WONDERS of ISTANBUL: PRIVATE Full-Day Guided City Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Istanbul, Turkey
- 5 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- Private Tour & Professional Guide
- Guide will meet you at central Istanbul Hotels, Airbnb Locations or ISTANBUL CRUISE PORT GALATAPORT
- Unique time to discover Turkish Handicrafts & Traditional Arts Gallery
- Fast Track Ticket Service Available
- Lunch
- GratuitiesRecommended
- Museums Entrance Fees
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Tour guide will Pick up you at Istanbul Hotels, Airbnb Locations or ISTANBUL CRUISE PORT (GALATAPORT- Sali Pazari). If you choose option with vehicle, you will be picked up by vehicle Tuesdays Topkapi Palace is closed. Sundays Grand baazar is closed.
Itinerary
1
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Blue Mosque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Hippodrome
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Basilica Cistern
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
TopkapI Palace
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
Grand Bazaar
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- 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
5.0
based on 325 reviews
Sandra_S, Apr 2026
It was a great experience, Matt my tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. Would definitely recommend Matt and it definitely helped having a guide to jump the queues. So many fantastic pictures he took for me to take home memories.
Rick_T, Apr 2026
Lots of walking but so worth it. Fettah was a wonderful guide. Very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. He was very patient and answered all of our questions. We really enjoyed seeing the historic sites while talking about religion, politics, family and culture. Probably taboo subjects for most guides but Fettah’s honesty and friendliness made us very comfortable talking about anything. I feel we learned about the Turkish people and not just the information provided in museums. We highly recommend Fettah and will request him again the next time we are in Istanbul.
estel_l, Apr 2026
Ege was a great guide, knowledgeable and patient. He brought us to a nice restaurant half the price of the usual more “touristy” places
Cyril_M, Apr 2026
We had an excellent one-day guided tour of Istanbul (around 6–7 hours) with Sema, and it truly exceeded our expectations. She was incredibly kind, engaging, and highly knowledgeable—not only about the city’s rich history and major monuments, but also about daily life in Istanbul today.
What we particularly appreciated was how flexible and customizable the tour was. It felt very personal, and having a private guide made the entire experience much more enjoyable and relaxed. Sema adapted seamlessly to our interests and answered all of our questions with clarity and enthusiasm.
A big advantage was the skip-the-line access she provided. While we still needed to purchase entrance tickets for places like Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern, avoiding the queues saved us a significant amount of time—especially valuable in such a busy city.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience and a perfect introduction to Istanbul, especially for a first day. We highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an insightful, efficient, and personalized way to explore the city.
Pradeep_C, Apr 2026
Ege our tour guide was impressive and he has a tourism degree. He will customize your tour in such a way it is seamless for the customer. He has special access to get tickets so you dont havd to stand in lines for tickets. Kids under 8 enter free so make sure you have a copy of passport for kids. Hoya sofia is under renovation but still majestic. Ege is warm, friendly and he will take pics.
Bezu_A, Apr 2026
Guide mehmet
My guide person was very knowledgeable about everything Istanbul. He explained everything in easy to understand and helpful in my shopping experience. He is very good in what it is the tourist attraction is. I would like to recommend him to everyone who is interested visiting Istanbul.
Gregory_M, Mar 2026
Incredible tour - hard to put into writing how great our guide, Kazım, was. This is definitely the ideal way to explore a city, getting someone with such endless and authentic knowledge of the area that can tailor your tour to exactly what you’re looking for. Got more than a tour, but also a friend! Can’t recommend this enough, and if possible try and get Kazım.
David_C, Mar 2026
Volcano is a brilliant guide so pleasant and helpful.We would highly recommend him. Istanbul is an amazing city
Melinda_G, Mar 2026
It’s a good way to spend a day , we covered a lot of ground. Our tour guide Sema was very knowledgeable on many topics. She was also very helpful, offered great tips for our stay here as well.
