Private Guided Istanbul Tour: Discover Istanbul's Highlights in 1, 2, or 3 Days

Experience the best of Istanbul with a private guided tour. Explore the city’s top attractions in 1, 2, or 3 days, with a flexible itinerary tailored to your preferences.

Duration: 21 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Sultanahmet District - Sultanahmet District
  • Hippodrome - Hippodrome Square / Atmeydanı
    Hippodrome; where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire time and today German Fountain is the main cornerstone of the square of Ottoman Empire.
  • German Fountain - Germa Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi
    -…
What's Included
  • Professional local guide
  • Private tour
  • Central hotel meet-up
What's Not Included
  • Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites (unless option selected)
  • Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets
  • Lunch
  • Gratitude (suggested)
Additional Information

Experience the best of Istanbul on a personalized tour stretching over 1, 2, or 3 days, tailored to your preference.
Day 1 - Explore the Topkapi Palace Museum, the Byzantine Hippodrome/ Sultanahmet Square, witness the brilliant Blue Mosque, marvel at the Hagia Sophia, and shop at the Grand Bazaar.
Day 2 - Set sail on the Bosphorus Cruise via Public…

Location
Sultanahmet District
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(6432 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Lightpacker274839
Aug 28, 2024
5 star tour - Imran was an amazing guide!!! Highly recommended 👌 This was our first time in Istanbul. We saw so much and having a guide really simplified the process.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sa_n
Aug 26, 2024
Great time in Istanbul! - We had the pleasure of spending three incredible days in Istanbul with Mustafa as our guide on the "Best of Istanbul" private tour, and it was truly an unforgettable experience! Our family was visiting from New Jersey, and with our multicultural background—I'm from India, my wife is from Russia, and our kids speak English, Russian, and Hindi fluently—Mustafa made our trip even more special and fun. Mustafa's deep knowledge of Istanbul's history, culture, and hidden gems was impressive. He tailored the tour to our interests, ensuring we saw all the must-visit sites while also introducing us to some lesser-known treasures of the city. His ability to switch between languages, especially Russian, added a unique touch to our experience. It allowed our whole family to engage in meaningful conversations with him, making the tour even more enjoyable. We explored the majestic Hagia Sophia, the stunning Blue Mosque, the ancient Basilica Cistern, and the bustling Grand Bazaar. Mustafa's insights into the history of these sites were captivating. He also took us through the Topkapi Palace, where we marveled at the opulent rooms and relics, and guided us through the vibrant Spice Bazaar, where we experienced the rich aromas and colors of Turkish spices and sweets. Mustafa didn't just show us the well-known landmarks; he also introduced us to the beautiful Süleymaniye Mosque, where we enjoyed a quieter, more reflective experience, and the historic Hippodrome, where we learned about its significance in Byzantine times. His stories brought each location to life, making the old city of Istanbul feel like a living museum. Mustafa's warm personality, professionalism, and attention to detail made our time in Istanbul truly memorable. If you're visiting Istanbul and want a personalized, enriching experience, we highly recommend booking a tour with Mustafa. He made us feel at home in a city that was new to us, and we left with beautiful memories and a deeper understanding of Istanbul’s rich history and culture.
Review provided by Viator
Scott_m
Aug 22, 2024
Wonderful tour of Istanbul - Feyza combined a fantastic knowledge of the key sites, an ability to clearly articulate answers to historical questions with incredible people skills and great organization. Wonderful guide.
Review provided by Viator
982chhayak
Aug 22, 2024
Exploring Istanbul - Sila was a wonderful tour guide, and very patient with all of our questions and queries. She also gave us some great recommendations for the area. Sila made the long tour exciting and made the Ottoman history come to life. Thanks Sila for an amazing tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rishis789
Aug 19, 2024
Wonderful tour! - Umran was a wonderful tour guide! She tailored the day to exactly what we wanted to see, eat, and explore. We had a great time - highly recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erin_b
Aug 10, 2024
Outstanding customized day tour - Our guide, Hakan, was outstanding. We modified our itinerary to suit our interests and all the major sites were beautifully explained. He brought us to reputable carpet and ceramics dealers and patiently waited while we met the artisans and shopped. We had an outstanding day with Hakan and would highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Michael_p
Aug 8, 2024
great 2 day tour getting the highlights of Istanbul - we were a family of 5 from Denmark with kids aged 13, 11, and 8 passing through Istanbul as the last stop on a trip through Greece and Turkey. We (adults) wanted the most of the 2 full days we had in the city and booked this tour. We were not disappointed. We had Ozzie as a guide and he was great during the two days. The two oldest kids also enjoyed the tour while the youngest one being too young to speak English did struggle a little during the two long days. Fully recommended
Review provided by Viator
O1273kkhollyw
Aug 7, 2024
Ask for Fatma she’s the best! - My fiance and I wanted to see as much as Istanbul in two days. This tour did not disappoint. Fatma was the best guide we are so thankful we got her! She spoke amazing English and was a great asset on interpreting for us. We were amazed at how well educated she was and knew so much history. We were not sure if we needed a guide at first because instagram makes it look easy. It is not easy. And we travel a lot. Do yourself a favor and get the guide. It will make your life soooo much easier. We were able to beat lines and go right through. She knew the best times to go places. And what days things were closed to alternate. She showed us the very best spots and new details probably the history books even leave out. She was able to also find some of the best lunch and snack spots. She was so nice and answered all our questions. She even took some great photos of us. When it came to shopping she was able to take us to the best quality so no scams. We were also not sure if we should include the car or not and I’m so so thankful we did. Taxi drivers scam you bad and they don’t want to drive from the old city to the new city. The traffic is terrible. And so are all the drivers. With the tour driver he’s on a schedule and waiting for you. It just makes life so much easier and it’s a set price. You would spend the some on taxis and it’s less headache. I would do it all over again. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorraine_r
Aug 5, 2024
Superb! - We did the three-day tour with Volcan, being our first time in Istanbul, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! His wealth of historic and religious knowledge is unsurpassed! He very willingly adapted each day to our interests, which made us appreciate having a private tour. The first day is all walking. The second day we hired a private driver; but if you are on a budget, you could use a taxi or uber. The third day a private driver enables you to see a lot more Android be difficult to do with public transportation. A++ from us!
Review provided by Viator
Danny_s
Aug 26, 2024
1 day Istanbul - This was our experience in August 2024 as 1st and last time booking a tour with Viator. For starters, we struggled finding our guide. Once we did, the tour did stop at nice locations and guide was knowledgeable. The private van was clean and AC was great. The Weather was extremely hot mid August so I do not recommend it then. My main complaint is that throughout the tour, I felt as if the tour guide and local vendors had a prior arrangement on prices everywhere we stopped. Our Guide did mention certain scams from local vendors but she said we were safe with her, so we trusted her. For lunch we stopped at a mediocre kabob house that charged 3x as much as similar restaurants in Athens. I say this because the restaurant was selected by our guide. We shared a meal with her but were surprised at the amount once I saw the conversion from Turkish Lira to dollars days later. I blame her because She was familiar with the menu and gave food recommendations. She never mentioned the super inflated price of the restaurant perhaps since she may be receiving a cut. I felt it was all prearranged from the beginning. In the end, Viator shares responsibility as well since they hired her to be our guide. If you book this tour, be aware of this and do not allow guide to pick restaurant for you.
Review provided by Viator
From $175 (Per Group)
up to 8 guests
1 Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).