Istanbul Highlights Private Tour with skip line ticket options
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 4 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Step into the golden ages of the Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman empires with a full-day, private walking tour through Istanbul’s Old City. See the monuments and historic sites of Hippodrome Square, where Roman charioteers raced in ancient times, then explore St. Sophia's stunning architecture and museum. See the iconic tiles, mosaics and slender minarets of the Blue Mosque and browse traditional handicrafts inside the Grand Bazaar. Learn about the lives of sultans and courtiers at Topkapi Palace, which contains a remarkable collection of Turkey's greatest holy relics, imperial treasures and artwork.
- See the city's most important sites
- Enjoy the flexibility of a private tour
- Learn about local history and culture
- Hotel Pick up and Drop off included
What's Included
- Professional tour guide
- Pick up city center hotels and cruise port
- Drop off to the hotels -cruise port city center locations
- Drinks
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Entrance fee of Hagia Sophia Museum per person 30 us dollar$30.00 per person
- Entrance fee of Topkapi Palace$60.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Blue Mosque
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Grand Bazaar
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Hippodrome
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
TopkapI Palace
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Deraliye (Pass By)
6
5K Rug Store
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
4.8
based on 673 reviews
Salem_T, Feb 2026
We had the most extra ordinary time with our guide. Personalised, in depth and enjoyable tour of the old town. I would recommend highly
Sharon_T, Feb 2026
Our private walking tour in Istanbul in June, 2025, with Eylem was hands down one of the highlights of our trip! From the moment she met us right outside the cruise port, we knew we were in great hands. She was warm, organized, and immediately made us feel like we were exploring the city with a close friend rather than just a guide.
Eylem thoughtfully planned the perfect route, taking us to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque, the Underground Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, and several other incredible sites — all in an order that helped us avoid the biggest crowds. That alone made such a difference in our experience. Pro tip: make sure to bring a cover-up to enter the mosques — Eylem helped guide us through the etiquette and made everything seamless.
What really stood out was how she brought Istanbul’s rich history to life. As we explored, she wove together stories of the Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman Empires in a way that was engaging, easy to follow, and fascinating. We didn’t just see the sights — we understood them.
She also expertly navigated the city using a combination of walking and the metro, which let us cover more ground comfortably and efficiently. Along the way, she treated us to food and water from local street vendors (such a thoughtful touch!) and later took us to a wonderful restaurant with a huge selection of absolutely delicious food (at our own expense). It felt like we were getting the true local experience.
Eylem was happy to take photos and videos and knew all the good angles for getting great pics and memories.
By the end of the day, Eylem didn’t feel like just our tour guide — she felt like a sister from another mister. Her kindness, knowledge, and genuine care made our day in Istanbul unforgettable. If you’re visiting and want an experience that’s insightful, smooth, and full of heart, book with Eylem. You won’t regret it!
Rob_B, Feb 2026
Great experience. Cristal was fun and fantastic! Very informative, and a lot of fun too! Learned a lot. She was super accommodating and a great city guide!
Leon_B, Feb 2026
We had a wonderful time seeing the old City of Istanbul. Our guide Belgin (Bella) was very nice and knowledgeable and did just a wonderful job.
Jack_O, Jan 2026
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of meaningful history about the sites that we visited.
David_P, Jan 2026
Very professional, the guide Billur was very kind and knowledgeable. They offered a great service, punctual and very complete.
Karen_a, Jan 2026
Peri was a fantastic tour guide! She was very informative, communication was excellent and she was very pleasant. The logistics were flawless. We had a great time.
Tay_E, Jan 2026
We had an excellent walking tour with Belgin. She was able to change our tour to include the Basilica cistern instead of the grand bazaar. Very informative about the history of each place we visited. I highly recommend this tour and our guide.
Mallory_H, Nov 2025
I originally signed up and read there was an established agenda but instead was told it was based on preference. Not a big deal as I mentioned all the sights I thought I was seeing and we did those. Recommend inquiring before going so that time can reflect desired agenda. Besides that. Our tour guy OJ was very friendly and knowledgeable. Not exactly structured but she had a plan and it worked out ok. I would recommend.
David_A, Nov 2025
Be prepared for immersion in the history of old Istanbul. Also be prepared to walk. Our guide Kenan was both knowledgeable and fun to spend day with. It was a enjoyable as well as imformative day
Wende_L, Nov 2025
Kenan was a fantastic guide, and we packed in a ton of siteseeing in a 10-hour day! He was knowledgeable about the city’s history, and we saw the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sofia, the spice market, and more. We also had a wonderful lunch at a rooftop cafe. We highly recommend this tour, and please ask for Kenan. (Be aware that we walked about 15,000 steps, so might be too much for some.)
Gloria_B, Nov 2025
It was a good decision to book the private tour with you. The guide, Mr Kenan, had a lot of knowledge and took us to all the places we wanted to visit. He knew the places really well and shared a lot of historic information with us.
Richard_S, Nov 2025
Out your guide was Songül. She was absolutely amazing really took us on a very detail experience of Istanbul, Turkey, its story and highlights. Being a private tour absolutely make the difference here plus the fact that Songul not only took us to the architectural highlights but also to the most amazing local food experiences around the area. 10/10
Steve_H, Nov 2025
The tour was great and very informative. Also very accommodating. Even when I made an error in giving them my location for the pick-up, the guide was able to meet me at my exact location and for that I am grateful. Overall, the guide was tuned in to my needs as a visitor
Mirha_w, Nov 2025
Fantastic walking tour. Covers most things, the tour guide is very accommodating and helpful. Transport from the hotel was very nice too!