LYDIA_D, Mar 2026
Ege is very a friendly, knowledgable and flexible guide. He is willing to tailor the tour to his customers needs, which was great for us. We really enjoyed the visit to the underground cistern on top of the mosques of Sultan Ahmet and Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace.
Author_S, Mar 2026
Ege was an amazing tour guide. He took his time to explain the history of all the locations. I highly recommend him.
Judy_P, Mar 2026
Kazim had very good knowledge of Turkish history which made our experience in Istanbul very interesting and informative. He also took us for delicious local food which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Wendy_B, Mar 2026
Matt was very kind and knowledgeable about everything. He even tailored the tour so I could see some different things . Since I was a solo traveler he was kind to take pictures of me with the attractions and send to me. He helped me find all the souvenirs I wanted at the grand bazaar. The weather was beautiful! Couldn’t have had a better tour and tour guide! I left knowing a lot more about Istanbul history. I would take another tour with Matt again, no hesitation! Great man and great tour!
JamesM_R, Feb 2026
Good English guide. Knowable! On time for pickup. Took photos. Kind to older people. Knew when to adjust the schedule.
Mark_R, Feb 2026
KENAN was truly exceptional guide, made our day perfect…if he could only control the weather… He made the wait for entrances short and convenient…a true student of history who explained everything in a wonderful and humorous manner… I will specifically ask for Kenan for a future tour…best, mark rubin
Brian_G, Feb 2026
We had an awesome experience. Would definitely recommend booking a tour! Our guide was very kind and very knowledgeable.
Michael_O, Feb 2026
Our guide, Musa, was very flexible, charismatic, and had exceptional depth of knowledge. He really knew his way around, and engendered a new interest in the storied history of Istanbul and the wider region. We’ll look him up the next time we’re in town to see even more from his perspective.
Sushama_M, Feb 2026
We had a wonderful day with Mehmet as our tour guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable and also kind and considerate. We learned a great deal about the sites and all was at a very comfortable pace (we were quite jet-lagged!)
Highly recommend touring with Mehmet- Big Bonus: he takes excellent pictures!
Melody_R, Jan 2026
I am so happy with mr Volksn, he guides around nicely and vey enjoyable and easy going, he is asking me what you want to do, and I definitely advise him
Jaison_N, Jan 2026
If you are looking to cover the important Istanbul landmarks in one day, taking this tour is 100% recommended. You are fully taken care from hotel pick until you are dropped back. Our guide Volkan was prompt in messaging us before tour started, very knowledgeable about the landmarks, experienced for years and most of all very very friendly. Took us to a really nice restaurant for lunch too. By the end of the tour, we are like family. Book this with confidence of best service.
Rachael_S, Jan 2026
I had the most wonderful time with Volkan. He was extremely accommodating, helpful, and adjusted our agenda to my person preference. I had a very special experience, it was perfect! I highly recommend booking if you want a special tour of Istanbul.
Kimberlyn_k, Jan 2026
Perfection! And that is not what you expect when you start off on a tour when it’s -2 degrees Celsius, windy and snowing in Istanbul, but we only had one day to see the sites, so we were committed! There is nothing like having a private tour that you are able to design to your liking. While we saw all the major sites, our guide, Volkan, ensured that we were at the right place at the right times to maximize our experience. His knowledge of not only the sites, but the extensive history of Istanbul was simply mesmerizing. Volkan was engaging, funny, articulate and ensured our tour not only met, but exceeded, our expectations. We wanted to see artisan works, not just trinkets, and he took us to the best merchants. There was no pressure to purchase, only a sharing of knowledge and education in the craftsmanship that went into the work. The items we did purchase were true works of art. We wanted a local lunch and that is exactly what we got and it was OVER THE TOP delicious and the portions were insane! At the Bazaar Volkan knows particular vendors who will provide exceptional service without any pressure to buy, just genuine welcomes and pride in their wares. When I read the tour reviews I had hoped Volkan would be our guide and he exceeded every expectation.
susan_s, Jan 2026
Fattah was fantastic
Try not to go on a Tuesday as the Palace is closed
Historic and memorable sites are clustered together so not a lot of walking
Axay_P, Dec 2025
Here’s the updated version with that personal touch added smoothly:
We had an incredible experience with our guide Aytaç in Istanbul. From the very beginning, he made us feel comfortable and well taken care of. He was superb, extremely knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what he does. His explanations were detailed and easy to understand, and he brought the history, culture, and stories of Istanbul to life in a way that kept us engaged throughout the tour.
