Open-Top Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tour in Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey
- 1 day (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Customize your own adventure with this hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour. Uncover the treasures of the city that bridges Europe and Asia in a convenient way. With personal audio-guide equipment, you can delve into all the major tourist attractions at your own pace. Your ticket is valid for a day and includes an audio guide in eight languages, plus internet access. Booking confirmation is immediate, and this tour is also wheelchair and stroller accessible.
- Tour Istanbul on board an open-top hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus
- Listen to an audio guide in a language of your choice as you sightsee
- See major sights like the Egyptian Bazaar, Dolmabahçe, and Naval Museum
- Explore the spice market with arrays of colorful and eye-catching products
What's Included
- A-day valid ticket
- Audio-guide (8 languages)
- Internet access
- Professional licensed driver
Meeting and Pickup
Departure Point
- You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.
Itinerary
Sultanahmet Departure
12 Stops
11 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 day
Operating Schedule: Departure from Sultanahmet at (10:00 - 11:00 - 12:00 - 13:00 - 14:00 - 15:00 - 16:00 - 17:00)
1
Sultanahmet
2
Eminönü
3
Karaköy
4
Galataport Istanbul
5
"Dolmabahçe
6
Naval Museum
7
Beylerbeyi Palace
8
Büyük Beşiktaş Çarşısı
9
Taksim Square
10
Şişhane Sokak
11
Egyptian Bazaar
12
Sultanahmet
Points of interest passed by on this route
Blue Mosque
Eminonu Pier
Karakoy
Galata Tower
Dolmabahce Palace
Naval Museum
Beylerbeyi Palace
Besiktas
Taksim Square
Beyoglu
Misir Carsisi
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can 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
4.2
based on 204 reviews
ClaudiaShirley_M, Mar 2026
If you are in for a short visit, this tour will cover most of the landmarks. We only spent 2 days but we covered almost all the landmarks… it was raining- but the tour guide made our tour as memorable as possible.
Sireesha_K, Nov 2025
This tour got canceled. I went to meeting point and see no one. Then called the number given. No one answered. Finally tried texting on WhatsApp then came to know it got canceled. No communication from the operator company to let me know about cancellation in advance. I would like to get my refund.
Edith_B, Nov 2025
Really a waste of time. We spent 4 hours in traffic that would have been better spent in just staying in Sultanahmet & touring the mosques, then taking the tram to the spice bazaar. Those were the only 2 things on the trip worth seeing anyway.
Michael_C, Oct 2025
We did not receive our tickets to being with, we were in seats where the audio didn't work, the audio was so soft on full volume we could hear nothing. The locations for pick up were not clear and easy to find. The only saving grace was the supportive personnel in the Hagia Sofia location. This was the worst Hop on Hop off tour we have been on.
Feleandra_T, Oct 2025
There was no coordination with bus management regarding the event happened on that day. The driver took us to the stop where Blue Mosque/Haggia Sophia was and the people on protests were a huge crowd. We were sitting on the bus for more than an hour and we switched to a different bus in continuation with our tour. For something like this you need to think for the safety of your passengers if anything happens. Think of an alternate route.
Paul_S, Oct 2025
The bus and ground staff were very nice and helpful. The tour itself did a good job and an overview of Istanbul and the multi lingual commentary was very useful. My only complaint was not being able to use my Viator Ticket and having to WhatsApp someone to get the ticket for the bus.
Stuart_E, Sep 2025
You see all the sights but recorded sound doesn’t match with where you are at the time - out of sync
Mirjana_H, Sep 2025
This was the most over priced and over rated hop on and off bus tour I have been on. I would have rather spent $300 on a private tour. Unfortunately I left feeling disappointed
Philip_J, Jul 2025
Good way for 1st timers to get a feel of the city.The only negative on our tour was the number of people talking loudly in different languages which made it hard for us to hear the audio
Gregory_N, Jul 2025
Well organised, helpful staff. Good audio, clear and well narrated. Kept to schedule, all in all a great couple of hours.
Yasmin_A, Jun 2025
Not a great experience. The places you. A jump on and off to view on the trip is boring and nothing interesting. Also they said 45 minutes wait at each stop but it was almost 1.5 hours and I appreciate traffic but not good. And we waited for almost 2 hours for the last stop at the blue mosque and then we had enough and got a taxi home. Not worth the money. Coz it’s so so expensive for something so boring .
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear that your experience with us did not meet your expectations.
We understand how frustrating delays and long wait times can be, especially when you're excited to explore and make the most of your day. While traffic in the city can sometimes be unpredictable, we recognize that this should not compromise your overall enjoyment, and we’re actively reviewing our scheduling to improve timing and reduce wait times at each stop.
