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Private Istanbul Tour: Topkapi Palace, St. Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and Hippodrome
4.8
20 Ratings
Istanbul
Experience the best of Istanbul on a private full-day tour. Visit iconic landmarks like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Enjoy the flexibility to customize your itinerary and spend as much time as you want at each site. Your personal guide and comfortable transportation will ensure a seamless and memorable experience.
Experience the best of Istanbul on a private full-day tour. Visit iconic landmarks like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Enjoy the flexibility to customize your itinerary and spend as much time as you want at each site. Your personal guide and comfortable transportation will ensure a seamless and memorable experience.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hippodrome - Our professional tour guide will meet guests at the hotel or port. The pick-up time will be provided during your confirmation. Then, we will walk or drive to Hippodrome Square, which was the site of chariot races and Byzantine riots during the Roman and Byzantine periods.
- Blue Mosque - The Blue Mosque is renowned for its stunning…
- Hippodrome - Our professional tour guide will meet guests at the hotel or port. The pick-up time will be provided during your confirmation. Then, we will walk or drive to Hippodrome Square, which was the site of chariot races and Byzantine riots during the Roman and Byzantine periods.
- Blue Mosque - The Blue Mosque is renowned for its stunning blue Iznik tiles.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia was built in 532 AD by Roman Emperor Justinian I.
Update for St. Sophia interior visit:
Live guiding is not permitted in St. Sophia after January 15, 2024. Guests must have their smartphones and headphones during their visit. If guests do not have headphones, they can purchase them at the entrance for 3.5 USD. The system is similar to an audio guide system. Guests without smartphones will follow the signs and the information provided on them.
- Topkapi Palace - Topkapi Palace was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans but also the administrative and educational center of the state. It was constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople. We will visit Topkapi Palace, including the weapons section.
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Kapali Carsi - We will visit the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, featuring more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Opened in 1461, it is famous for its jewelry, pottery, spices, and carpet shops.
Drive back to Istanbul port or your hotel. This marks the end of our services.
What's Included
- Private tour
- Professional private tour guide
- Local tax included
- Worry-Free Shore Excursion Guarantee
- Transport in air-conditioned minivan
- Private tour
- Professional private tour guide
- Local tax included
- Worry-Free Shore Excursion Guarantee
- Transport in air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
- Lunch and Drinks
- Gratuities
- Entrance Fees ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets )
- Lunch and Drinks
- Gratuities
- Entrance Fees ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets )
Additional Information
A full-day private tour features five key attractions (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome Square, Grand Bazaar) in Istanbul. Your personal guide and air-conditioned vehicle will be at your disposal from start to finish.
• Exclusive tour for your family and friends
• You choose the start time
• Our tour guide will greet you at your…
A full-day private tour features five key attractions (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome Square, Grand Bazaar) in Istanbul. Your personal guide and air-conditioned vehicle will be at your disposal from start to finish.
• Exclusive tour for your family and friends
• You choose the start time
• Our tour guide will greet you at your Port/Hotel with a sign showing your name
• Our expert guide will accompany you from the moment you arrive until you depart
• You have the flexibility to determine how long you want to spend at each site and tailor the itinerary
• You don’t have to wait for other members of a group
• You’re free to stop for photo opportunities during the tour
• You can halt for lunch at a local eatery to try the famous Turkish Kebaps
- At time of booking, Hotels guests must provide hotel name
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Visit to holy places of worship such as churches, monasteries, mosques, synagogues bare shoulders are not permitted, nor shoes in mosques.
- In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited. On Tuesdays : Topkapi Palace replaced by Underground Cistern, On Sundays : Grand Bazaar will be replaced by Spice Market. Grand Bazaar will be closed on Public holidays, it will be replaced by Arasta Bazaar. Because, Spice Market will also be closed.
- Blue Mosque is open from 14.30 to 16.30 on Fridays
Location
Hippodrome
Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2,
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
(20 Ratings)
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Rainklowdgrrl
Aug 28, 2024
Best day in Istanbul - This tour far exceeded our expectations. Erkan was an amazing guide, and the tour company was wonderful as well. We had to make some time changes due to our ships schedule changing, and Fevzi accommodated us perfectly every step of the way!!
The tour itself was exactly what we wanted. We only had hours in Istanbul rather than days and we wanted to see as much as possible.
Erkan met us at the cruise port, and we began our tour. He was friendly, spoke clearly (which sounds silly but we have had some guides who talk so fast or so quiet that you can’t understand), made sure that we had time for everything we had asked to see, and even squeezed in some extra things that he thought he would like.