Monina_F, Nov 2025
At first, I didn’t realize this was a walking tour, so I was a bit surprised—and honestly, a little disappointed. But then I noticed our hotel was right across from the train station, and it turned out to be just a short ride to the mosque.
We were lucky to have Maksut " Maks" as our guide—such a great guy! He was punctual, meeting us right in our hotel lobby, and immediately led the way. Throughout the tour, he was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the history of Istanbul. He kept the pace comfortable and even adjusted the tour to our preferences. When we got tired, he showed us photos of the sites so we wouldn’t miss anything important.
By the end of the tour, we completely fell in love with the place.
Tip for ladies: bring your own scarf when visiting the mosque—it’s required.
And don’t miss a visit to the Grand Bazaar! You’ll find the best Turkish delight at Yayla Store. Be sure to sample the flavors first so you can pick your favorite!
Susan_P, Nov 2025
Viator has proven once again to be an extremely reliable tour booking company. We booked a private guide for a tour of Istanbul. We had trouble with our flight, delaying our time however, our guide reached out to us and we were able to reschedule for the following day. We had an extremely knowledgeable guide who was lovely. She was a wealth of information about the history of all the sites and then some. I highly recommend Viator and our guide Eylem.
Christabel_M, Nov 2025
Walking tour of Istanbul highlights is a must do. We had a great tour guide and very knowledgeable too.
Paris was very helpful and we covered all the strategic sights.
Would have preferred if we were dropped off to our hotel as my spouse was not comfortable on us returning on our own.
Tammi_B, Oct 2025
Serkan was our guide. He did an excellent job in taking us to all rhe sites we wanted to see. He was able to maneuver the crowds to get us up close to take pictures. He even did great at taking pictures of us at the sites! We had lunch at a good Turkish restaurant he recommended at a very reasonable price. It started raining during our tour and he provided an umbrella graciously. He rode the train with us back close to our hotel to make sure we arrived back safely (a comfortable van picked us up to meet him for the tour). Would definitely so this again and highly recommend!
Stan_B, Oct 2025
Collected as arranged at our hotel by our guide and taken by car to visit Hagia Sofia Mosque and surrounds. Very busy, but Alexander showed his extensive knowledge of history whilst we were there. He was very patient and understanding with our mobility issues. After recommending a good local restaurant for lunch, we were returned by car to our hotel.
Altogether an excellent experience.
Robert_G, Oct 2025
Tour Guide Peri is the best. If you pair with her, you cannot go wrong. She makes it a wonderful day.
Margaret_M, Oct 2025
This tour was fantastic. Eylem is sweet, knowledgeable and was a wonderful guide. Our group was older and jet lagged but she was wonderful about working with us and what we wanted to see. Can’t recommend her highly enough!
Eric_M, Oct 2025
The only negative was our tour guide did not show up. Have to contact the company they arranged for another guide that arrived about two hours later. Made it work.
The guide (Savash) was very knowledgeable and give a detailed history of each place we visited. He got us around lines and entry into the museums very quickly. We enjoyed his company and had a very good day walking through Istanbul.
Louis_D, Oct 2025
A Private tour with an even personal and knowledgeable guide is a must do when traveling
Turkey. A country steep in tradition and history.
Well worth it!
David_S, Oct 2025
This was a great walking tour of key sights in Istanbul....Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Cisterns as well as the Grand Bazzar. Unfortunately, we picked the day that the Topkapi Palace was closed... but our excellent guide, Hamide was able to substitute the Dolmabache Palace instead. She picked us up at the Galataport with a private van/driver for the transfer to "Old Istanbul"....and handled the transfer back to the port....totally seamless and very professional. Highly recommend this walking tour itinerary and Hamide for cruise ship passengers in Istanbul.
Brandon_P, Oct 2025
Our guide, Belgin, texted us as we walked off the ship with a picture of her to make meeting easy.
She was nice and fun. Led us to tram, then to Hagia Sofia, Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome, and Blue Mosque. She asked if we were hungry and we said we would like something quick and local, so we stopped at local/authentic kebab and wrap place. Very good and very reasonable prices.
Belgin was very knowledgeable and helpful. We asked questions, beyond the historical/tour, about the culture, Muslim beliefs and lifestyle, and life in Istanbul.
My wife and I thought she was wonderful to spend the day with and would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone!
We took a pic together and she texted that evening to ask for a copy. Overall just great.
Linda_G, Oct 2025
Shaban was our guide and the entire group was extremely impressed with his kindness and his knowledge of Ottoman History. We highly recommend this guide!
Erin_T, Oct 2025
Amazing! Great stops and knowledgeable guide made this trip so worh every penny. The guide is key to the entire tour and ours was awesome.
Michael_T, Oct 2025
Private guide, Tana Tahiti, gave interesting detail for all sites we visited. He was able to blend the history with current trends of all venues
Paul_M, Oct 2025
Super introduction to Istanbul with the help of our guide Hilal. The tour was tailored to our interest and achieved a successful balance between informative, fun and new experiences..
We visited tourist spots and skipped queues due to Hilals local knowledge and spent tge perfect amount of time at each attraction as this was always under our control..
We experienced pottery, carpet making and even realised we enjoyed Turkish delight.
Hilal offered advice and guidance beyond this tour to make our stay as interesting as possible.
Highly recommended
From $79.32
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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