Private Tour
Best of Istanbul 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
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, Chora Church (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.
Additional Info
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.
If one of the mosques or museums is not visited, Basilica Cistern will be visited as a replacement.
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. (March 20-22, May 27-30 in 2026)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Sultanahmet District
Sultanahmet District
Hippodrome
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.
What‘s Included
Professional Licensed Guide
Private tour
Guide meets you at central hotels
Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites unless van is booked)
Museum/Ferry/Cable Car Tickets
Lunch
Gratuity (suggested)
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
2-Day Private Guided Tour
Duration: 7 hours: 2 Day Tour(7 hours each day)
Hotel/port information needed: Guide will meet you at Galataport, your hotel or Airbnb if they are centrally located. (No transportation included.)
Pickup included
2 Days Private Guide-Van Tour
A private van will be assigned throughout the tour.
Mercedes Vito/Sprinter
Pickup included
1-Day Private Guided Tour
Duration: 7 hours: Hagia Sophia, Highlights of Topkapi Palace Museum, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar.
Walking Tour In Old Town: The suggested itinerary does not require transportation.
Hotel/port information needed: Guide will meet you at Galataport, your hotel or Airbnb if they are centrally located. (No transportation included.)
Pickup included
3-Day Private Guided Tour
Duration: 7 hours: 3 Day Tour(7 hours each day)
Hotel/port information needed: The guide will meet you at Galataport, your hotel or Airbnb if they are centrally located. (No transportation included.)
Pickup included
3 Days Private Guide-Van Tour
A private van will be assigned throughout the tour.
Mercedes Vito/Sprinter
Pickup included
1-Day Private Guide & Van Tour
Due to Old Town closures, the van will be used for pick-up and drop-off, and can be used further if the itinerary is changed.
Duration: 7 hours: Van will be assigned for 7 hours and the tour is customizable.
Mercedes Vito/Sprinter
Pickup included
Reviews
8,944 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Recommended 100x100
Manisse,,Feb 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide spoke Spanish perfectly and was from Istanbul. I knew everything!!!! It was also very nice throughout Recommended 100x100
Wonderful day tour
robertwchang,,Feb 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful day city tour with Ahmet in Istanbul. He took us to the basilica cistern, blue mosque, Hagia Sofia, hippodrome, grand bazaar with a nice lunch at the pudding shop. Ahmet was very knowledgeable and a wonderful tour guide. With him we did not have to wait much in line and got to see all the wonderful sites with ease. The company was very easy to work with and schedule and allowed us to replace the Turkish and Islamic art museum with the basilica cistern so it was a semi customizable tour. During lunch, one of the family members suffered a tooth problem and Ahmet and the company were able to help us get a last minute same day dental appointment at a private dental clinic to get the problem checked out. We were extremely impressed with their professionalism and help as we did not know where we can find a dentist but Ahmet and his team were able to get us a dental appointment in an hour for the same day. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Ahmet and the tour and highly recommend them
Tolga was amazing!
Keisha I,,Feb 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great day, great guide! We were able to see all of the major sites that we wanted. We were very happy that we added on the van during our winter visit. It was rainy and we had little with us. It was so worth it to be able to just rest on the ride home.
Great 2 days in Istanbul
Julie905,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Informative and enjoyable 2 days with Kemal. Istanbul is an amazing city and he brought its history and many attractions to life for us. He's both knowledgeable and a great storyteller - no information overload but always quick to answer questions and to provide more information in those areas he could see we were particularly interested in. We also appreciated that Kemal got in touch with us to confirm details the night before and that we were able to modify our itinerary based on our preferences and his excellent suggestions.
Informative and Engaging
Sherpa689113,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An excellent full day provided by my personal guide Ümran in walking me around Istanbul and highlighting the extraordinary facts associated with this amazing city. The personal touch allows you to continually ask questions and engage in ongoing discussions that a group tour simply cannot accommodate. As a caveat, my personal opinion is that the additional costs levied on tourism access fees is too high. In addition to the cost of the tour guide, expects to pay well over $100 to get entrance into the palace and cisterns. Recommended but not inexpensive as a day out.
Guided tour of Istanbul
174xeniaj,,Feb 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Despite cold weather and rain, we were extremely engaged and attentively guided through Istanbul. The tour of the main sights of the historic center was very well structured, logically structured and rich in interesting details. The flexibility is particularly positive: Our wishes have been taken into account and sensibly integrated into the process. In addition, we have received many helpful tips, which in the following days helped us very much to explore the city independently. Overall, it was a very successful, informative and pleasant excursion – thank you very much for this beautiful experience!
Great way to see the sights in a short time
Brooke Z,,Feb 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Mustafa was an amazing guide who knew so much about Istanbul and Turkey. We felt like we saw the best sites and times that there were minimal crowds and learned a lot about culture and history. Highly recommend this tour and our guide for Istanbul and all across Turkey
Walking day tour of Istanbul
Dean L,,Feb 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00we had one day walking private tour of Istanbul with tour guide Ozan Ercan. Ozan was very knowledgeable, accommodating, and friendly that he made our tour truly memorable and enjoyable. We highly recommend him to anyone who wishes to learn about this wonderful and magnificent city.
Concierge tour with all the details taken care of!
washington1971,,Feb 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ozan was excellent. On time, very informative, and very knowledgeable. We appreciated the great history he provided, and insight to help understand this wonderful city. He met us right in the hotel lobby and watched over us carefully until our return to the hotel at the end of the day.
great experience
410baharb,,Feb 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tarik was a great tour leader, he explained everything and I really enjoyed it
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Operated by Guided Istanbul Tours