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Istanbul Private Tour: Customized City Experience
4.9
76 Ratings
Fatih
Experience a personalized, private guided historical tour in Istanbul with an Istanbul-born professional tour guide. Explore the city’s highlights at your own pace and immerse yourself in its rich history, culture, gastronomy, and shopping.
Experience a personalized, private guided historical tour in Istanbul with an Istanbul-born professional tour guide. Explore the city’s highlights at your own pace and immerse yourself in its rich history, culture, gastronomy, and shopping.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Blue Mosque - Explore one of the most stunning Ottoman mosques, adorned with blue Iznik tiles that are over four centuries old.
- Hippodrome - Discover the remaining monuments of the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where Roman chariots once raced. This ancient stadium was larger than any modern soccer stadium, with a capacity of 100,000 people…
- Blue Mosque - Explore one of the most stunning Ottoman mosques, adorned with blue Iznik tiles that are over four centuries old.
- Hippodrome - Discover the remaining monuments of the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where Roman chariots once raced. This ancient stadium was larger than any modern soccer stadium, with a capacity of 100,000 people when the city’s population was 400,000.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Visit one of the oldest and most magnificent places of worship in the world, a church/mosque of both the Romans and the Ottomans, built in the 6th century by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
- Deraliye - At a convenient time, enjoy a lunch break and savor the exquisite Turkish cuisine at one of two renowned restaurants: Deraliye or Galeyan.
- Basilica Cistern - Explore the spectacular 6th-century water reservoir of the Romans, a testament to advanced Roman architecture with its 336 ancient columns resembling a sunken palace.
- Kapali Carsi - Experience the oriental shopping style in Europe’s oldest and largest indoor shopping mall, nearly six centuries old, featuring 4,000 shops and 21 entrance/exit gates. The famous and fascinating bazaar!
What's Included
- Licensed professional guide included.
- Licensed professional guide included.
What's Not Included
- All fees and/or taxes
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Basilica Cistern Admission fee
- Hagia Sophia Admission Fee
- Gratuity
- All fees and/or taxes
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Basilica Cistern Admission fee
- Hagia Sophia Admission Fee
- Gratuity
Additional Information
I am an Istanbul born and raised professional tour guide since 1997. I provide private customized tours for your needs in my city. I will be delighted to share my knowledge and experience with you in a private tour, special to you through the streets of Istanbul in which you can adjust the pace and see or to do more or less. You can enjoy history,…
I am an Istanbul born and raised professional tour guide since 1997. I provide private customized tours for your needs in my city. I will be delighted to share my knowledge and experience with you in a private tour, special to you through the streets of Istanbul in which you can adjust the pace and see or to do more or less. You can enjoy history, culture, gastronomy and shopping of the city in the best customized way with me.
- Not recommended for travelers with wheel chair or serious walking difficulties
Location
German Fountain
At Meydanı Caddesi
German Fountain, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet area, old city. In the pick up point I will hold a sign with the travelers' name.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(76 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Wanderer203560
Feb 9, 2025
Istanbul Delights - Sel is one of the good ones. He was knowledgeable, punctual and flexibility. He asked for my input on sites that would interest me and ones that he thought were must sees. With that approach and his narrative I was able to visit many of the highlights of Istanbul in two days.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
George
Jan 27, 2025
A wonderful tour of both sides of Istanbul - Sel was terrific. English was flawless. Knowledgeable, considerate and punctual. We enjoyed his well planed guided tour very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Subbur2025
Jan 19, 2025
Exceptional Travel Guide for Istanbul and Turkey - A close friend of mine recommended Sel for our family trip to Istanbul. We had engaged him for a 3-day Private tour of Istanbul. From the moment we embarked on our Istanbul journey with Sel, it became clear that he is not just a guide, but a true connoisseur of Turkish culture, history, and the intricate tapestry that weaves through every corner of Istanbul. The depth of knowledge and passion that Sel brought for each day of the tour is palpable, transforming a simple visit into an immersive and enlightening adventure
With nearly three decades of guiding travelers through the wonders of Turkey, Sel has honed an unparalleled expertise. Whether it’s navigating the bustling streets of Istanbul, unveiling the hidden gems of the Grand Bazaar, or recounting the stories of ancient empires at Hagia Sophia, every moment was enriched by a profound understanding of the locale’s history and significance. He had answers to every question that our family had. He crafted the itinerary for us, booked tickets for all major attractions. His food recommendations were great. Before entering the museums or places of interest, we would show us the picture or video of the attractions and tell us about the history of the attractions we should focus on. This helped us not to miss any key attractions and also stay on schedule. Through anecdotes, local interactions, and insider tips, he provided us a deeper appreciation of the contemporary Turkish way of life. From culinary delights to traditional crafts, Sel opened the door to authentic experiences that are often missed by the casual tourist.
