Full-Day Private Guided Tour of Historic Istanbul
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 6 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- Professional Tour Guide
- Soft Drinks
- Public Transportation
- Public Transportation Fees
- Discover rich tradition of Turkish handicrafts through unique art &shopping experiences in GORDES
- Fast Track Ticket Avaliable to skip the huge queue
- Entry Fees
- Private transportation
- Foods & Drinks
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Hippodrome
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Blue Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Basilica Cistern
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Grand Bazaar
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
6
TopkapI Palace
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Total tour duration includes waiting time for the attraction and personal breaks.
- 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
4.9
based on 131 reviews
Mallory_M, Apr 2026
This tour was a great way to see the main sites in Istanbul. The guide was experienced and knowledgeable. The only downside was there was a lot of time spent in shops - if you're not interested in shopping, I suggest booking a different tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Sanjay_S, Apr 2026
We had a fantastic one day tour. Highly recommend our guide Zel. She was very knowledgable and informative not only on the history of all the monuments we visited but also guided us on what else we could visit during our stay in Istanbul, places to eat, shops to visit etc. Zel is an absolute delight.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Peter_M, Apr 2026
We had a private guided tour of Istanbul with Beko and it was an excellent experience.
Beko was attentive, flexible, and adjusted the itinerary throughout the day based on crowd levels. Some of the key attractions were extremely busy, however he navigated the lines efficiently and ensured we were able to access each site with minimal delay.
A well-managed and highly professional tour—strongly recommended.
Would recommend him as a guide.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Ayesha_M, Apr 2026
Our guide Nazan did a wonderful job of fitting in all the sites we wanted to see within the time we had.
She provided the right level of information for our group to keep us engaged.
There is no way we would have covered so may sites on our own.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Melissa_W, Apr 2026
Omer was an amazing tour guide. He was very knowledgeable on all of the historical sights. He was very friendly and offered great recommendations for eateries and shopping for after the tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
George_B, Apr 2026
We were extremely excited about the tour. It was a small group of four (wife, daughter and her boyfriend). Thankfully we booked this tour before traveling, to occur the day after we arrived from the US, as it rained the other two days we were in Istanbul. Omer was a wonderful guide. He met us at our hotel and we traveled to the Hippodrome. He is extremely knowledgeable about all things Istanbul and had great insight to the history and explained the culture over the thousands of years of Turkey and Istanbul. He laid out the options of the places to see and we prioritize what and when to see them. This was helpful considering the jet lag from the prior travel so we could shorten or skip a location if needed. Omer made this a wonderful experience.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Georgios_K, Mar 2026
Excellent tour, highly recommend. Nice walk in the old city. Nazi the guide was knowledgeable and friendly
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
Emma_I, Mar 2026
Great tour, my guide was extremely knowledgeable and was happy to change the tour to anything I wanted to see. Gave me tips on places to eat, I highly recommend
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We also sincerely appreciate you choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure hosting your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you again in the future.
Dee_J, Feb 2026
I had an absolutely wonderful experience and truly enjoyed every part of the tour. The guide was knowledgeable and the overall atmosphere was fantastic.
The only small suggestion would be to keep the focus entirely on the tour experience itself. At times, it felt like there was some encouragement to shop at certain stores, and while I understand the value of supporting local businesses, I typically hope to spend tour times immersed in the sights and stories rather than feeling pressured to make additional purchases.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Gavin_C, Feb 2026
Good day out, interesting tour with lots of history, Nazan is a great guide, beautiful sites around the city
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
Andrew_M, Jan 2026
Hasan met us at our hotel near Sultanahmet and went to the main sightseeing spots. Great to have local knowledge, history and cultural discussions. Hasan was patient with us as the four of us had different expectations and pace. We did not feel rushed. Hasan was able to bypass the main queues due to his tourism badge which was fantastic. Also good knowledge about to expect and what to focus on during our tour. This was excellent. Thank you again.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Gerard_P, Jan 2026
Omar was my tour guide, he was very knowledgeable about everywhere that we visited, I learned so much about the history of the city and Turkey. The tour is exactly what I was looking for and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a personal touch.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Tea_N, Jan 2026
Informative walkabout in historical central Istanbul tailored to our requests . Visited all major sites with exception of Topkapi Palace as it is closed on Tuesdays.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Martha_S, Jan 2026
Great guide. Very knowledgeable and friendly.
Enjoyed all the sites, Hagia Sofia was under so much construction that not much to see.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Emily_D, Dec 2025
Billur was the single greatest tour guide my husband and I have ever used... so much so, when we would run into other tour guides throughout the city while we were on our tour, not only would Billur receive the biggest hugs and hellos, the guides would hug us too, and tell us we had the "Princess of all Istanbul Tour Guides" in our midst!
Our day in Istanbul was vibrant, endlessly fascinating, perfectly planned, and full of knowledge. We felt like we covered every corner we could, and Billur even stayed overtime with us to show the nuances between Turkish delights in the Grand Bazaar. She made sure no stone was left unturned, and no fact left unmentioned. If we needed extra time at a site, or wanted to take a few extra photos, she was quick to jump into place and help make it happen. Billur went above and beyond in all aspects of our tour day, and even followed up to be certain we were set up for success for the rest of our trip in Turkey.
