Istanbul Top Attractions sightseeing Hop-on Hop-Off Bus

Discover magnificent sightseeing of the city of Istanbul which is considered as the bridge between Europe and Asia. Unique opportunity for everyone to explore deeply all major touristic highlights within a short time with a special audio-guide equipment.

Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Sultanahmet Departure (Route)

Operating Schedule: Departure from Sultanahmet at (10:00 - 11:00 - 12:00 - 13:00 - 14:00 - 15:00 - 16:00 - 17:00)

1. Sultanahmet
Sultanahmet is notable for housing the famous, mosaic-filled Hagia Sophia mosque, as well as the magnificent Ottoman-era Blue Mosque with its prominent minarets. Along with the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and the nearby 4th-century Stone of Million pillar ruin, Sultanahmet Square contains a park, gardens, and fountains. Shops, hotels, and traditional eateries line the streets of this renowned region.

2. Eminönü
As boats unload passengers at the ferry docks near the city’s bazaars, Eminönü buzzes with bustle. The Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar, is a colourful jumble of carpets, textiles, lamps, and jewellery, with kiosks full of fruit, teas, and spices, while the Grand Bazaar’s halls are a brilliant jumble of carpets, fabrics, lamps, and jewellery. The Süleymaniye Mosque dominates the region, while the Rustem Pasha Mosque, built in the 16th century, is known for its Iznik tiles.

3. Karaköy
Karaköy is a buzzing harborside district where hipster cafes and late-night cocktail bars mingle with neighbourhood bakeries and family-run businesses. Young fashion designers’ studios and boutiques are housed in Ottoman-era structures splashed with street art, and there’s also a thriving modern art gallery scene. A mosque and therapeutic baths are part of the 16th-century Klç Ali Paşa complex.

4. Galataport Istanbul
Galataport is a cruise ship port and mixed-use development in Istanbul’s Galata neighbourhood. It lies on the European side of the Bosporus strait, where it meets the Golden Horn.

5. Dolmabahçe, Beşiktaş
Dolmabahçe Palace was the major administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922 (Yldz Palace was used in the interim). It is located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosporus strait.

6. Naval Museum
The Istanbul Naval Museum is a national naval museum, located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul in Turkey. It was established in 1897 by the Ottoman Minister of Navy Bozcaadalı Hasan Hüsnü Pasha. The museum contains an important collection of military artefacts pertaining to the Ottoman Navy.

7. Beylerbeyi Palace
The Beylerbeyi Palace, Beylerbeyi meaning “Lord of Lords”, is located in the Beylerbeyi neighbourhood of Üsküdar district in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Asian side of the Bosphorus. An Imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861–1865, it is now situated immediately north of the First Bosphorus Bridge.

8. Büyük Beşiktaş Çarşısı
The Beşiktaş Bazaar is a popular Sunday market that is located in the Beşiktaş district. As you enter the market, myriad colours and friendly smiles will welcome you. It offers an astonishing range of goods that cover a wide span from tomatoes to exclusive jewellery.

9. Taksim Square
Fanning out from Taksim Square with its Republic Monument, Taksim is a busy nightlife, shopping, and dining area. Vintage trams shuttle along Istiklal Caddesi, the city’s main pedestrian boulevard, which is lined with 19th-century buildings housing international shopping chains, movie theatres, and cafes. The dense network of side streets is filled with bars, antique shops, and rooftop eateries with Bosphorus views.

10. Şişhane Sokak
For long a district known only for its lighting shops and rather grimy traffic, but now rapidly being transformed, with some of the most handsome of the fin-de-siècle buildings and incredibly accessible thanks to the new metro station. Few know the origin of the name, the 6th (Şeş in old Turkish, now only used in backgammon) Office, in other words, the municipality headquarters of the 6th arrondissement, Istanbul’s first modern municipality.

11. Egyptian Bazaar
The Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district, it is the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.

