Istanbul Old City Private Day Tour
Istanbul Old City
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Duration
1 Day
Tour Type
Istanbul Tours
Location
Istanbul
Overview
- Private tour: only you and your own group, with your own guide
- The Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace with the Harem, and the Grand Bazaar
- Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern are on the route, with tickets bought on the day
- Entrance tickets included for Topkapi Palace and the Harem
- A walking tour: everything is within walking distance in the old city
- About 7 to 8 hours, at your own pace
- You meet your guide at Sultanahmet Square
Almost everything Istanbul is known for stands within a few hundred metres of Sultanahmet Square. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia face each other across a garden, the Hippodrome where Byzantine chariot races were held lies between them, and behind it is Topkapi Palace, from where the Ottoman sultans ruled for four hundred years. Underneath the square is the Basilica Cistern, a sixth-century underground reservoir held up by 336 columns. The tour ends in the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets in the world, with more than four thousand shops. Because the tour is private, you set the pace and can spend longer wherever you want.
Places to visit
- Blue Mosque
- Hippodrome and the obelisks
- Hagia Sophia
- Basilica Cistern
- Topkapi Palace with the Harem
- Grand Bazaar
What to expect
- This is a private tour. Only you and your own group take part.
- It is a walking tour. All the sites are within walking distance of each other in the old city.
- The tour lasts around 7 to 8 hours, depending on your pace.
- Entrance tickets are included for Topkapi Palace, including the Harem.
- Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern are on the route, but their tickets are not included. Your guide will take you to both and you buy the tickets on the day if you would like to go in.
- You meet your guide at Sultanahmet Square. If your hotel is far from the square and you would like to be collected, let us know and we will arrange transport for an extra charge.
- Lunch is not included. The old city is full of places to eat and we would rather not tie you to one of them, so your guide will suggest somewhere that suits you.
- If you would like a Spanish or Portuguese speaking guide, please select this option when booking.
Good to know before you book
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, and the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. On Fridays the Blue Mosque is closed to visitors around midday prayers.
- Hagia Sophia is undergoing major restoration work, so parts of the interior may be covered by scaffolding.
- Queues at Hagia Sophia can be long at busy times.
Pricing Information
According to the number of people participating in the tour, the total price is discounted. The total discount amount appears on the checkout page.
- 3 to 4 people - 15 % discount
- 5 to 6 people - 25% discount
- 7 to 8 people - 30% discount
- 9 to 10 people - 35% discount
If you are solo traveller, please contact us for our most reasonable offers.
Cancellation Policy
To receive a full refund, you can cancel up to 24 hours before the tour start date, in Istanbul local time. Cancellations made after that are non-refundable. For this purpose the tour start time is taken as 09:00.
Included/Excluded
Professional, licensed private guide
Skip the line entrance tickets to Topkapi Palace, including the Harem
All taxes
Hagia Sophia entrance ticket
Basilica Cistern entrance ticket
Lunch and drinks
Personal expenses
Tips (optional)
Hotel pick-up and drop-off, available on request for an extra charge
Itinerary
You meet your guide at Sultanahmet Square and start at the Blue Mosque, built in the early 1600s and still a working mosque. Six minarets, a cascade of domes and semi-domes, and more than twenty thousand blue Iznik tiles inside, which is where its English name comes from.
The open space in front of the mosque was the Hippodrome, where Byzantine chariot races were held and where the city's political life played out. Three monuments still stand on the old track: an Egyptian obelisk from Karnak, the bronze Serpent Column from Delphi and the Walled Obelisk.
Built as a cathedral in 537 under Justinian and for a thousand years the largest enclosed space in the world, later a mosque, then a museum, and a mosque again. Your guide explains the building from the courtyard and takes you inside if you wish. The entrance ticket is not included and is bought on the day.
An underground reservoir from the sixth century, its roof carried by 336 columns brought from older buildings, including two Medusa heads used as bases. It stands directly across from Hagia Sophia. The entrance ticket is not included and is bought on the day.
The administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four hundred years, a series of courtyards, pavilions and terraces looking out over the Bosphorus. Your visit includes the Harem, the private quarters of the sultan's household. Entrance tickets are included.
A break for lunch if you would like one. The old city has more good places to eat than we could put in a tour, so your guide will suggest somewhere rather than us choosing for you.
The last stop, a covered market begun under Mehmed the Conqueror, with more than four thousand shops, sixty streets and its own gates, fountains and workshops. Closed on Sundays
Travel Styles
Cultural
Independent
Sightseeing
Daily Tours
Free Cancellation
Private Tours
Duration
Day tours
FAQs
Is lunch included in the price?
No, and that is deliberate. The old city is full of good places to eat and we would rather not tie you to one of them. Your guide will suggest somewhere that suits you.
Are museum entrance fees included in the price?
Topkapi Palace and the Harem are included. Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern are not, and their tickets are bought on the day if you would like to go in.
Is there a discount as the number of people attending the tour increases?
According to the number of people participating in the tour, the total price is discounted. The total discount amount appears on the checkout page. Up to 35% for larger groups.
Which phone number should we call if we want to reach you?
Our phone number +905320507933
You can text or call us via WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Viber and Telegram
Where does the tour start?
At Sultanahmet Square, where you meet your guide. If your hotel is far from the square and you would like to be collected, let us know and we will arrange transport for an extra charge. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are not included in the price.
How long does the tour last?
Around 7 to 8 hours. Because the tour is private, you set the pace and can spend longer at any site you like.
Which days should I avoid?
Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays. On Fridays the Blue Mosque closes to visitors around midday prayers. Any other day works well.
Is there much walking?
Yes, but not far. Everything is within a few hundred metres of Sultanahmet Square, so the whole tour is done on foot. Comfortable shoes are enough.
Tour Location
Istanbul Old City
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