Istanbul Private Tour Designed for Layover Flight, Transfer incl.
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take advantage of extended layover time in Istanbul on a round-trip tour of city highlights from the airport, customized to suit your interests and schedule. Zip with ease between iconic sights such as the Hagia Sophia and Grand Bazaar, and benefit from historic and cultural insights provided by your professional guide.
- Swap the dreary departure lounge for the vibrant city
- Round-trip transfer from the airport ensures a hassle-free experience
- Enjoy the personalized experience of a private tour
- Unwind on an included Bosphorus boat cruise, where time permits
What's Included
- Local taxes
- Professional guide
- Private tour
- Round-trip private transfer
- Fuel surcharge
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Visa expenses. Please note that you might need a visa to leave the airport. Please apply online
- Entry/Admisión fees for sights ( if you choose to enter ).Can be paid by cards or cash in TL
- Entrance fee - Hagia Sophia ( optional)$30.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please note that, pick up time is 1 ( one) hour after the landing of your flight. We will be monitoring your flight from the flight number you share with us during the booking and we will be aware of early landing and delays so no panic. To meet our Meet&Greet staff at the airport, please read the below instructions carefully and note them with you for the airport as you might not have the internet connection once you land in Istanbul. After you get off of the plane and pass through the passport controls and custom checks, then please walk to the exit GATE 13 ( outside the airport ) where it is Meet & Greet point for the transfer organizations. Right after the exit you will see many signs boards hanging. Please keep your eyes for the board sign as SBL. There will be a guy standing next to the board sign, tell them your name to the Wellcome & Greeting staff and they will accompany you to the driver. Please note that, the Meet&Greeters are the third party and their english is limited. If you have any issue make them call or WhatsApp Salih. + 90 534 200 55 65 The next step is that they will accompany you to the driver and driver who will bring you to the center where you will meet your guide to start the tour. Driving duration to the center is approximately one hour. Please note that, once you arrive to the center the tour will be walking and using public transportations as tram and ferry depend of your itinerary. The car will be used only for pick up and drop off from and to airport. We will not be touring with the car which is not necessary for Istanbul and can be time wasting in Istanbul traffic jam. Walking is the best way to explore Istanbul and it is easy walk. For those who have walking issues please contact us for the private car which will apply an extra fee. P.S. if you have any luggage with you, we suggest you to store them at the airport while on tour. If that can’t happen for any reason then we will store your luggage at an establishment we work together. Luggage will be stored there while touring and will be picked them up at the end of the tour. For those who require drop off at airport, we will schedule your tour to end three hours before your flight departure time and you will be dropped off at airport two hours prior to your flight departure time. This time is enough for those who have already checked in and have the boarding passes. We look forward to meeting you in Istanbul.
Operating hours
- 01/02/2024 - 04/01/2031
Monday - Thursday : 6:30 AM - 11:30 PM
Friday : 6:00 AM - 11:30 PM
Saturday : 6:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Sunday : 6:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Itinerary
If you're tight on time, begin your day with Istanbul’s top historical attractions in the Old City. Starting at the renowned Hagia Sophia Mosque, you’ll delve into its rich history spanning centuries.
Continue to the Basilica Cistern, an awe-inspiring reservoir from the 6th century, showcasing 336 towering columns and captivating Medusa heads. The journey unfolds at the Blue Mosque, a grand testament to Ottoman architecture, followed by the historic Hippodrome, a site of chariot races from the 4th to the 15th century.
Time permitting, you can also explore the Topkapi Palace, once the Ottoman seat of power, get lost (but not too lost) in the Grand Bazaar, glide along the Bosphorus on a scenic cruise, and immerse yourself in the aromatic Spice Market.
Travelers with an extra long layover can also head to the Asian side of the city to visit the local Kadikoy Carsisi, a non-touristy market, and explore the district’s laidback neighborhoods.