We cannot rave about Billur and this tour in Istanbul highly enough!!!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
Nicole_A, Dec 2025
We enjoyed a fantastic day with Berkant. He was a great company and was very knowledgeable. We highly recommend his services.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Chris_J, Nov 2025
Omar was fantastic! He knows so much about the city, the culture and history. He provided great information about the sites and was so nice to us the whole time. We visited the Blue Mosque, the cistern, the hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar. We also walked into the entrance to the Palace but didn't do the whole tour because of time constraints. We also skipped the Haiga Sofia because of limitations on visiting and the restoration they are doing. The only complaint I can think of is that I would have liked to go to the Asian side for some street food or something. Finally, don't go see the loom technique on the double knot for the rugs they ask you about unless you want to buy a rug or ahop for rugs. Finally,if you are coming from the airport, you should plan on an hour to an hour and a half to get to the old city and the taxi is about 2400 TL.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Antonio_C, Nov 2025
We had an amazing experience on this private guided tour, which we selected because we needed a Spanish-speaking guide. Our guide, Kagan, was absolutely awesome.
His communication was excellent; he contacted us via WhatsApp a few days before the tour to coordinate. (We definitely recommend downloading WhatsApp, as almost everyone in Turkey uses it).
On the day of the tour, he picked us up from our hotel at 10 am and walked us through the full itinerary. He stayed with us all the way until 7 pm, showing us fascinating local places we never would have found on our own. Kagan is incredibly knowledgeable about history, which made the entire day engaging. The whole tour was fantastic, and we highly recommend him!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
pamela_s, Nov 2025
The tour guide, Omer Boran, was ok. I did expect better for a private tour. He repeated facts multiple times. Toward the end of the tour he asked if we wanted to try turkish coffee, and see how carpets are made. We agreed to see how carpets are made by hand and try the coffee. We didn't say we had any desire to purchase. Omer took us to a shop, and it was like a timeshare experience. We were not interested in purchasing a carpet, but they kept rolling them out for us to see. The people were nice at the shop, it was very awkward.
Kathy_T, Oct 2025
This was a fantastic tour! Bora, our tour guide, was so knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to show us anything we wanted to see! His insights and knowledge were phenomenal! We could not have had a better day! We highly recommend Bora!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Kartheek_K, Oct 2025
The guide was knowledgeable, shared interesting historical facts, and took us to a great lunch spot. Went above and beyond by helping us with souvenir shopping, making the experience even more enjoyable.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
selmshaeuser, Oct 2025
Best way to see the city and learn. Our guide was very knowledgeable! Omar was a big help getting us where we needed to go.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Malcolm_J, Oct 2025
Our guide Mohammed was absolutely excellent. Was very informed about the sights he took us to, and equally made us feel very at ease. We felt well looked after and special. Would happily recommend to all
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
William_D, Oct 2025
We enjoyed our guide Necmi. He had so much knowledge to share about Istanbul and its history. We were also quite late to our tour and he was so kind and patient to wait for us. Despite that, we were able to maintain a nice pace to see the Old City. The only downside of our tour was an unexpected stop to see a "Turkish Rug Demonstration." This is not on the itinerary....We were simply taken there. And then Necmi left for awhile during what became an extremely uncomfortable sales presentation. We spent enough time there that we had to somewhat squeeze in the Blue Mosque. Our later visit to the Grand Bazaar was also fine, but too long. And don't make the mistake of buying something there. You can find all the "stuff" that's offered there somewhere else in Istanbul for a fraction of the price. Tell your guide you'd like to see it and then maybe leave. Overall, we did enjoy Necmi and were able to see what we wanted to see. But the unwelcome rug experience makes it difficult to give the day high marks.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Deborah_A, Oct 2025
We loved our tour in Istanbul and our tour guide Gulsen was amazing. She was so knowledgeable, friendly and helped us to see everything we wanted. I would highly recommend her and this tour to anyone.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
Brian_W, Oct 2025
Knowledgeable guide, able to flex the itinerary based on lines to ensure we spent more time seeing history than standing and waiting for entrance.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Christine_B, Sep 2025
We had a fantastic walking tour with our excellent guide Muhammed. He shared a wealth of information about all the sites we visited and tailored the tour to suit our interests. We particularly enjoyed the Cistern Basilica. We would have no hesitation recommending Muhammed to anyone visiting Istanbul.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
Edward_E, Sep 2025
Nice experience. Our guide helped us get access to sites quickly and was careful to let us move at our pace.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing
to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted
to welcome you in the future.
Helena_A, Sep 2025
Was great until we were put in a carpet shop towards the end of the tour and shown about 15 or so pieces. Which at no point had voiced any interest in..
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback We also sincerely thank you for choosing to book your tour through us. It was a pleasure to host your visit, and we would be delighted to welcome you in the future.
Nish_V, Apr 2025
Great private tour option. Our guide was Urgen. He is very knowledgeable and paced this trip well. There was a very long line at Hagia Sofia so we went to the palace, then the cisterns and finally Hagia Sofia, where he didn’t have fast track ticket purchase as a tour guide. He recommended some other things to do as well.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We’re so pleased to hear that ugurcan made your
time in Istanbul unforgettable. Thank you again, and we look forward to welcoming you on
another adventure in the future!....
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Full-Day Private Guided Tour of Historic Istanbul
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