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Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour

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Istanbul, Turkey
Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
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Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour
Gran Bazaar
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From $175.00 per group (up to 8)

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Number of travelers
1 traveler2 travelers3 travelers4 travelers5 travelers6 travelers7 travelers8 travelers
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
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Safety measures
icon7 hours  (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
iconOffered in: English and 4 more
Good for avoiding crowds

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Overview

Prepare to be awed by Istanbul’s magnificent architecture, rich history, and eclectic bazaars as you discover the unmissable highlights of the Old City on this 1-, 2-, or 3-day private tour. Marvel over the glorious Hagia Sophia, learn how the Blue Mosque earned its famous nickname, and see the ancient Basilica Cistern. Tour Topkapi Palace to gain an insight into the lavish lifestyles of the Ottoman sultans and their harem, and browse the legendary Grand Bazaar, where you find everything from carpets to Turkish delight.
  • Exclusive Istanbul tour led by a private guide
  • Comprehensive tour of the city over one, two, or three days
  • Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city
  • Customize the itinerary according to your schedule
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From $175.00

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Private tour
Professional local guide
Guide meets you at central hotels
Transportation (from/back to hotel, between sites (unless option selected)
Museum Tickets
Lunch
Gratitude (suggested)
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*FOR LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS AND LATE DEPARTURES, as museums and some sites will be closed around 17:30 pm, alternative tour sites will be advised by the tour guide during the tour. *Tour guide meets you at central Istanbul hotels or Galata Port. If the hotel is not centrally located, the meeting point will be in front of the German Fountain. If van service is not chosen your guide will pick you up at centrally located hotels on foot. If private van service is booked, please note that there will be a surcharge if your hotel is located outside of the city center or on the Asian Side.
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • For last minute bookings, tour starting time can be flexible.
  • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays can be replaced with Spice Market.
  • Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays can be replaced with alternatives.
  • Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia closed until 2pm on Fridays, will be visited in the afternoon.
  • For multiple day booking, private van service will be advised according to your hotel location and size of your group.
  • Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to museum regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
  • Galata Tower will be visited from outside unless you would like to pay entrance fee there.
  • When booking the tour with van, if your hotel is located in Sultanahmet you will be steps away from the museums, so the van will not be used as much.
  • Annual Closing Dates of museums and bazaars in Istanbul are; January 1 – New Year April 21, 22, 23 – Ramadan Celebrations June 28, 29, 30, July 1 – Eid al-Fitr Celebrations October 29 – Republic Day
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
  • OPERATED BY Guided Istanbul Tours
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Learn more about cancellations.

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour?
A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

  • Face masks required for travelers in public areas
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
See all safety measures taken by Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour.
Q:
What is the policy on sanitization during Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour?
A:The policy on sanitization is:

  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
See all safety measures taken by Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour.
Q:
What is the social distancing policy during Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour?
A:The policy on social distancing is:

  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
See all safety measures taken by Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour.
Q:
What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour?
A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Regular temperature checks for staff
See all safety measures taken by Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour.