Had a wonderful time in Istanbul, thanks to Sel
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T9045alscottp
Dec 30, 2024
Amazing Full Day in Istanbul with the Perfect Guide - Our day with Sel was the highlight of our time in Istanbul; he curated a terrific day of seeing sites, learning about the history and culture of the city and the country, visiting museums, and experiencing the local food and crafts - rug weaving and ceramic making. We were traveling with our twin 16 year-old boys and Sel was great about engaging with them, finding topics of interest to discuss and involving them throughout the conversations of the day. He was incredibly knowledgeable and the level of detail and information was perfect for our family; we appreciated his insights and ability to connect history to today's world so what we were learning and discussing could be appreciated by our teens as relevant to their lives. Sel had a keen sense of when to do what throughout the day; he had created a great outline of a plan for what we were going to see but due to some inclement weather and unexpected long lines at one of our stops, he suggested we pivot and go to lunch and wait to see if the lines cleared up. Sel wisely provided us with three different options for lunch and we picked a kebab place,Galeyan, which was delicious and had a great vibe. His plan worked great and after a great lunch the lines were shorter and we were able to get inside quickly. Because of Sel's navigation throughout the day, we got to see everything on our "must see" list - even if it meant in a slightly different order than originally planned. We liked his "structure with flexibility" approach to the tour and the day and really appreciated everything he shared - and we learned. We would 100% use Sel again if we return to the city and highly recommend him to anyone looking for someone knowledgeable and personable to guide you while you are in Turkey.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X3736duerinh
Dec 15, 2024
Perfect comprehensive day in Istanbul - Fantastic tour! Guide was SUPER knowledgeable and able to answer every single question we had! He let us adjust the tour to our needs and on what we wanted to see. The lunch restaurant he suggested for lunch was one of the best meals we had the whole trip. He even helped us book Turkish Baths the following day. This was a great, comprehensive tour of Istanbul. Even my 9 year old daughter had a great time and learned a TON! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dc327
Dec 3, 2024
Great full day tour of Istanbul! - We had a great full day guided tour with Selcuk! He took us all around the old city to see all the major sights (the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar) and provided a lot of interesting historical and cultural information.
He also took us to a fabulous Turkish lunch! He was also really good with our kids- 12 and 8 years old. We all had a fabulous time. We'd highly recommend taking a tour with Selcuk!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jenfaws
Oct 31, 2024
Very informative Tour of Top Sites in Istanbul - Sel was terrific and very knowledgable. Regretfully our ship was late getting into port so we had to adjust the plan of what we were going to be able to see on the fly, but he was very helpful in providing information about when and how to get into the sites we had to eliminate from our time with him. It was helpful to learn toward the beginning of the tour that he would lead us to the best places to take photos in more crowded venues (eg., the Hagia Sofia). All in all, a great tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Curious527627
Oct 19, 2024
Istanbul private tour - Sel was a wonderful host on our day in Istanbul, knowledgeable & congenial
Excellent communication and English clarity
Contacted us day before tour start which is very reassuring
Pivoted easily to our requests, we had an delicious lunch & he got us to our next stop at tour finish..thank you Sel!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dream362453
Oct 10, 2024
Cannot say enough great things about our time with Sel! - Sel took us on a day and a half tour of all the wonderful sites of Istanbul, recommended a great hotel and fed us amazing food. Informative, generous and fun to be with!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pearsong2024
Oct 8, 2024
Perfect Experience - Sel was amazing. So knowledgeable and good spirited. Took us to great sights, and gave great recommendations for things to do and places to eat both before and after our actual tour. I will recommend Sel to any friends that come to Istanbul in the future
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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