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
Why travelers loved this
·
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
- Skip-the-line tickets available upon request
- 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 159 reviews
Meri_A, Jun 2026
Best introduction to Istanbul - Day 1! Ayden was so knowledgeable as a born and raised local, and so helpful with language barrier! Excellent walking tour of Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, and Hippodrome. Picksd a great restaurant for lunch and pick-up snacks along the way, and help navigate purchases at the bazaar from reputable vendors! Highly recommend this full day private tour at a very fair price. Our family of 4 with 16yo twins all enjoyed!
Response from Host, Jun 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
Christina_G, Jun 2026
Our guide Oğuz came and met us at our hotel and took us by public transport into the city. He showed us everything on the list and substituted the spice market as the grand bazaar was shut. He took care to tell us a brief history of each site and ensured we were able to navigate around the city and home afterwards. I think this tour provided excellent value and if you only have one day to spend you will not be disappointed doing this tour.
Response from Host, Jun 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
Timothy_M, May 2026
Fantastic guide and incredible introduction to Istanbul. Sait met us at our hotel and led us through the amazing monuments and history of Istanbul. We visited on a holiday making it particularly crowded. But Sait had a plan and access to get us into each major destination with barely a wait. We would have probably seen just two sites without him, but we made it through ALL the major landmarks: Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, plus time for a great lunch and a very nice ceramic store. Really incredible! Highly recommend Sait for his historical knowledge and practical ability to navigate the crowds!
Response from Host, May 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
Edward_A, May 2026
Booked a private tour of istanbul.
My guide Fahdi was very fiendly and knowledgeable, and took me wherever I wanted to go, even shortcutting some of the long queues.
Wevtravelled by tram which gave a miuch more local experoence
Response from Host, May 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
Kathy_H, May 2026
Loved the tour, Beko is very knowledgeable! He was easy going and great to be with. We saw the real Istanbul!
Response from Host, May 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
Esther_Y, May 2026
Omer Boran is the best tour guide and we had great experience. He is professional and knowledgeable with Turkish history.
Response from Host, May 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
Tim_C, May 2026
A detailed tour covering so many interesting and fascinating places in the old town. Lots of walking so bottled water and comfy shoes a must but worth every minute!
Response from Host, May 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
Susan_V, May 2026
It was really great, our guide Faith was really flexible and was great to have as our guide. We enjoyed the entire day and would recommend this company or guide for anyone to use
Response from Host, May 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
AnneMarie_R, May 2026
Very informative, our guide Omer was very knowledgeable and helped us navigate through the logistics of entry to the sites.
We really appreciated all the information he provided.
Response from Host, May 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
Kathy_W, May 2026
We saw all the must see sights in Istanbul- our guide, Umit was very knowledgeable and personable. He picked us up even though we were staying outside the old city area at the Pera Palace. Guides have the ability to buy skip the line tickets which makes it so much easier to see more in a limited time.
Very highly recommend this tour and guide.
Response from Host, May 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
Jennifer_S, May 2026
We had a wonderful tour with Fatih. He is very knowledgeable about all the famous historical sites in Istanbul.
He also led us to a wonderful place to get a delicious Turkish lunch at a reasonable price and also helped in finding the best places to purchase from in the Grand Bazaar.
We highly recommend spending a day with Fatih if you are touring Istanbul.
Response from Host, May 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
Xiaoning_L, May 2026
Nazan was an excellent private tour guide—professional, responsible, and very knowledgeable. She planned everything thoughtfully and made the experience smooth and enjoyable. Her English is excellent, and she explained Istanbul’s history and culture in a clear and engaging way. We learned a lot and had a wonderful time. Highly recommended!
Response from Host, May 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
Kimberly_S, May 2026
Josh (Coskan) was our tour guide and he was FANTASTIC!!!! I highly recommend him for a tour! He was very knowledgeable and so very nice!!!
Response from Host, May 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
Maria_S, May 2026
We loved it. Our guide was great very knowledgeable. He answered very question I would recommend it.
Response from Host, May 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
neil_n, Apr 2026
First I took a train for the 1st time in a long time and was a nice experience. Then had a great walk in the gardens and learnt some of the culture and architecture.
Rukiye was great and understanding and guided me well and made sure I got into the right cab back to my hotel. She was great.
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
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.
From $180.00
per group (up to 6)up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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