Circle Istanbul (Extraordinary Istanbul)
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
If you’ve already seen the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, this Circle Istanbul tour will take you beyond the most-visited sights to discover Istanbul’s lively neighborhoods, vibrant culture, and tasty cuisine. Visit the districts of Karakoy, Kadikoy, and Balat, cross over to the Asian side of the city, and take a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus. Along the way, enjoy delicious Turkish meals and a traditional Turkish bath experience.
- Extended tour: pack in a full day of exploring from 9am to 9pm
- Experience a traditional Turkish bath like a local
- Try delicious Turkish cuisine: breakfast, lunch, and dinner included
- Intimate tour with a small group of up to six people
What's Included
- BreakfastWe experience real Turkish Breakfast
- LunchLunch at a boutique Kebab House
- SnacksDifferent kind of food tasting during the day including world famous Turkish Baklava and Turkish Coffee
- Turkish Bath. Its a "must do activity". Once you are here, you must try traditional traditional bath
- Transportation
- Guiding service from a pro licensed tour guide
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Gratuity for tour guide and Turkish Bath staffs
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Gümüşsuyu, Tak-ı Zafer Cd. NO:3/1, 34437 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
Meeting point is front gate of The Marmara Hotel Taksim. It is located at Taksim Square .
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Taksim Square
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Cihangir Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Karakoy Rihtim
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Karakoy
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Kadikoy Iskelesi
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
6
Bosphorus Strait
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
7
Kadikoy Iskelesi
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
8
Balat
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
9
Karagümrük
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Patriarchate Of Constantinople
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
11
Taksim Square
29 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- The destinations we are going to visit are mostly closed for traffic so the only way to see this beautiful city is walking. Circle Istanbul tour contains a lot of walking.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 370 reviews
John_M, Nov 2025
This was an in depth tour of a wide variety of different neighborhoods of Istanbul including the Asia side. We ate, traveled, walked, rode, shopped and experienced a Hamam like locals. We asked questions about everything we saw and learned so much about the varied neighborhoods in the city. Fantastic tour with very skilled, knowledgeable and experienced guide.
Tiffiney_T, Oct 2025
My husband and I had the pleasure of spending the day with our guide Onur for the Circle Istanbul walking tour. Onur was very informative, engaging, polite, and most of all, patient. It was a long, full day and he shared a lot of Turkish culture and the history of Istanbul with a smile on his face. We toured both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. Onur took us to many popular landmarks and local places to try different type of Turkish cuisine.
Although we had the experience of riding the bus and taking the ferries, keep in mind that the majority of this tour is walking. Be prepared. Wear comfortable clothing and good walking shoes. We walked over 14,000 steps and every single step was absolutely worth it. This was the highlight of our trip! If you want sights, history, cuisine and experiences; this tour is HIGHLY recommended.
DeAnn_K, Oct 2025
It was amazing. A great way to see the true city, outside of tourist areas. We ate, explored, and shopped like locals. We've only been on larger tour groups so we weren't sure what to expect but our guide, Kerem, was incredible. Be prepared to eat the best food!
Kyra_D, Sep 2025
Kerem was an absolute delight to spend a FULL day with. Very knowledgeable and passionate about his home and its culture and rich history. This tour is full of everything you’d want outside of the busy typical tourist attractions and spots. Left us wanting to come back for more time to explore more of IST and all it has to offer. Would HIGHLY recommend
Lynne_B, Sep 2025
Karem made this a day we will always remember. What a fantastic introduction to Istanbul. So much food! Breakfast was fantastic, followed by snacks lunch and dinner. All transport and soft drinks included. Fantastic value and highly recommended.
Denise_M, Jun 2025
Just…WOW! We wanted an “off the beaten path” type of tour that would give us exposure to many areas and experiences and food. This was a JACKPOT!
We met at Taksim Square then walked for a little while. Metin (best tour guide ever!) shared lots of interesting facts about the area, then came the first treat of the day- breakfast. This was an incredible feast of authentic Turkish cuisine, the spread was endless.
Lunch, dinner, and the snacks along the way were also delightful. It wasn’t just the food but the history behind each dish and the lesson on how to eat everything. Pickle juice, stuffed mussels, lahmacun, baklava are just a few of the things we ate.
So many things experienced in this one day we’d have spent several days on our own trying and still not have discovered half of the areas or history. My husband and I felt like newborns after the Turkish bath. The boat rides on the Golden Horn gave us a chance to see some of Istanbul from the water.
