Best of Istanbul 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Istanbul, Turkey
+45
- 7 to 21 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Prepare to be awed by Istanbul’s magnificent architecture, rich history, and eclectic bazaars as you discover the unmissable highlights of the Old City on this 1-, 2-, or 3-day private tour. Marvel over the glorious Hagia Sophia, learn how the Blue Mosque earned its famous nickname, tour Topkapi Palace to gain an insight into the lavish lifestyles of the Ottoman sultans and their harem, and browse the legendary Grand Bazaar, where you find everything from carpets to Turkish delight.
- Exclusive Istanbul tour led by a private guide
- Comprehensive tour of the city over one, two, or three days
- Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city
- Customize the itinerary according to your schedule
What's Included
- Private tour
- Professional Licensed Guide
- Guide meets you at central hotels
- Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites unless van is booked)
- Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets
- Lunch
- Gratuity (suggested)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.
Itinerary
When booking this immersive, private tour of Istanbul, choose a duration that works best for your schedule. See many of the city’s most important attractions and monuments, all in one day—or extend to a two- or three-day experience for a complete introduction to the city.
On the first day, meet your guide directly at your centrally located Istanbul hotel. This experience is tailored to your schedule and interests, and you can pick from numerous departure times and customize your itinerary. Set off on foot to really soak in the city’s ambiance, and visit numerous landmarks in the Historic Areas of Istanbul UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Blue Mosque. Then, visit the lavish Topkapi Palace (entry own expense) before finishing at the Grand Bazaar. With your guide’s in-depth storytelling, you’ll learn more about the sights than you’d discover on your own.
If you choose to extend to the second day, enhance your visit with a Bosphorus cruise by public ferry and a trip to Dolmabahce Palace. Follow your guide through the crowds to see Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage, and the exterior of the Galata Tower.
And if you explore on a third day, more sights await discovery, including the Suleymaniye Mosque, the evocative Fener and Balat neighborhoods and the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church. Cap off your experience with a cable car ride to the Pierre Loti Hill.
On the first day, meet your guide directly at your centrally located Istanbul hotel. This experience is tailored to your schedule and interests, and you can pick from numerous departure times and customize your itinerary. Set off on foot to really soak in the city’s ambiance, and visit numerous landmarks in the Historic Areas of Istanbul UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Blue Mosque. Then, visit the lavish Topkapi Palace (entry own expense) before finishing at the Grand Bazaar. With your guide’s in-depth storytelling, you’ll learn more about the sights than you’d discover on your own.
If you choose to extend to the second day, enhance your visit with a Bosphorus cruise by public ferry and a trip to Dolmabahce Palace. Follow your guide through the crowds to see Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage, and the exterior of the Galata Tower.
And if you explore on a third day, more sights await discovery, including the Suleymaniye Mosque, the evocative Fener and Balat neighborhoods and the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church. Cap off your experience with a cable car ride to the Pierre Loti Hill.
1
Sultanahmet Square
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
German Fountain
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Blue Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Basilica Cistern
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
TopkapI Palace
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Grand Bazaar
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
8
Bosphorus Strait
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
9
Dolmabahce Palace
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
10
Taksim Square
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
11
Istiklal Caddesi
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Galata Tower
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
13
Misir Carsisi
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Cicek Pasaji
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15
Suleymaniye Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
16
Balat
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
17
Fener Rum Patrikhanesi
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
18
Historic Areas of Istanbul
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
19
Pierre Loti
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
20
Chora Museum
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
21
Halic
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
22
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- The suggested first-day tour is designed as a walking tour, with transportation needed only between the hotel and the Old Town if the hotel is outside old town.
- The suggested second-day tour can be easily managed by public transportation
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives such as Turkish And Islamic Arts Museum or Archaeological Museum or Basilica Cistern.
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and replaced with Spice Market.
- Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to museum regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
- For the tours that start later than 11 am, kindly note that you may have to skip one/a couple of sites as the sites are closed by 7 pm. Your guide will adjust the program according to your priorities.
- On Fridays, Blue Mosque will be visited in the afternoon.
- Grand Bazaar and Spice Market is closed during Eid. (Tue, Mar 9, 2027 – Thu, Mar 11, 2027)
- 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 10,311 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Erdim was very knowledgable. Excellent historical overview.
I saw a lot in the short time I had available.
