Private Tour

Sultanahmet Old City Tour - Private

Overview

Available languages

English

6 hours

Mobile ticket

Please also check my Trip Advisor page, "Ali's Protravel & Tours," where we have received 277 five-star ratings and reviews.

This cultural experience lasts about 6 hours and includes visits to major venues in Istanbul. The tour begins at 10 am in front of Ayasofya, starting with a visit to the Ayasofya Mosque. Next, we will explore the Topkapi Palace Museum. Fast-track entry tickets for the palace will be arranged. After the palace, we will visit the Blue Mosque, followed by a visit to the Roman Cistern. May be a short lunch break at a local restaurant. Finally, the tour will head to the Grand Bazaar for shopping, where you can find hand made rugs, leather products, ceramics, and more. The tour concludes in the Grand Bazaar area 6 hours later. Museum tickets, lunch, and gratuities are not included. The tour is available every day except Saturday, Tuesday, and Sunday.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293974-d3570940-Reviews-Ali_s_Protravel_Tours-Istanbul.html

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

Ayasofya, one of Istanbul’s most iconic landmarks! Once a church, then a mosque, then a museum and now a mosque again, it’s a place full of history. You’ll see its stunning domes, mosaics, and calligraphy, each telling a story of centuries past. I’ll share fascinating tales about emperors, sultans, and the secrets hidden in its walls. Walking here feels like stepping back in time—you’ll definitely want your camera ready! Ladies do not forget to bring a scarf.. IMPORTANT : Please note that Ayasofya has been under major restoration since November 2025. It is open, but scaffolding limits the interior view. You may choose to visit only the exterior and replace it with the Blue Mosque. Please let us know your preference before the tour.

1 hour • Admission Not Included

Blue Mosque

Visiting Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque

45 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Professional guide

Lunch

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Gratuities

Museum tickets

Options

Sultanahmet Old City Tour - Private

Reviews

5.00

7 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

A wonderful personal tour of the Old City of Isranbul
Dinesh B,,Jul 2, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Ali is a wonderful tour guide for Istanbul. He knows the sights really well and gives you a great visit to all of the major cultural sights. He also can give you very good tips for shopping for things such as carpets and ceramics.
Not a guide, but a friend.
Mark M,,May 22, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
We feel like we made a new friend. Ali was kind, friendly, accommodating, and very knowledgable. We ended up spending more time with him than we budgeted, but only because he knew there was more that we were interested in seeing. The trip to his favorite baklava place, alone, was worth it. Everyone seemed to know him, and we felt completely safe and cared for in his company.
Great 6 hour private tour
dustinsG4155YC,,Nov 23, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Ali is a wonderful tour guide. Our family of 2 Adults and 3 teenagers spent 6 hours with him and loved the experience. He is knowledgeable, engaging and professional. He not only provided great insights to the history of the place, he made it personal with stories of the people who built and lived there. He also provided great tips and advice for other activities we should consider trying while in town. Would definitely use him again for future tours.
Ali’s is aces!
KamyGill,,Oct 6, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Best walking tour we have ever had. If you are in Istanbul and want to see the sights at your own pace with a total history you have to book with Ali. We contacted Ali prior to our visit, all very easy and straightforward, outlined what we wanted to see and do no problem. He even offered advise on other booking we wanted to make. On the day he arrived promptly at our hotel to start our private tour. Confirmed the plan for the day discussing best ways to move around the city. Everything was done at a pace of our choosing. We opted to walk to the old city along the way Ali was able to provide details of the city it’s landmarks and their history and how things have changed over time. At the spice bazaar advised of what to get and what to avoid, prices that we should expect to pay. Wonderful detailed history at the Hagia Sophia, Blue mosque and Topkapi palace. Really bringing the places to life! He took us to an excellent authentic Turkish restaurant, delicious food very reasonably priced. Over lunch we discussed life in Istanbul other areas and restaurants worth exploring. Ali was truly fantastic, we honestly felt like it was a day out discovering new things with an old friend.
Sultanahmet Old City Tour with Ali Private Guide
michaelmeere4,,Oct 28, 2019
- Review from Viator
5.00
Better than good. Excellent is the appropriate descriptor. Brilliantly paced. Excellent descriptions and information provided. Strongly recommended.
Best decision we made
danar859,,Jun 15, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We hired Ali for 2 days private tour in Istanbul. We had very limited time and wanted to see everything! Ali took us to what wanted to see and made suggestions what we would like to do. He was flexible to stay longer at some places and go quickly through others. He was so knowledgeable about the city and the history of each landmark. I really enjoyed the stories he told us. His English is great. The first day we walked around Sultanahmet and he was able to help us bypass long lines! He took us to a local kebap place that was not touristy. On the second day we had a van for transport that was cool with aircon for a hot day. We walked around Balat and he didn’t mind as we shopped and even showed us a great children’s charity house that we loved. He took us to his friends stand at the spice market who treated us Worh tastes of Turkish delight, spices,teas, and goodies. I didn’t feel pressured and knew we were getting quality products because I trusted Ali. Then he took us to another local joint for lunch of white beans, rice and veal. I never would have had a traditional delicious lunch without Ali as our guide. Did you know Ali wrote a book about buying Oriental carpets in Turkey? So, he took us to his friends’ place that does wholesale. We bought some amazing authentic and beautiful rugs to take home and have for a lifetime. With all the knockoffs and pushy salesmen in the grand bazaar I was so happy to have this experience. We drank tea in the air con laughed and chatted with the store men. I trust that Ali gave us great advice, the man literally wrote the book on it!! Ali hooked us up with his friends for tours on our next stop in Cappadocia and set up airport transfers for us there. Ali is the best decision we made on our quick trip to Istanbul!
Ali is not only a great guide and a...
ALFREDO C,,Jun 25, 2016
- Review from Viator
5.00
Ali is not only a great guide and a knowledgeable professional; he is an amazing person, as well. My girlfriend and I felt like we were touring Istanbul with a good old friend of ours.
Thanks Ali for such a great experience!

Alfredo and Cris! New York, NY