Metin set a good pace for the day, he kept us moving. We never felt rushed or that we were in any one place for too long. He looked out for our safety when we were in crowds or busy areas. He allowed us to add in things that were of interest to us and kept us entertained even then.
Definitely pay whatever the price for this tour is because you’re getting an absolute steal! I hope you’re as lucky as us and get Metin as your guide! He made this a memory for a lifetime!
Laurel_G, Mar 2025
This was probably the best day tour we’ve ever done. Honestly it was a lot like I’d spend a day with a friend - lots of walking, stopping for coffee, occasionally popping into shops, snacking on the ferry with a beautiful view. It was very cool to go to a local hammam to relax in the afternoon.
Our guide Metin was a lovely, enthusiastic person who has so much appreciation for the culture and architecture. He was the perfect tour guide: stopping to explain enough to orient us but also quietly letting us observe the people and neighborhoods as we walked around. He also was really accommodating to our interests as well.
Come hungry for several great meals and lots of little snacks! Would definitely recommend, especially as a complement to the more tourist highlight tours. Thank you, Metin!
Cheryl_R, Dec 2024
Metin is the absolute best!
Very knowledgeable, professional, personable
A lovely attentive person
The tour included everything mentioned in description
Layda_F, Oct 2024
Had a great time with Ayse. She was very knowledgeable about the hystory and the places to go to enjoy the best the tour can offer. Delicious food, I tried what I wanted to try when planning my trip, very good experience.
She was very friendly and open to fulfill our needs (mine and my husband)
I would definetely recommend this tour with Ayse, won’t be dissapointed.
Kathy_F, Oct 2024
We saw four different neighborhoods we wouldn't have seen without help, but at a pretty rushed pace. The Bosphorus cruise is just a crossing, so nothing special. our breakfast was excellent, the lunch was good, but at a fasr food place a bit grubby. we ended up bailing before dinner, due to fatigue. Hamman was enjoyable. Overall, too much stair climbing for anyone over 50. Crossing the freeway to exit the bus was no Bueno. Guide ducked out 3 or 4 x.
jiya18, Sep 2024
Our guide Metin was wonderful & knowledgable. Couldnt ask for any better.
He knew all the smallest details & happily answered all the questions during the trip & also shared tips regarding food , shopping & currency excange. Metin is an absolute gem.
Priscilla_G, Aug 2024
Our guide was THE MOST MEMORABLE thing of our tour. We can't say enough about how delighted we were with our guide, Emel. She is bright, charming, and knowledgeable on many levels. She was able to explain the history, culture, and customs of her country and city, and could take the conversation in any direction we needed. Our experience was more than "sightseeing;" it was also as immersive an experience as you can have in one day. She took us into fascinating neighborhoods, hosted us at interesting restaurants, and seemed to know most of the business people we encountered. She made us feel welcome and at home in a great, exotic, bustling city. We will always treasure the time we spent in her care.
The favorite things were trying out so many different foods along the way, especially visiting the marketplace on the Asian side of Istanbul. The stuffed mussels were yummy. We also loved the oldest baklava shop, established in 1843. Of course, the Hamam (Turkish bath) is not to be missed. That was a real experience! This tour made us love Istanbul and want to come back!
Chad_L, Jul 2024
We saw such a wide range of the city and areas we wouldn’t normally see on our own. Kerem was a fantastic guide - very knowledgeable and engaging and flexible. We ate a lot (too much!) and finished feeling like we knew so much more about this beautiful place!
Richard_V, May 2024
Our tour guide Kerem was extremely insightful and made this tour highly interactive and very friendly. It felt like going out with friends for a walk rather than just a lot of information being thrown at you with a quick pic. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
Josh_L, May 2024
Metin gave us the most memorable excursion while in Istanbul. The breakfast, sites he took us to that no other tour had, and the Hamman at the end were amazing. Metin may as well be the mayor of Istanbul because he knows everyone and is extremely likable.
This was my favorite tour of the trip and I highly recommend it. Truly worth the money!
shirlene_a, Apr 2024
This is one of the best Tours I have ever done and I have been to over 40 countries. Our guide Kerem really gave us a experience that open the window into what it’s like to be a local and to see things from a local point of view. He gave us just enough information about the history of the culture without overwhelming me and my guest. We Especially loved the Turkish breakfast and going to a real hamam and having a true Turkish hamam bath experience. But honestly, I enjoyed all of the experience. It was just really a wonderful day from start to finish. I would definitely recommend the store and ask for Kerem. He was an amazing Tour Guide. I’m not sure the experience would’ve been the same without him. Five stars for sure.
