Half Day Walking Tour of Old Istanbul
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Walking tour of Old Istanbul” will help travelers to discover ‘hard – to find’ secret spots and pay visits to the highlights of the old city of Istanbul with an experienced tour guide. Combine off the beaten tracks of old city with the highlights of Istanbul during less crowded times and experience a real city adventure.
- Hear the stories of the Greeks, Romans and the Ottomans in and around Sultanahmet
- Visit to Hagia Sophia once a church, mosque, museum and mosque again
- Walk through the streets of the Grand Bazaar, which is the largest covered souk in the world
- Explore Süleymaniye mosque and learn about Islam from a local eye
- Visit the beautiful Rüstempaşa mosque being famous for its size and the Iznik tiles
- Taste the spices and lokum (Turkish delight) in a must visit Space Market
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Sultanahmet Square
Your tour guide will meet you in front of the German Fountain and then will introduce the historical Sultanahmet Square. Your tour guide will introduce you the deep Turkish history. You will see The Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, Colossus and Column of Costantine Porphyrgenitus.
Blue Mosque
You pay a visit to the famous Blue Mosque famous for its 6 minarets and the tiles inside. It wasn't built only as a mosque, it is a 'complex' building where people used to get socialized as well. There is nothing 'blue' from outside but once you get inside of the mosque, you will be amazed seeing beautiful blue tiles which were specially prepared for this mosque in 17th century.
What‘s Included
All Fees and Taxes
Entrance tickets
Lunch
Snacks
Breakfast
Options
Half Day Walking Tour of Old Istanbul
Reviews
18 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
10 days on the road discovering Turkey
EvaCeccaroli,,Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Turkey proved to be a pleasant discovery, thanks to its interesting history, which our guide Kamil managed to recount in a simple and comprehensive manner, without omitting anecdotes and curiosities. His way of interacting with us, allowing us to discover the authentic and traditional reality of Istanbul and beyond, was one of the highlights of this trip. Sga Travel is an excellent agency that organised a truly interesting and carefree trip for us. We recommend them and their talented guides to anyone who wants to discover Turkey.
Best experience
892kristas,,Sep 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This activity provided an amazing day in Istanbul learning about its history, spending time shopping and eating amazing food. Highly recommend
Highly recommend
Lorette P,,Oct 27, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Huseyin was a great guide and flexible in adapting the tour to my interests. Lots of great historical stories.
Awesome half day tour
H3390CKmargarets,,Oct 19, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The half day highlights tour with Sila was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and personable. My husband wears a medical device which cannot go through the scanners at the Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. She happily explained the situation to security and he was able to go through. As well as the Blue Mosque, we also visited a couple of other mosques which were very impressive and not as crowded, and the Spice Bazaar which I think is better than the Grand Bazaar. She also helped us get back to Pera via the Tunel which was extremely helpful. Saved this older couple a 500m walk up a very steep hill to our hotel. Very much recommend this tour.
Eser was a fantastic guide
Stay43665858010,,Sep 28, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Eser was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Turkiye and Istanbul. We enjoyed our day with him so much - touring the top sights as well as a food tour, and we would do another tour with him anytime! SGA did a great job taking care of all of our travel in a country where it’s tricky to arrange reliable drivers.
Great multi-day custom tour!
hollykI2429KQ,,Aug 11, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic, multi-day tour with SGA Travel. The trip was customized for our interests and we could easily make changes along the way. The guides were both personable and very knowledgeable and made us feel like old friends. When we ran into an issue with one of our flights (that we booked ourselves, NOT through the tour company), SGA jumped in to solve the problem right away. Great experience, highly recommend!
Fantastic walking tour
Connector00460319759,,Jul 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We loved our walking tour and had the best time , we were able to visit all the sights we wanted to tick off and we had a wonderful and knowledgable guide Ali ( thank you Ali) , he had so much knowledge to share and we learnt so much. We love a walking tour as you experience so much more and are so much more immersed in a place . This tour was a good amount of time too so not too long 4 hrs or so which is perfect if you are short on time A fabulous tour to take we loved it!
Great experience in Istanbul with SGA Travel.
John L,,Jul 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00From planning before the trip to execution, Caglar at SGA travel was great. He was responsive to our preferences. The itinerary was perfect and suited to a family with two kids (11 and 14 yo). During the trip, Caglar was always ready to respond to small questions and requests quickly. Our tour guide Ali was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable, knew Istanbul, and was flexible when little changes were requested. Definitely use SGA for any trip to anywhere in Turkey.
Best Trip EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kameelahjananr,,Jul 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I have never had a tour guide when traveling, but Koray set the bar VERY high. From the promptness for pick up to the very detailed descriptions of each site, it was a lovely experience. It was like touring the city with a good friend instead of a stranger. We immediately hit it off and were able to share about our lives. I felt like I didn’t get a tourist experience; I got a truly human and regular resident experience. All of his descriptions of the sites were amazing. I tried new food which I never do. I learned so much and will definitely come back because of how Koray took me through the city — he made me want to return. It is now my favorite city! Also, I needed a specific film and he happily went with me to several stores to find it! He taught me a little Turkish, shared a lot of really interesting stories about each place we went, and shared his deep joy about being a tour guide. Again, Koray has set the bar for my travel experience and I will definitely be returning and only if I can book him for the visit. Thank you sooooo much Koray. The worse thing about this trip is that it ended :(
A wonderful introduction to the History of Istanbul
Trinette T,,Jul 1, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00My guide Koray was excellent, very knowledgable and was very good in explaining the history of the main sites and Mosques. I recommend this tour for those wanting a great guide through this historic and beautiful city.
Related Experiences
Operated by SGA Travel