Continue to the Basilica Cistern, an awe-inspiring reservoir from the 6th century, showcasing 336 towering columns and captivating Medusa heads. The journey unfolds at the Blue Mosque, a grand testament to Ottoman architecture, followed by the historic Hippodrome, a site of chariot races from the 4th to the 15th century.
Time permitting, you can also explore the Topkapi Palace, once the Ottoman seat of power, get lost (but not too lost) in the Grand Bazaar, glide along the Bosphorus on a scenic cruise, and immerse yourself in the aromatic Spice Market.
Travelers with an extra long layover can also head to the Asian side of the city to visit the local Kadikoy Carsisi, a non-touristy market, and explore the district’s laidback neighborhoods.
1
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Basilica Cistern
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Blue Mosque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Hippodrome
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
6
Cemberlitas HamamI
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
7
Misir Carsisi
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
KadIkoy CarsIsI
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Grand Bazaar Jewelers
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
10
Misir Carsisi
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 10 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Dress code is smart casual
- 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
Featured review
Guanming_R
I had a 10-hour layover in Istanbul and was excited to get a glimpse of this beautiful city. My guide Elif was wonderful. She is knowledgeable and kind and has a delightful personality. For just a few hours, she showed me the Blue Mosque (although it was closed), Hagia Sophia, Arasta Bazaar, and Gülhane Park, and pointed out to me several other historic sites. We even managed to try some local cuisine, Turkish coffee, Baklava, and Turkish Delight! Although my visit was short, because of Elif's knowledge of the city and her enthusiasm, I feel like I've seen a good bit of Istanbul!
Reviews
4.9
based on 167 reviews
Chris_P, Feb 2026
Very good tour, well scheduled and planned for a 12-hour layover. Omar was a fantastic and very friendly guide!
Alejandro_L, Jan 2026
Great Experience!! Very easy and practical. Alp, our guide very professional, caring, and friendly. My wife and I enjoyed the tour to Hagia Sofia, we had little time for our next flight but Alp managed so that we could have a complete experience, a little taste to come back to Stambul. I recommend it very much.
Donald_O, Dec 2025
Great communication starting before we ever landed in Istanbul. Burak is very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the walking part of the tour very much. He helped us in purchasing street food and pointed us to the local spots. I will use him again for a wider tour if I am ever in Turkey again
Melinda_F, Nov 2025
We did the tour in the evening on a long layover. They did a great job getting us in to our must see places on a tight timeline. The evening gave us fewer crowds and a chance to see the city lights. It was a great time!
Lynn_M, Nov 2025
Communication was excellent from start to finish. Pick up went smoothly and the driver was professional and friendly. The vehicle was exceptional…very clean and comfortable.
Our tour guide, Berk, gave us many options of what we could accomplish in our layover time and did an awesome job at maximizing our experience. He was very knowledgeable about Turkish history and spoke excellent English. I’m so glad we took the time to do this tour. I highly recommend it!
Justine_M, Oct 2025
Salih was fantastic in terms of knowledge of the area, along with what to do the following day - great restaurants and Turkish Hamam.
He was very personable, banter and fun and then a world of knowledge about each place we visited.
I was on my own and I was very grateful that I met Salih in Istanbul.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for the nice review. It was pleasure to share the lovely Istanbul with you. I hope to have the chance to meet in you in Istanbul again in the future.
Dana_P, Sep 2025
I only had an about two hours to walk around Istanbul. But the process of the tour was very well organized and run with transportation, both two and from the airport. My guide Salih was lovely. He brought me around to some of the historical sites. We found a quick bite to eat, and he even helped me find baklava to bring home for my kids. This was a much better option than staying in the airport for 6 1/2 hours. Had my layover been longer, and no doubt would’ve been more in depth. But he was able to provide me with a few nuggets of Istanbul to make me wanna come back and do the whole city again with proper time. Thanks for the tour!