Anonymous, Feb 2024
Where to start? - We met Metin at Taksim Square and he asked me how I was, I was honest and said I wasn’t great as I’d lost my passport the day before. I’d spoken to 3/4 places I’d been to and none of them had it. He immediately asked where the last place was and after telling him very confidently said “I know these guys, I’ll call them for you and I think we’ll get it back”
It’s a strange way to start a review I’ll concede, but it’s an example that from our very first interaction Metin couldn’t do enough for us to help.
The tour itself can be best described by my partner when she said “it’s like spending the day in Istanbul with an old friend” - the enthusiasm with which Metin went about showing us the city was a beautiful thing. The highlights of the tour are rightly the breakfasts and the Hammam bookending your day what isn’t accurately measured is pit stops for authentic snacks and the flexibility with which Metin adapts the time between to match your interests.
I’m an avid review reader, I read dozens of reviews for this tour before deciding to book. I won’t ruin the details of it by over describing each step, but what I will say is our guide was known by almost everybody, put your faith in him and say yes to as much as you can fit an unforgettable experience.
To finish - before the Hammam Metin spoke to the shop I potentially had left my passport at, it turns out they’d found it and returned it to a police station. He took us to the station (which without notice had moved to a complete new location) and helped us with the over worked and busy Turkish police officers to quickly get my passport back.
This tour is probably worth more than the price you pay, you get food and drinks, your walked about like a local, see history and culture and best of all you feel like it’s done with a friend. Cannot score it any higher
Caylie_H, Jan 2024
We had a great day being taken through the city - shown hidden treasures, learning some of the history, and tasting great food! It's a long day with a fair amount of walking, but it's paced well with the various stops/eating/sitting throughout the day. A perfect way to preview several sites, experiences, and neighborhoods throughout the city.
Bernie_O, Oct 2023
Ayse was a wonderful guide! Fun time! So glad we did it!
Enjoyed getting beyond the typical tourist attractions. So much fascinating history.
Donna_B, Oct 2023
Our day with Ayse was phenomenal from start to finish! A visit to Istanbul would not be complete without this comprehensive tour. Each food stop was delicious and gave us a look into the delicious food available in Instanbul. The traditional turkish breakfast was incredible as well as the shawarma (although everything was delicious!). We truly felt like we got to experience the perfect snapshot of Istanbul in one day. Loved the ferry rides on the Bosporus as well as the visit to the Turkish Bath, also enjoyed that we were able to experience multiple modes of transportion (taxi, tram, bus, ferry). We highly recommend this tour as a must do, and well worth every penny! Our tour guide Ayse was an absolute delight! This tour delivered everything in the tour description and exceeded our expectations and then some!
Art, Sep 2023
Travel, eat and relax like a local! This tour is part food tour and part historical tour. Our guide Metin really immersed us in the local culture. From breakfast, to lunch til dinner we ate like Turks. We used public transportation and felt how it was to live a day in the life of a local in Istanbul. We rode the metro, ferry and the tram. Metin brought us to the neigbirhoods of Cirjangir, Kadikoy, Fener and Balat. We appreciated the local shops, cafes, restaurants and markets where Istanbulers go. To top it all, we experienced how it was to be pampered in a Hamam. I highly recommend this tour and our guide Metin.
Minh_V, Sep 2023
Our tour guide, Ayse Ozge was beyond excellent! Ayse is very knowledgeable about history, art, culture, religion & she did an outstanding job at showing us the extraordinary side of Istanbul beyond the overwhelmingly crowded tourist sights. We visited all the sights (both on the European & Asian side of Istanbul) that are listed on the website & my husband & I truly enjoyed the tour.
Besides explaining in depths about each sights, Ayse also took us on a food fare which included a delicious traditional Turkish breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as snacks in between . Ayse is extremely friendly & has an open communication style with us, as well as with anyone she meets. She is genuine & well perceive by many local business owners. For instance, one of the cafe that we visited for snacks did not have a public WC, but she was able to convince the owner to let us use their own personal WC. Another example, she was able to convince the owner to allow us to take a photo of their beautiful restaurant with a romantic backyard without eating there.
