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

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Duration:7 hours to 21 hours (approx.)
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

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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, Byzantine Hippodrome / Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, 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, Rahmi Koc Museum (or alternative sites).

Important Notes:

- Skip the line service is not available for active mosques - there is a queue for the entrance.

- If one of the mosques is not visited, Basilica Cistern will be visited as a replacement.

- 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.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
Sultanahmet District
2.
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.
3.
Germa Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi
4.
Sultanahmet Square
5.
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.
6.
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.
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.
8.
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.
9.
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.
10.
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.
11.
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.
12.
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.
13.
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.
14.
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.
15.
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.
16.
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.
17.
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.
18.
Orthodox Patriarch
19.
Historic Areas of Istanbul
20.
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.
21.
Kadikoy's Fish Market and its well-known "Bahariye Street" are the best places to visit in Istanbul's Asian side, Kadikoy
22.
Golden Horn region which is one of the oldest settlements of the city of Constantinople.
23.
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.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Skip the line service is not available for active mosques - there is a queue for the entrance.
• On Fridays, Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque will be visited from outside because of the worship.
• Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to museum regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
• Tour guides don't have skip-the-line priority in Hagia Sophia. You may need to wait in the security line, in order to avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays can be replaced with Spice Market.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives.
• 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.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Luke_Sharara
Guided Istanbul Tours (GIT) did a great job for us. They were organized, professional, and detailed. The tour schedule, transportation, and guide were all well coordinated. We booked a two-day private tour. It was very enjoyable. Pelin was our tour guide. She did an excellent job with the tour over both days. She customized the tour according to our schedule and liking. Istanbul is an amazing city, and we are glad we trusted GIT and Pelin to show us around.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 14:52:30

Posted By : Z6991HLkellym
Tariq was the absolute best guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and knew a lot of fun facts. He was flexible when we wanted to modify our destinations. I would highly recommend this tour and guide
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 11:53:22

Posted By : Martin R
Our guide , Ekrem , was punctual and very friendly. His knowledge was excellent and as a result we found the whole trip incredibly interesting.
Would 100% use him again.
Many thanks.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 11:10:29

Posted By : Rich5464
Ümran was an extraordinary guide. We were so grateful for her companionship, marveled at her knowledge, and simply enjoyed being with her. We laughed a lot, discussed current affairs in Turkey and United States, and, in the process, learned more than we could have imagined about Turkish culture and history. Largely because of her, we have come to love Istanbul, its people, and its incredible history.
On our two days together, there were no hiccups and the time flew by. She kept us informed of where we were going and how we would get there. She anticipated bathroom breaks and stops for water, snacks, and meals.
She was a top notch guide. We could not have been matched with anybody better.
This was our first trip to Istanbul. I hope it’s not our last. If we ever come back, we will seek to arrange guide services from Ümran without hesitation, and we recommend her to all.-
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 09:45:46

Posted By : 941nareshc
Hazal was amazing and very helpful
Very very good and exceptionally organized

I would highly recommend the tour
Istanbul 🙏
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 03:23:56

Posted By : 848anamr
Merve was a fantastic tour guide — kept us entertained with stories, incredibly knowledgeable, and very flexible. Made our trip to Istanbul so memorable!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 22:46:50

Posted By : 13chuckt
Amazing experience! Beautiful sites and views! For booking last minute, my guide made this a memorable experience!I recommend to those to book this tour. The city is very beautiful and cultured… make sure you do not miss out! Thank you so much! I couldn’t have asked for a better time !
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 21:36:09

Posted By : 634tateh
My wife and I had one day to see the sights in Istanbul, so we booked an 8 hour tour. Our tour guide, Kemal, did such a great job! Not only did we hit the most important places, but he structured the tour to prevent running into crowds and did a great job of explaining the history of the city and the things we saw. Because we did some shopping, our tour length even exceeded the 8 hours and Kemal was happy to oblige in order to give us the best experience we could possibly have. I definitely recommend this tour and Kemal to anyone who visits Istanbul.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 16:57:28

Posted By : 718annar
Fantastic and very informative tour with our guide Omer of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar - Well paced and highly recommended
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 13:58:27

Posted By : Matthew_F
Knowing there would be so much to see in Istanbul, and didn’t want to miss much, we decided to splurge on a private tour guide for this trip.

We were met by the lovely Hilal right on time on the first day. She greeted us and had everything planned for us. She certainly explained everything from the history or the way of life of the Turks. And took us to experience things that felt less touristy than we expected. She was flexible with our preferences and at times she even helped us negotiate prices!

She recommended a nice place to buy carpet too!

Would definitely recommend for those who have a few days here and want to see things and know things in depth.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-01 13:37:11