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Best of Istanbul 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour

5.0(10,171)IstanbulFree cancellation

About this activity

Visit highlights of Istanbul with your private tour guide in 1, 2 or 3 days with a flexible itinerary. Day 1 - Highlights of Topkapi Palace Museum, Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar. Day 2 - Bosphorus Cruise by Public Ferry, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage, Galata Tower (from outside), Spice Market. Day 3 - Suleymaniye Mosque, Fener and Balat Districts, St. Stephen Church (Iron Church), Pierre Lotti Panoramic Hill by Cable Car, Chora Church (or alternative sites). Important Notes: - Skip the line service is not available for active mosques - there is a queue for the entrance. - For the tours that start later than 11 am, kindly note that you may have to skip one/a couple of sites as the sites are closed by 7 pm. Your guide will adjust the program according to your priorities.

Highlights

    What's included

    • Professional Licensed Guide
    • Private tour
    • Guide meets you at central hotels

    Not included

    • Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites unless van is booked)
    • Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets
    • Lunch
    • Gratuity (suggested)

    Itinerary

    1. Sultanahmet Square

      15 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    2. German Fountain

      German Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi

      15 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    3. Blue Mosque

      Blue Mosque / Sultanahmet Camii

      Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire, the Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.

      1 hourAdmission freeSee on map

    4. Hagia Sophia

      Hagia Sophia Museum / Ayasofya / Santa Sofia

      Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconoclastic, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque then a museum and now it’s a mosque for the second time. The most important stop of an Istanbul tour is operated in Old City Istanbul / Constantinople. *Please note that as it's not a museum anymore, tour guides don't have skip-the-line priority there. You may need to wait in the security line, in order to avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.

      1 hourAdmission not includedSee on map

    5. Basilica Cistern

      The Basilica Cistern

      The Basilica Cistern is an atmospheric underground reservoir from Byzantine Constantinople, famous for its forest of marble columns, dim lighting, and haunting reflections in shallow water. Don’t miss the two mysterious Medusa-head column bases, which add a touch of ancient myth to one of Istanbul’s most memorable historic sights.

      45 minutesAdmission not includedSee on map

    6. Topkapi Palace

      Topkapi Palace Museum / Topkapı Sarayı

      More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles the power of the Ottoman Empire.

      2 hoursAdmission not includedSee on map

    7. Grand Bazaar / Kapalı Çarşı

      One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops with colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold.

      1 hourAdmission free

    8. Bosphorus Strait

      Bosphorus Cruise by Public Ferry or Private Cruise ( if option is chosen) Take the public ferry for Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the Rumeli Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridges, mosques. Your best Istanbul tour memories will definitely include the Bosphorus.

      2 hoursAdmission not includedSee on map

    9. Dolmabahce Palace

      Dolmabahce Palace / Dolmabahçe Sarayı

      Elegance and beauty with the most luxury decoration, chandeliers, rugs, crystals, ceramic fireplaces. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with gorgeous furnishings, paintings, porcelains made in particular to Dolmabahce.

      1 hourAdmission not includedSee on map

    10. Taksim Square

      Taksim Square / Taksim Meydanı

      A great place defining modern Turkey which witnessed important historical moments. Close to Istiklal Street (Istiklal Caddesi) and Galata Tower along with embassies of European countries in Taxim. Cicek Passage has very good food joints, cafes, shops, bars, night clubs around Taksim.

      1 hourAdmission freeSee on map

    11. Istiklal Street

      Istiklal Street is the modern and colorful face of Turkey with churches, modern art galeries, embassies, pubs, cafes and shops selling different kind of products.

      45 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    12. Galata Tower

      We will see the tower FROM OUTSIDE, due to the regulations unfortunately tour guides don't have skip the line priority here so it takes long time to wait queue. Your tour guide will make you explanation about tower.

      10 minutesAdmission not includedSee on map

    13. Spice Bazaar

      Spice Market / Mısır Çarşısı

      Egyptian Bazaar is a colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a variety of spices, purses, flavored teas, Turkish delight, nuts, as well as ceramics, and small souvenirs. Spice Bazaar is located in Eminonu Square which is the connection point of Bosphorus and Golden Horn.