Ayse is very attentive & kind. She often check with us every moment to ensure we were comfortable & if her pace was not too fast for us. Ayae has an aesthetic eye for photography and often points out the beautiful unique areas to take pictures.. She offered to take our photos & all the photos that she took of us were artistic & vibrant; they captured the essence & beauty of the specific areas that we visited.
Ayse is energetic & very enthusiastic. From hearing her talk, we can tell right away that she's is very passionate about her job & her city, We enjoyed her ability to "connect the dots" in history to more fully understand the important lessons that history has taught us & the struggles of the "movers & shakers" that came before us, as well as having a unique perspective about her community & the world. Overall, Ayse is an awesome tour guide! She is extremely knowledgeable, fun, flexible & considerate. She did an outstanding job & we highly recommend her to anyone. We wish there is a tour guide like Ayse in every county that we visit.
Donna_W, Sep 2023
We loved the variety of experiences on this tour. We saw real neighbourhoods and areas that gave us an excellent overview of Istanbul other than the museums and other must do’s
I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to discover this wonderful city. Having an experienced and local guide such as Ayse enabled us to feel safe while enjoying our day.
karen, Jun 2023
Had an amazing tour with Ayse….wonderful food, we loved exploring local neighbourhoods and interesting commentary. Our highlight was the Turkish bath experience… such a fun thing to do. Would highly recommend this extensive tour. Ayse was incredibly knowledgeable and fun to lead us on this journey.
Jo_R, May 2023
Ayse was the best guide! She was fun, informative and the whole day was a delight. We saw wonderful, off beat areas and ate some amazing food. Definitely a must-do tour when in Istanbul.
Anna_K, Apr 2023
Ayse was a wonderful guide and was able to show us so many experienses in one day.
Wandering through different neighbourhoods of Istanbul and trying different foods was fun and informative.
Manas_S, Nov 2022
This was an amazing day! They purposely keep the groups small to make it a personalized experience and we were lucky to get our incredible guide, Metin, all to ourselves for our tour. We felt like we were being shown around the city by a friend. Metin is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul + added his own views and personal stories of the sights that we were seeing! And we stopped multiple times throughout for food and snacks at places that he vetted and locals loved. I would highly recommend taking this tour early in your trip- the places we covered were unique and different than the typical tourist sites and Metin became a personal friend showing us the city.
caroleseguin, Oct 2022
We walked around areas we would never have found, tasted Turkish delights through the day and experienced local customs. Metin is energetic, enthusiastic, funny and knowledgeable about his city. He even walled us back to the metro so we didn’t get lost. Above and beyond. We should have done this tour when we first arrived. And HAS TO BE WITH Metin 😄
Michael_R, Jul 2022
Alim is a great guide! He was very conscientious by giving us detailed directions from our hotel to our meeting point and back and picked out some fantastic eateries where enjoyed local unique baklava, delicious flatbreads, Turkish coffee and so much more! What I appreciated most was Alim’s willingness to augment our tour and add things as substitutions in place of sites we’d already seen on a prior tour. This truly made our booked tour customized to what we wanted to do. Critical to the success of our trip was his speaking with vendors to help my group negotiate with vendors and help us navigate signage at the various transport depots. Alim was invaluable and helped us enjoy our time in Istanbul.
Mark_H, Jul 2022
I had Emily again witch i had on another tour witch was funny. I got along with her and she was knowledgable and had a great day again with her. The turkish baths was an interesting expirience and yes it is very hot. Had great food toos and beware, the raki is very strong.
From $200.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Circle Istanbul (Extraordinary Istanbul)
370
10 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$200.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Istanbul, Turkey
- Istanbul City Walls (Walls of Constantinople) Tours & Tickets
- Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Istanbul Arkeoloji Muzeleri) Tours & Tickets
- Fener District Tours & Tickets
- Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Meydani) Tours & Tickets
- Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami) Tours & Tickets
- Eyup Sultan Mosque Tours & Tickets
- Yedikule Fortress (Yedikule Hisari Müzesi) Tours & Tickets
- Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Hagia Irene (Aya Irini) Tours & Tickets
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Türk Islam Eserleri Müzesi Hizmete) Tours & Tickets
- Istanbul Cevahir Mall Tours & Tickets
- Camlica Hill (Camlica Tepesi) Tours & Tickets
- Eminonu Pier (Eminönü Iskelesi) Tours & Tickets
- Camlica Mosque 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