2026

We absolutely recommend the use of this service, it does not match what it offers and the attention of the subjects or people in charge are very ill educated, the hearing aid at no time had comments in Spanish regarding what was to be seen. Finally, they didn't let us upload reasons why we didn't find the tickets. The service is extremely expensive, a taxi charged us €20. The service was great. If you want to improve, be more sensitive to people from other countries who come to know your country. What I'm asking for is a refund, as I guess it doesn't represent the value of your reputation. Thank you.

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