Best of Istanbul Private Tours: 1, 2 or 3 Days with Skip-Line Tickets

Best of Istanbul private tours for 1, 2 or 3 days: the key facts

This is a private guided tour of Istanbul that you book by the day. Day 1 is always in the price: Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Grand Bazaar and the Basilica Cistern, with skip-line tickets. In the booking form you can add Day 2 (a Bosphorus ferry, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim, Istiklal Street, Galata Tower and the Spice Market) and Day 3 (Fener, Balat, Suleymaniye Mosque, Pierre Loti Hill and the Rahmi Koc Museum). Nothing else is added unless you select it.

It suits first-time visitors who already have a hotel and want their own English-speaking guide rather than a group. The price is from $175 per person, which covers Day 1 only. Hotels, meals and transport are not part of it.

What exactly is included in the $175?

Day 1 only: your private guide and skip-line tickets for Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and the other Day 1 stops. The Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar need no ticket. Day 2 and Day 3 are add-ons at $235 and $175. No hotel night is included, even though the page header says "3 Days / 2 Nights", so book your own room. Meals and drinks are not included on any day. If you want a hotel in the package as well, look at our Istanbul packages, or read where to stay in Istanbul first.

Does the guide pick us up from the hotel?

The page is not consistent here. The Day 1 text says your guide collects you from the hotel. However, the exclusions say transport to and from the hotel and between sites is not included unless you choose the transport option, which costs $60. Most Day 1 sites are within walking distance of each other in Sultanahmet, but Day 2 and Day 3 cover much longer distances. Ask us to confirm in writing where you meet the guide, and whether the $60 is per person or per group, before you pay.

How long is each day and how much walking is there?

The overview says each day lasts about 8 hours, starting around 09:00-09:30. The Day 1 text says the tour finishes by 15:00 at the latest, which is closer to six hours. Plan for a full day either way and ask us for the exact end time. Day 1 is almost all walking on stone streets and palace courtyards, with stairs down into the Basilica Cistern. Day 2 includes a public ferry, and Day 3 includes a cable car up Pierre Loti Hill. Wear comfortable shoes and carry water.

What should we wear for the mosques?

Day 1 includes the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and Day 3 adds the Suleymaniye Mosque. Both men and women should cover shoulders and knees. Women should bring a scarf to cover their hair, and everyone takes off their shoes at the entrance. Long trousers or a long skirt and a light layer are the easiest choice, so you do not have to change between sites. Our page on what to wear in Istanbul covers the season-by-season details.

Which sites are on Day 2 and Day 3?

The list in the inclusions and the day text do not match fully, so confirm it with us. For Day 2, the inclusions give Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower from outside, a Bosphorus cruise and Taksim. The day text adds Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage and the Spice Market, and marks Galata Tower as optional. For Day 3, the inclusions give Balat, Suleymaniye Mosque, a Golden Horn ferry and the Koc Museum. The day text adds the Iron Church and a cable car up Pierre Loti Hill. See our guides to Dolmabahce Palace and Balat and Fener.

Is it really private, and how many people can join?

Yes, the page lists it as a private tour, so the guide works only with your party. The booking form accepts 1 to 12 guests. Note that the price is per person, so a larger party pays more in total. We also sell a private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide for one to three days, priced from $199 per group, which can work out cheaper for families. Compare the two before you book and ask us which tickets each one covers.

Should we book 1, 2 or 3 days?

With one day you see the classic Old City sights and nothing else. Two days add the Bosphorus and the modern side of the city around Taksim. The third day is quieter: old neighbourhoods on the Golden Horn and a museum of vehicles and machines, which suits repeat visitors or families with children. Our 3-day Istanbul itinerary shows how the days fit together. You can also book Day 1 now and add more days later, as long as the guide is still free.

How do I book this Istanbul private tour?

Pick your date, the number of days (1, 2 or 3), a start time and the number of guests in the booking form on this page, then send it. You can also message us on WhatsApp. We then send you a written plan with the meeting point, start and end times, the exact list of sites for each day, which tickets are included and whether you added transport. You pay only after you have read and confirmed it. The tour is run by Get Turkey Tours, TÜRSAB licence A-15751.