Private Istanbul Tour with a Licensed Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days

The Old City day begins with your guide meeting you at the cruise port or in your hotel lobby.

• Topkapi Palace Museum highlights: for almost 400 years this palace housed the Imperial Council, and the Ottoman sultans lived here until the reign of Abdulmecid. It stands directly behind Hagia Sophia and still shows how strong the Ottoman Empire once was.
• Sultanahmet Square: chariots raced on this ground in Roman times, and today it is the centre of the Old City. The German Fountain here marks the friendship between the German and Ottoman empires.
• Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya): Emperor Justinian built it as a church in the 6th century, and it became a mosque after the Ottomans took the city. Christians and Muslims both hold it dear, and its single dome carries the history of the two faiths.
• Blue Mosque: raised for Sultan Ahmed I in the early 1600s, right in the middle of Sultanahmet Square. Its domes define the city skyline, and people travel from every part of the world to see the blue tiles inside.
• Basilica Cistern: a water reservoir beneath Byzantine Constantinople, known for its rows of marble columns, low lighting and the reflections they cast on the still, shallow water.
• Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi): dating from the 15th century, it ranks among the largest and oldest covered markets on earth and is a wonderful place for shopping.

When the day ends, your guide walks back with you to your hotel or port.

*The sites sit close together, so this day works well on foot. For hotels outside the centre we suggest adding a private van.
*If a visit to one of the mosques is not possible, the Basilica Cistern takes its place.

Your guide collects you from the hotel lobby or the cruise port, and the Bosphorus day begins.

• Spice Market: also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, this covered market in Eminonu is packed with stalls of spices, sweets and much else. Few corners of Istanbul are as colourful or smell as good.
• Bosphorus Cruise: leave the busy streets behind on a public ferry that crosses between the European and Asian sides, passing Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower, Beylerbeyi Palace and other landmarks. Many guests say this is the best part of their stay. *Tell us if you would like a private yacht instead.
• Dolmabahce Palace: set on the Bosphorus in Besiktas, it served for many years as the main seat of Ottoman government. It is known for its refined style, rich decoration and the furniture, paintings and porcelain produced specially for its rooms.
• Taksim Square: the centre of modern Istanbul and the stage for many key events in Turkish history. Shops, restaurants and bars keep it busy with both residents and visitors.
• Cicek Passage: first named the Cite de Pera, the building mixes traditional and modern Ottoman styles. It is now one of the historic landmarks of Beyoglu, ringed by cafes, restaurants, nightlife and shops.
• Istiklal Street: the busy avenue leading off Taksim, with European consulates along its length and Galata Tower in view ahead.

When the day ends, your guide goes back with you to your hotel or port.

*Because you need transport between these sites, we suggest a private car for the day.

To start the Golden Horn day, your guide picks you up at your hotel lobby or the cruise port.

• Suleymaniye Mosque: raised for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent on the third hill of Istanbul, in Fatih. This is the city's largest mosque, striking both outside and within, and from its terrace you look across the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.
• Fener: learn about the religious past of Istanbul at the Church of St. George, which serves as the spiritual headquarters of Eastern Orthodoxy.
• Balat: see everyday life in streets of hundred-year-old Ottoman houses painted in red, blue and green, passing art galleries and design shops as you go.
• St. Stephen Church: standing on the Golden Horn shore, it is known as the Iron Church, since in the 19th century its whole structure was made in iron.
• Cable car to Pierre Loti Hill: ride up the hill, order Turkish tea or coffee and enjoy the Golden Horn view spread out in front of you.
• Chora Church (Kariye Mosque): located in Edirnekapi, it holds some of the best surviving late Byzantine art.

When the day ends, your guide returns with you to your hotel or port.

*Because you need transport between these sites, we suggest a private vehicle for the day.

Your 3-day tour finishes here. If you would like another day or an Istanbul programme built to order, please get in touch. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you again.

Booking late or starting late: museums and certain sites close at about 5:30 pm; where needed, your guide will offer other sites instead.

Where you meet: the guide meets you at a central Istanbul hotel or at Galataport. For hotels outside the centre, you meet at the German Fountain. If no van is booked, the guide comes on foot to hotels in the centre. Pickup from a hotel beyond the city centre costs extra.

Weekly closures and limits:

• Grand Bazaar: closed every Sunday.
• Topkapi Palace: closed every Tuesday.
• Blue Mosque: no visitors before 2 pm on Fridays.
• Hagia Sophia: entry is limited at prayer times.
• Chora Church (Kariye Mosque): entry is limited at prayer times.
• Dolmabahce Palace: closed every Monday. Regulations do not permit live guiding inside the palace.

Yearly closing days for Istanbul museums and bazaars:

• New Year: January 1
• Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan Feast): March 20, 21 and 22, 2026
• Eid al-Adha: May 27, 28, 29 and 30, 2026