Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
- Duration: 3 Hours (approx.)
- Product code: ST00019
Free cancellation Up to 48 hours in advance.
Overview
Discover the architectural splendors and rich history of Istanbul's Old City on a 1-, 2-, or 3-day private tour. Day 1 immerses you in landmarks like the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the iconic Blue Mosque, the ancient Basilica Cistern, and the luxurious Topkapi Palace, once home to Ottoman sultans. Don't miss the bustling Grand Bazaar, where a myriad of goods from carpets to Turkish delight await. Day 2 offers a scenic Bosphorus cruise, a visit to the opulent Dolmabahce Palace, a stroll through vibrant Taksim Square and Istiklal Street, and views of the Galata Tower, concluding with the aromatic Spice Market. On Day 3, explore the grand Suleymaniye Mosque, the historic Fener and Balat districts, the unique St. Stephen Iron Church, and enjoy panoramic views from Pierre Lotti Hill via cable car, ending at the informative Rahmi Koc Museum.
- Exclusive Istanbul tour led by a private guide
- Comprehensive tour of the city over one, two, or three days
- Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city
- Customize the itinerary according to your schedule
Itinerary
1. Sultanahmet District
Sultanahmet District
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2. Hippodrome
Hippodrome Square / Atmeydanı Hippodrome; where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire time and today German Fountain is the main cornerstone of the square of Ottoman Empire.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3. German Fountain
Germa Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4. Sultanahmet Square
Sultanahmet Square
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5. Hagia Sophia Mosque
Hagia Sophia Museum / Ayasofya / Santa Sofia Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconoclastic, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque then a museum and now it’s a mosque for the second time. The most important stop of an Istanbul tour is operated in Old City Istanbul / Constantinople. *Please note that as it's not a museum anymore, tour guides don't have skip-the-line priority there. You may need to wait in the security line, in order to avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
6. Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace Museum / Topkapı Sarayı More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles the power of the Ottoman Empire.
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Basilica Cistern (Pass By)
Have to skip one of the mosques to save time to visit the interior of The Basilica Cistern. A former water storage chamber and one of Istanbul's greatest surviving Byzantine sites.
7. Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar / Kapalı Çarşı One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops with colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
8. Bosphorus Strait
Bosphorus Cruise by Public Ferry or Private Cruise ( if option is chosen) Take the public ferry for Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the Rumeli Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridges, mosques. Your best Istanbul tour memories will definitely include the Bosphorus.
2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
9. Dolmabahce Palace
Dolmabahce Palace / Dolmabahçe Sarayı Elegance and beauty with the most luxury decoration, chandeliers, rugs, crystals, ceramic fireplaces. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with gorgeous furnishings, paintings, porcelains made in particular to Dolmabahce.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
10. Taksim Square
Taksim Square / Taksim Meydanı A great place defining modern Turkey which witnessed important historical moments. Close to Istiklal Street (Istiklal Caddesi) and Galata Tower along with embassies of European countries in Taxim. Cicek Passage has very good food joints, cafes, shops, bars, night clubs around Taksim.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
11. Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque / Sultanahmet Camii Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire, the Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
12. Istiklal Caddesi
Istiklal Street is the modern and colorful face of Turkey with churches, modern art galeries, embassies, pubs, cafes and shops selling different kind of products.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
13. Galata Tower
We will see the tower FROM OUTSIDE, due to the regulations unfortunately tour guides don't have skip the line priority here so it takes long time to wait queue. Your tour guide will make you explanation about tower.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
14. Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)
Spice Market / Mısır Çarşısı Egyptian Bazaar is a colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a variety of spices, purses, flavored teas, Turkish delight, nuts, as well as ceramics, and small souvenirs. Spice Bazaar is located in Eminonu Square which is the connection point of Bosphorus and Golden Horn.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
15. Cicek Pasaji
Cicek Passage / Flower Passage Originally named as Cite de Pera, a combined structure of traditional and modern construction methods and architectural style by Ottoman Empire is reflected and today we see the small shops and cafes here.
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
16. Suleymaniye Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque / Süleymaniye Camii is the largest mosque in Istanbul and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. In the garden behind the mosque, the Suleymaniye terrace offers lovely views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
17. Balat
Fener-Balat Neighborhood backstreet walk Continue exploring Istanbul’s rich religious history with a stop at the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, the church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion. Balat District; lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Century-old Ottoman houses lean against each other in a combination of reds, blues, and greens. And art galleries and design shops dot the area along the water.
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
18. Fener Rum Patrikhanesi
Orthodox Patriarch
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
19. Historic Areas of Istanbul
Historic Areas of Istanbul
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
20. Pierre Loti Tepesi
Pierre Loti Hill and Cable Car are some of the most popular sights to visit since it offers great views for visitors. Take the cable car to reach the top and enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your Turkish coffee or tea.
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
21. Rahmi M. Koc Museum
Rahmi Koc Museum is on the northern part of Golden Horn, here we visit industrial and cultural museum built by famous family of Koc who were the leading power of Turkish Republic in industrial field since early period of 20th century.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
22. Halic
Golden Horn region which is one of the oldest settlements of the city of Constantinople.
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
23. Bulgarian Orthodox Church
St. Stephen Church; Located on the shore of the Golden Horn, the church is also known as the Iron Church due to the fact that it’s made entirely of prefabricated cast iron in 19th century.
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Inclusions
Private tour
Professional local guide
Guide meets you at central hotels
Exclusions
Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites (unless option selected)
Museum Tickets
Lunch
Gratitude (suggested)
Pickup details
FOR LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS AND LATE DEPARTURES, as museums and some sites will be closed around 17:30 pm, alternative tour sites will be advised by the tour guide during the tour. *Tour guide meets you at central Istanbul hotels or Galata Port. If the hotel is not centrally located, the meeting point will be in front of the German Fountain. If van service is not chosen your guide will pick you up at centrally located hotels on foot. If private van service is booked, please note that there will be a surcharge if your hotel is located outside of the city center or on the Asian Side.