Private Guided Highlights of Istanbul 1.5 Day Tour
Overview
Available languages
2 days
Mobile ticket
Our Private 1,5 day tour includes Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia (Guiding inside of St. Sophia is not allowed any more. Thats why free time will be given in front of St. Sophia after brief information outside of St. Sophia. If you want to visit the inside, you should pay entrance fee 28-USD + audio guide fee which is 4-USD . You can visit inside by yourself which takes 20 to 30 min.), Hippodrome Square, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, Suleymaniye Mosque.
• Private Tour for your family and friends
• You will decide on departure time
• Our tour guide will meet you at the Port/Hotel with your name sign,
• Our professional tour guide will be with you from arrival till departure,
• You will have flexibilty to spend how much time you want in each site and customize the itinerary,
• You do not have to wait for other group members
• You may stop to have pictures during your tour.
• You may stop for lunch in a local restaurant to taste famous Turkish Kebaps.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
During religious holidays the Spice market and Grand Bazaar will be closed. Arasta bazaar will be visited instead
In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited
Not recommended for participants with walking difficulties
Bare shoulders are not permitted in holy places of worship such as churches, monasteries, mosques and synagogues.
Shoes are not permitted in mosques
In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited. On Tuesdays : Topkapi Palace replaced by Underground Cistern, On Sundays: Grand Bazaar will be replaced by Spice Market. Grand Bazaar will be replaced by Arasta Bazaar when closed. On Fridays: Blue Mosque is open from 15.00 to 16.30
Not recommended for travelers with walking disabilities
What To Expect
Full Day Istanbul Tour
Istanbul
Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel or Istanbul cruise port at the given time during your reservation.
Hippodrome
Our tour starts with Hippodrome Square where used to take place for chariot races and the Byzantine riots during Roman & Byzantine period.
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
Only a short walk away from Hippodrome Square, we will reach to Hagia Sophia which was built in 532 AD by Roman Emperor Justinian I. Update for St. Sophia interior visit : Live guiding is not allowed in St. Sophia after the 15th January 2024. Guests have to have their smart phones and headphones during their visit. The system is similar to audio guide system. Guests who does not have smart phones will follow the signs and the given informations on the signs .
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque which is the one of the biggest mosques of Istanbul from 17th century architecture is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul. Also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarest.
TopkapI Palace
We will continue walking to Topkapi Palace, was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational center of the state. It was constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople. We will visit the Topkapi Palace including weapons section.
Grand Bazaar
Our Last stop is The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops . Free time for souvenir hunting before back to our hotel / cruise port
Half Day Istanbul Tour
Istanbul
Your guide will meet with you at your hotel or Istanbul cruise port.
Basilica Cistern
Our second day will start with Underground Cistern which was the largest covered water reservoir in Istanbul, built by Justinian I.
Misir Carsisi
After the visit to the cistern,you will have free time in Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar): The air here is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice.
Suleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye Mosque the mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent was built between 1550 and 1557 by the famous architect Sinan whose wish was to surpass the builders of St. Sophia which is conspicuous from its great size, emphasized by the four minarets rising one from each corner of the courtyard.
Istanbul
Back to your hotel or cruise port. End of our services.
Options
Private 1,5 day Istanbul Tour
Private for 1,5 Days: You can do second day program on your first day and first day program on your second day. You can customize your 1,5 day Pickup included
What‘s Included
GUARANTEED On Time Return to PORT
Professional Licenced Tour guide
Private tour for your family and Friends only
Transportation with brand new air-conditioned minivan/minibus
Any meals and drinks
Entrance Fees ( Our guide will have pre-paid tickets to skip lines )
meals
Pickup points
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus
CIragan Caddesi No. 28 Besiktas Turkiye
Swissotel The Bosphorus, Istanbul
AcIsu Sok. No 19 Istanbul Turkiye
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
Kemankes Karamustafa Pasa, Kemankes Caddesi No 49/8, Beyoglu, Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Istanbul Turkiye
Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul
Ciragan Caddesi 32 Istanbul Turkiye
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
Hayrettin Iskelesi Sok. No:1, Sinanpasa Mah. Istanbul Turkiye
The Peninsula Istanbul
Kemankes Caddesi No:34, Kemankeş Karamustafapaşa Mahallesi Istanbul Turkiye
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Reviews
12 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great guide in Istanbul
july4writer,May 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We recently had an excellent 2 day tour with Leyla, our private guide in Istanbul while on a cruise. She's incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the city and Turkey and imparted a lot of information during our time together. Personally, she's charming and interacted with us throughout, attentive to the schedule and sites we visited. She skillfully guided us through crowded places. Istanbul is city unlike any other we have visited, a combination of Europe/Asia and Leyla helped us appreciate its unique and distinctive qualities. Overall, we highly recommend her as well as Ephesus Shuttle, who allowed us to customize our tour and was incredibly fast in responding to any and all emails.
