Istanbul Tour Packages for Families: Kid-Friendly Plans and Prices

The best Istanbul tour package for a family with children is a private one: your own guide and vehicle, two major sights per day rather than five, and a ferry, park or island in the afternoon. Our private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide starts from $199 per group per day, which is often cheaper per head than putting four or five people on a shared coach tour.

Children change the maths of a city trip. A small-group tour that suits two adults can be hard work for a seven-year-old: fixed start times, long queues, a coach that leaves without you if the bathroom stop runs long. This page explains how we build family days in Istanbul, which sights hold children's attention, where the city is difficult with a stroller, and which of our packages fit different family sizes and budgets.

What a family package should include

A good family package covers the things that wear parents out, and leaves room for the things children remember.

• Airport pickup with child seats. Ask for seats when you book and give the children's ages. A tired family after a long flight should not be negotiating with taxi drivers.
• A private guide who sets the pace. The guide can shorten the Topkapi Palace visit to the parts children like (the Treasury and the views over the Bosphorus), skip a room, or stop for ice cream without upsetting anyone else.
• A vehicle that waits. Istanbul's old city is walkable, but getting from Sultanahmet to the Bosphorus shore or Miniaturk with tired legs is not. Our private Mercedes Vito with driver seats one to six guests for eight hours from $299 per group.
• A central hotel with family rooms. Many older Sultanahmet hotels have small rooms. Triple and connecting rooms are limited, so book them early.
• One water day. Every family trip we plan includes at least one Bosphorus boat or a ferry to the Princes' Islands.

What it should not include: a full day of museums, a carpet shop visit you did not ask for, or a 6 am start.

How to pace a day with children

The rhythm that works for most families is a morning sight, a long lunch, a short rest at the hotel, and something outdoors in the late afternoon. Here is a sample four-day plan we often use as a starting point.

For families with babies or toddlers, cut each block by a third. For teenagers, add the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays) and a food walk, which usually goes down better than a second palace.

Sights children actually enjoy

Not every famous monument works for children. These are the ones that tend to land, with a note on why.

• Basilica Cistern. Dim light, water underfoot and the two Medusa heads at the far end. It feels like a film set. Short, cool in summer, and easy to leave if a small child gets nervous in the dark.
• Topkapi Palace. The Treasury and the stories of sultans and their swords are the draw. The grounds are large and mostly flat, with shade.
• Blue Mosque. Free to enter outside prayer times. Children are welcome; shoes come off, and girls and women cover their hair. Bring a scarf.
• Miniaturk. A park of scale models of Turkish landmarks on the Golden Horn. Good for younger children and a useful break from crowds.
• Galata Tower. The views are the point, but queues can be long. Go early or late.
• The ferries. For many children the public ferry across the Bosphorus is the highlight of the trip. It is cheap, it carries tea and simit sellers, and seagulls follow the boat.
• Hagia Sophia. Impressive, but foreign visitors now use a separate paid route (the Ministry of Culture and Tourism set the fee at €25 when it was introduced), and the visit is mostly about looking up. With young children, a guided walk around the outside plus a short visit is often enough.

The Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Hasköy, with its trains, planes and a submarine, is a strong option on a rainy day for children who like machines.

Strollers, food and other practical details

Strollers. A light folding stroller is useful in Sultanahmet, where the main sights are close together on wide pavements. Galata and Beyoğlu are steep and cobbled, and the Grand Bazaar is crowded with steps at several gates. A baby carrier is easier there. Mosques and the Cistern have stairs, so expect to carry the stroller.

Food. Turkish food is easy for children: lentil soup, köfte (meatballs), pide (flatbread baked with cheese or minced meat), grilled chicken, rice and plain yoghurt. Fresh orange and pomegranate juice is squeezed on the street. Ask for "acısız" (not spicy) if you are worried about chilli flakes, which are often sprinkled on top.

Health. Pharmacies are marked "Eczane" and pharmacists are helpful with mild problems. At night and on Sundays, each district has a duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane), listed in the window of every closed pharmacy. Drink bottled water.

Culture. Turks are openly warm towards children. Strangers may pat a child's head or hand them a sweet. It is meant kindly. Restaurants rarely mind noise or a child walking around.

Getting around: van, tram, ferry or yacht

For families of four or more, a private van usually beats taxis on cost and comfort, and you keep bags and car seats in one place all day. The tram in Sultanahmet is useful for short hops, but it is often packed at rush hour, which is not fun with a stroller.

On the water you have three levels. The public ferry is the cheapest and children love it. A shared Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up from $75 per person adds a guide and a meal. For a larger family or two families travelling together, the private Bosphorus yacht for 6-32 guests from $525 per hour means your own deck, your own snacks and nobody to disturb.

Families can also look at our Istanbul and Cappadocia packages if the trip continues to Cappadocia, where cave hotels and balloon-watching mornings are popular with children.

Day trips when the city gets too much

After two or three days of monuments, many children need open space. Two day trips work well:

• Sapanca and Maşukiye. Lakes, forest, a cable car and adventure activities about two hours from the city. Our Sapanca Lake and Maşukiye day tour runs from $70 per person, with lunch and pickup. Check minimum ages for the zipline and ATV when booking.
• Şile on the Black Sea. A beach and pool day for the summer months. The Şile beach and pool day trip is from $60 per person. The Black Sea can have strong currents, so swim where lifeguards are on duty.

Tours that cover this

These are the packages and tours we most often combine for families. Prices are our current starting prices.

If you want something built around school holidays, specific ages or grandparents with limited mobility, our tailor-made tour service starts from your dates and works backwards.

Frequently Asked Questions