Istanbul Bazaars: Experience Traditional Turkish Shopping at Grand and Egyptian Markets

Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Istanbul’s Grand and Egyptian Bazaars. Discover traditional Turkish shopping, try local delicacies, and learn the art of bargaining on this small-group tour.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Kapali Carsi - Grand Covered Bazaar, most attractive shopping center and the biggest “souk” in the world
    with nearly 4000 shops selling antiques, jewellery, gold, carpets, leatherware and souvenir.
    (Art demonstration of handmade Turkish carpets upon request)

  • Misir Carsisi (Spice Market) - Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), mystical smells of different aromas of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers etc.

  • Sultanahmet Square - Sultan Ahmet Center”, the heart of the “Old City” from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled.

What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
Additional Information

Enjoy a dose of traditional Turkish retail therapy at Istanbul’s two best-known bazaars on this 4-hour shopping tour with a local guide. Roam the herb, spice and food stalls of the Egyptian Bazaar, and delve into the stall-stuffed Grand Bazaar for gold, antiques and other goodies. Get bartering tips and pointers on the best deals from your guide as you explore, and visit a traditional ceramics workshop to see potters make Turkey’s blue-and-white Iznik tiles and pottery.

Do not miss to visit the Bilgins Outlet for leather, carpets, jewellery, ceramics, bags with a possibility of reasonable prices

Numbers are limited to 10 on this small-group tour for a personalized experience.

  • Please note: When reconfirming your booking, your local supplier will advise you on alternative meeting points for hotels which are not accessible
Location
Tamara Restaurant
Küçük Ayasofya Caddesi
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.9
(23 Ratings)
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1 star
Keri_g
Jun 9, 2024
Great help in finding quality items - I hadn’t thought much about the reservation when I booked. The tour guide, Ertugrul, was excellent. He was personable and interested in finding what we were looking to see and purchase. Other tour guides had tried to pressure us into situations of which we weren’t interested but Ertugrul had connections in the bazaar and showed us the quality places for things we were seeking like iznik ceramic pieces. We weren’t looking for brand named fashion items or rugs which you can certainly find there. I only wish I bought a few more things because the quality and price was better than in other places. I didn’t have any problem getting tea and spices through US customs. The driver was also very good but I did not catch his name. All in all, a great experience. If you think you’ll pick up souvenirs that you didn’t get while in Istanbul at the airport be prepared to pay double or triple. I was told this is because the airport is heavily taxed. Bring cash for tips of driver and guide. They all seem to accept euro, USD and lira.
Review provided by Viator
Vanaja_g
Oct 24, 2023
The guide was very professional and kept with our taste - Purchasing things we liked and the guide took us to the shop of our interests. The walking was good ., so was the vehicle sent for our pick up
Review provided by Viator
Elena511
Sep 30, 2019
Too crowded - I have not seen so many people crowded at one place. Better go there early in the morning. It is very interesting there!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendyinchicago
Sep 3, 2019
A must see. - Imagine a place where people have been shopping for over 600 years! There is everythng from Turkish coffee sets to rugs to elegant scarves, and of course, Turkish Delight. It helps to go with a guide so you don't overpay for items.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Habeeb
Oct 15, 2019
Great bazaar - Great Bazaar, I liked this bazaar more than the grand bazaar,, but as every where in Turkey you have to bargain. the ALLADIN sweets were great ,, like the second store,, turkish sweets made with honey,, I also find that if you walk straight you can reach the grand bazaar, on that way you can find lots of wholesaler for scarf.. so you can buy in bulk ,, cheaper..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luks
Sep 22, 2018
Don't get ripped off! - The first thing to note is that there are many entrances to this Bazaar and they also have security when entering, so you have to go through a metal detector. they don't really check anything i went in with a pram they didn't really say anything and didn't check my bags. The Bazaar is very busy and the closing time is around 7pm. Advise: The prices in the bazaar are actually more than you would find outside the bazaar. So i recommend shopping outside the bazaar on the street markets. they are generally around 20-30 Lira difference. when you enter the Bazaar you will see the sweet/savoury sections. they are a absolute rip off. do not buy for more than 60 lira for 1 kg of Turkish delights. they will quote you from 120-90 lira. Trust me you can get it cheaper with them or somewhere else. The decorated tea sets they sell for 120 lira. BUT you can actually go to the supermarket and get the same set for 10 Lira!!! there are a lot of fake cloths, bags, shoes etc. if you decide to buy them always remember they will quote you 3 times the actually amount they are willing to sell for. so don't be fooled! the bazaar is huge place with similar shops just in different places. its worth a visit just to see what all the fuss is about. snapchat movement of course. I have actually found better exchange rates in the bazaar than outside. the food around the bazaar is expensive. you can get the same even better food on the side of the streets away from the touristy bits. i ate at the restaurant right outside and paid over 120 Lira for kebab and rise, and a Turkish pizza. i went outside the busy bits and got 2 large kebab wraps, chips, pizza and some other dishes i forgot what you call them plus tea and cakes enough for 4 people (2 of us only, since am going holiday might swell put some calories on) and only paid 56 Lira! which is about £6 Bargain! (exchange rate was 8.2)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robitalianchef
Oct 26, 2019
Just look, don't buy!! - The place is really interesting, fascinating, colorful and lively. Definitely worth a visit. But be careful, whatever you buy here you'll pay at least double respect to what you'd pay in a shop anywhere else out of the heavy touristic areas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Svetlana_w
Aug 3, 2024
Not good - Strange tour. Instead of Bazaar my son and my mom were initially taken to a clothing store with brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci. Also, they were offered fur coats. My son lives near Florida. He definitely does not need any fur coat. Only after talking to the guide for some time, they were taken to Grand Bazaar. The guide did not explain much of anything. The whole tour was over in 1-2 hours. No spice market at all. My son said he could have gone to the Bazaar without any guide just fine. So waste of your money. Also, everything there is overpriced. You can buy it cheaper elsewhere.
Review provided by Viator
Kelly_g
Nov 28, 2023
Poor guide for tour - The memorable moments is when the guide just left us on our own. Not a very attentive guide. He then implied that we weren't where we were supposed to be at the meeting time.
Review provided by Viator
Samcook15
Sep 4, 2019
Very poor quality and high prices - While buying minimum get price of 30% of first price a seller offers. In asian side you will find same products and way way cheaper. The quality is very very poor. Clothes and bags we brought got broken within a week. Total turist scam!! Do not trust these lying and agressive turks! TERRRIBLE PLACE
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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