Skip-The-Line:1, 2 or 3 Days Private Istanbul Guided Tour
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 7 to 22 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- Professional guide
- 1 - 2 or 3 Days (depending on option selected)
- Private Tour
- Museum/Attraction Tickets
- Transportation from/back to hotel and between sites (unless option selected)
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Sultanahmet Square
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Hippodrome
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Blue Mosque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Basilica Cistern
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
TopkapI Palace
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Grand Bazaar
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
8
Taksim Square
1 hour 40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Dolmabahce Palace
1 hour 40 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Galata Tower
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
11
Bosphorus Strait
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
12
Taksim Square
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
13
Istiklal Caddesi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
14
Galata Tower
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15
Misir Carsisi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
16
Suleymaniye Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
17
Balat
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
18
Pierre Loti Tepesi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
19
Halic
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
- Blue Mosque is closed until 2pm on Fridays
- Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays
- Galata Tower will be visited from outside as tour guides have no priority to skip the line due to Galata Tower regulation
- Hagia Sophia will be closed for visit during praying time
- Families with young children will be accompanied by kid-friendly tour guide
- For last minute bookings, tour starting time can be flexible
- N-A
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 56 reviews
Jeanie_H, Feb 2026
We are so happy that we chose this tour for a comprehensive overview of Istanbul - and moreover we were so grateful to be paired with the best guide, Didem! She was so very knowledgeable - she was especially considerate to let us set the schedule and pace - and she made sure we saw all we wanted to see. She even helped us get to an Ash Wednesday service at the Crimean Memorial Church, and also helped us shop with trusted wholesale merchants for only those things we were interested in, so special! Our experience was made even better with her deep knowledge of the history of her city. She was able to share background, context, and details we never could have gotten trying to see everything while reading from a guidebook. If you are considering booking this tour, do not hesitate - and perhaps you will be blessed as well with our brilliant and warm guide, Didem!!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your wonderful feedback on our Skip-The-Line: 1, 2 or 3 Days Private Istanbul Guided Tour!We’re delighted that you enjoyed exploring Istanbul with priority access and a private licensed guide.We specialize in private Istanbul tours that combine expert historical insight, flexible itineraries, and seamless organization for a truly personalized experience.
We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you again for another unforgettable Istanbul adventure!
Jabeen_Z, Jan 2026
The terms of inclusion and exclusions were not clear. It said pick up was included, but the night before the tour, we were informed by our tour guide that pickup is not included and we need to pay for pickup and recommend to get a car for whole trip costing us additional $150. When contacted the agency, they repeatedly said pick up is not included and that its the general information given in my ticket. Our tour guide turned out to be a commission hogger. She took us to most expensive shops for rugs and some imitation brand shops which was not on the itinerary and we had to skip visiting palaces and othet sites because of her importance to shopping which we dint need and was waste of our time and had very upsetting expensive trip with limited sight seeing.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
The feedback shared with us has been carefully reviewed. However, a significant portion of the claims does not reflect the facts and appears to be based on misunderstandings.
First of all, the services included and excluded in the tour are clearly stated during the booking process and on the ticket. For this specific tour, hotel pick-up is generally not included, and this information is clearly listed in the “Inclusions & Exclusions” section provided at the time of purchase. The information shared by the tour guide the day before the tour was simply a reminder of these existing terms. No arbitrary or last-minute charges were added.
The suggestion to rent a vehicle was offered purely as an optional service to enhance guest comfort. This recommendation was not mandatory, and the decision to accept or decline it was entirely at the guest’s discretion.
Claims that the guide focused excessively on shopping and that the itinerary was negatively affected are also inaccurate. As part of the tour program, short shopping stops are included solely for the introduction of local handicrafts. These visits are:
Not mandatory
Free from any purchase pressure
Can be skipped upon the guest’s request
Furthermore, any changes in visiting certain cultural or historical sites were shaped by time management and guest preferences. The tour was conducted in line with the guests’ directions and choices throughout the day.
The allegation that the guide acted in a “commission-driven” manner is a subjective opinion and is not accepted by our company. All of our guides operate in accordance with ethical principles and professional standards.
Guest satisfaction is important to us; however, when tour terms and conditions are clearly stated in advance, differing interpretations after the service falls outside our responsibility.
Kind regards,
TONY_T, Oct 2025
We experienced the key places of old Istanbul and learned much about the city's history. It's a long day with lots of walking but worth the time and effort.
Emnas_H, Oct 2025
Our tour guide Life was very kind and very knowledgeable about the history of the city.
He took us to places where we were able to take spectacular pictures.
