Istanbul private tour with skip line tickets included
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 4 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Stroll the atmospheric neighborhoods and historic streets of old Istanbul on a full-day, private walking tour with an experienced guide. Enjoy the flexibility to customize the day to your interests, with plenty of time to visit the sites that interest you most. Trace a path through centuries of Turkish history as you explore the hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Take in the soaring dome and minarets of Hagia Sophia, then get an insider’s guide to the Grand Bazaar’s vibrant displays of handicrafts, souvenirs and carpets.
- Full-day walking tour of historic Istanbul with a private guide
- See the city's landmarks and highlights
- Create the perfect tour for your schedule and needs
- Get local tips on the best places to eat, drink and visit
- Private tour ensures a personal experience
What's Included
- Private expert tour guiding for the day
- Skip Line Tickets for Hagia Sophia
- Private Expert Local Guide
- Private Pick up and Drop off at your Hotel or Cruise Port by Airconditioned vehicles
- Unique time to discover Turkish Handcrafts: (Carpet -Leather-Ceramic and Jewelry)
- Pre-reserved tickets for Topkapi Palace
- Drinks
- Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Blue Mosque
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Grand Bazaar
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
Hippodrome
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
TopkapI Palace
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
6
Tree Of Life Ceramics & Gift Shop
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
5K Rug Store
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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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 203 reviews
Jena_B, Jun 2026
Erkut was an amazing tour guide! He made our experience so much more enjoyable by explaining the history and significance of every place we visited in a way that was easy to understand. He shared so many interesting details that we would have completely missed on our own.
What really made him stand out was how patient and thoughtful he was. He never rushed us and was always happy to answer questions. He also went above and beyond by taking beautiful photos of us at every stop, making sure we had wonderful memories to take home.
If you’re lucky enough to have Erkut as your guide, you’re in great hands. I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting. Thank you, Erkut, for making our trip so memorable!
Sarina_K, Jun 2026
Our tour guide - Dillsad- was very friendly and quite knowledgeable. Enjoyed all the history. Some parts seemed a bit long and drawn out, however our guide was very accommodating and allowed for bathroom breaks, refreshments, shopping and photos.
AMAL_S, Jun 2026
The tour was amazing. Our guide Mel was knowledgeable and attentive. The sights are breathtaking. I highly recommend
Richard_S, Jun 2026
Saban was wonderful. He has a wealth of knowledge and delivered a fantastic experience at all the sites. We had a delicious lunch and a great time at the ceramic and rug stores with very instructive demonstrations. A terrific experience!!
Mary_H, Jun 2026
Wonderful experience with a kind and knowledgeable guide! Kenan was an excellent guide. We saw Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Spice Bazaar!
Kristen_M, Jun 2026
Everything was taken care of so we could just experience and enjoy the city. Our guide was so knowledgeable and mindful of how to make it the best day of adventure
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for booking your tour with us in Istanbul, we are glad to see your nice words and happy to provide best services with our team for our valued guests
Fred_W, Jun 2026
There is more to see than you possibly could in a day. She was very knowledgeable and judged very well what we would find of interest. This tour was very worth the price.
Bill_P, Jun 2026
Great tour with a dedicated guide. Timely pickup at our hotel. Having the tickets ready for us was a big reason we went with this tour. Our guide, Maksut was very knowledgeable and tailored our tour to fit our needs.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your nice words and choosing our company for your travel in Turkey
Cornelius_R, Jun 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this private tour with Serkan. His knowledge of the history of the mosques and the Harem was exceptional and made the experience truly worthwhile. Having a private tour created a much more personal and intimate atmosphere. I never had to worry about other tourists interrupting, and Serkan was able to take the time to explain each location we visited in great detail.
For me, the best tours are the ones where it's just you and the guide, allowing for a more engaging and customized experience. Serkan exceeded my expectations in every way.
Excellent, excellent, excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Patricia_T, Jun 2026
Taha Tahir was an incredibly knowledgeable and likeable tour guide. His love for his home city is evident in every aspect of the tour and he brought the history and culture of the city alive for us. He also seems to be famous among the community...nice to have been with such a well liked celebrity!
John_W, Jun 2026
We just finished our private Istanbul tour with Songül and it was the highlight of our trip. From the very start, she made the day feel personal—taking the time to learn what we loved and tailoring everything to our interests. Her knowledge of Istanbul is incredible, and the insights she shared brought the city’s history and culture to life in a way no guidebook ever could.
What truly set Songül apart was how genuine and thoughtful she was. She turned what could have been an ordinary tour into a magical, unforgettable experience. We never felt rushed, every question was welcomed, and she had a wonderful way of making us feel like old friends seeing the city together.
