Private Istanbul Shopping in Grand Bazaar with Personal Shopper

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Istanbul, Turkey

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Avoid wasting time at the wrong stalls and enjoy a stress-free private shopping tour of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. This experience is tailored to your interests, with exclusive deals through local connections. Get inside tips on the best stores for souvenirs, jewelry, carpets, ceramics, and more, so you can shop respectfully and like a local on this private tour.

Easy-to-find meeting point in Istanbul
Try Turkish coffee, apple tea, or soda—local refreshments
Save time: Buy all your souvenirs in one spot
Go at your own pace on this private tour

What's Included

Soda/Pop

I will serve you Tea/Turkish coffee/Apple Tea in every store we will visit!

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Çemberlıtaş
Mollafenari, 34120 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
We will meet near the tower, next to the tram stop! I will message for more details. If you are coming by cruise, you can take the tram infant of the port and ride few stops to the bazaar. You can use you credit card to get on the tram. Its pretty convenient to use!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Grand Bazaar

3 hours • 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
Close to Port of the Cruise
Tram connection to Galataport

Walkable distance from the Old Town area
Next to the tram stop
Close to Ferry Station
Easy reach from Taksim/Beyoğlu/Galata area and from the hotels, or from the old town
Close to M2 Metro Line
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

4.9

based on 72 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

An amazing experience!

Lone_C, Apr 2026

I would any time recommend this trip - especially with the guide Gokay. He knows everything there is to know about the bazaar and was so kind and helpful - with everything, also with getting good prices in the shops. I will definitely book this trip again the next time I visit Istanbul.

Can I do this day on repeat?!?!?!

Heather_R, Feb 2026

WOW! Gokay was AMAZING! The best travel shopping experience ever. He knows the ins and outs of the Bazaar, listened to what I wanted, and was extremely patient. Book this trip girls!!! You won’t be disappointed. Well worth your time and money.

Perfect tour and experience

Christopher_L, Nov 2025

Gökay was a great in every way. I was more interested in the culture and history than shopping and he tailored everything to me. The amount of information he has is remarkable. He is very easy to get on with, very friendly and his English is excellent. I got everything I wanted from this and would recommend it to anyone. If I could give more than 5 stars I would

Amazing day!

Jasmyn_P, Nov 2025

We met Karya in Istanbul and she was absolutely amazing! Her English is perfect, and she’s so kind, friendly, and informative. What could have been an overwhelming experience turned into such a fun and memorable day — full of laughter, great shopping, and beautiful insights into the kindness of the people of Istanbul. We’re so thankful for her guidance and highly recommend her to anyone visiting. She truly made our day incredible! 💛

Great Guide

Ann_M, Nov 2025

The Grand Bazaar is huge and a bit overwhelming, with thousands of stores. We had a few items that we were looking for and there were hundreds of vendors with these items. Having Gokay give us a quick history and tour, he brought us to the stores with the best reputation. He made the experience fun and efficient.

Gokay was amazing! From...

Nathan_C, Nov 2025

Gokay was amazing! From the time he found us when our taxi dropped us off at the wrong place to the end of the day when he led my 78 year old mother through the crowded bazaar streets to find a cab, he was wonderful. The Grand Bazaar is HUGE and there are many stalls that offer sub quality items. Gokay has wonderful relationships with high quality vendors. He asked us in advance for items that we were looking for and came up with a plan for acquiring what we wanted. Our first stop was to a delightful jeweler that offered locally created designs. Next up, was a shop that specialized in Turkish treasures. We stopped in another store that had the most beautiful Turkish lamps, rugs and ceramics. We also had lunch at a wonderful restaurant. Beyond getting all our shopping done, Gokay was so much fun to spend time with. We would highly recommend a day with Gokay!

10/10 Grand Bizzare shopping experience w Gokay

Denise_T, Oct 2025

Our experience was 10/10… fantastic! Our guide, Gokay, was knowledgeable, personable, timely, fun to spend the day with! It started when we first booked (a few weeks beforehand), Gokay reached out to ask what we would like to see / purchase. That was really helpful of Gokay! He then arranged a meeting spot & was right on time. He then showed us how to maneuver the public tram and subway to get to the grand bazaar. Gokay explained how the negotiations would go and the day ahead. We appreciated that. We spent the entire day together meeting shop owners, looking at their merchandise, having Turkish tea, coffee, lemonade…buying things and even had lunch together. It such a great day! Gokay has incredible experience with the Grand Bizarre and knows the history. We learned a lot from him. He was such a great guide made us feel like we were locals. I would recommend Gokay 100%!!!!!

