Best Istanbul Tours Compared: Price, Length and Who Each Suits

The best Istanbul tour for most first-time visitors is a guided day in the Old City, covering Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, followed by a Bosphorus cruise on a second day. You can do the Old City for $67 per person on a half-day morning tour or with your own guide on the Istanbul Old City private tour, from $200 per person. Below we compare the tours we actually run, by price, length and the kind of traveller each one suits, so you can pick two or three that fit your days and budget instead of booking everything.

The short list

These are the tours we would recommend first, one per type of day. All prices are our real starting prices; check each tour page for what is included.

If you only have one day, choose an Old City tour. With two days, add the Bosphorus. With three or more, add food, an evening and a day trip.

Best Old City tours

The historic peninsula holds the city's best-known sights within walking distance of each other, so every serious Istanbul trip starts here. The tours differ mainly in how much they include and who you share the guide with.

• Cheapest good option: the half-day morning tour, from $67 per person, covers Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the bazaar area. Pair it with the Topkapı Palace afternoon tour with Harem and Treasury, from $88 per person, and you have a full day in two halves.
• Small group with tickets: the Hagia Sophia small-group tour with entry ticket is from $120 per person, and the full-day small-group tour with tickets and lunch is from $199 per person. Tickets matter: foreign visitors pay €25 at Hagia Sophia and 2,750 TL for Topkapı with the Harem.
• Private: the Old City private tour, from $200 per person, gives you a guide for your party only, with the route adjusted to queues and prayer times.
• History in depth: the full-day historical tour, from $161 per person, goes through Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Grand Bazaar at a slower pace.

Watch the day of the week. Topkapı closes on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays, so a full Old City day works best on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday.

Best Bosphorus tours

The Bosphorus is the strait that splits Istanbul between Europe and Asia, and seeing it from the water is the second thing most visitors want. The choice is about budget, time and privacy.

• Morning on a budget: the morning Bosphorus cruise with a Spice Bazaar stop is from $40 per person, and the Bosphorus lunch cruise with pickup and guide from $38 per person.
• Easiest half day: the lunch cruise with hotel pick-up and drop-off, 3 hours, from $75 per person.
• Full day on both continents: the Bosphorus cruise and two continents tour, from $88 per person, combines the boat with stops on the Asian side.
• Private yacht: the 2-hour private yacht cruise with guide is from $600 per group. For hourly charters, the Aura 13 m motor yacht for up to 12 guests starts from $190 per hour.

If you want a public ferry instead, our self-guided Bosphorus ferry guide explains the routes. It is cheaper, but you get no commentary and no hotel pickup.

Best evenings, food and shopping

Istanbul is a late city, and an evening tour is the easiest way to see it after dark without worrying about taxis.

• Dinner cruise: the Bosphorus dinner cruise with folk and belly dance show and transfers is from $90 per person, and the Bosphorus dinner cruise with Turkish night show from $57 per person.
• Whirling dervishes: the Sema ceremony with reserved seating is from $60 per person, and the Hodjapasha ceremony from $43 per person. This is a religious ceremony, not a show, and lasts about an hour.
• Food: the street food tour through local neighbourhoods, 6 hours, is from $90 per person, with baklava and Turkish coffee.
• Shopping: the private Grand Bazaar and Spice Market tour, 6 hours, is from $90 per person. A guide who knows the bazaar saves time and helps with bargaining.

Best day trips from Istanbul

After three days in the city, a day outside it is a good change of pace.

The Princes' Islands are the easiest of these, because the public ferry runs all year and no long drive is involved. Our full Istanbul day trips page covers longer trips such as Bursa and Gallipoli.

Best tours for short stays and special trips

Some travellers have only a few hours, or want something out of the ordinary.

• Airport layover: the private layover tour from IST or SAW, 6-8 hours, is from $550 per person with guide and van. You need a long enough connection and the right to enter Türkiye.
• Private driver only: the Mercedes Vito with driver for 8 hours is from $299 per group for 1-6 guests. Good for families who want transport but plan their own day.
• From the air: the 30-minute private helicopter flight over the Bosphorus is from $1,050 per person.
• Luxury: the VIP tour with Mercedes S-Class chauffeur and private yacht, 7 hours, is from $1,800 per group.

How to choose between them

Three questions narrow the list quickly.

1. How many of you are there? One or two people save money on small-group tours priced per person. Four or more usually do better with a private guide priced per group.
2. How many days do you have? One day: Old City. Two days: add a Bosphorus cruise. Three days or more: add food, an evening and a day trip. Our Istanbul 3-day itinerary shows how the days fit together.
3. Are tickets included? Compare the real cost, not only the headline price. Hagia Sophia (€25), Topkapı (2,750 TL) and Dolmabahçe (2,000 TL) add up quickly for a family.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Old City private tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and Grand Bazaar — from $200 per person, 6-8 hours.
• Istanbul Old City small-group full day with tickets and lunch — from $199 per person, 8 hours.
• Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up and drop-off — from $75 per person, 3 hours.
• Princes' Islands day tour with ferry, Büyükada and lunch — from $90 per person, 8 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions