Istanbul in 3 Days with a Private Guide: Day-by-Day Plan

Over three private days in Istanbul, every area gets a day to itself: Sultanahmet's Old City first, then the Bosphorus and the modern city, and finally Fener and Balat on the Golden Horn. Our private multi-day city tour follows this exact plan, led by a licensed guide for roughly 7 hours each day, from $199 per group. The price depends on the season, the hotel and the inclusions, so send us your dates and ask for the current price for the three days.

The 3-day Istanbul plan, one day at a time

Day 1: Sultanahmet

Your guide collects you from the hotel lobby or from Galataport. The first stop is Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman court and government for close to 400 years. Next come the Hippodrome, where Byzantium raced its chariots; Hagia Sophia, a 6th-century building of Justinian's reign; the Blue Mosque, finished in the early 1600s; the columned Basilica Cistern; and the Grand Bazaar, among the oldest covered markets in the world. All of it is walkable, so with a central hotel you need no car today.

Day 2: along the Bosphorus

Eminönü's Spice Market is the first stop, and then you take a public ferry between the European and Asian shores, passing the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi palaces. A private yacht can take the ferry's place if you like. Off the boat, you visit Dolmabahçe Palace, where the late Ottoman sultans ruled in the 19th century. Rules forbid live guiding inside Dolmabahçe, so your guide explains everything before you go in. The day closes on İstiklal Avenue, in the Çiçek Pasajı arcade and at Taksim Square.

Day 3: the Golden Horn, Fener and Balat

The Süleymaniye Mosque is Istanbul's largest and has a terrace looking over the Golden Horn. In Fener stands the Church of St George, the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; beside it is Balat, whose sloping lanes of painted Ottoman houses now hold design shops and cafés. The "Iron Church" of St Stephen's was assembled in the 19th century from prefabricated cast iron. A cable car lifts you to Pierre Loti Hill for the view and a glass of tea, and Chora (today the Kariye Mosque) has some of the best late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes still in existence.

Included and not included

You get the private tour, a licensed guide on each of the three days, and help skipping the line at ticket desks. You pay separately for tips, a private yacht, airport transfers, the private van (advised on the second and third days), food and drinks, and museum tickets.

The state sets museum prices, and you pay them at the entrance. In 2026 Hagia Sophia costs foreign visitors about €25 (official price, subject to change), and there are separate tickets for Dolmabahçe Palace, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace (with or without the Harem). Children 7 and under get in free if you show a copy of their passport. Mosques cost nothing.

Closures that affect the order

Your guide rearranges the three days to fit these set closures:

• Monday: Dolmabahçe Palace does not open, so day 2 is never a Monday.

• Tuesday: Topkapi Palace does not open.

• Friday: the Blue Mosque admits no visitors until around 2 pm, while entry to Chora and Hagia Sophia is limited at prayer times.

• Sunday: the Grand Bazaar does not open.

• Holidays: museums and bazaars shut on 1 January and over the Eid holidays (in 2026: 20–22 March, 27–30 May).

Museums shut at about 5:30 pm, so starting late costs you a stop; in summer, setting off early also avoids the heat and the worst queues.

A package or three guided days?

When you also want hotels, airport transfers and a few meals sorted, a package puts it all in one booking. Our four-day city package starts at $250 per person (the price depends on the season, the hotel and the inclusions; ask us for the current figure) and covers lunch on touring days, a cruise on the Bosphorus, airport transfers and a whole day in the Old City with tickets. The six-day premium version adds a dinner cruise and a city tour by private car. A package gives you free time, whereas three private guided days keep every day busy. In both cases hotels cost extra.

Changing days to match your interests

Treat the plan above as a base. Guests often swap in:

• for a detailed look at the palace, the private 4–5 hour Topkapi, Harem and Basilica Cistern visit;

• in place of day 3, an 8-hour private day on the Asian shore with Beylerbeyi Palace;

• for an evening out, a 4-hour private walk after dark through the Old City, Taksim and İstiklal;

• when you want a car without a guide to reach Ortaköy, Dolmabahçe and the Bosphorus shore, a Mercedes Vito with driver, 8 hours from $220 for a maximum of six people.

For a shorter stay, read our page on hiring a private guide, or see every private tour we run in the city. If you have just two days, use our plan for two days.

Frequently Asked Questions