Genevieve_B, Sep 2025
Ensure that you receive written confirmation of what "skip the line" price includes. Also "pick up" is not included in the price. We tried to get clarification by sending out messages prior to our day trip but did not get any replies. It ended up costing us time and money. Disappointed group.
Renee_J, Jul 2025
Our two day tour with Ken throughout Istanbul was amazing. We went everywhere and learned so much about the history of Istanbul. Ken was thoughtful and helpful when needed. I would definately use him again if and when I every go back. Loved Istanbul
andiewhs9, Jun 2025
Cicek was amazing. We highly recommend!!
We saw all the things we wanted to see. Her and the driver were excellent
Melissa_S, Jun 2025
Our guide and driver were fantastic. The guide was very knowledgeable and gave us so much information. The stops on the tour were beautiful and very worth seeing and learning about. Our guide managed our time well. The restaurant option was perfect for us. Was a great tour to see the highlights of Istanbul; we wouldn't have been able to do that on our own.
Claudia_E, May 2025
Sema was a fantastic guide! We had the best time with her, she is super knowledgeable and very friendly.
If you want to see Istanbul she’s your girl - you’ll explore and have the best time!
Kathy_C, Apr 2025
Our private guide, Taner, was professional, knowledgeable, friendly and was very flexible for our needs. As senior travelers, he made our trip outstanding.
Jeronimo_D, Mar 2025
Cicek the tour guide was great!
We selected the tour with the driver as well but didn’t use him very much since everything is walking distance.
She was patient very knowledgeable. She took us every where . we ate delicious
It is 100 % recommended this tour. We enjoyed our tour in Istanbul.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Kaye_L, Feb 2025
Çicek was wonderful, patient guide . My friend had bad knee and she worked around it. Learned so much more than if we didn’t have private guide .
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Linda_L, Feb 2025
Cicek was our tour guide and she became our friend at the end of our two day tour. She was very knowledgeable, informative and very personable. I was with my husband and our friends Michael and Jamie. Cicek took us to all the highlights of Istanbul and never rushed us. She also took us to some wonderful restaurants for lunch which we all sat together for a delicious meal with great conversations. I highly recommend this tour with Cicek.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Vivek_S, Feb 2025
I would not recommend this trip experience to anyone. We had a booking for 2 with pickup from hotel at 9 AM. The guide came at 9:15 AM, and no car. He booked a taxi to goto Blue Mosque and asked us to pay 500 Lira. We walked around the Blue Mosque and outside, it was raining and cold. He showed us few things and then dropped us at Grand Bazar at 10:15 AM and the guide left at 10:30 AM. The tour concluded in 1 hour 15 mins as opposed to 12 hours we planned for.
This tour only includes the Guide nothing else, I think anyone can just follow the itinerary and do it on there own. We were scammed of 154$.
Prasad_K, Dec 2024
It was a fantastic experience. Guide was very helpful, informative and accommodating. Was very knowledgeable too. Took us to various walking tours and places.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Denys_Z, Dec 2024
Good knowledge of the history. A lot of new and interesting facts. Good approach in regards to timing and line ups
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Geetha_R, Oct 2024
Kemal provided a wonderful introduction to Istanbul for us. We walked everywhere and there was plenty of time to see the sights. He gave us lots of historical context and information, and his relaxed and jovial manner made the tour easy and fun. The timing of our visits to different sites was perfect and we seemed to be able to avoid most of the crowds! We had opportunity to shop at nice shops with his guidance and overall had a fantastic day. Would highly recommend this tour and especially Kemal! Looking forward to day 2:-)
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us to share your recent experience about
our Agency we are looking forward to welcoming you in your next trip in the very near future.
Best Regards,
Pascale_C, Aug 2024
Our guide Tunç was fantastic! Very pleasant, flexible, gentle and of course very knowledgeable, helping us to dive into the culture, history and social aspects beyond basic tourism. Really the best guide we ever had in our many trips around the world. The program was perfect with super time management from our guide. Thank you🙏.
Krishnan_N, Jan 2024
We had Cicek for 2 days. She was great. We did the walking tour. Took us to all the main highlights. She was informative and also patient. Never rushed us. I highly recommend this tour and also Cicek.
Mary_O, Nov 2023
Our two-day tour with Cicek was the best way to immerse ourselves in the culture and history of Istanbul and Turkey. She helped plan our days to see the most important sites of the city. She was so knowledgeable and personable that it felt like touring with a dear friend. Having a private guide for the two of us really enhanced our experience. We highly recommend Cicek to anyone traveling to Istanbul.
steve_f, Nov 2023
The tour guide Ochun was excellent. First day, driver never showed up. We needed to get our own cab. Second day , the van we had to drive in was terrible and dirty. The van by design would not allow us to look out the front window. If you don’t get better vehicles you will lose customers.
