Private Istanbul Tour with Guide for 1, 2 or 3 Day Options

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Istanbul, Turkey

3 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Customize your Istanbul vacation on a private tour of your chosen duration. With the flexibility to select a 1-, 2-, or 3-day itinerary, this experience is perfect for travelers seeking a personalized and comprehensive sightseeing experience. Depending on your preferences, you can visit iconic attractions like the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia or head to lesser-known destinations like the Balat neighborhood. You can even alter the itinerary on the day of your tour.

Enjoy the exclusivity of a private tour in Istanbul
Experience Istanbul through the eyes of a local
Allow your tour guide to arrange the itinerary and transportation
Maximize your limited vacation time in Istanbul

What's Included

Private Tour
Professional Tour Guide
Guide meets you ON FOOT
Skip-the-Line Priority TO BUY Museum Tickets

Transportation
Meal and Drinks
Topkapi Palace Ticket - 2100 TL/55 USD per person
Dolmabahce Palace Ticket - 1400 TL/40 USD per person
Ferry Ticket for Bosphorus Cruise - 300 TL/10 USD per person
Santa Sofia Ticket- 25 euro per person
Admission Fee - Santa Sofia

€25.00 per person
Admission Fee - Dolmabahce Palace

$35.00 per person
Ferry Ticket, Bosphorus Cruise

$10.00 per person
Admission Fee - TopkapI Palace

$55.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Our tour guide can meet you on foot at centrally located hotels, Galata Port Istanbul or at the Entrance Gate of Hagia Sophia. Please advise us your preference, so we can inform our guide.

Meeting point

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
We can meet you at Hagia Sophia. Please advise us your preference so we inform our guide.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Day 1

Istanbul Old City / Sultanahmet Tour

7 Stops

Sultanahmet District

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sultanahmet Square

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

TopkapI Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Blue Mosque

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Grand Bazaar

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Hippodrome

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Day 2

Istanbul Bosphorus Region Tour

6 Stops

Bosphorus Strait

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Bosphorus

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Dolmabahce Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Rustem Pasha Mosque

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Galata Koprusu

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Day 3

Istanbul Golden Horn Region Tour

7 Stops

Golden Horn (Pass By)

Patriarchate Of Constantinople

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Balat

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Vodina Caddesi

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Eyup

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Pierre Loti Tepesi

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Vefa Bozacisi

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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

5.0

based on 178 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

2 day Istanbul

Jennifer_B, Oct 2025

We had a great time and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. Saved a lot of time avoiding lines and being strategic with the plans.

3 day Istanbul Tours

JeanMarie_D, Sep 2025

3-day Istanbul tours was nicely paced. All of the main sites and areas were included. It was an experience taking local transportation: the Metro, trams, cable and ferries.

Five Star

Murray_G, Jul 2025

Our guide for two days was Ensar. His knowledge of Istanbul was excellent, he was flexible, he was friendly and personable, and he was relaxed. We could not have had a better time, thoroughly recommended!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Dear Murray, Thank you so much for your kind thought.We are trying to do all our best for our guests. Hope to see you in future for other tours. Thank you very much for visiting our country.

Perfect tour

Darrell_p, Sep 2024

Guide was amazing. Really quickly it felt like I was walking around with a long time friend and not a guide. He knew his way around the city, extremely knowledgeable about history, answered all my non stop questions, adjusted the tour to my interests and still managed to not get stuck in a single line. You can't get a better tour.

Unforgettable 1 day tour with Emel

Michelle_D, May 2024

We had an amazing 1 day tour with our warm and friendly tour guide Emel, she met us at the start of the day at our hotel and was flexible with planning on what to see during our private tour. The entire experience was fantastic from beginning to end! Highlights include visiting the Basilica Cistern which was a must-see experience using Skip the line tickets, Hagia Sophia (Emel was able to help purchase a headscarf at very short notice). The Blue Mosque followed by the Hippodrome. Not only was Emel extremely knowledgeable but she was also our personal photographer! We stopped for drinks at a roof top terrace bar with fabulous views across the city. Next stop was the Grand Bizarre where Emel guided us through the hustle and bustle which could have been overwhelming without her guidance! Emel took us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch which had incredible authentic Turkish food and advised us what to order, everything was delicious including the company; furthermore she helped with a restaurant for dinner and further local recommendations including directions from our hotel to the destination. Finally, we visited the Spice Bizarre where Emel helped us to purchase our delicious Turkish Delight. Unfortunately, that was the end of our tour but that didn’t stop Emel from advising us on other experiences we had time to fit in during our stay. Without her we wouldn’t have taken our fantastic trip on a Bosphorus cruise. We truly a perfect day, we wouldn’t have found the local restaurants and shops she took us to on our own, nor would we have had such a perfect, stress-free time. TAKE THIS TOUR WITH EMEL, we highly recommend this tour!!