If you’re visiting Istanbul, do yourself a favor and book a private tour with Songül. You won’t regret it. Teşekkürler, Songül—we’ll treasure this day forever!
Jay_B, Jun 2026
Will you get an extremely knowledgeable tour guide that will have answers for all your history questions? Yes. Will you get a local that will give you a realistic perspective into their thoughts and culture? No.
Why this is, is complex. The first half of the tour was exactly what we were expecting - historical sites and facts. Lots to see and learn. The entire second half, however, was one sales pitch after another. Like every single one.
Rug store to see a rug being made? Cool. Rug store upstairs demonstration with high pressure sales tactics? Not cool. Pottery store to see how certain pottery is made? Cool. Tour of the entire store being constantly reminded that things can be shipped home included in the price? Not cool.
The kicker was the Grand Bazzar, a place known to be tourist focused, high (relative to other markets) priced, and a place where you as a consumer have limited knowledge since prices are not marked. This is the definition of the type of place you can barter. So I asked our guide, how barter and pricing works. He acted indignent and firmly said you never barter and the price is the price. This is when I knew this individual was not someone that had my interest in mind. At the VERY LEAST you could give the straightforward advice to 'ask multiple vendors selling the same item how much, and if you don't want it, just walk away. This will start to give you an idea of how much these things should cost.'. That's such basic advice, and instead I got "pay the price they say *angry face*", which in our case was for a blanket that cost anywhere from $150 - $450 (!!) depending on who you asked.
I should have seen this coming though. For lunch, he asked where we wanted to eat. We said street food. Then he took us to the most touristy priced sit down next to the landmarks. He acted cagey for a bit saying its up to us if we wanted to eat alone or not. Basically making 100% sure it was us who invited him to lunch, which then the expectation was on us to pay. The thing is, I WANTED to pay for his meal already, and was going to offer, but instead it became this weird game of "well only if you want to", very strange. Was $100 for 3 people's basic lunch, which on the street would have been half that.
So this is to say you are going to get a tour guide that has relationships with lots of locals, and these locals want you to buy their stuff. But as a result, you can't trust anything your PRIVATE tour guide says because you are always second guessing if you're the mark or if their recommendations are trustworthy.
At this point, I cannot recommend this expensive service. Do a big group tour, save the money, and have an even better experience because you're not going to be put in awkward situations multiple times throughout your private tour where you don't have anyone else to back you up in these high pressure sales tactic positions.
At the end of the day I gave him a tip (which is not standard in their culture) just to get him to go away. Sour taste for what should have been a great experience.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for choosing our tour and your review, rug store and ceramic pottery workshop is a part of our culture and we do visit them according to your interest but you can easily say no after the information part and do not see any off the products , also about the lunch you are always welcome to have your private lunch and do not share the table with the guide, Thank you for choosing us again and we are sorry that we could not satisfy your wishes
Bryan_D, May 2026
This was a private, guided tour of the major tourist sites of Istanbul. We were picked up at the hotel and returned when it was over. Our guide, Peri, was very friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. She got us into the Blue Mosque 15 minutes before it closed for prayers. Of all the sites, this was the most rushed. At the end of the tour, she took us to a great lunch spot. Our biggest criticisms are that our tour was in the middle of a major Turkish holiday. Most stores and the Grand Bazaar were closed, so no visitors. Wall to wall people everywhere, expected in a city of 18 million. Worst was the traffic going back to the hotel. It took the driver 2 1/2 hours to pick us up, and another 30 minutes to get back to the hotel. The sites were of great historic interest, and the guide did a great job in her explanations. We probably will not return to Istanbul.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Our dearest guest, we are very sorry to see your review unfortunately the day of your tour was independence day of istanbul and a big national holiday that was the main reason of the crowds and traffic, unfortutanely we do not have any chance to change the traffic conditions thats why we offer old city walking tours without car
Angelena_H, May 2026
we had an Exceptional walking tour of Istanbul with our guide Saban Sezer,his depth of knowledge as amazing, his Love of Istanbul incredible, thank you Topkapi palace,Ayasofya,Blue mosque,Grand bazaar,
Eric_D, May 2026
Our guide Peri did an excellent job and I would recommend her for this tour of Istanbul. From the very beginning she communicated the logistics of the tour so we knew what to expect. She has an incredible level of knowledge about the history of Istanbul and the historical sites on the tour. Her personality fit the role perfectly because she was able to mix history with anecdotes that made the tour fun. Peri also timed the visits to each historic site so that crowd sizes were minimal (which is relative given the sizes of the crowds in Instanbul).
