Private Layover Tour in Istanbul with options

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Istanbul, Turkey

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Private transportation
Air-conditioned vehicle
WiFi on board
Airport transfers two way

Lunch
Dinner

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Istanbul Airport
TayakadIn Terminal Street No. 1, Istanbul 34283 Turkiye

Pickup details

We welcome at the airport arrival gate 13, signboard "G55"

Itinerary

Little Hagia Sophia Mosque

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Blue Mosque

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Grand Bazaar

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hippodrome

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Galata Tower

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The Walls of Istanbul

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Istiklal Caddesi

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Most travelers can participate
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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 25 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

The Istanbul layover tour...

GaneshIshwar_G, Oct 2025

The Istanbul layover tour was amazing and guide moi was fantastic he showed me all the major attractions in 5 hours.

Short Layover City Tour was Nice

Arun_P, Mar 2025

The Tour worked out perfectly for our short 8 hour layover. Being picked up directly from the Airport, made Everything very easy and convenient. The private ride into the city, allowed us to see the city via car and then, after meeting our guide, we took a walking tour, which was great. We were able to see life in Turkey for a short time and visit a few historical sites. And we were transported back to the Airport at the right time to make sure we made our flight.

This is a scam!!!

Gabi_L, Jan 2025

This tour is a SCAM. Do NOT book this. There is no actual tour guide that meets you and no one we talked to knew who “Yasin” was despite that being who we we have been in contact with on Whatsapp since booking this. When we arrived into the city we were ushered off by a guy who immediately handed us over to a 14 year old boy who barely spoke English. This is not a real booking!!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for booking with us. We have options in program like museum tour or Plus guide options with different prices.

Great Experience, even greater Tour Guide

AJ_H, Nov 2024

I only booked this tour because I had a 14 hour layover and wanted to kill some time by exploring the city. Yasin Yesil was my guide, and he was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable of the local history and made this quick visit to Istanbul one of my favorites throughout my whole visit in Europe. I would love to come back and experience the city for longer than a few hours, however Yasin made sure I got to see a bit of everything in such a short time. I can't recommend Yasin enough, I will be telling any friends who visit Istanbul to book with Yasin of Viator, if able. And I would love to have him as a tour guide again when I visit. If I could, I would rate this trip and 11/10. Thank you!!

A great intro to Iatanbul

Sophie_B, Oct 2024

Excellent and knowledgeable friendly guide Yasin. We did a walking tour of Galata and it was a great introduction to the city. Nb. It says a full day but I actually had (and paid for) a 3 hour tour. Which was perfect! I have already seen the big sites years ago and just wanted to get a sense of the city instead.

Great Layover Experience with a Knowledgeable Guide

Savannah_V, Sep 2024

Yasin was super knowledgeable, kind, and flexible and expertly fielded all of my questions about his city. He made me excited to return to Istanbul and Turkey in the future!

Yasin the great

greg_g, Jul 2024

Yasin was an excellent tour guide. First, he was early when we finished with customs at the airport. He set our itinerary based our layover which was 13 hours. We were able to see all the highlights of Istanbul which is a beautiful city with a rich history. We also went to the Grand Bazzar and did a cruise around the city for 5 US dollars for 90 minutes. Yasin took us to a nice local restaurant and the food was amazing. Yasin was able to get us back to the airport on time evn though it was rush hour. I would highly recommend Yasin because he was very friendly and knowledgeable of Turkish history. I would give 6 stars.

Exceptional tour! Beautiful experience.

Rachelle_R, May 2024

What an incredible experience! Communication was good on pick up and drop off. Our driver was great and the vehicle very clean. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable not only about the places we visited but gave us the history of how and why these structures are here. We discovered so much about world history and the incredible role Istanbul played. We enjoyed the ability our guide had for "streamlining" our wait times into the buildings. We loved his recommendation for lunch - such a local favorite and now ours as well. Thank you, thank you for the wonderful day!

Excellent IST layover tour

Roger_C, Apr 2024

Yasin was a wonderful guide. He was responsive to our pre-tour communication, prompt in picking us up at the airport, and very knowledgeable about Istanbul and Turkey. He helped us squeeze in as much as we could during our six hour layover in Istanbul. Highly recommend!

BEST LAYOVER TOUR!

Abi_D, Oct 2023

If I could give 100 stars I would! This isn’t just another tour - you get to hang out with a local. I only had a 10 hour layover and with the airport being so huge, I didn’t want to explore the city on my own time and risk being late or getting lost. Yasin met me and the driver took us to the city while Yasin gave me some history. He even let me connect to his wifi so I could quickly text my mom that I landed. From there, we saw the typical sites but I also learned so much. I told Yasin i wanted to try a lot of food, so we got a proper dinner, which is nothing I’ve ever had on a tour! It was nice to just hang out with someone who felt like a friend! I highly recommend this tour company - they are punctual, professional, kind, and fun!