Highlights of old Istanbul with private guide

Experience the magic of Istanbul on a private full-day walking tour. Explore the old city, indulge in local cuisine, and skip the lines with a knowledgeable guide.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Hippodrome - The Hippodrome serves as the hub for sports activities, featuring four notable monuments: The German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, and the Walled Obelisk.
  • Blue Mosque - The Blue Mosque, also known as Sultanahmet Camii, is Istanbul’s most renowned mosque, famed for its stunning blue Iznik tiles. (Visits are not possible on Fridays until 15:00 due to Friday Prayer.) Dress code is required. Women need to cover their heads and shoulders with scarves. Both men and women must wear long pants.
  • Hagia Sophia Mosque - The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, originally an ancient basilica built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, stands as one of the greatest architectural wonders. (Visits are not possible on Fridays until 15:00 due to Friday Prayer.) Dress code is required. Women need to cover their heads and shoulders with scarves. Both men and women must wear long pants.
  • Topkapi Palace - The Topkapi Palace, the magnificent residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, houses an exquisite collection of precious gems, jewelry, sultans’ thrones, costumes worn by the sultans and their families, miniatures, the Holy Mantle, and the Chamber of Sacred Relics. (Dress code is required. Women need to cover their heads and shoulders with scarves. Both men and women must wear long pants.) Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays and is replaced with the Turkish Islamic Art Museum on that day.
  • Hagia Irene Museum - The Hagia Irene Church, constructed during the same period (4th century) as its neighbor, the Hagia Sophia, was incorporated into the grounds of Topkapi Palace after the conquest of Istanbul. Unlike many other churches, it was not significantly altered when converted into a mosque. (Hagia Irene Church is closed on Tuesdays.)
  • Kapali Carsi - The Grand Covered Bazaar is a maze of streets and passages housing over 4,000 shops, each dedicated to a specific trade, such as goldsmiths, carpet sellers, and purveyors of Turkish arts and crafts, including hand-painted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware, trays, water ewers, onyxware, and meerschaum pipes. (The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and is replaced with the Arasta Bazaar.)
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Priority passes in museums as much as possible
  • Flexible walking tour programme
  • Private guiding
  • Professional licensed tour guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
  • Entry Fees
  • Pickup transportation fees
Additional Information

We welcome our guests as if they were our good friends. With a certified, professional, and experienced guide of 20 years, you will receive in-depth details that can make your visit special. You can enjoy authentic local food according to your guide’s suggestions. Save precious time and skip the long lines with our admission tickets. You can enjoy walking through the old city of Istanbul and soaking in its mystical atmosphere.

  • Skip the lines as possible
Location
German Fountain
At Meydanı Caddesi
We meet by the German Fountain (Alman çeşmesi ) at hippodrome.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(37 Ratings)
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X6634etpaolov
Jul 29, 2024
Great experience - Great guide, always available to our requests. Professional and prepared. Friendly and kind. Really recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M0timem
Jul 18, 2024
Strongly Recommend - Serkan did an amazing job in the tour! He was very knowledgeable, organized, attentive to our needs. He also helped us also to navigate the city transportation system. I feel like I got to know Istanbul in one day. I strongly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lharizajoys
Jul 15, 2024
My fisrt experience in Turkey was exciting - Our guide is very energetic, reliable, knowledgeable, and has initiative. All the scenery is beautiful. Great experience. Thank you 😊 🥰🤗
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Reena
Jul 13, 2024
Great local knowledge and goes beyond - This was a great day of all Istanbul highlights, history, information and access to quick lines. Serkan was extremely knowledgeable and patient with our crew of 8 which included 4 children. He gave us a ton of tips for our other days in Istanbul, and even arranged an incredible lunch spot, pottery spinning activity and a birthday celebration for one of the boys. He was an incredibly thoughtful and knowledgeable guide.
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Alice
Jul 6, 2024
Serkan Bey is the Best - Serkan was our tour guide for the day while in Istanbul. Took us to see everything we requested with in depth description and history telling. He took all our family pictures at the best points and made sure we never waited in a line. He was accommodating for our family which included two very young kids and was adaptable/flexible with our schedule. If you want a custom and flexible experience, he's your guide! ❤️❤️
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875maddier
Jul 3, 2024
Great experience! - We had a great day with Mr. Behiç. He was very knowledgeable, patient and helpful. Gave us a lot of tips regarding our stay in Istanbul. Helped us in the Grand Bazaar.
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Chris
Jun 27, 2024
Private Tour in Sultanahmet - Serkan took our family on a private tour in the old town of Istanbul. He was friendly and informative with interesting history and stories. We all appreciated the flexibility of making our own tour combining historical monuments with some local shops and food. Everyone had an enjoyable day.
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37sibyllep
Jun 17, 2024
Introduction to Istanbul’s Offerings. - Serkan Keçeci was our good private guide, who managed to very successfully show us and explain the important sites of the old city of Istanbul. Due to Serkan, we avoided having to join the very long entry queues. We thoroughly e njoyed seeing what Istanbul had to offer.
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G5462lnmarkm
Jun 9, 2024
Great tour - Serkan was a great guide. He walked us through the Topkapi palace and provided us with details about all the different rooms. He was very friendly and also gave us some great recommendations of other places to see in Istanbul.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G9053htstevec
Jul 14, 2024
Our visit to Turkey, a once in a lifetime experience. - Our tour guide was very friendly and he is very knowledgeable of the place. He is a jolly person and showed the initiative. I like him. We visited beautiful and historical places with an efficient guide and excellent driver.
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up to 15 guests
1
Adult
September 2024
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