12. Sultanahmet
The end of the exciting journey.

Points of Interest

  • Blue Mosque

  • Eminonu Pier

  • Karakoy

  • Galata Tower

  • Dolmabahce Palace

  • Naval Museum

  • Beylerbeyi Palace

  • Besiktas

  • Taksim Square

  • Beyoglu

  • Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

What's Included
  • Professional licensed driver
  • Internet access
  • A-day valid ticket
  • Audio-guide (8 languages)
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.2
(150 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Cheryl_s
Jun 3, 2024
Istanbul Must Do Bus On and Off - Excellent tour to get to know Istanbul. Bus was newe, in great condition, good space between seats and a tarp for those who wanted to sit on top but ot in the sun. Narration was informative. Whole loop was long - over 2 hours due to traffic but a really good tour.
Review provided by Viator
Panju_a
Mar 23, 2024
Great Experience - Easy to hop in and hop off because they keep up the time by the minute. Comfortable seats with great view …
Review provided by Viator
Globetrotting809621
Jun 9, 2024
Just OK if you just use it as a tour and not Hop On Hop Off - Despite the reviews saying that the Hop On Hop Off feature ranges from unreliable to outright frustrating, we decided to give it a try -- but just as a tour around the city. You are basically in a 2 hour + traffic jam which is OK if you put the headphones on to get some information. The trouble with that is there are all kinds of people who do not want to learn anything and basically talk over one another throughout the tour. Also the headphones have this very short music clip (Mozart?) on repeat which can drive you crazy after you've had to listen to it a couple hundred of times waiting for the next bit of information.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oswestrymedix
Feb 12, 2024
Pretty expensive!!! - Pretty exprnsive for what it is and where it is. It is basically a single route and not that long either. It feels longer than it is because of the istanbul traffic and the 10 minute stops at multiple places. Expensive, maybe because they have no competition, when infact taxis are much cheaper in Istanbul
Review provided by Tripadvisor
622dorisj
May 7, 2024
Expensive and disappointing experience - We took our tickets directly at the ticket office. When the bus arrived it was full. We waited 45 minutes for the next bus. The floor being occupied we found ourselves stuck and on the wrong side. Since all the attractions are on the right side, it's impossible to see much. We spent u. Endless time in traffic for nothing. It would have been more judicious to take the much less expensive public transport, the result not at all living up to the promises. Nothing to do with the same experience in Paris or London. We do not recommend this activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ljo87
Jun 16, 2024
Worst in the world - Don’t bother! Took 1.5 hours to go 3 stops, everyone on the top deck were burning as we were sat in the blistering sun. One man pulled the shade over to protect everyone and the bus driver came up and started shouting at him. We had been sat still for 20 mins by this point. I got off the bus and thought I would try the next one. On this one the bus driver and the staff member were taking selfies while driving the bus along a 3 lane road! Very unprofessional and rude staff. And you pay a fortune for the privilege. Take Ubers instead!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_s
Jun 14, 2024
Spend your money on something else - Worst hop on and off bus experience we have ever had. First off ai thought Viator had a low price guarantee but other people paid 35 Euros when they purchased at the bus stop. Second I hear people complain that the buses don’t run on schedule because of traffic but our experience was that it was by choice. We got on a bus that was suppose to depart at 3:30 at 3:15 and it sat until 3:45 even though there were two other empty buses sitting behind them. It’s like they didn’t feel like running unless they had enough people in them. I would recommend spending your money on something else.
Review provided by Viator
254kimo
May 19, 2024
Use them at your peril - Gave it one star because I couldn’t give it no stars. Don’t waste your money using this company. I bought two day tickets for my husband and myself. Day 1 we got on at stop 4 and waited in the bus for close to 15 mins past scheduled departure time. Our plan was to go to stop12 or stop 1 for the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At stop eleven 1.5 hours after getting on the bus the driver announced that this is last stop we are going back to beginning (which was stop 4). The claim was road closure due to cycling race but there was no evidence anywhere of such an event nor was there notice of road closure on live traffic site. We were told after spending €120 for two days that we could get a tram at an additional cost to get to the mosques and palace. So €40 each for not even a full circuit. And no guarantee that we won’t have a similar issue tomorrow. I contacted the agent who refused to give a refund as I had used the ticket! Not their fault there was a cycling race on was the response and they claimed that the bus company had provided the advertised service (not true). All passengers should have been advised before they boarded the bus and had their tickets validated so they could make an informed decision about purchasing a useless ticket. The company would have or should have been aware of all occurrences that would prevent them from providing the service they advertise in full. Never had an issue with any other hop on hop off bus before. These people are thieves and liars. Use them at your peril.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexrhysdavis
Mar 26, 2024
The worst in the World - I usually enjoy a sightseeing hop on/off bus whenever I visit any city in the World, but this is the exception! Initially I thought it wouldn't be a problem that the bus was infrequent as we were aware in advance and could plan around it. The problem then arises when you realise that the busses are all completely full - and as they operate every 45 minutes, if one bus is full you have a loooong wait for the next. Add to this that when the bus turned up the guide who told us it was full promised there was an extra bus added which was 10 minutes behind never turned up. When you consider an Uber in Istanbul costs £3-£4 to go pretty much anywhere and the public transport system is so advances and cheap, it's much cheaper and more efficient to just work your own way around the city. I honestly cannot stress enough how much you should avoid this rip off operation. It's not worth your time or money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
90celiag
Mar 26, 2024
Avoid! RIP-off - If only I had checked the reviews on trip advisor! Total waste of money and time. Initially thought it might give a good overview of the city - it didn’t : stuck in traffic and commentary was dull . Complete rip off . Recommend taking ferries across to the various districts .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today