Istanbul Shopping Tour with a Private Guide: Bazaars, Streets, Malls

An Istanbul shopping tour with a private guide usually takes about six hours and costs from $90 per person with us for the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, or from $199 per group for a full private day that adds designer streets or a mall. The guide's job is simple: take you to the right lanes and shops for what you want to buy, translate, explain quality and help you bargain, so you do not lose half a day in the wrong corner of the bazaar. Our private Istanbul shopping tour of the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market runs Monday to Saturday with hotel meeting and a licensed guide. Below is how to plan the day by what you want to buy: bazaars, designer streets or malls.

Three kinds of shopping in one city

Istanbul shopping falls into three zones, and a good tour picks one or two of them instead of rushing through all three.

The bazaars are the reason most visitors want a guide. The streets and malls are easy to do alone, but a private guide with a car can link them in one day and skip the traffic stress.

The Grand Bazaar with a guide

The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest covered markets in the world, a maze of vaulted lanes, inner courtyards (han) and gates between Beyazıt and the Nuruosmaniye Mosque. It is open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and on religious holidays. Entry is free.

The lanes are loosely organised by trade, which is why a guide saves so much time:

• Jewellery and gold. Kalpakçılar Caddesi, the main street, is lined with gold and jewellery shops.
• Carpets and kilims. Dealers are spread across the bazaar and its hans. Old kilims and village rugs are often in small shops on upper floors that you would not find alone.
• Lamps and ceramics. Mosaic glass lamps, İznik-style tiles and bowls appear in many lanes. Quality varies a lot: hand-painted pieces cost far more than printed ones, and they are not always labelled.
• Leather, textiles and towels. Leather jackets, cotton peshtemal towels, silk scarves.
• Antiques and silver. The old inner bedesten at the heart of the bazaar is the place for silver, antiques and older objects.

For more on the bazaar itself, its gates and its history, see our Grand Bazaar tour page.

The Spice Bazaar and the food streets

A short walk downhill from the Grand Bazaar, through the busy shopping streets of Mahmutpaşa, brings you to the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, also called the Egyptian Bazaar. Here the shopping is spices, dried fruit, nuts, herbal teas, Turkish delight and saffron, plus some ceramics and textiles.

Two tips from our guides. First, the shops on the streets outside the bazaar, on the side towards the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, are where locals buy coffee, cheese, olives and cured meats, and prices there are often lower than inside. Second, buy spices in small quantities and ask for vacuum packing if you are flying home. On our private shopping tour, drink samples are part of the day, and the guide explains what to look for in saffron, Turkish delight and dried fruit.

Designer streets: Nişantaşı, Galata and beyond

Away from the Old City, Istanbul's shopping is modern and very Turkish in a different way.

• Nişantaşı. The city's upmarket shopping district in Şişli. Abdi İpekçi Street is the address of the international luxury houses; the side streets around Teşvikiye have Turkish fashion designers, jewellers and concept stores. It is a place to walk and stop for coffee rather than a single street to tick off.
• İstiklal Avenue. The long pedestrian avenue from Taksim towards Tünel has high-street brands, bookshops, music shops and old arcades. See our guide to İstiklal Avenue and Taksim.
• Galata, Karaköy and Çukurcuma. Small design shops, ceramics studios, jewellery workshops and, in Çukurcuma, antique and vintage shops in steep streets. Our things to do in Galata and Karaköy page covers the area.
• Kadıköy. On the Asian side, a younger neighbourhood of independent shops, records, second-hand books and the food market streets. See things to do in Kadıköy.
• Balat. Antique and second-hand shops and small cafés along the Golden Horn; more on our things to do in Balat page.

Malls: İstinye Park, Zorlu Center and others

If you are shopping for international brands, Istanbul's large malls are comfortable, air-conditioned and open every day.

• İstinye Park, in Sarıyer on the European side towards the upper Bosphorus, is one of the city's main luxury malls, with high-end brands, a large food hall and an open-air section.
• Zorlu Center, in Beşiktaş close to the first Bosphorus bridge, combines luxury and high-street shops with a performing arts centre and restaurants.
• Other large malls are spread across both sides of the city; which one is worth the drive depends on the brands you want.

Malls in Istanbul have security checks at the entrance, with a bag scan, so allow a few minutes on arrival. The main problem with malls is distance, not the shopping: İstinye Park is a long drive from Sultanahmet in traffic. This is where a private car with driver makes sense, and our private Mercedes Vito city tour with driver, from $299 per group for eight hours, can link Nişantaşı, a mall and the Bosphorus shore in one day.

How a private shopping day works

A typical private shopping day with us runs like this:

1. Brief before the day. By WhatsApp or at pickup, you tell the guide what you are looking for: a carpet for a living room, gold jewellery, gifts, ceramics, spices, or designer fashion. A clear list makes the day twice as efficient.
2. Hotel meeting. The guide meets you at your hotel. A private car is optional; for bazaar days it is often quicker to walk or take the tram.
3. Bazaar morning. Lanes and shops matched to your list, with time to compare at least two or three shops for anything expensive.
4. Lunch break. Usually in a lokanta near the bazaar or at the Spice Bazaar side.
5. Afternoon. The Spice Bazaar, or a drive to Nişantaşı or a mall if you have a car.

You are never obliged to buy anything. If you only want to look, say so; the day can mix shopping with sightseeing at the Blue Mosque or a walk on the Galata Bridge. For a fully flexible day, a private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide from $199 per group lets you set the plan yourself.

Bargaining, payment, tax-free and customs

Bargaining. In the bazaars, bargaining is normal for carpets, jewellery, leather and souvenirs; in shops with printed price tags, on designer streets and in malls, it is not. Ask the price, compare in a second shop, and make an offer you are comfortable with. Stay friendly, and walk away if the price does not suit you. Paying in cash often helps on the final price.

Payment. Cards are accepted in most bazaar shops and everywhere in malls. Prices may be quoted in Turkish lira, euros or dollars; paying in lira usually gives you the clearest price.

Tax-free shopping. Non-residents can claim back VAT on purchases from shops that take part in the tax-free scheme and display the tax-free sign. Ask for the tax-free form at the till, keep the goods unused, and have the form validated at customs at the airport before check-in. Minimum spend rules and handling fees apply, so ask the shop before you pay.

Carpets and antiques. Turkey strictly controls the export of antiques and cultural objects. For an older carpet or antique object, a reputable dealer provides an invoice and, where needed, an export document confirming the item can leave the country. Never buy anything presented as an ancient coin or an archaeological find. Shipping is common for carpets; ask for written details of the shipping company, the cost and the insurance.

Tours that cover this

• Private Istanbul Shopping Tour: Grand Bazaar and Spice Market Guide, from $90 per person. About six hours, Monday to Saturday, licensed guide.
• Private Istanbul Tour with a Licensed Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days, from $199 per group. Mix the bazaars with sightseeing.
• Istanbul Private Driver Tour: Mercedes Vito for 8 Hours, 1-6 Guests, from $299 per group. For Nişantaşı, malls and the Bosphorus shore.
• Istanbul Old City Private Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi & Grand Bazaar, from $200 per person. The main monuments with time in the bazaar.

Looking for more guides and tour styles in the city? Our sister site Get Istanbul Tours focuses on Istanbul only, and our Istanbul private tour guide page explains how private guiding works. All our city tours are on the Istanbul tours page.

Frequently Asked Questions