Aytaç also gave us wonderful restaurant recommendations, all of which were excellent. He took the time to explain each place, what made it special, and what dishes to try, which added a really nice personal touch to our experience. He made sure we were informed about every place we visited and was always happy to answer our questions. He even helped us take amazing photos at the best spots, which we truly appreciated and will treasure.
Thanks to Aytaç, our time in Istanbul was truly memorable and enjoyable. We would highly recommend him to anyone visiting the city who wants an amazing, informative, and thoughtfully planned tour.
Brad_S, Dec 2025
Had a very good private tour wth Volkan. What I appreciated was he let us tailor the experience, allowing us to linger at the palace but then skip the ceramics and carpet factory. Also gave us solid candid advice about what was worth and what wasn't worth the admission ticket. I would recommend him to friends.
Laura_L, Dec 2025
Traveling with my 21 year old son, this private tour with Fettah was the best way to spend our first day in Istanbul and exceeded all expectations!!! We chose a private tour, so to get our bearings and help set priorities for making the most of the rest of our trip. Fettah was very knowledgeable and hospitable. And, what we most enjoyed was his sincerity, kindness and generosity of time. He asked lots of questions about us and our interests and catered our tour to ensure we not only visited the popular monuments and tourist stops but also got to experience the street food and local shops that brought the modern day Turkish culture to life. He was willing to stay as long as there was more we wanted to see. With Fettah in charge, we could enjoy the surroundings instead of looking all day at the map on our phones and worrying about the battery running out. The street food and restaurants he recommended were both delicious and a fraction of the price of what we were finding through our own research and recommendations from our hotels. My son and I felt much more confident exploring Istanbul after spending the day learning from Fettah. The investment in this tour was worth every penny!
Linda_h, Nov 2025
Peta was a great guide and very knowledgeable about Istanbul and it's most famous landmarks. His lunch recommendation was spot on. We enjoyed his company
Larry_L, Nov 2025
This was a truly once in a lifetime and unique experience. As we walked the street of old city Istanbul we could feel like we were back in time as we saw the Hippodrome and the Obilisque. Then we were amazed at the arthitecture of the Basicilia Cistern. The Koptapi Palace was so beautiful and introguing. Our guide Vulcan explained everthing to the utmost detail. He was very helpful in answering all our questions and making sure everyone stayed with the group. He and I became friends quickley.
For those wanting to take this tour I suggest you be ready to walk at least 6 miles, but is is so much worth the effort.
Thank you Vulcan for a fun, educational and delightful experience!
Finally, our driver did an amazing job getting us from our hotel to the beginning of our tour. He and I bonded with our translation apps on the way.
David_S, Oct 2025
Mustafa was an outstanding and knowledgeable guide! Very enjoyable tour. The tour company was very reasonable when, after booking the all day tour with a car, we only really needed the car for 15 minutes to go from the hotel to the guide. The tour itself between sights is walking regardless of what you book so I suggest only booking the walking version. The company refunded us the difference without argument. It was a refreshing customer service experience.
Sheelagh_C, Oct 2025
Very smooth pick up. Guide kept us informed from the evening before on WhatsApp which was reassuring. Guiding was good and not too intense. The skip the line was really a bonus as lines were long. Excellent experience overall.
From $65.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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WONDERS of ISTANBUL: PRIVATE Full-Day Guided City Tour
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