Great shopping experience

Martha_I, Oct 2025

It was a great experience with Gokoy and Karya. They showed us the best places to buy what we were interested in and we were able to purchase some very beautiful lamps and vases which we want to be able to find on our own.

Best day shopping the Bazaar with our guide!

MARWAH_P, Oct 2025

I was traveling to Istanbul with my best friend, and we decided to hire a private guide to help us navigate the very large and sometimes overwhelming Grand Bazaar. Gokoy was the best guide we could have asked for and became a wonderful friend not only did we leave the Bazaar knowing more about beautiful turkey, but we were also able to purchase all the items that we wanted to find more! I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. Gokoy helped us get the best prices, visit the best quality shops and took us down side alleys and less crowded parts so we never felt overwhelmed! We feel so lucky to have found this tour! Do not hesitate to book this tour!! It was the highlight of our trip to Istanbul!!

Shopping for rugs at The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Samuel_H, Oct 2025

Gokay was our shopping guide and was extremely knowledgeable about the Grand Bazaar, which is so large it becomes unmanageable to try to tackle it on your own if you desire to make specific purchases. We purchased two large rugs (12’X15’) and Gokay took us to a shop where we dealt directly with the owner. Having shopped for Oushak rugs in the US, we had a good idea of what we wanted and the general price range. We also purchased a lady’s reversible leather jacket. Gokay was very professional and enjoyable to work with and saved us a lot of time.

Fun & educational time

Melissa_D, Oct 2025

Gokay was very personable a great guide! Catered the tour and shopping to my interest and told about the city and its history along the way. Assisted to negotiate prices, which was fun with the shop owners! Would call on Gokay again!

Excellent Shopping Experience

Cynthia_F, Oct 2025

I had a wonderful time exploring the Bazaar. Gokay was incredibly nice, patient, and very informative. He was so kind to my elderly Mother and made sure she found everything she was looking for. Would highly recommend him as a guide for a unique shopping experience.

Shopping experience

Yaris_A, Oct 2025

Amazing experience! My tour guide was exceptional—patient, attentive, and always willing to provide guidance and answer all of my questions

Colour, culture and connection in the Grand Bazaar

Briony_B, Sep 2025

We had such a wonderful experience on our Grand Bazaar tour with Karya. She arrived early, greeted us with a warm smile, and immediately put us at ease with her excellent English, which made communication both easy and comfortable. Karya shared fascinating insights into the rich history of the bazaar, weaving stories that brought the centuries-old marketplace to life. She was incredibly kind and patient with our young daughter, who was on a mission to find her own special souvenirs. Not only did she answer all of our many questions with care, but she also made sure our little one felt included — even surprising her with a stop for traditional Turkish ice cream from a vendor inside the bazaar. That moment will stay with us for a long time. One of the highlights of the tour was being guided to more authentic corners of the bazaar, where traditional Turkish artisans still practice their craft. Thanks to Karya, we discovered Ali Baba, a shop filled with both traditional Turkish clothing and contemporary pieces inspired by those designs. I found the most beautiful silk jacket there — truly a treasure — and I already know I’ll be going back for more before we leave Istanbul. This tour gave us such a deeper understanding of the Grand Bazaar. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, we left feeling connected to this beautiful city and its culture — with the added bonus of some retail therapy! Karya is a wonderful ambassador for both her country and this tour company. We can’t recommend her highly enough.

Fantastic Time

Barbara_H, Sep 2025

Definitely an experience exploring the Grand Bazar, we didn’t regret it for a minute using our tour guide Karya. She was so sweet and was attentive to the things we wanted to see and purchase. Her great relationship with the vendors was evident in the welcome we would receive when entering their shops. We easily could have spent double the time with Karya as she was delightful to spend time with and her patience and determination to help guide us to the best quality shops made for a fantastic experience. Prior to our visit to the Bazar, her counterpart, Gǒkay, messaged me to ensure that all the various items we were interested in to peruse at the Bazar would come to fruition. A couple days after our visit, I messaged Gökay to ask him some additional questions about Istanbul and he got right back with me. I definitely recommend Karya & Gökay for anything they offer in Istanbul, whether it be visiting the Bazar or any other services they may offer.