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Reviews

5.0
star-5
2,016 Reviews
5 stars
1,961
4 stars
48
3 stars
2
2 stars
3
1 star
2

Reviews by Viator travelers

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Showing 1-10 of 2,016 reviews
star-4
Istanbul 1 day tour
James_T
, Aug 2022
Was not informed prior to booking of $125.00 transportation fee. Should have just used a taxi and saved $100.00 dollars. We were only 2 persons and the transportation was a 12 passenger van. Tour guide was knowledgeable. Had to wait for van to arrive for about 40 minutes due to traffic. Was told by guide that traffic was customary for this tour. Left sour taste as van was expensive and reserved for us. It was only used to deliver us to the first site and pick us up at the end. Use a taxi for small groups.
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star-5
A+ Istanbul adventure
Rose_Z
, Aug 2022
Hakan was awesome! His knowledge was amazing and his personality was incredible. He made our touring in Instanbul totally carefree and thoroughly enjoyable. Knew all the best restaurants too! His English was flawless and had a thorough understanding of American culture. He’s a treasure. Ask for him!!!
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star-4
Great Experience
Craig_G
, Aug 2022
We had an amazing time. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. The only issue we had was with the restaurant on the first day ... it was recommended by our guide and whilst the food was ok it was very expensive for what we received. We have no issues recommending this tour to other visitors.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
Wonderful Istanbul
Robert_J
, Aug 2022
Ekrem gave us a great tour, despite the rainy weather. We worked around the rain, saw fantastic sites, and were provided with a wealth of information. Thank you. Ekrem, for a great day in Istanbul.
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star-5
Great Day in Istanbul
Isabel_B
, Aug 2022
Amazing day in Istanbul. Our guide Tayfun was very friendly, knowledgeable and calm. We never felt rushed although we had a very busy day. Took us to place where the locas eat. It was delicious! We had a great day!
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star-5
Great day in Istanbul
Kurt_K
, Aug 2022
We spent the day seeing many of Istanbul’s most historical sites. Our guide Kemal couldn’t have made the day any more enjoyable! He was very helpful and informative. I would highly recommend Kemal and the “Best of Istanbul Private Tour”
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star-5
Fantastic 1 day visit to Istambul with a great guide!
Juan_R
, Aug 2022
Our guide Zeynep was FANTASTIC!, so very proud to show us the best of her city and her culture. She explained with great detail and historic knowledge. Very friendly and patient with our kids. We took many tours on our trip through Europe, and Zeynep was by far the best guide of them all. The 1 day tour route covers all the most important things to see in incredible Istanbul, be prepared to do some walking!
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star-5
Excellent tour
Tracy_F
, Aug 2022
Gurkan was an excellent guide in Istanbul and very knowledgeable of the history of Turkey and the historical sites we visited. He also took us to a beautiful family owned pottery shop that has been run by the same family for 8 generations and make their own products. They gave us a demonstration on how they make their pottery.
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star-5
Fantastic guide Atec
Neil_W
, Aug 2022
Alec was our guide and right from the beginning we could tell he had a deep knowledge of Istanbul. He knew the best times and queues to avoid and we spent the whole day with him. He took around all the main attractions and answered all our questions as well as a deep knowledge constantly pouring out. I recommend Alec and for sure a guide for a 1st class experience. It is well worth the money.
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star-5
Great Tour with Gulce!
Ahsan_M
, Aug 2022
Enjoyed a terrific 2-day tour of Istanbul with Gulce A. Gulce is a very knowledgeable and gregarious guide and provided me with great context and background information about all the sites and places that we visited. This tour is a must-do for anyone who would like to learn more about the historical, cultural, political, and aesthetic contexts surrounding the city's famous landmarks. Gulce was also great company throughout the day and chose some excellent places for lunch and snacks. I particularly appreciate her flexibility and help with procuring a hand-made Turkish carpet at a reasonable price. She also went out of her way to try and help me find a replacement for my broken umbrella on both days but, alas, finding a small-sized umbrella in Istanbul in August seemed as difficult as procuring hand sanitizer way back in April 2020. I've had the privilege of enjoying many guided tours around the world, and this ranks among the highest I have taken. It also helps that Istanbul is a uniquely beautiful and wonderful city. So go ahead and book your tour, and do not forget to ask for Gulce as your guide!
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star-5
Great booking under short notice.
RAUL_G
, Aug 2022
I was scared of booking so last minute, just less than twelve hours and they made a great job so everything flowed.
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4 travelers found this review helpful
star-5
Great experience!!
Iftikher_M
, Aug 2022
We are a family of 5. We parents with 3 of our boys visiting from Florida. We booked a 2 day tour. Our tour guide Emel arrived right on time to pick us up both days from our hotel. She was so nice and pleasant. For two days she took us around and showed us all the major attractions, shopping places, food places and have a great idea about Turkey, it’s history and culture. She was very knowledgeable and professional. Our kids liked her very much and enjoyed the long two days. We are happy that we booked these tours with Viator. We highly recommend the service and we appreciate our tour guide Emel. Thanks
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-4
Fantastic tour; Dilek is awesome
Hermann_P
, Aug 2022
Dilek was a great guide. Friendly, smart, fun and knowledgeable. She tailored the tour to our interests and did a fantastic job. The tour company could improve the experience by being clear before booking that the additional cost of having a car service is $125 USD. It is fine but having the transparency up front would have been appreciated vs. finding the cost after we booked the tour.
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
Great tour!
Keith_C
, Jul 2022
Our tour guide Dogan was extremely knowledgeable. It was almost as if he was a history professor giving a tour. He also knew the best place for lunch for mezze and kebab. Delicious. The tour was completely customizable. The history and the architecture were amazing.
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star-5
No brainer. Take this tour!
anirudh_g
, Jul 2022
We did a two day tour of Istanbul. The tour guide Mohammet was exceptional. The tour is ideal for groups. The skip the line was a lifesaver. Mohammet our tour guide showed us not only the major tourist attractions but gave us a flavor of turkey. We interacted with carpet stores Turkish soap makers and got a flavor for real Istanbul. The interaction with the locals is something that would not have been possible had we done the trip ourselves. Highly recommend the tour.
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star-5
Brilliant Tour, brilliant guide
Julie_B
, Jul 2022
We booked the 2 day tour to see as much of Istanbul as we could. Ozan was a fantastic guide, I don’t think there’s anything this man doesn’t know! The amount of history we have learned, plus the general culture of this city and Turkey was second to none. We also got tips on how to get around the city ourselves and where to go to eat etc. We felt so relaxed with Ozan and are very grateful for a great couple of days. Thank you! :)
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1 traveler found this review helpful
star-5
WONDERFUL tour!!!
Kasey_A
, Jul 2022
What a fabulous day in Istanbul!!! Our guide, Ceren, picked us up at the cruise port and showed us SO much more than we expected to see since we only had one day in the city! We toured the mosques, Topkapi Palace, an underground cistern, the Grand Bazaar, and more!!! We even had time for a coffee/lunch break! Ceren was very knowledge and a fantastic guide! We could not have asked for a better day!!
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star-5
Brilliant.
Dipti_I
, Jul 2022
Eser’s charisma and charm was present throughout the entirety of our tour, of which was informative, interesting, and very easy to understand. His knowledge was not only factual but cultural as well, and we enjoyed the insight into Turkish day to day life in the modern day as well as hundreds of years ago. We opted for this tour on the first day of our holiday to orientate ourselves, and Eser did a splendid job at helping us. Thank you for such a wonderful tour.
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star-5
Great tour of the City
leo_b
, Jul 2022
Tubs was the great tour guide we could possibly hoped for. She showed us best places and explained many times about City history and places to visit.
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star-4
23 Hours in Istanbul!
Tiffany_C
, Jul 2022
As a solo traveler, I was only in Istanbul for 23 hours for a long layover. I wanted a trip that would give me enough history to feel like I experienced a good chunk of Istanbul. This experience was that! My guide was very very knowledgeable. At times it was hard to hear because of the volume of the outdoors with that of my guide, so I had to get comfortable asking lots of questions. But, I got to see so many sites!
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