Best of Istanbul: Classic Landmarks & Grand Bazaar Tour

Istanbul, Turkey

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

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Overview

Discover some of Istanbul’s finest views on a full-day, small-group tour of the city by cable car, cruise ship, underground tunnel, and air-conditioned minivan. Get high above the Golden Horn at Pierre Loti café, and spot minarets, domes and waterside palaces on a scenic Bosphorus cruise. Link Istanbul’s Asian and European sides on the Marmaray Train, then explore historic fortresses, a pair of iconic mosques, an ancient cistern, Hagia Sophia and the monuments of Hippodrome Square.

Full-day, small-group tour of Istanbul
Travel by cable car and sightseeing cruise for unique perspectives
Sample Turkish food at a local restaurant
Visit the historic sites of the Old City
Free hotel pickup and drop-off included
Great overview and orientation of the city

What's Included

Local guide
Lunch
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Hotel pickup and drop-off for Sultanahmet area

Drinks
Museum Entrances (Tickets)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

The pick up is from Sultanahmet and Taksim zone hotels. If your hotel is situated in another site, an extra fee will be charged.

Operating hours
.8:30 am

Itinerary

Meet your experienced guide at your Istanbul hotel or port for a full day of exploring the city by comfortable minivan. Enjoy aerial views of hillside neighborhoods and the Golden Horn as you ride a cable car to an atmospheric café named for writer Pierre Loti, a perfect spot for getting panoramic photos of the city.

Take in Ottoman landmarks, summer palaces, and elegant pavilions on a sightseeing cruise of the Bosphorus, then go far beneath the surface on “The Marmaray,” a train that links the two sides of Istanbul by an undersea tunnel. Learn about the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman treasures that laborers unearthed as they worked to complete the tunnel.

Step into Istanbul’s dramatic history at Rumeli Fortress, a 15th-century fortification built by an iconic sultan, then visit the elegant Rustem Pasha Mosque before pausing for lunch at an atmospheric local restaurant. Descend into the 6th-century Basilica Cistern to learn how it protected the palace water supply, and why it was lost for hundreds of years. Take in a trio of iconic Istanbul sites: explore Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome Square before finishing the day at your hotel.

Blue Mosque

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Hippodrome

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Sultanahmet Mosque Information Center

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

TopkapI Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Grand Bazaar Jewelers (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Reviews

3.9

based on 8 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

This tour was a scam

Shawn_D, Apr 2023

The tour was to include a cable car and a cruise, but on the morning of, the tour operator acted like he had no idea what I was talking about. I contacted viator and the tour operator in charge via my cellphone. I was advised that I could cancel the tour and receive a refund. I asked to be dropped off back to my hotel but since other passengers had to be picked up, I had to wait. I was also given the option of being dropped off at the first site the Haifa Sofia mosque. I chose to do that. It turned out this was a walking all day tour as mentioned. Later, the tour operator agreed to only refund 50 percent of my money for literally taking me down the street to where they were going anyway. Viator did not back me up after all the years of business I have done with this company. If I could give this a zero review I would. Moreover the mosques are all free to enter on your own. Tour operator indicated that cable car was either closed or delayed as viator advised he said it was closed. However that was not the case as I went there on my own. Too many mistakes and the customer has to pay the price. I do not recommend not only this tour but also viator. I will be cancelling my account

Skip the line

Dean_Y, Feb 2020

The tour covered all the highlights Our guide was not extremely fluent in English but was able to understand him. The lunch was quite nice

Terrible tour

Amanda_H, Jun 2019

One of the worst tours I've ever been on. The bus drivers were aggressive, angry and crashed the bus into a poll, the morning pickup route had me sit on the bus for 2.5 hours before being dropped off in another bus lot to change buses, the tour guide left me and another girl and we were lost for 1 hour outside the Hagia Sophia, then he blamed us for getting lost. The tour did not say it was a walking tour, so we walked for about 6 hours - the guide refused to give us a bathroom break or allow us to buy water, despite the warm temperatures. The guide gave the other tourists attitude when they asked questions, and the last bus driver dropped me off 10 blocks from my hotel without any instruction as how to get back, and my phone had died, so I was lost at the end of a disastrous 12 hour day. Worst tour ever!

Was a wonderful experience! Would go...

Elizabeth P, Nov 2017

Was a wonderful experience! Would go again! Be prepared for some walking : Our guide was awesome and full of great information :

We had such a good time on this...

Sarah B, Sep 2017

We had such a good time on this tour. There were four of us and our guide was a dream. He was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish and Mediterranean history and was really eager to share his knowledge. He was also jolly and interested in our cultures and we felt a great affinity with him by the end of the tour. Talking with him candidly about some of the cultural factors and differences between our countries and his made us feel like the exchange of information was meaningful and important. I believe we all walked away from the experience with a deeper understanding of our respective cultures. The day was jam-packed but paced well and even though I had a bum leg I was able to maintain the pace. Ugur, our guide is a person I plan to stay in touch with.

Ugur was amazing! I had an great...

Ana D, May 2017

Ugur was amazing! I had an great time with him. He is very knowledge and knows all the best spots to go. This is definitely a must when visiting Istanbul. I only had one day and I was able to cover it all and had fun.

Tour was great. Saw the highlights...

Mark_J, Feb 2017

Tour was great. Saw the highlights of Istanbul, Blue Mosque , Sofia, river cruise and both markets.

This is one of the best tours Ive...

Ling ML1004, Dec 2015

This is one of the best tours Ive booked through Viator. Had a blast interacting with local Turkish people and learning about the beautiful Istanbul. I was picked up early in the morning from the airport hotel by a nice gentleman. He was very humorous and taught me a lot about the city so I wasnt bored at all during the hour in the car. We had a short break in his office in the old town before the tour officially started. I was greeted by a friendly lady in the kitchen and two other staff members - lovely people! Learning that I had not had breakfast, they immediately invited me to enjoy some apple tea and yummy Turkish pastry called börek. After breakfast, our tour guide Akin came over and picked me up to join with the other two people in a cozy van. Akin has a degree in History and speaks great English. He was full of knowledge and very patient to answer our questions. Thanks to him I learnt so much about Istanbul's history. All the places we visited were excellent. The tour was smooth and comfortable. Lunch was delicious! Highly recommend this tour and Akin!