      45 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    14. Cicek Pasaji

      Cicek Passage / Flower Passage

      Originally named as Cite de Pera, a combined structure of traditional and modern construction methods and architectural style by Ottoman Empire is reflected and today we see the small shops and cafes here.

      10 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    15. Süleymaniye Mosque

      Suleymaniye Mosque / Süleymaniye Camii

      Suleymaniye Mosque / Süleymaniye Camii is the largest mosque in Istanbul and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. In the garden behind the mosque, the Suleymaniye terrace offers lovely views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.

      1 hourAdmission freeSee on map

    16. Balat

      Fener-Balat Neighborhood backstreet walk

      Continue exploring Istanbul’s rich religious history with a stop at the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, the church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion. Balat District; lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Century-old Ottoman houses lean against each other in a combination of reds, blues, and greens. And art galleries and design shops dot the area along the water.

      2 hoursAdmission freeSee on map

    17. Orthodox Patriarch

      45 minutesAdmission free

    18. Historic Areas of Istanbul

      10 minutesAdmission free

    19. Pierre Loti Hill

      Pierre Loti Hill and Cable Car

      Pierre Loti Hill and Cable Car are some of the most popular sights to visit since it offers great views for visitors. Take the cable car to reach the top and enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your Turkish coffee or tea.

      30 minutesAdmission not includedSee on map

    20. Kariye Museum

      Formerly Church of St. Saviour in Chora

      Formerly Church of St. Saviour in Chora is renowned worldwide for its well-preserved mosaics and frescoes. It presents important and beautiful examples of East Roman painting in its last period. The idea of depth in mosaics and the moving style in figures are of outstanding artistic significance in the Middle Ages, foretelling the Renaissance period.

      1h 30mAdmission not includedSee on map

    21. Golden Horn

      Golden Horn region which

      Golden Horn region which is one of the oldest settlements of the city of Constantinople.

      30 minutesAdmission not includedSee on map

    22. Balat

      St. Stephen Church

      Located on the shore of the Golden Horn, the church is also known as the Iron Church due to the fact that it’s made entirely of prefabricated cast iron in 19th century.

      45 minutesAdmission freeSee on map

    Meeting point

    Your guide will contact you in advance to ensure a smooth start, and on the day of the tour will be waiting just outside the cruise terminal, directly in front of the main EXIT GATE, holding a name board with your name for easy recognition.

    The map shows Istanbul. The exact meeting point is the address above.Open larger map

    Pickup

    • Pickup, or meet at the start point
    • 3227 hotels are served
    • You can request another pickup address
    • The operator contacts you to arrange pickup
    • Pickup begins 5 min before departure

    Know before you go

    • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Specialized infant seats are available
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • The suggested first-day tour is designed as a walking tour, with transportation needed only between the hotel and the Old Town if the hotel is outside old town.
    • The suggested second-day tour can be easily managed by public transportation
    • Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives such as Turkish And Islamic Arts Museum or Archaeological Museum or Basilica Cistern.
    • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and replaced with Spice Market.
    • Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to museum regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
    • For the tours that start later than 11 am, kindly note that you may have to skip one/a couple of sites as the sites are closed by 7 pm. Your guide will adjust the program according to your priorities.
    • On Fridays, Blue Mosque will be visited in the afternoon.
    • Grand Bazaar and Spice Market is closed during Eid. (Tue, Mar 9, 2027 – Thu, Mar 11, 2027)
    • Mobile or paper ticket accepted
    • One per booking

    Cancellation and refunds

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

    If you cancelRefund
    At least 1 days before100%
    Between 0 and 1 days before0%
    Supplied by
    Guided Istanbul Tours
    Product code
    11522P1

    Customer reviews

    5.0 · 10,171 reviews
    5.0
    10,171 reviews
    • 5 ★9904
    • 4 ★191
    • 3 ★45
    • 2 ★13
    • 1 ★18

    Ratings from Viator 4.9 (1888) · Tripadvisor 5.0 (8283)

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