Istanbul Sightseeing Walking Tour
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the landmarks and legends that have shaped modern Istanbul on this small-group walking tour. Stroll through Sultanahmet Square and the Ancient Roman Hippodrome, and mighty Hagia Sophia. Amble by the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the underground Basilica Cistern, as well as the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. Learn where to get the best local snacks and coffee as well as art, food and architecture.
- Tour caters to first-time visitors to Istanbul
- English-speaking guide
- Wander Istanbul's backstreets
- Small group tour
What's Included
- Professional Guide
- Small Group
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Foodie-ist Cafe and BrasserieAlemdar, Muhterem Efendi Sk. No:13 Zemin kat, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Meet your guide outside 'FOODIE-IST CAFE AND BRASSERIE,' just a 2-minute walk from the (T1) Sultanahmet tram stop. Your guide, easily identifiable by their tour guide badge, will be waiting for you at the cafe entrance.
End point
- Egyptian BazaarRüstem Paşa, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Our tour concludes after visiting Spice Market in Eminönü and leaving you free to continue your Istanbul sightseeing
Itinerary
1
Basilica Cistern
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Historic Areas of Istanbul
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Caferaga Medresesi
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Sogukcesme Sokak
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
TopkapI Palace
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Sultanahmet Square
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Blue Mosque
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Hippodrome
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
German Fountain (Pass By)
10
Serpent Column
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
11
Walled Obelisk
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
12
Tahtakale District
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
13
Misir Carsisi
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
14
Eminonu Square
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Galata Koprusu (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 35 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Deborah_J, Jan 2026
We had a fantastic first morning in Istanbul with Erol Ütgün. He was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful for our first time in the city. He oriented us by showing us the Roman obelisk and explaining the history of the Basilica Cistern. We didn’t wait long to enter the Blue Mosque, where we were able to admire the beautiful stained glass and tiles while Erol explained the history and meaning behind them.
He also described the Hippodrome and the Egyptian obelisk so clearly that we could really picture the ancient city. To reach the Spice Market, he led us through the uncrowded palace gardens, where workers were planting tulip bulbs for spring. Erol told us about the long history of tulips in Istanbul and that they are even part of the city’s logo — such a fun fact!
All in all, Erol was an excellent guide and made our introduction to Istanbul memorable and meaningful. Highly recommended.
Robert_T, Nov 2025
Gamze our guide was absolutely marvellous. Very knowledgeable and shared her insights with grace and good humour.
MARY_J, Oct 2025
Very informative and a great way to get a quick overview and a good orientation to the city. Be aware it may not be 4 hours. Ours was over in 2 hours but maybe that was because there were only 2 of us.
Joy_O, Oct 2025
Two stars because I had to reschedule and they were accommodating. My tour guide was Kim and it was the least informative tour I’ve taken, and I travel several times a year. From the moment I met her, she kept repeating the same sentences. I didn't leave the tour feeling like I’d learned much about Istanbul’s culture. She had an errand to run at a Hammam and I basically waited until she was finished, very strange. She tried to get me to sign up for Hammam and to pay for another tour (Basilica) which I’ve never experienced before. Usually my tours stick to the script and they don’t try to “sell” other products. I wouldn’t recommend this tour at all. Sorry.
kathleen_r, Sep 2025
The tour was well organized and Erol was a wonderful guide. He is very knowledgeable about the history of the area/sites we visited and also had recommendations for local restaurants and bakeries. A very enjoyable experience.
Carlos_T, May 2025
A great overview of the points of interest that one should not miss in the old town. After that, we knew what we wanted to come back and spend more time on.
Sally_B, May 2025
Our guide Errol was wonderful. We saw and learnt about many things that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen e.g traditional Turkish architecture. He gave us many hints and advice on what to see and when and where to eat. Great tour to orient yourself in the Old City
Brownell_L, Mar 2025
My guide was phenomenal. So knowledgeable and so open to discussion and questions and insights and so much more. It was a fabulous experience.
