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Private Istanbul Tour: Unique Culture Experience
4.8
130 Ratings
Fatih
These private tours would offer you the comfort of unique culture experience. If you want to stay away from crowded groups, to avoid long entrance queues, we invite you to live the best of your Istanbul experience with a private tour.
These private tours would offer you the comfort of unique culture experience. If you want to stay away from crowded groups, to avoid long entrance queues, we invite you to live the best of your Istanbul experience with a private tour.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Sultanahmet District - Discover the captivating charm of Sultanahmet, the historic heart of Istanbul. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history, culture, and architectural wonders that define this vibrant district. Explore the iconic Sultanahmet Square, surrounded by architectural marvels like the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, the majestic…
- Sultanahmet District - Discover the captivating charm of Sultanahmet, the historic heart of Istanbul. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history, culture, and architectural wonders that define this vibrant district. Explore the iconic Sultanahmet Square, surrounded by architectural marvels like the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, the majestic Blue Mosque, and the ancient Roman Hippodrome. Wander through the narrow cobblestone streets, lined with charming cafes, artisanal shops, and local bazaars. Indulge in the flavors of Turkish cuisine and delight in the warm hospitality of the locals. Immerse yourself in the captivating ambiance of Sultanahmet, where the ancient and the modern blend seamlessly to create an unforgettable experience.
- Blue Mosque - Sultanahmet Camii as known as Blue Mosque is one of the most magnificent buildings in Turkey. The building is not just a mosque, it is also a social life complex. Its name comes from blue Iznik tiles covered interior of the mosque.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia is the most famous building in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia, the largest church built by the Eastern Roman Empire in Istanbul, was built three times in the same place. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral as the capital’s largest church where rulers were crowned throughout the Eastern Roman Empire.
- Topkapi Palace - After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the construction of Topkapi Palace, which was started in 1460 at the request of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, was completed in 1478. Topkapı Palace, with all its additional buildings, was expanded with the added structures until the 19th century.
- Grand Bazaar - The Grand Bazaar, which was founded in 1461, resembles a giant scale labyrinth thanks to its aesthetic design. The historical shopping area with nearly 60 streets and more than 3600 shops covers a total area of 30,700 square meters.
- Hippodrome - You will see 4 amazing monuments in the ancient Hippodrome which was the center of Byzantine civic life; Egyptian Obelisk, The German Fountain of Wilhelm II, Serpentine Column and Column of Constantine.
- Basilica Cistern - The Basilica Cistern, an ancient underground water reservoir in Istanbul, features stunning columns and a mysterious ambiance, reflecting the city’s rich history and architectural brilliance. A must-visit marvel.
What's Included
- Discover rich tradition of Turkish handicrafts through unique art & shopping experiences in GORDES
- Fast Track Ticket Available to skip the huge queue
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide
- Public Transportation Fees
- Discover rich tradition of Turkish handicrafts through unique art & shopping experiences in GORDES
- Fast Track Ticket Available to skip the huge queue
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide
- Public Transportation Fees
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Tips
- Museum/Attraction Tickets
- Topkapi Palace on Tuesday ( Closed on Tuesday )
- Lunch
- Tips
- Museum/Attraction Tickets
- Topkapi Palace on Tuesday ( Closed on Tuesday )
Location
German Fountain
At Meydanı Caddesi
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
4.8
(130 Ratings)
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1 star
Baronm2025
Jan 10, 2025
Istanbul is fascinating - This tour was the highlight of our trip to Turkey! We saw what we wanted and learned a lot! A great day spent! Value for money!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passport42687710361
Dec 21, 2024
Amazing knowledgeable and friendly guide, 100% recommend! - Our guide Billur met us at our hotel and was immediately so warm and welcoming. She shared so much knowledge with us and is clearly an expert at what she does. It felt like a friend showing us around her city, including a great lunch spot! She shared our love of cats and dogs and was more than happy for us to try and pat every one of the 60 cats we saw. She made the experience so spectacular and we're so grateful to have met her, çok teşekkür ederim Billur!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brunof657
Dec 9, 2024
Had a great time and learned a lot about the history of civilization that happened right here in Istanbul! - My guide, Zel, was very knowledgeable and took me to all the main points in Istanbul. There is a lot of history here, so I strongly suggest you go with someone like Zel so you can make the most of your trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neyst2024
Dec 8, 2024
Incredible way to experience Istanbul's rich history and culture - Our guide, Ege, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the city's landmarks. We visited iconic sites like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern. Each location was more fascinating than the last, and Ege's stories brought the history to life.
The tour was well-organized, and the private nature meant we could move at our own pace and ask as many questions as we wanted. The highlight was definitely the Grand Bazaar, where we got to explore the vibrant market and even do a bit of shopping.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul. It's a perfect blend of sightseeing, learning, and experiencing the local culture. A fantastic way to make the most of your time in this beautiful city!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Imrankk3876jq
Dec 6, 2024
Perfect experience - This is the best way to see rich heritage of Istanbul. Our expert guide provides fascinating insights and personalized the experience. We spent the perfect day, thanks to Bulent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fellowtraveler577883
Dec 5, 2024
Great private tour of Istanbul - I had a private day tour with Coskun (Josh). He was very knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul and Turkey. He was very fun and personable and made the whole experience memorable. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marjoriez578
Dec 3, 2024
Introduction to all the key historical sites in the Old City - This was a great tour covering all of the historical highlights of the Old City, along with an introduction to many elements of Turkish culture. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the city’s history and easily answered our many questions. He also introduced us to several vendors, which we appreciated, while not pressuring us at all to make purchases. It was a greatcoat, with the tour lasting about 7 hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dermotflavin
Nov 29, 2024
Great way to explore Istanbul - My tour guide Sait was amazing! He was very friendly and informative while showing me around Istanbul. I enjoyed taking public transportation as it gave me a view of the city I otherwise wouldn’t have seen.
Would highly recommend a tour with him
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire32556387092
Jan 11, 2025
Private tour - Went to visit Istanbul for a couple of days and booked this tour as an intro to the city.
+ The views are stunning, Hagia Sophia is breathtaking
+ The tour was managed efficiently, no real queues, maybe due to low season
+ Tour guide offered to make photos
+ Tour guide's restaurant recommendations were excellent
- Our guide did not provide super detailed, inspired stories about the marverls that we went to see. Comments were very brief.
- Tour guide took us to the carpet dealers and some other sellers at the bazaar. It was a waste of time for us as we were not interested
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kellybr1562vp
Nov 30, 2024
Nice to have a guide for popular historical sites - Our guide was very knowledgeable and took us to see the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern. Since Topkapi Palace was closed on Tuesdays we got to see how traditional rugs are made by hand and ultimately ended in the Grand Bazaar.
Overall we enjoyed having a guide show us around and explain the various historical sites that we visited. I wish our guide would have offered options to choose from since the palace was closed. Instead, we were put in a very uncomfortable situation at the rug shop where we had to repeatedly and forcefully decline buying a rug. We ultimately had to walk out to exit the conversation but our guide continued to try to sell us on the idea of buying a rug from that shop. In the Grand Bazaar, when we informed our guide that we were not interested in buying any purses, watches, or jewelry at the stalls we were guided to he declared that the tour was over and we parted ways.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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