Istanbul Private English-Speaking Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days

Istanbul private English-speaking guide for 1, 2 or 3 days: the key facts

This is a guide-only service in Istanbul. You get your own English-speaking guide, and you book 1, 2 or 3 days. Day 1 covers the classical old city: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern. Day 2 adds a Bosphorus ferry ride and the city's newer side. Day 3 covers Fener, Balat and Pierre Loti Hill. The guide meets you at a central hotel or at the Cruise Port.

It suits independent travellers and cruise passengers who already have a hotel and simply want a guide who works at their pace. The price is from $35 per person. Only the guide for Day 1 is included. Entry tickets, meals and transport are not, and Days 2 and 3 cost extra.

What exactly does the $35 cover?

Read this before you book. The headline says "from $35 per person", and the page says the guide for Day 1 is included. The extras list gives a private guide for one extra day at $55 and two extra days at $110, but it does not say whether those prices are per person or per group. Our similar private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide is priced from $199 per group for 8 hours. With prices on different bases, ask for the total for your group size and number of days, in writing, before you pay. Our page on what a private guide in Turkey costs explains the usual pricing.

Is transport included, or do we walk?

The page is not clear, so confirm this in writing. Transport is listed as excluded: hotel pick-up and drop-off, and travel between sites. The same line then says transport is included "if you select 1 day + 2 day for 3 day transport", and the extras list sells private transport for one day at $55. On Day 1 the old-city sights are close together, so most of it can be done on foot. Day 2 (Dolmabahce, Taksim, Galata) and Day 3 (Balat, Pierre Loti) cover longer distances. Ask whether you travel by van, tram, taxi or ferry, and who pays for it.

Which entry tickets will we have to buy?

All of them. The page states that the guide is included but entry tickets are not. You can add tickets in the booking form or pay at each site. Day 1 is the costly day: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern all charge entry, while the Blue Mosque does not. Our Hagia Sophia ticket price note has the current figure. On Day 2, Dolmabahce Palace and Galata Tower charge entry, and on Day 3 the Rahmi Koc Museum and the Pierre Loti cable car do. Ask for a ticket total before the trip.

What is on Day 2 and Day 3?

Day 2 starts with a Bosphorus cruise on a public ferry, not a private boat. Then you see Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, the Cicek Passage and Galata Tower, and you finish at the Spice Market. Day 3 covers Fener and Balat and St. Stephen (the Iron Church), then the cable car up to Pierre Loti Hill. The Day 3 highlights also list the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Rahmi Koc Museum, which the short summary leaves out. That is a lot for one day, so ask which stops your guide will actually include.

How long is each day, and can we change the plan?

The page gives no daily hours for this service. The booking form only asks for a start time between 08:00 and 14:00, with 09:00 suggested. Ask how many hours the guide works each day, because a 14:00 start leaves little time for six old-city sights. The overview says the tour is planned around what you want to see, so you can swap or drop stops. If you know what you want, our 3-day Istanbul itinerary is a useful starting point to send your guide.

What should we wear for the mosques?

Day 1 includes the Blue Mosque, and Day 3 may include the Suleymaniye Mosque. In mosques, cover your shoulders and knees, and women also cover their hair. You take your shoes off at the entrance, so slip-on shoes are easier. The Blue Mosque closes to visitors during each of the five daily prayers and for longer on Friday around midday, so the guide plans around those times. On a Friday, expect the order of Day 1 to change. Our what to wear in Istanbul guide has more detail.

Is this the right option for us, or should we compare?

This option is the most basic: a guide only, with tickets, transport and meals on top. If you want a vehicle with your guide, compare the Istanbul private tour by luxury van, from $190 per person, which follows the same three-day plan. If you want a guide for a single day with everything arranged, see our Istanbul private tour guide page or browse the Istanbul packages.

How do I book this guide?

Choose the date, the number of days (1, 2 or 3), a start time and the number of guests in the booking form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us where you are staying or which day your ship docks. We then send the plan in writing, with the guide's meeting point and hours, the stops for each day, which tickets you pay for, whether transport is included and the total price for your group. You pay only after you have read and confirmed it. The service is run by Get Turkey Tours under TÜRSAB licence A-15751.