Neeraja_P, Oct 2023
Orkhut was an excellent guide through and through for our private tour in the old city of Istanbul. Main highlight of the tour was visiting the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque by being able to skip the queue. We also had a very interesting and informative tour of Topkapi Palace along with him. Last but not the least it was great to find this hidden gem of a restaurant whose terrace gave splendid views of Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque , ideal for photographs and feeding seagulls as well ! Would definitely recommend !
drhs5, Oct 2023
Excellent 2 day tour - saw the best bits of Istanbul. Helped understand Istanbul. Great personal guide
Kathleen_B, Sep 2023
Istanbul is a beautiful, historic city. Our guide Mustafa was incredibly knowledgeable and keen to share his passion for the city and it’s history. He was always checking in with us to confirm our understanding and comfort.
Kavitha_R, Sep 2023
The Guide was I too rude and in a hurry to complete the tour. Had zero patience.
Made us Walk fast or literally run to places we needed to see.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
This review appears to have been posted by our COMPETITORS with the intent to unfairly impact our ranking in a negative manner. As you can observe from the review itself, it lacks specific details, such as the name of the Tour Guide or any particular incidents. Rest assured, we are taking the necessary steps to have this review investigated and potentially removed. We believe that our esteemed prospective guests will be able to visit our company profile and discern the exceptional level of service quality we consistently deliver. Your understanding and support during this time are greatly appreciated.
Sinead_M, Sep 2023
Ferhat our tour guide met us at the port and guided us through this vibrant city of Istanbul. We avoided all the huge groups saw the beautiful palace skipping the long line, wandering through the sacred mosque sites. We would not have been confident to tackle the Grand Bazaar but Ferhat made that easy! We ended the day with a wonderful private boat tour of the Bosporus as the sun was setting-truly magical. We cannot thank Ferhat enough for his warmth and kindness. His knowledge of the city, past and present is incredible and we are grateful for his time in Istanbul. Thank you !
Aida_R, Aug 2023
Our guide was amazing, she explained all history, having a guide makes the entrance to sites very easy. She was on time and always with a smile. Thank you ☺️
Licinio_G, Jul 2023
Gülşen did an Excellent job during the 2 day private tour guide in Istanbul! We were extremely happy with the level of detail that she provided but she did an outstanding job catering to all different requests in our group. She was extremely patient and customer focus despite our challenges.
We highly recommend her services to anyone that wants to visit Istanbul.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Thank you very much for your precious review. We are really glad and honored to read you
spend a good time in Turkey. We hope to see you again.
Best regards
Frederick_B, Oct 2022
Two great days. Korhan was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Highly recommend Eyes lit up when talking about history Pleasure to tour with.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Thank you very much for your precious review. We are really glad and honored to read you
spend a good time in Turkey. We hope to see you again. Best regards
SyakiraJunaina_I, Sep 2022
We learned a lot about the history of Istanbul from Kubra. She was punctual and willing to accommodate with our plans since we were with kids. The vehicle option was a lifesaver in the hot summer. Reccommended tour.
From $90.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Skip-The-Line:1, 2 or 3 Days Private Istanbul Guided Tour
56
22 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$90.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Audio Guides
- Architecture Tours
- Walking Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Cultural Tours
- On the Ground
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Istanbul
- Walking Tours - Bursa
- Historical Tours - Bursa
- Audio Guides - Burgas
- Walking Tours - Burgas
- Historical Tours - Burgas
- Audio Guides - Nessebar
- Walking Tours - Nessebar
- Historical Tours - Nessebar
Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
- Sapanca Lake (Sapanca Gölü) Tours & Tickets
- Miniaturk (Miniatürk) Tours & Tickets
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Istanbul Arkeoloji Muzeleri) Tours & Tickets
- Zeyrek Mosque (Zeyrek Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Hodjapasha Culture Center (Hocapasa Kültür Merkezi) Tours & Tickets
- Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisari) Tours & Tickets
- Beyazit Mosque (Beyazit Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Anzac Cove (Anzak Koyu) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Eminӧnü Square (Eminönü Meydani) Tours & Tickets
- German Fountain (Alman Çeşmesi) Tours & Tickets
- Cemberlitas Hamami Tours & Tickets
- Arasta Bazaar Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Istanbul, Turkey
- Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Tours & Tickets
- Bosphorus Tours & Tickets
- Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Meydani) Tours & Tickets
- Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) Tours & Tickets