Dave_K, Sep 2025
Salih was a great tour guide and shared all the historical facts and us to some great food experiences
Joelle_P, Aug 2025
It was a really wonderful tour. My guide, Barak, was incredibly knowledgeable. I would highly recommend!
Anonymous, Aug 2025
Burak Sahin, our tour guide, was the best tour guide we have ever had. He was exceptional in every way. He catered the plan according to our needs, and planned and executed the whole day perfectly. He translated for us, helped me get a discount, took us to a great lunch spot and did all this with a very pleasant attitude. He knows Istanbul and Turkish history astoundingly well and was so interesting. There is not one aspect of the tour that could have been better.
Joana_A, Aug 2025
Wonderful experience from start to end! I was nervous to go alone but didn’t want to miss the chance to experience this beautiful city! Everyone was respectful and organized and the hospitality was on point. The driver and the guide were very kind, even bought me snacks. The car was clean and beautiful. The city amazing! I only wish I had a longer layover.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for the lovely review Joana. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your layover tour with us. Thank you for the compliment on the on our car and the guide kindness. We hope to meet you on a longer layover on the future.
Joanna_N, Aug 2025
Super awesome!!!
Walking/ tram tour with Burak. He’s so nice! And super prompt, knowledgeable and speaks perfect English. Very intelligent guy as well. We love not had 3 hours but saw a lot. I loved the tour! I would definitely do this tour again but longer next time.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you taking your time to write us a review, we appreciate it.
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your layover tour with our guide Burak. We hope to have the chance to seeing you traveling with My Local Guide Istanbul again in the future.
Kara_M, Jul 2025
Bennor was such an amazing guide!!! She was friendly and knowledgeable and customized our tour just the way we wanted it. Istanbul was very hot in July but she helped us to stay in the shade and the breeze, and still see all of the attractions that we wanted to see. Highly recommended this tour company and our guide Bennor (sorry if the spelling is wrong)!
Margarita_M, Jul 2025
If you have a layover in Istanbul, do yourself a favor and book this tour—it's an absolute game-changer! What could have been a tedious wait turned into the best layover I've ever experienced, easily a 10/10. The pre-tour communication was fantastic, with clear instructions awaiting us upon arrival. We were quickly connected with our driver, who then introduced us to our phenomenal guide, Burak.
Burak wasn't just a guide; he was an incredible storyteller, bringing Istanbul's rich history to life. He also went the extra mile, taking fantastic pictures for us and leading us to culinary delights that were truly unforgettable—the food, especially the lamb and chicken, was out of this world! The entire experience felt incredibly comfortable and seamless. We are so thrilled we chose this tour and would absolutely do it again without a second thought.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for taking your time to write us this great review. It was our pleasure to have you as our gusts in Istanbul. We are glad to hear you enjoyed assistance our lovely guide Burak. We are lucky to have him as part of My Local Guide Istanbul team.
Thank you for the review again and we hope to have the chance to meeting you again in Istanbul.
BellaA_D, Jun 2025
Great lay over quick tour of Istanbul. We were lucky to have Omer K. as our guide. He's a knowledgeable, smart, polite, articulate, and friendly. Omer made sure we got to see sites we wanted to see, gave informative historical backgrounds, answered our questions, and took us to a delicious restaurant to enjoy local dishes in the Asian Side/Kadikoy. We enjoyed our lively conversation during our Bosphorus ferry ride, and our little shopping at the Grand Bazaar.
Equally nice were our comfortable private ride to and from our airport hotel.
Great experience overall!
Ashley_L, Jun 2025
We had the pleasure of touring Istanbul with Berk as our guide. Berk was incredibly knowledgeable—his deep understanding of Istanbul’s history brought each landmark to life with fascinating stories and context that we wouldn’t have discovered on our own.
What made the experience even more special was how thoughtful and accommodating he was with our toddler. He adjusted the pace of the tour as needed, made sure we had breaks when necessary, and went out of his way to make us feel comfortable throughout the day.