Great communication from...

Lynsey_F, Sep 2025

Great communication from Gokay from the moment I booked the tour. He showed me around the best stores relating to the things I was specifically interested in, and we chatted all the way. Some of the stores I would never have found by myself. We talked about everything from music, religion, Turkish culture and history, the language, and our respective travels. It was like taking a shopping tour with a friend, and the time went by so fast! Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to truly experience the Grand Bazaar.

Perfect shopping tour-would absolutely recommend-book it!

Jennifer_N, Jul 2025

This was exactly what we were looking for. We went on a Mediterranean cruise with a few hour stop in Istanbul and our main thing to see was the Grand Bazaar; we wanted time to explore and shop. I looked for a tour and found this one. We booked it in October for our June visit and the communication was immediate! Gokay reached out and asked us about what we were looking for and answered each and every question that we had with complete information. He was so helpful in planning our visit and we were so excited. We had to modify the timing slightly right before, but he made up for it. He met us and walked us to the Grand Bazaar filling us in on history on the way. We were a large group (8 of us; his largest ever) and he did a wonderful job of spending time with each of us and meeting everyone's needs. He confirmed our wish list and accepted our additions (both before we started and as we were walking). His English is amazing and his knowledge of the area and the history was outstanding. We were able to see all that we wanted and more. We appreciated this patience and his checking in with as we went to see what we wanted to change or how it was going. He takes you to quality places where he knows people and then helps (or does it for you) to bargain, so know that this might not be a cheap shopping trip, but you will come home with some real treasures and having had a truly memorable experience. We would without a doubt do another experience with Gokay and recommend him to anyone that wants to fully experience the Grand Bazaar (and beyond-he showed us the Spice Bazaar and we did some shopping outside of the Bazaar, too). We are grateful for his time, expertise, and patience and so glad that we booked this tour-it made our day in Istanbul all that we had hoped for!

We had a amazing day out...

Jen_G, Apr 2025

We had a amazing day out with our local guide! Gokay Ba knows which merchants in the Grand Bazaar to trust. He advised us on bargaining and led us to shops we would never have found on our own, Together we enjoyed a feast for lunch. He stayed with us much longer than the original 3.5 hours. Thank you very much!

The Best Tour Experience Hands Down!

jill_M, Mar 2025

Şevval met me at the agreed upon location- it was as if we were long lost friends- shopping together. I had a list of what I was looking for and she knew where to go and was able to show me how to bargain for the best and fair price. The Grand Bazaar is expansive- without her knowledge and planning I would have been overwhelmed and incapable of enjoying my shopping adventure to the Grand Bazaar. She knew many shopkeepers, and was more than willing to go to shops that I wanted to explore (the flirtatious gold dealer with no bargains) and redirect to more advantageous shops. She shared the history of the Bazaar as we ventured from the old original Bazzar itself to weaving thru small alleyways that connected storefront lined streets. One of the most interesting things I got to observe in a small alleyway was currency exchanges; deep in the Bazaar, just like in ages gone by - currency values are set and traded: amazing to watch! Who knew the value of a dollar to a euro to a yen could be set and traded in an alleyway! There’s a vibe in the Bazaar - like an old energy not rushed but a steady low hum. Bright intricate patterns of pottery and carpets, smells of roasted nuts and santal, vendors hawking their wares offering Turkish Coffee and Apple Tea the energy is palpable- I’m so glad that Şevval was my guide to a world of vast wonder, and astonishing beauty. At the end of our shopping experience Şevval taught me how to take public transit. She actually took me by Tram and by Metro to my hotel lobby! What a feat! I highly recommend this Tour!!!!

Honest, well prepared and personable guide.

Michael_T, Mar 2025

Experiences, knowledgeable and prepared , fluent in English and having a great relationship with store owners. A teacher of the art of bargaining, with a good sense of humour. We confidently recommend Gokay as a guide.