Our private tour in Istanbul was an absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish! Having a private guide made such a difference because we were able to experience Istanbul at our own pace while also learning so much about the history, culture, and beautiful landmarks throughout the city.
Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, kind, patient, and attentive. They did an amazing job making the history come alive and answering every question we had along the way. We never felt rushed, and it truly felt like we were exploring Istanbul with someone who genuinely wanted us to have the best experience possible.
The entire tour was well organized, comfortable, and seamless. From the beautiful sights to the fascinating stories behind them, every part of the day was memorable. If you are visiting Istanbul, I highly recommend booking a private tour rather than trying to navigate everything on your own. It made our experience so much more personal and enjoyable.
Thank you for making our time in Istanbul so special! We will absolutely cherish the memories we made and would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Turkey!
My wife and I booked a 1 Day Private Guided Walking Tour. The
experience was outstanding. Our guide, Muhsin Ulusoy, was awesome. He has a great depth of knowledge of Istanbul/Turkey history as well as the various sites we visited. He was also extremely flexible - we were able to design a seven hour tour that combined his expertise with our interests. We enjoyed a lunch break with Muhsin at one of his favorite local cafes and learned more about his life in the city. We are glad that we added this tour on our last day, after disembarking from a ten day cruise.
Amazing 2 day tour of Istanbul with our guide, Atilim. He was patient, flexible, knowledgable and went out of his way to make sure we got what we wanted out of our tour. Could not have asked for a better tour in Istanbul.
Really good and interesting tour. Sude our guide was highly knowledgeable and paced the tour well. Would recommend.
We had the best experience touring Istanbul for 2 days with our exceptional guide Atilim. Atilim was so knowledgeable and informative about the history of Turkey, the best sites, and great places to shop and eat.He went above and beyond to ensure that our trip was a memorable one. By the end of the trip, my husband and I felt like we made a new friend in Turkey. Seriously, one of the best guides we have ever had.
Everything is wonderful tour guide eda is very kind I lost my tripods they help very good way yo find them
Ozgur was extremely knowledgeable. He knows so much about Turkish history, and we learned so much from him. He was also very accommodating and flexible to help us fit in everything we wanted to see in a short amount of time (we requested a late start). Istanbul is an incredible city with so much to see.
A lot of information about the culture, the Turkish people and the history of this beautiful country. Emil is a really beautiful spirited person that is highly educated and exemplified the true core of the Turkish people.
The ability to have a Customized experience is well worth it. Our guide was passionate and knowledgeable.
Tuba provided a comprehensive, informative, interesting and fun tour of all the highlights! It was awesome having her as our private tour guide and not in a group with headphones. She even adjusted the tour to accommodate our wishes and suggested spots to eat as well!
This was a great way to explore Istanbul. Our guide Numan provided an appropriate level of detail and background so that we understood the significance of the historical sites as well as the neighborhoods. He customized the tour to our interests. We took local transportation which was super convenient. I recommend this tour and the guide Numan.
Excellent and informative walking tour of Istanbul. Ezgi was a fabulous guide- she was very knowledgeable, spoke perfect English and is a lovely person.
We had an amazing 3 days seeing the best of Istanbul with our guide Ekram. He explained the sites we visited in so much detail and from so many points of view. Our orientation started with a harbor cruise, and then over the next 2 days unfolded into a thorough and beautiful experience at the major mosques, palaces, archaeological sites and the breathtaking Basilica Cistern. Ekram is passionate, knowledgeable, courteous and really enthusiastic about his home town. We’ve taken many personal guided tours over the years and Ekram is by far the best we’ve experienced. I highly recommend him!
Hakan was a great guide and took us where we asked to go: Topkapi, Cisterns and Grand Bazaar. We were fast tracked through the entry line to the cistern which was a huge advantage. Hakan is very knowledgeable about Turkish history and the big advantage of booking a small tour (just the two of us) was being able to ask as many questions as we wanted.
We had a phenomenal day with our guide Sema in Istanbul. She met us at our hotel and a wonderful day began. She is incredibly knowledgeable - sharing information about her city and insights into her culture. We learned the tram system from her - and a great place to purchase spices and Turkish Delight at the Spice Bazaar. She is extremely personable and genuinely interested in giving you the tour you want - and in getting you to the locations you want to visit. Don't go to Istanbul without her. We are sure glad we didn't.