Great Tour by Ephesus Shuttle In Istanbul
robertsh350,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked directly with Ephesus Shuttle Private and Small Group Tours for a one and a half day private tour of Istanbul. It was excellent. We covered everything we wanted to see, and our driver was always there when it was time to change locations. It was convenient, comfortable, and a better price than anything else I found. They picked us up at the airport, took us on the first half day tour, took us to our cruise ship for an in port overnight, picked us up the next morning, and took us for a full day. Our guide, Tayfun, was fun and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Ephesus Shuttle and Tayfun. In fact, we used Ephesus Shuttle in Ephesus, also.
Great one and a half day tour of Istanbul.
M1821IDkenp,Dec 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a very nice time while visiting Istanbul with our guide Leyla. We spent a day and a half with her and she took us to all of the major sites and to several out of the way treasures. Met us at our ship and had a clean van and driver to move us from site to site quickly and efficiently. Would recommend this service.
Amazing 2 day tour
Nancy M,Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Istanbul is an amazing city. Our tour with Tayfun was incredible. We were picked up right at the port and immediately went to see the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, the underground cistern and tour of the city. We went to the Grand Bazaar. We were dropped off at the hotel. Day 2 were were picked up at our hotel and took a boat ride on the Bosphorus which separates Europe and Asia, the spice market and the Dolmabahce Palace, which is a must see. I would highly recommend this tour company and Tayfun our guide.
Family Fun
Irene S,Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Yasim was very knowledgeabe. He provided a a lot of excellent information. He was understanding of our individual needs; he was very flexible. Yasim was patient with the impatient 6 year old. All of us from the 6 year old to the 80 year old found this tour enjoyable. Yasim was excellent at getting us into places quickly and smoothly.
Memorable Istanbul Tour With Leyla Yaşar
te519,Jun 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I arranged a day and a half tour of Istanbul with Leyla Yaşar. Leyla was fantastic. On two warm June days she paced our visit just right while sharing her exceptional knowledge of the city and Türkiye's history and culture. It was very educational, of course. More importantly, it was a wonderful person-to-person experience. Highlights included Topkapi Palace, Süleymaniye Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. Highly recommended.
Great overview of Istanbul!
Kaylee W,Jun 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We got a Good overview of Istanbul and appreciated how knowledgeable Leyla was! The city and sights are truly fantastic!
Wonderful private tour
Immanuel G,Apr 28, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I contacted Fevzi in WhatsApp for a private tour in Istanbul when I had a 1.5 day layover. Fevzi was quick to respond and arranged me a nice private tour in Istanbul. My tour guide Ceren was awesome and she was very knowledgeable. She explained the history of each sites so well and she was so thorough. I highly recommend this company and my tour guide Ceren for any tours in Istanbul.
Curio Travel is Great.
tkwitt,Dec 18, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We have traveled to Turkey three times. Twice to Ephesus and once to Istanbul. On each occasion we arranged private tours with Curio Travel. The tour guides and drivers are friendly, helpful, and very knowledgable. The vans are top notch with air conditioning and plenty of room to sit comfortably. We would recommend them to anyone.
Wonderful tour of Istanbul
mgm530,Oct 27, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We visited Istanbul from a cruise ship in September 2023 and had an amazing tour. Our guide for the full day was Semih and he had so much information about the sites we visited that we were astounded. Really nice man, and he took us to an off-the-beaten-track restaurant in the Grand Bazaar that was absolutely delicious and a wonderful respite from the chaos of the market. The guide we had for our 2nd day was Ali and he was likewise filled with knowledge of all the sites we visited. We had "whispers" on the 2nd day (little devices with earpieces so we could hear our guide better) and those worked really well during our site visits. Transportation was excellent, with a very nice (big) van, and a good driver, for our small group of 10. Wonderful visit to Istanbul and amazing sights seen. Very good tour.
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