We took the local transportation, which was crowded and could have been confusing, but Erkan made sure we were all on and off where we needed to be.
10/10 recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Syamk
Apr 25, 2024
Excellent tour - Tour guide Leyla did a great job. She is knowledgeable and made the tour a memorable experience despite the weather conditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_s
Mar 14, 2024
It was a wonderful tour.... - It was a wonderful tour. We enjoyed the individual attention and information that was provided- thanks!
Review provided by Viator
920pamelal
Oct 28, 2023
Awesome Private Tour of Istanbul - We took a private tour through Curio Travel while on a cruise that ported in Istanbul. We visited the Ancient Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. Mr. Volkan was our tour guide. He was friendly and professional. He let us see the sites at our pace. After seeing all the sites he took us to an awesome restaurant in the Grand Bazaar to try some local cuisine. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7153mtsuzannes
Oct 27, 2023
Excellent private Istanbul Tour - Took this tour from our cruise ship. We were picked up by Leyla and driver who were kind enough to take us to our hotel to drop off our luggage and our tour began. A very full day of all the sights and wonderful history of beautiful Istanbul. Consider this company if you prefer a private tour if you are on a cruise or just at a local hotel and ask for Leyla!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
El_snocat
Sep 17, 2023
A great tour of the ancient treasures of Istanbul - We, two couples, arrived by cruise ship and booked a private tour with airport transfer through Curio Travel. Communcation was excellent and we were able to arrange for our luggage to be stored in our van for the day while we toured the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. Our guide, Ms. Zekiye, was very friendly and knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire. We had an excellent Turkish lunch at her recommendation and finished our tour at the Grand Bazaar- truly sensory overload! We reunited with our van and driver who did a great job of negotiating through Istanbul's perpetual grid lock and got us to the airport for a timely departure. We would not hesitate to recommend or use Curio Travel for any future needs in Istanbul.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jimdawg66
Jul 23, 2023
Curio Travel in Instanbul a great decision! Book on your own. Don’t need ship excursion. - Excellent day with Curio Travel and their hired guide, Volkan Akoluk.
First off, Ferda from Curio is an excellent communicator. We prefer to book our own excursions/tours and not pay the bloated ship rates. Keep in mind, when you book via the cruise line, you only move as fast as the slowest person in your group. And there are some unhealthy and slow passengers on these ship excursions with tons of people - all wanting to move at their own pace. This tour was a semi-private (2 couples that didn’t previously know each other + our guide).
Everything with Curio and Ferda was communicated by email and WhatsApp messaging. Communications were excellent!
Volkan is a native of the area. He speaks excellent English and has been a guide for 25+ years. Istanbul is fast paced can be somewhat intimidating. But Volkan was in control throughout. We had a very busy and enjoyable day together. Was especially pleased with the suggestion to avoid use of a car. Traffic is a nightmare. Using the local train system, with Volkan of course in lead, was a much better use of our time.
We hit all the important landmark spots in Instanbul and made it back to our ship (Enchanted Princess) with plenty of time to spare. Made a great decision working with Curio (Ferda) and their hired guide, Volkan. Choose working with them with 100% confidence.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator658931
Jul 8, 2023
Don't go on a Sunday - Guide was very helpful and was able to answer all our questions. Very nice lady. Unfortunately many places are closed on Sundays including the Grand Bazaar
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stay24615336639
Jul 7, 2023
Amazing Ramazan Bayrami tour of Istanbul - We got an Amazing Guide Leyla, who came to our hotel ON TIME. We spent the day till evening with Leyla. We had a great time. Leyla is very knowledgeable, accommodating, courteous and very fluent in English. In one day despite the festival rush we could see Topkapi palace, Hagia Sophia, Grand Mosque and few other places. Also had lunch at a local restaurant where President Clinton had eaten. We also learnt about the stray cats of Istanbul that are fed well by residents including Leyla. The roads were all jammed with festival traffic and we could walk back to the hotel, thanks to Leyla. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Istanbul, that too with Lyela.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keith_m
May 16, 2023
Great trip with last minute adjustments - Our guide Selen was the perfect guide for our tour. She had to make adjustments as we visited on a Friday and could not enter the Blue Mosque due to it being a holy day and we did not have the time to visit after 2:30 pm. She added a quick visit to a nice museum and after making some phone calls found a nice mosque that we could visit. Also when it became apparent that we would may not be able to visit Hagia Sophia either, she was able to get an exception for us to enter.
Given the restrictions that we had, she did an excellent job and was very knowledgeable about the history of all the main landmarks and Istanbul in general. I would definitely recommend this tour and Selen.
Review provided by Viator
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