1 or 2 Days Private Istanbul Guided Tour: Explore Byzantine and Ottoman Monuments

Customize your Istanbul experience with a 1 or 2-day private guided tour. Explore Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, enjoy personalized service, and create your own itinerary.

Duration: 16 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hippodrome - The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a public space in ancient Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) that was used for chariot races and other public events. It was built in the 4th century AD by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, and was expanded and embellished by later emperors. The Hippodrome was rectangular in shape, and could hold up to 100,000 spectators. It featured statues, obelisks, and monuments from various parts of the Roman Empire, including the famous Serpent Column and the Obelisk of Theodosius. The Hippodrome was in use until the 5th century AD, after which it fell into decline and was eventually abandoned. Today, the Hippodrome is a popular tourist attraction, and some of the ancient monuments that once stood in the Hippodrome can still be seen.
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Private Tour
  • 1 or 2 nights (depending on option selected)
What's Not Included
  • Museum/Attraction Tickets
  • Transportation from/back to hotel and between sites (unless option selected)
  • Lunch
Additional Information

See the sights of Istanbul that most interest you on a customized 1 or 2 -days tour with a private guide. Opt for a single day and see the whole of the Old City, plus the Grand Bazaar. Extend the tour to include a second day and visit the Spice Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim, and Istiklal Street, plus a Bosphorus cruise.Please note that your guide is happy to alter the itinerary completely to accommodate your personal interests.

Day 1: Private istanbul Guided Tour Day:Blue Mosq,Hagia Sophia,Topkapi Palace,Basilica Cistern,Grand Bazar
Day 2:Private istanbul Guided Tour : Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Istiklal Street, and Taksim

Private guide means a more personalized experience Option to select a 1 or 2-day private tour by walking or VAN
Book an included tour vehicle for door-to-door service Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city
*Customize the itinerary according to your schedule.

  • Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays
  • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
  • Blue Mosque is closed until 2pm on Fridays
  • Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays
  • Galata Tower will be visited from outside as tour guides have no priority to skip the line due to Galata Tower regulation
  • Hagia Sophia will be closed for visit during praying time
  • Families with young children will be accompanied by kid-friendly tour guide
  • For last minute bookings, tour starting time can be flexible
Location
Hippodrome
Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2,
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(35 Ratings)
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1 star
Geetha_r
Oct 3, 2024
Fantastic intro to Istanbul - Kemal provided a wonderful introduction to Istanbul for us. We walked everywhere and there was plenty of time to see the sights. He gave us lots of historical context and information, and his relaxed and jovial manner made the tour easy and fun. The timing of our visits to different sites was perfect and we seemed to be able to avoid most of the crowds! We had opportunity to shop at nice shops with his guidance and overall had a fantastic day. Would highly recommend this tour and especially Kemal! Looking forward to day 2:-)
Review provided by Viator
Pascale_c
Aug 13, 2024
Excellent and totally worth it - Our guide Tunç was fantastic! Very pleasant, flexible, gentle and of course very knowledgeable, helping us to dive into the culture, history and social aspects beyond basic tourism. Really the best guide we ever had in our many trips around the world. The program was perfect with super time management from our guide. Thank you🙏.
Review provided by Viator
Krishnan_n
Jan 1, 2024
Great way to see the main highlights in an efficient manner. - We had Cicek for 2 days. She was great. We did the walking tour. Took us to all the main highlights. She was informative and also patient. Never rushed us. I highly recommend this tour and also Cicek.
Review provided by Viator
Mary_o
Nov 9, 2023
Best 2-day tour ever! - Our two-day tour with Cicek was the best way to immerse ourselves in the culture and history of Istanbul and Turkey. She helped plan our days to see the most important sites of the city. She was so knowledgeable and personable that it felt like touring with a dear friend. Having a private guide for the two of us really enhanced our experience. We highly recommend Cicek to anyone traveling to Istanbul.
Review provided by Viator
Drhs5
Oct 13, 2023
Istanbul in 2 days - Excellent 2 day tour - saw the best bits of Istanbul. Helped understand Istanbul. Great personal guide
Review provided by Viator
Kathleen_b
Sep 23, 2023
Great experience in Istanbul. - Istanbul is a beautiful, historic city. Our guide Mustafa was incredibly knowledgeable and keen to share his passion for the city and it’s history. He was always checking in with us to confirm our understanding and comfort.
Review provided by Viator
Sinead_m
Sep 9, 2023
Incredible day in Istanbul with an incredible guide, Ferhat - Ferhat our tour guide met us at the port and guided us through this vibrant city of Istanbul. We avoided all the huge groups saw the beautiful palace skipping the long line, wandering through the sacred mosque sites. We would not have been confident to tackle the Grand Bazaar but Ferhat made that easy! We ended the day with a wonderful private boat tour of the Bosporus as the sun was setting-truly magical. We cannot thank Ferhat enough for his warmth and kindness. His knowledge of the city, past and present is incredible and we are grateful for his time in Istanbul. Thank you !
Review provided by Viator
Neeraja_p
Oct 30, 2023
Good Family Trip ! - Orkhut was an excellent guide through and through for our private tour in the old city of Istanbul. Main highlight of the tour was visiting the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque by being able to skip the queue. We also had a very interesting and informative tour of Topkapi Palace along with him. Last but not the least it was great to find this hidden gem of a restaurant whose terrace gave splendid views of Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque , ideal for photographs and feeding seagulls as well ! Would definitely recommend !
Review provided by Viator
Steve_f
Nov 2, 2023
The tour guide Ochun was... - The tour guide Ochun was excellent. First day, driver never showed up. We needed to get our own cab. Second day , the van we had to drive in was terrible and dirty. The van by design would not allow us to look out the front window. If you don’t get better vehicles you will lose customers.
Review provided by Viator
Kavitha_r
Sep 22, 2023
Guide messed up - The Guide was I too rude and in a hurry to complete the tour. Had zero patience. Made us Walk fast or literally run to places we needed to see.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
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October 2024
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