We're also sorry to hear that the stops didn’t feel engaging to you. We strive to offer a route that showcases the city's highlights, but we realize that everyone’s interests are different. Your comments have been noted, and we’ll consider them carefully as we look at ways to enhance the experience for future guests.
Thank you again for your honesty. We hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future to provide a more enjoyable and seamless experience.
Warm regards,
Excursion Bazaar Team
Mark_B, Jun 2025
We bought two day Hop On Hop Off passes and a cruise. The cruise was great and so were the Busses. The problem was the tour operator didn't supply us with the bar codes or the bar codes we got were not readable by the bus drivers. I left messages which were not responded too. This cause us problems.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your feedback and for choosing our Hop On Hop Off service and cruise. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed both experiences overall, but we're truly sorry for the inconvenience you faced with the barcodes and lack of response.
This is certainly not the level of service we aim to provide, and we understand how frustrating it must have been to encounter issues that disrupted your plans. Your comments have been shared with our team so we can review our ticketing and customer service processes to ensure this doesn't happen again.
We truly appreciate your honest feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a smoother and more enjoyable experience in the future.
Warm regards,
Excursion Bazaar Team
Lauren_W, May 2025
Great overall tour of the city! You can easily sit on the bus and ride the whole way to get a great idea of the area.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and found it a convenient way to see the city. We’d love to welcome you back anytime!
Terry_U, Apr 2025
Priced at $130 for a couple this was one of the poorer tour products I have experienced, We sat in traffic for probably 50 % of the trip and the pre-recored narrative even with earphones was impossible to hear sitting in the lower section of the bus. You can rent a private car and driver for the full day to take you around for about. $40 more than we paid for two people.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback. We’re sorry that traffic and audio issues affected your experience and that it didn’t meet your expectations. We understand your point about alternative transportation options and appreciate you sharing your perspective.
We continuously strive to improve and will consider your comments carefully. Thank you again for taking the time to review us.
mcquadekevin1, Apr 2025
Red route is an a great experience to see city highlights. Due to bus timing and ability to explore after stops, with traffic and last bus route timing it's impossible to do both red route and blue route in one day. I enjoyed red route. R
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your feedback! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the Red Route and the highlights it offers. We understand that time and traffic make it tough to do both routes in one day. Hopefully, you’ll get to experience the Blue Route next time!
Lindsay_A, Oct 2024
Waste of money, couldn't see anything properly. Bus was packed. Annoying music in between information. Got off and walked and used the tram. Much more fun and we saw more
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the tour didn’t fully meet your expectations. We appreciate your comments and will use them to improve the experience for future guests. Wishing you many more enjoyable adventures ahead!
Mary_F, Sep 2024
We were not advised that the HOP On/Off Bus stopped running at 5:45 pm until we were told at the last stop that it was the last stop and we would have to fend for ourselves to get back to Galaport and our cruise ship. Inspite of the language barriers we finally determined where/how to take a tram back to our ship. Luckily we had headed back several hours early.
I believe a refund is in order.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we're truly sorry to hear about the inconvenience you faced. Not being informed about the early final departure of the Hop On/Off bus is understandably frustrating—especially when returning to a cruise ship on time is crucial. We appreciate your patience in navigating the situation and are glad you made it back safely.
Your feedback is very important to us, and we will be forwarding this issue to the relevant team to ensure better communication for future guests. Regarding your request for a refund, please contact our customer support team directly with your booking details so we can review your case and assist you further.
Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have the opportunity to provide a better experience in the future.
Gary_B, Sep 2024
First, we were unable to find open seats with working audio outlets. My wife and I wound up sitting on different floors of the bus. Then, the audio quality was difficult to understand. Finally, when we finally got to the stop we wanted to get off at, we had only 15 minutes because the next bus would have gotten us back to our ship too late. We are going to stop doing hop on, hop off busses. Sorry to say not a good experience.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re truly sorry to hear that the hop-on, hop-off bus didn’t meet your expectations. We understand how important it is to have comfortable seating and clear audio, and we apologize for the inconvenience caused by the seating arrangement and audio quality.
We also regret that the limited time at your chosen stop affected your overall experience. Your feedback is very valuable, and we will share it with the team to improve these aspects moving forward.
If you’d like to discuss this further or explore alternative options, please feel free to contact our customer service team. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future.