Just a FYI, the tour is a walking tour so be ready to walk.
Paul_G, May 2026
What a day in Istanbul! Eylem arrived on time at our hotel and took us on a tram to the Blue Mosque, providing narrative of the sights all along the way. Next was Hagia Sophia with several more stops along the way 8ncluding the Grand Market.
After a break for coffee and baklava, she took us to a local shop so my wife could buy some Turkish towels. Then we saw a very informative ceramics demonstration.
The day was capped off at the Topkapi Palace. Eylem's wonderful narrative made the experience enriching and fun.
Don't go to Istanbul without booking with Eylem!
David_K, May 2026
We had an outstanding experience touring the historic heart of Istanbul with Billur. She guided us through iconic sites including Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace with exceptional knowledge and insight. What truly distinguished her was her flexibility and personalized approach. She adapted the pace, timing, and content to our interests rather than following a rigid script. Billur consistently went above and beyond to make the experience engaging, comfortable, and tailored specifically to us. Professional, warm, and highly informed, she made the history of Istanbul come alive. We would recommend her without hesitation.
Garry_L, May 2026
Great coverage of major tourist attractions with a brilliant guide Betul. Far exceeded our expectations. Helped us with shopping & best spot for a traditional Turkish lunch.
Phyllis_E, May 2026
Shaban was an EXCELLENT tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating to any requests we made, even for walking a bit slower as the day went on. I would definitely recommend him to any other visitors to Istanbul.
raquel_a, May 2026
Our guide, Ezghi, was great! Her summary of Istanbul and knowledge of history was impressive. Courteous and great to talk with. Great walking 6 hr experience.
Edgar_T, May 2026
Shaban, our guide tour was very knowledgeable and extremely informative. He was very friendly, pleasant and he consistently exceeded our expectations, making the journey a great experience . We were completely impressed with his professionalism and customer service.
The tour covered everything we could possibly need to know and hear about over the years of life of the city of Turkey/Istanbul. We couldn't be happier with our choice of tour. Our tour guide was amazing, very thoughtful, providing great insights and detail. Overall, our tour was really fantastic!!! Thank you, Shaban. Great job!!!
Janie_B, Apr 2026
Eylem was a WONDERFUL tour guide. We made a last minute itinerary change request that was immediately accommodated. We saw exactly what we requested, and our experience was greatly enhanced by her wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. We felt like we spent the day with a great friend who knew all the interesting details, the best picture spots, fun historical facts, and yummy local food. Money well spent. Would highly recommend.
Malcolm_D, Apr 2026
We had a great walking tour around the main sights in Istanbul by a very knowledgable Shaban who explained the history of each. We were picked up and dropped off at the cruise port, though navigating the way out to the meeting point was our challenge.
All the places- Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bizarre were in close proximity to each other, though after 5 hours on our feet we were a bit tired at the end.
Would certainly recommend.
Catherine_B, Apr 2026
Our tour guide Umit was extremely knowledgeable and fun. We saw the Haji Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Pudding Shop, and the high point was the Topkapi Palace.
Julie_A, Apr 2026
Great experience with a wonderful guide. Communication to arrange pickup from our hotel was well done. We saw a ton in one day and felt very informed about each location.
leighton_B, Apr 2026
Wonderfully knowledgeable guide. Eylem picked us up from our hotel in the Old City and gave the 4 of us in our group a fantastic in depth, personal tour. Bringing to life the history of Istanbul and the importance of the monuments we visited. Allowing for well timed breaks for coffees and baclava. Perfectly pitched.
Louise_S, Apr 2026
Great tour!Belgin collected us from our hotel and instantly captivated us with tales and history of Istanbul and the otterman empire. The tour of the blue mosque was amazing as is the history, the Topkapi palace - informative and intriguing. Hagia Sophia, while under restoration and still in operation, was a picture of history through out the ages. We highly recommend Belgin a fantastic tour thank you! Kenny & Louise Australia
Anita_P, Apr 2026
Eylem was a wonderful guide!! She was kind, thoughtful and friendly, and explained the sights and history to us in detail. She took us to wonderful places for lunch and coffee as well!
Merrilla_Z, Apr 2026
Our guide was great and shared his knowledge of the sites and culture. He also incorporated our interests into our tour.
Anne_M, Apr 2026
My husband and I greatly appreciate having Saban Sezer as our professional tour guide for our first day in Istanbul. He is incredibly knowledgeable, personable and we thoroughly enjoyed our day with him. He is a respected tour guide as we had 5-6 other tour guides say hello to him and tell us he is the best guide in Istanbul! After spending a day with Saban, we agree!
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$169.77
per personWas $199.73
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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