Efe was an awesome tour guide who was able to show us all the highlights of Istanbul in a short period of time. It was nice to have everything organized so effectively.
This tour with Merve was a great experience. She was very knowledgeable and showed us all the best places - lunch like a local and skipping the lines were the best parts! Highly recommend!
We visited many important sites in this two days in Istanbul with Sema. We learned a lot of new information from Sema that we could not find anywhere. It is really worth exploring the area on foot as they are all very near one another and vehicles are not allowed in most places. Trams are very popular transportation tool in addition to buses and Metro services. We found September month ideal to visit the place as the temperature is moderate, not too high nor too low. Sema is a very knowledgeable kind and considerate person go with.
What a wonderful introduction to Istanbul! Mustafa really knew how to navigate the crowds so that we could comfortably navigate the sites before the crowds arrived. He was so knowledgable and our extended discussions really gave us a nice flavor of the country.
He had great recommendations on alternative sites to visit as well as places to eat at and shop.
We left this tour all agreeing we wanted to come back to see more! What a great time.
The tour guide, Ceren met us for our private tour at our hotel in the lobby! She was so professional, relaxed, informative, and knowledgeable that we learned more about Istanbul old city in one day than we ever thought possible! She was on time, interested in our group is a whole and really shine with a love for the city! We had an amazing day with her and learned so much about Istanbul on our first day on vacation! I would highly recommend taking this tour!
Taking a two-day private guided tour has to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Our guide, Sebnem, was a wealth of knowledge. When we told her we had seen a documentary about Sultan Mehmed II, she tailored what we saw and did around that history. With only two days to spend in Istanbul, thanks to Sebnem we made the most of our time. I would absolutely do this again.
Istanbul is full of treasures we would have missed if we hadn’t taken this tour with Mustafa. It’s a lot of walking but far worth every step. Wish we had the three day tour instead of one. It’s a five star tour! Beyond all expectations!
We did the 1-day tour around Istanbul and it was a great way to see some of the main highlights of the city. Our tour guide Esra did was very knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs. She did an amazing job throughout the tour. Highly recommend!
We had an absolutely wonderful full-day private tour of Istanbul with Merve. My boyfriend and I had such a great experience from start to finish. Merve was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire day feel relaxed and enjoyable.
She shared so much interesting history and local insight while showing us some of Istanbul’s most beautiful and memorable sights. We really appreciated having a private tour where we could take our time, ask questions, and enjoy the experience at our own pace.
Merve was also incredibly thoughtful and attentive throughout the day, and her passion for Istanbul really made the tour special. We learned so much and created some wonderful memories together.
We would definitely recommend Merve to anyone visiting Istanbul and would happily book another tour with her!
D was our guide and she was amazing. We experienced an accident and needed medical care and she came with us to the hospital and helped us manage the language barrier and then continued the tour and worked late to make it happen. She and the company made us feel like family and really took care of us in all that means for a tour and unexpected problems. Can’t recommend enough!
Taylor made for our personal experience. Set at our own pace . Better value for money than ship excursions. Dark was very professional & friendly. Listened to our requests & made us feel comfortable throughout our 2 days.
We had an amazing experience with our tour guide Kamal! He was such a personable, kind, and genuinely nice guy. He was extremely knowledgeable about Istanbul and the area, and his English was perfect, which made everything so easy.
Kamal went above and beyond to make sure we saw everything we wanted to see—and even more. He made us feel safe and well taken care of, handled all the communication with taxis and gave us great recommendations for places to eat.
He truly made our time in Istanbul special. After spending the day with Kamal, I can definitely see why this company has five star reviews across the board. We highly recommend him!
Great experience! I did a 2 day private tour of Istanbul via public transit and Tuğba was my guide. She was awesome, very well versed on the sites and history of Istanbul and was very flexible on switching certain sites around. I thought I had enough time to get through all the major spots throughout this historic city. Highly recommended!
Serkan was helpful, interesting and tailored our day to suit us. We saw the sights we were interested in and he gave us a great background into the history. He really helped us for the next day by getting our tram ticket and suggesting suitable activities for other days. We really enjoyed our day and learned a lot about Turkey. We were very pleased he picked us up at the last minute. Thanks Serkan.
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per personWas $100.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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