Ted_S, Sep 2024
This a great tour of the city, whether you get off the bus or just stay on and enjoy a 2-hour overview of Istanbul. But buy your tickets direct from the Hop On/Hop Off website. As much as I have appreciated many Viator city tours, for this one they let you download a voucher which says 'Not a ticket" at the top. Viator assured me it would work, and it did... eventually. The bus driver wouldn't let me on with it, so I had to go to their ticket kiosk to get an actual ticket which took a lot of discussion, a supervisor's consultation, and about 30 minutes of time so I missed the bus I wanted and had to wait 40 min for another. It's just simpler to buy direct. But, again, I heartily recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience and helpful tips! We’re glad you enjoyed the city tour and appreciate your recommendation. We’re sorry to hear about the ticketing hassle and the delay it caused. Your feedback about purchasing tickets directly is very valuable, and we’ll share it with the team to help improve the process for future guests. We hope you still had a fantastic time exploring Istanbul and look forward to welcoming you again!
Laurie_M, Sep 2024
The sightseeing bus arrived late to our stop and it was difficult finding the location for pick up. The bus was overbooked and the overflow went the top where it was the hottest. Many people had to stand. There is no air-conditioning on the bus. My headsets didn’t work so had to share my husband’s. No available refreshments, and the tour was very long as we were stuck in downtown traffic most of the time. I don’t recommend this tour. It was a waste of time and money.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re very sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations and that you faced several challenges during the trip. We understand how frustrating it must have been dealing with the late arrival, overcrowding, lack of air-conditioning, and headset issues.
Your feedback is important, and we will share it with the management team to work on improving these aspects for future guests. If you’d like to discuss your concerns further, please feel free to reach out to our customer service team. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future.
LinseyAnn_T, Sep 2024
The concept is good and the bus we had was in good condition. However it is a bit disorganised at the bus transfer area at Sultanahmet ( ie the start point). and there is no flexibility for numbers as they stick rigidly to the hourly timetable. The bus was fill and they would not put on another (despite there being 4 spare empty buses up at the starting point) so all the people had to wait another hour until the next scheduled departure time. So in busy times, the wait can be long if you cannot get on the original bus you have been waiting for.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear the bus was in good condition and that you liked the concept. However, we apologize for the disorganization at the Sultanahmet transfer area and the strict adherence to the timetable, which caused delays and frustration. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and will share your comments with the team to improve the experience, especially during busy times. We hope to provide you with a smoother trip next time.
LynAnn_B, Sep 2024
Worst hop on hop off bus, would not recommend. Better off using mass transit. Traffic is insane, over 4 hour round trip and did not get off the bus except at mandatory stop 1 for 45 min. Don’t typically write reviews but this tour ruined our vacation. Some passengers were cutting it close to make it back to cruise ship port.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
We're truly sorry to hear about your experience and that the tour didn’t meet your expectations. Istanbul’s traffic can be challenging, especially during peak hours, and we understand how frustrating long delays can be—especially when you’re on a tight schedule.
Your feedback is very important to us, and we’re actively working to improve route timing and communication so guests can make the most of their day. We sincerely regret that this impacted your vacation and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
If you'd like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to our customer service team directly.
Angelique_H, Aug 2024
Very convenient way to tour Istanbul from the European side to the Asian side. The buses are air conditioned and very clean. We are glad we did this!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a amazing rating - it's much
appreciated!
Evgeniy_P, Apr 2024
I recently took a hop-on bus tour and, unfortunately, I was left quite disappointed by the experience. Despite the buses adhering to the timetable and the guide's voice being clear and easy to understand, the overall service didn’t meet my expectations for the price paid.
Pros:
- The buses ran on schedule.
- Audio guide clarity was commendable, with a few interesting facts provided.
Cons:
- Essential details such as bus stop locations and expected arrival times were missing, which made planning difficult.
- Although there was an option to contact the tour operator via chat, no one responded when I tried to reach out for assistance.
- We frequently found ourselves stuck in traffic, significantly diminishing the enjoyment of the tour.
- It was often unclear which site the audio guide was referring to, leading to confusion.
- Most of the guide’s commentary consisted of forgettable facts, lacking engagement and impact.
- At the bus stop, the staff struggled to confirm our voucher, causing a delay that forced us to miss our bus and wait 45 minutes for the next one.
FREDERIC_P, May 2025
Very nice guided tour from you thank you very much Bravo and congratulations highly advised Thank you
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Response from Host, Jun 2025
Merci beaucoup pour vos compliments ! Nous sommes ravis que la visite guidée vous ait plu. Votre recommandation nous touche énormément. Nous espérons vous revoir bientôt pour une nouvelle belle expérience !
From $68.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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