A wonderful experience

LINDA_M, Oct 2024

We had a wonderful time exploring the market place with our guide who was knowledgeable and accommodating We were met on time and explored the many shops with no pressure to buy. The most fun was conversing with the shop owners and being offered apple tea and cookies. They treated us like family. Our wonderful guide volunteered to ride on the tram with us to get the port with no hassles. We very highly recommended this excursion. You won’t be disappointed

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you Linda! It was a pleasure hosting you! It is my pleasure to help my guests taste the amazing delicacies of the bazaar. If you are with me, no one will ever push you to buy anything! For me and the stores I recommend, your comfort comes first! Looking forward to hosting you again :)

Great morning in the Bazaar

Lesley_S, Oct 2024

Gokay was great, he navigated us around the bazaar to find exactly what we were looking for and was great with his info.ation about the bazaar and Istanbul.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Hello Lesley, thank you for your positive review. Trying my best! Would love to host you again!

Great experience

Heidi_S, Sep 2024

Gokay was great. Sweet guy, fluent inEnglish and Turkish. Lawyer by day, shopper guide with connections on days off! He reached out via WhatsApp immediately. Asked before hand what we were interested in shopping for, let us know what else we could see if we were interested. I honestly don’t know how you would find the stores we went to without guide. From outside they looked like junk shops or empty, but until owner takes you into back room you don’t see the good stuff. I tested in vintage jewelry specifically and he knows a great place. Also shopped for table linens and bags. Would definitely use Gokay again next time in Istanbul. He even put us on right tram when we ended tour.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Dear Heidi, It was my great pleasure to host you, of course, at the end of my tours, I am doing my best to help my guests find the way out and the tram, otherwise it is easy to get lost there. Finding the stores is easy for me :) Whenever you come back let me know! I will do my best again!

Get a Guide for the Grand Bazaar!

Tracy_H, Sep 2024

Gokay met us exactly on time and exactly where he said he would. He had messaged us prior asking what we were looking for. He really delivered! I got a beautiful piece of fabric for making a dress and friend got an antique pocket watch for her husband. We also got some lovely pottery and original art. I was so glad he was there because I would have been quickly overwhelmed. The place is huge. Thank you, Gokay!!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you very much Tracy, it was a pleasure for me to host you both. Such amazing ladies. I loved the fabric you bought, the colors are just so vibrant and cant wait to get pictures from you once you use your creative mind to make something out of it! Would love to host you anytime my dear friends! Take care1

Smooth Shopping Experience at the Grand Bazaar

Erica_F, Aug 2024

I went on a solo trip to Istanbul in June and on my last full day, I wanted to get my souvenir shopping done at the Grand Bazaar. I knew I’d be overwhelmed because I don’t enjoy shopping but Gokay made the experience quite enjoyable. He reached out to me shortly after I booked the experience and asked for my shopping list which helped him curate the experience perfectly. Gokay provided tips on negotiating prices with vendors and took me to trusted places where I never felt pressured to purchase anything. I’d love if this experience was offered outside of the Grand Bazaar as the prices are lower outside of the mall but I also viewed it as a tourist experience so it was all worth it. I’d definitely book Gokay again for any other tours he offers.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

It is always a pleasure and always enjoyable for me to curate the route for my lovely guests. I am so happy that I could meet your expectations so that you could carry great memories back home. Glad to be a part of your purchases. And yes, thanks for referring that, in this tour, no one would ever be forced to buy anything by anyone. However when people are without a guide in the bazaar, it may happen unfortunately. But I am always here to make it soft, enjoyable, by saving your money, time and energy! :) As the quality of the things sold outside the bazaar is way lower and not really recommended and as I want to make sure my guests are purchasing valuable qualities, I do not cover the cheap open air markets. I would rather keep my guests in the quality circle and push the vendors as much as possible to keep prices at lowest local levels for my guests and give them a chance to buy the good real stuff :) But thanks a lot for the feedback, in case there is a demand, I will keep it in mind!

