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.
What you’ll do
Sultanahmet Square
German Fountain / Alman Çeşmesi
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Orthodox Patriarch
Historic Areas of Istanbul
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.
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.
Golden Horn region which is one of the oldest settlements of the city of Constantinople.
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.
What’s included
Traditional Turkish Arts & Crafts Demonstration (Depending on interest)
Flexible Pick-up Point: Guide will meet you at central Istanbul hotels, Airbnb, or Galataport
Private Tour with a Licensed Professional Tour Guide
Skip-the-Line Tickets: Your guide will arrange priority tickets, you will pay directly to the guide
Not included
Transportation with Private Van (If the option is not selected)
Museum,Ferry,Cable Car Tickets (Available upon request)
Lunch and Drinks
Gratuities (Suggested)
Meeting point
Where to meet
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.
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 depending on your wishes.
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 due to Friday prayers.
Grand Bazaar and Spice Market is closed during Eid. (Tue, Mar 9, 2027 – Thu, Mar 11, 2027)
