Top Sights of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3 Day Private Guided Tour

5.0 (5 reviews) 7–21 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

5 reviews

5.0

Top Sights of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3 Day Private Guided Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Top Sights of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3 Day Private Guided Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Visit most popular sights of Istanbul with your private tour guide who has skip-the-line priority in 1-2 or 3 days;

DAY-1

Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace.

DAY-2

Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim-Istiklal Street, Galata Tower.

Note: Booking private vehicle is suggested for this day as transportation is required between sites of visit.

DAY-3

Suleymaniye Mosque, Fener and Balat Districts, St. Stephen Church (Iron Church), Eyüp Sultan District, Pierre Lotti Panoramic Hill

Note: Booking private vehicle is suggested for this day as transportation is required between sites of visit.

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At a glance

Duration: 7–21 hours
Confirmation: Confirmed within 48 hours
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Cititrek Travel

What is included

Included

Included: Private tour
Included: Skip-the-line entry to museums
Included: Officially licensed tour guide

Not included

Not included: Museum/Activity tickets
Not included: Lunch and drinks
Not included: Transportation (unless option booked)

Itinerary

Blue Mosque

40 min

Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I, Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

one hour

Built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque then a museum and now it’s a mosque for second time.
Hippodrome

20 min

Where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times.
TopkapI Palace

one hour Admission not included

More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture.
Grand Bazaar

45 min

One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops.
Misir Carsisi

45 min

A colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a variety of spices, purses, flavored teas, Turkish delight, nuts, as well as ceramics and small souvenirs.
Bosphorus Strait

2 hours Admission not included

Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, the Rumelian Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridges, mosques.
Dolmabahce Palace

one hour Admission not included

Elegance and beauty with the most luxury decoration, chandeliers, rugs, crystals, ceramic fireplaces. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with gorgeous furnishings, paintings, porcelains.
Taksim Square

30 min

A great place defining modern Turkey. Close to Istiklal Street and Galata Tower. Has very good food joints, cafes, shops, bars, night clubs around.
Suleymaniye Mosque

30 min

The largest mosque in Istanbul and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. In the garden behind the mosque, the terrace offers lovely views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.
Fener & Balat

one hour

Fener District, continue exploring Istanbul’s rich religious history with a stop at the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, the church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion.

Balat District; lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Century-old Ottoman houses lean against each other in a combination of reds, blues and greens. And art galleries and design shops dot the area along the water.
Pierre Loti

30 min Admission not included

One of the most popular sights to visit since it offers great views for the visitors. Take the cable car to reach to the top and enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your Turkish coffee or tea.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Harbour Suites Old City
Atlantis Royal Hotel
Vardar Palace Hotel
Gulseda Otel Apart
Hotel Inter Istanbul
AHC Ayasofya Hotel - Special Class
Meddusa Hotel
Gulhane Corner Hotel
Chambers of the Boheme
Skalion Hotel
Arts Hotel Taksim
Hotel V Plus Taksim

and 1,371 more pickup points

Cancellation

Free cancellation

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

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Specialized infant seats are available
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Please note that; On Tuesdays Topkapi Palace, on Sundays Grand Bazaar, on Mondays Dolmabahce Palace is closed.
Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are closed until 2pm on Fridays. If one of the mosques are not visited, Basilica Cistern will be visited as a replacement.
When booking the tour with van for Day-1, if your hotel is located in Sultanahmet you will be steps from the museums, so the van will not be used as much. On Day-2 and Day-3 we suggest you to book a van as transfers are required between sights.
Annual closing dates of museums and bazaars; New Year, Ramadan Festival, Sacrifice Eid/Festival
Since Hagia Sophia is not a museum anymore tour guides don't have skip-the-line priority so you may need to wait in the security line. To avoid queues we suggest departing at 8:30am or 9:00am.

Options

2 Day Private Guide

Blue Mosq, Hagia Sop, Topkapi Pal, Basilica Cis, Grand Baz, Hipp. Spice Mar, Bosph Cru, Dolmabahce Pal,Taksim Squ,Istiklal St

Pickup included
1 Day Private Guide

This tour includes visits to; Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome Square, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar.

Pickup included