Disappointed

Courtney_L, Aug 2024

Unfortunately, I was not able to complete this tour because the guide was not available and they are substitute was not either. I do think that they should update websites so people do not book and pay and make plans. They did attempt to communicate to reschedule to another day and then end up canceling for the next day as well. It was really disappointing and really, made my trip to Istanbul less because I couldn’t make up plans.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Hello Courtney, and hello Dear Potential Guests, Please read my reply fully to understand and see my approach. Thank you for your feedback however I do not think my experience deserves 1 star. Anyone reading this review can go and read all other reviews written (all 5 stars) and see that unfortunately you do not have good intentions on writing this. Firstly, once the schedules of ours did not meet, you got full refund, just to note here so that people do not get confused. Secondly, you booked the tour only 2 hours before the start time. I know that the system allows it to happen however, you should also now that in such cases it is important to communicate and make sure everyone is available. When you booked, I was in my hometown as you know and my business partner, Şevval was supposed to host you. However, on the same day she was not available as your booking came last minute as I said, we tried to reschedule your tour but next day she had to be in the hospital. Unfortunately it may make you unhappy but the health of anyone is way more important than the tour. If it was your health problem, I would say the same. Could I not direct you to someone else? I could, however for making sure that my lovely guests are having the best experience in the bazaar, I need to make sure the quality of people hosting them too. If I would hire someone random for you, you could be scammed, you could be even more unhappy in the end. I am training all my business partners (guides) in the bazaar, store by store, trick by trick, in terms of history, hospitality, knowledge and more. And I include them in my team only if they meet all my quality criteria. It is a 4.000 store Bazaar, not something as organized as a shopping mall, so it requires a high level of profession, therefore, I did not hire anyone random just to earn money. Instead I Refunded you FULLY and kept you away from negative possibilities. I would do the same if the same conditions would happen. I believe making a plan for your whole stay does not happen 2 hours before a tour starts, nor you can not just come here, give 1 star and blame someone for thinking about your protection and happiness, this is completely unfair. My cancelation did not make your Istanbul trip less, or ruined your plans etc., it was a last minute booking anyways, was not planned for days or weeks. You can see that my cancelation rate is 0 and my experience has an excellence badge, as a proof. Speaking of flexibility, all my guests know that, I write 4 hours for my tour, but if I have time, I help them for bargaining, carrying the bags, making sure they leave the bazaar safe, finding a cab and more, even if it becomes 6-7 even 8 hours, I stay till the ned, without asking for any extra money or anything else. So sorry that you could not experience the most flexible tour you could ever see however this is the case and you can see all the other reviews making it sure. I am happy to give my time as much as needed because the nature of this experience requires times, patience and bargaining for hours sometimes. Especially if people are buying big items like rugs, lamps, ceramics and require bargaining, I do not leave them in the middle and say my time is up. In my business, happiness of my guests come first. So it is a full service from bottom to top, saving money, time and energy while being as flexible, welcoming and planned as possible. If you ever come back to Istanbul, I am willing to host you for free so that you can see our high quality and friendly service with all its sincerity and flexibility so that you would be willing to update your review. As a last note, in our conversations, I explained you all the reasons for not being able to host you, me being in my hometown, Şevval being in the hospital so I must say that communication was clear and understandable. Regards, Gökay

We had an amazing time at...

Bernadine_B, Jul 2024

We had an amazing time at our tour. The guid is amazing, his English is very good and his connections to venders is amazing. We were treated very well and got to enjoy the full bazar experience. We felt very safe and comfortable. A once in a lifetime experience would recommend.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for you kind words! It was so enjoyable to spend a day with you and your sister Fabienne in the bazaar! It definitely made my day to see you both happy with your purchases and your experience in the vibrance of the bazaar! Looking forward to hosting your full family as well :)

Great BAZZAR DAY

steve_p, Jun 2024

Picture includes alternate tour guide and my wife with the hat. He guided us thru the maze of shops to a few that he trusted. Scarfs and jewelry and coats. Bargain/ it is expected. 25% of original asking price is where things get serious. Never give them a number. Just keep asking for their best price. Have guide Was fantastic- he had great English skills, friendly , met us at our hotel and took us to the bazzar via public transportation. This was an extra as our hotel was near where he lived. He Is a lawyer by education. Can’t say enough positive things We went early like 9am when bazzar opens, fewer crowds

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you Steve for your kind words and for accepting my team mate Şevval in the tour as well! This thought her a lot about the insights and bargaining and made her more ready for other upcoming tours, after you guys she hosted just by herself :) It was a pleasure to host you and your wife! She is a real bargainer, the shop owners are still crying ahahah

Gokay

Ramesh_K, Mar 2024

Gokay, our guide for the day joined us on short notice and thanks to him, we were able to make the best of our short time in Grand Bazaar. Gokay not only helped us navigate the complex Grand Bazaar, but also gave us a closer insight into Turkey and the wonderful people of Istanbul. His recommendations were spot on. We were super glad that we ran into Gokay and wholeheartedly recommend him.