Private Customizable Istanbul Day Tour with Licensed Guide

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Istanbul, Turkey

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

Explore our promoted experiences

Istanbul, Turkey

5.0

(49)

All-Inclusive Best of Istanbul Tour

from $300

Istanbul, Turkey

5.0

(43)

Best Highlights of Istanbul

from $200

Private Chauffeur Car Rental in Istanbul

from $138

Per group

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Make the most of your time in Istanbul with a private tour guide and a personalized itinerary. Whether you want to visit top attractions such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, discover Istanbul’s Jewish history, marvel at Roman ruins, or shop for souvenirs at the Grand Bazaar—your tour is tailor-made for you. Your English-speaking guide means there’s no need to worry about the language barrier, navigating a new city, or finding off-the-beaten-track sites.

Customized tour: visit only the sights that interest you
Visit the top attractions or explore off-the-beaten-track
Personalized tips and advice on what to see and do in Istanbul
Private tour ensures the undivided attention of your guide

What's Included

Private Professional Licensed Guiding
Guide meets you at centrally located hotels
All Taxes

Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets (tickets can be arranged in advance to skip long ticket lines)
Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites unless van is booked)
Lunch
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Our guide will meet you at your hotel if it is centrally located. Meeting at the Cruise Ship Port is available for guests arriving by cruise. For guests staying in apartments or Airbnb accommodations, please select a nearby hotel from the list as your meeting point.

Itinerary

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Blue Mosque

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hippodrome

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica Cistern

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

German Fountain

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

TopkapI Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Hagia Irene Museum

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Grand Bazaar

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
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

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 66 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

If I could give more than 5 stars I would

Cindy_B, Nov 2025

Mr. Shakir and driver picked us up at our hotel . He was timely and early and the concierge notified us he was in the lobby. The driver took us to old town Istanbul and we visited the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Mr. Shakir has great knowledge and conveyed the history of the area, customs and we learned so much information. We visited the Muslim history museum , hippodrome ,grand bazaar and the cistern. We left ourselves in the capable hands of Mr Shakir and his driver and had a fabulous day. We stopped for tea before going to the museum and had a wonderful lunch at a local spot Mr Shakir took us to. The food was delicious. We ended the day with shopping and we were taken back at the end of the day to our hotel. A wonderful day to get the flavor and culture of Istanbul. Thank you Mr. Shakir!

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you for your feedback! It's wonderful to hear you had a great experience. We hope to see you again in Turkey.

Excellent decision to go...

Chris_C, Jun 2025

Excellent decision to go with a private tour guide. The guide, Meral, was great and made all the difference an we had a great time

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for your kind review! We’re pleased you had an enjoyable tour. We hope to welcome you back to Turkey soon.

Great tour and experiences!

Alex_K, Dec 2024

Ali provided a fantastic tour of Istanbul! His personable approach and deep historical knowledge made the experience truly memorable. We saw all the must-see attractions efficiently, and he expertly guided us through the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. Highly recommend Ali's tour for anyone wanting a comprehensive and enjoyable Istanbul experience!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted that you enjoyed the tour. See you again in Turkey!

Great tour

Veronica_S, Jun 2024

Our guide was amazing! Very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating! We had a fantastic time! He was on time and showed us around and we were able to do all we wanted to do.

A great walking day in...

Brian_R, Apr 2024

A great walking day in Istanbul with Ali. So much information and detail and exactly what we asked for.

Response from Host, May 2024

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Wonderful experience

Cheryl_S, Nov 2023

What a fabulous day! We so enjoyed our tour of Istanbul, seeing all of the highlights we had requested, plus a bonus treat of a trip to the Asian side of the city. Our guide was so pleasant and informative and went out of his way to make the day an experience to remember for us. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Excellent choice to see Istanbul

Sherry_M, Sep 2023

Our guide Ali was extremely knowledgeable and helpful with choosing where to go. He was on time (early in fact). We are seniors with some mobility issues but he and the driver were very accommodating. Ali gave us a lot of historical context which was so informative. Highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear we been able to assist you. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

The most memorable part...

LOUISE_L, Jun 2023

The most memorable part of our private tour was the passion and enthusiasm our guide, Sedat Cengiz, had while showing us his city. He was professional, knowledgeable and articulate. He educated us succinctly on the rich and fascinating history of Turkiye, from the Roman period to the Byzantine Era to the Ottoman Empire. Sedat was able to fulfill all the objectives we were hoping to achieve in our short time in Istanbul. Furthermore, Sedat was warm and friendly...right from the onset. It was a very enjoyable tour. We can't recommend him more highly. Louie & Lee

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for your review. It was our pleasure to assist you. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Truly a Wonderful Day - not to be missed!

braleyjulie, Jun 2023

Serra and the driver picked us up at our cruise port and not only took us to all the main tourist stops, but shared areas and information that we were not expecting, but truly added to our understanding of the city. Serra was very knowledgeable and did everything she could to add value to our day and meet all of our expectations.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you for your review. We were glad to assist and make the trip memorable for you. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

The Second of Two Wonderful Days Touring Istanbul

Alan_B, May 2023

This is our second day touring with Ali. The first day was visiting the major sites in the Old City. Ali picked us up from the cruise terminal when we disembarked and returned us to our hotel. Today we visited sites outside of the old city. Most of the day was spent visiting the new palace and taking a cruise on the Bosphorus. Ali arranged a dinner reservation at a very nice restaurant for us and also arranged a transfer from our hotel to the airport.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed both of the tours. It was our pleasure to show the beautiful sites of Istanbul and assist on your arrangements. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

The Old City is Wonderful to Visit

Alan_B, May 2023

Our guide, Ali, was wonderful. He picked us up and returned us to the cruise terminal. We visited the two major mosques, grand bazaar, old palace, cistern, etc. We had a great experience and learned a lot about all of the major sites in the old city. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, May 2023

Had a fantastic time in Istanbul.

David_B, Apr 2023

Our guide was very knowledgeable and very personable and his English was excellent. We would definitely book with this company again and would recommend it highly.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Best day in Istanbul

fahriea_a, Mar 2023

This has to be my most memorable experience of Istanbul. I cannot recommend this enough. Istanbul is so busy to travel around, but to have the luxury of a private bus and guide (Mehmet Sakir) to show my family around was worth every penny spent. The guide was knowledgeable and very patient. We managed to see a great number of places and would definitely book again with him on future visits. Really really recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Stupendo. Loved every pit of it. Ali is a treasure for your company and his English is excellent.

Dahabo_B, Oct 2022

Our guide was knowledgeable, courteous and friendly. He inquired us about our interests and curiosities. The city is beautiful and there is a lot of places to visit. Not. easy to see everything in a day or two.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. We look forward to welcome you again in Turkey.

Mr. Muzaffer was very...

ALBINO_G, Jun 2022

Mr. Muzaffer was very nice and kind. Very knowledgeable with everything he provided us. He took to every key point that we provided him with.

Shakir is very friendly and accommodating!

Mikhail_K, Apr 2021

Nice and full of memories day thanks to our guide Shakir. Showed the best places to eat, shop and sightsee! Istanbul in one day - it’s almost possible)