Berk’s professionalism, warmth, and passion for his city made this tour an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Istanbul—especially families traveling with young children!
Maggi_B, May 2025
Our guide,Omar, was fantastic. He was so knowledgeable and friendly. The walking tour was just wonderful as was Istanbul. The driver was right on time to take us to the airport after the tour. You can’t do any better than this when in a foreign country! I highly recommend this layover tour.
Benjie_C, May 2025
I love the experience. It was a good time to be in Istanbul, not too warm, definitely not cold. Omar is a great guide. I just didn't have enough time. There is never enough of it when on vacation anyway. Definitely something I will do again at some point with my family and friends together. Türkiye will always have a special place in history and what I saw today is just a peak at what it used to be.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you for taking your time to write us this great review. We are glad to hear you had enjoyed your tour with our lovely guide Omer. Turkey has a deep history and one visit is not enough to cover all of it so we hope to have the chance to see you travel with My Local Guide Istanbul again in the future to complete it.
Dennis_B, Apr 2025
Omer was great and very knowledgeable about every area we stopped. He made the tour fun, flexible to our interests, and provided lots of history. Highly recommended tour for a layover!
Tyree_S, Mar 2025
The tour was accommodating, friendly, informational and all around good tour. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Kate_S, Mar 2025
My guide was friendly and knowledgable. I had lots of questions which were welcome and also had great conversation along the way. We packed as much as we could in during my 3 hour tour and I couldn’t be happier. Absolutely recommend this tour for a stopover.
Amy_R, Mar 2025
We had 3.5 hours to see what we could of historic Istanbul. Salih made the most of our time! We were a group of 10 people on an educational trip from our university. When we learned we had a layover in Istanbul, we knew we wanted to maximize our time there. we were transported to and from the airport and met Salih near the historic sites. We were treated to a tour full of history and cultural experience. We ended with a delicious meal that beat anything we could have had at the airport! Salih was communicative and listened to our requests as we planned the tour. I highly recommend!
Howard_S, Mar 2025
We had limited time for our layover in Istanbul. Omar showed us the highlights we were interested in seeing and was very accommodating and informative.
Carson_L, Mar 2025
Thoughtful, customized, and personal! I truly appreciated my tour guide Salih taking into account Ramadan traffic to ease my anxiety, me wanting to visit a restaurant a friend recommended, while also keeping true to the great itinerary. Doing this private tour was exactly what I wanted from my quick layover tour, and I can’t recommend Salih enough!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you very much for the lovely review. It was a great pleasure to show you the magic Istanbul.
Yun_G, Mar 2025
My tour with guide Burak was exceptional. His knowledge and passion brought the ancient city from history to life. Great advice for best photo spots! Very enjoyable trip. Wish I can come back soon.
Laurel_M, Feb 2025
We had a wonderful time with Burak as our tour guide! He gave us a lot of information about the evolution of Christianity and Islam, along with some political history of Turkey. We enjoyed the Grand Bazaar, as well! The whole transfer from the airport was extremely smooth, and the directions emailed to us explained every in detail. We would certainly use Burak again!
Brian_W, Feb 2025
We only had a few hours layover, but our guide gave us a great short tour covering all the highlights.
Gloria_F, Feb 2025
Burak was an excellent tour guide and very knowledgeable and pleasant! His English is great and very easy to understand. He made us want to come back and stay longer.
Sally_B, Nov 2024
Our guide, Saleh(I may not be spelling it correctly) was great. He was prompt and very resourceful! We packed a lot into 4.5 hours. He listened to what we were interested in and led us through some cool streets and into a small beautiful mosque. He was knowledgeable and fun to be with.
Vu_N, Oct 2024
We started at 6:30 am, and ended at 10:30 am. Omer, our tour guide, was excellent... can't say enough about him. Saw a lot of sites with him, and he shared with us some history of his city. Truly enjoyed it!!!
From $175.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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