Joelle_k, Feb 2025
We were lucky enough to have the guide to ourselves. She was so fun and very informative. We learned a lot, had a blast and felt like we had a friend by the end of it. Highly recommend.
HUGHE_L, Jan 2025
Erol, our guide, provided a comprehensive tour of this exciting and interesting area. Erol provided so much detail that we felt well informed and confident to explore the area more in our own after the tour. We covered a lot of territory and discovered many new things. This is an excellent tour to get to know your way around the old town and learn about the fascinating history as well as sampling some of the local produce.
Mary_L, Jan 2025
The guide Gámze was very knowledgeable and charming and made this tour wonderful. At the end, it was like we had made a new friend. Great tour!
renu_k, Nov 2024
Great introductory tour. Yikmet is the best guide I've ever seen-very knowledgeable, patient, thorough, extends herself to tell you about Istanbul. Exceptional . I would recommend - I found it so much easier to do rest of my trip on my own after this tour
Stephanie_F, Nov 2024
Kismet was a great guide! She was so friendly and easy to connect with. Her knowledge of the city really helped us learn a lot in a short amount of time. She tailored the tour to what we were interested in and got us in to the Basilica Cistern past the lines. We really enjoyed the orientation to the city and visiting the Blue Mosque before it got too busy. Overall, a great introduction to Istanbul and the layout of the Old City.
Peter_B, Oct 2024
We so enjoyed experiencing Istanbul with our wonderful guide Gamze! Her engagement and enthusiasm energized the group from hello to goodbye! Appreciated her depth of knowledge, experience and perspectives as a native. Gamze welcomed questions and helped us learn more about past and current cultural trends. We highly recommend Gamze!
Suzanne_L, Oct 2024
Knowledge of guide. Walking at reasonable pace listened to what group wanted to see / do. Good way to understand area
Radu_P, Sep 2024
Nice tour to get an introduction of the historical part of the city. We had a small group, were able to ask a lot of questions and found out quite a few new things about Istanbul
Karen_D, Aug 2024
Our guide, Erol, was excellent! He tied all the history together in a memorable way. We really enjoyed the excursion!
John_Z, May 2023
The guide was awesome. This is a good overview tours about the key sites and history of Istanbul. Except for the spice market and grand bazar you don’t actually go into the venues. A great tour if you want information.
Tahira_K, May 2022
This walking tour is a great way to be introduced to the beautiful and interesting city of Istanbul. The tour guide Erol was very knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour if you have a short amount of time in Istanbul or as a starting point in your trip.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience on our walking tour of Istanbul. We're thrilled to hear that you found the tour to be a great introduction to the city, and that our knowledgeable guide Erol was helpful during the tour.
We appreciate your recommendation and agree that our walking tour is a great way to explore the city, especially for those with limited time or who are new to Istanbul. We strive to provide informative and enjoyable experiences to all of our customers, and we're delighted that you found our tour to be a great starting point for your trip.
Thank you again for choosing our tour and for taking the time to leave us a positive review. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
David_B, May 2021
I would recommend this tour to anyone who is coming to Istanbul for the first time. You’ll get a general knowledge and a basic orientation of the city.
Erol will provide you with a lot of information about Istanbul’s rich history, from early Byzantine time to present day. Also, thanks to him we got to Kadikoy which is a beautiful part of Istanbul, and indeed something we (me and my girlfriend) liked.
Even though it was a bit cold and windy, it was a time well spent on our first morning in Istanbul!
Thanks, Erol!
Response from Host, Jun 2021
It was great to meet you and show you around our city. We look forward to welcoming you back sometime. Thank you for taking the time to review us which is much appreciated. Very best wishes
From $79.35
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Istanbul Sightseeing Walking Tour
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More attractions near Istanbul, Turkey
- Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Tours & Tickets
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- Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
- Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) Tours & Tickets
- Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) Tours & Tickets
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