Istanbul Tour Package 8 Days: Private Old City, Bosphorus & Islands
Overview
Istanbul Tour Package 8 Days: Private Old City, Bosphorus & Islands
This all-inclusive Istanbul package pairs a comfortable hotel with guided sightseeing, two Bosphorus cruises and time to wander the city alone. Your central, middle-class hotel comes from our selection and is confirmed with you before the trip. Airport transfers, pick-ups from the hotel, plus a personal travel assistant, are all taken care of.
Old City and the Bosphorus
You tour the Old City and its Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, sail the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia, and pick your own route for a private tour by car. One evening is spent on a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus, and one day takes you out to the Princes' Islands. Entry tickets for the sights you visit, photo stops at famous spots and a taste of local food and culture all come with the trip.
A Free Day and a Hammam
Near the end, a day with nothing planned gives you time to shop or rest. If you want, add a session at a traditional Turkish hammam with spa (optional).
Tour Info
Choose your hotels
This package comes with a mid-range hotel. To stay somewhere else, pick another hotel below and we add only the difference in price. We confirm availability with you.
Select a check-in date and the exact prices for those dates will appear.
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle Class
Middle ClassThe hotel prices here are estimates. Before your booking is final, our team will get in touch to confirm the price and availability.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival at Istanbul Airport and Hotel Check-in
When you land at Istanbul Airport (IST), our team is there to greet you and drive you privately to your hotel in the city centre. It is a middle-class hotel picked from our selection and confirmed with you beforehand. Once you have checked in, the day is free: sleep off the flight, sit in a cafe nearby or take a look around the neighbourhood.
- Landing at Istanbul Airport
- Private transfer from the airport to your hotel
- Check-in, with our team on hand to help
- Free time to rest or look around nearby
Night in Istanbul.
Day 2 – Old City Tour: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi
Following breakfast, you spend a full day with a guide in historic Istanbul, from 09:00 until 17:00. The route takes in the most famous sights of the Byzantine and Ottoman eras: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome of ancient times, Topkapi Palace and finally the Grand Bazaar. Your guide tells you about the culture and heritage of each place, and you get pauses for photos, some shopping and a feel for everyday local life.
- 09:00 - We collect you at your hotel
- 10:00 - Visit to Hagia Sophia
- 11:30 - The Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome
- 13:00 - Lunch break
- 14:00 - Tour of Topkapi Palace
- 16:00 - Free time at the Grand Bazaar
- 17:00 - Drop-off at your hotel; the evening is free
You stay overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3 – Bosphorus Cruise, Dolmabahce and Ortakoy
Today, from 09:00 to 17:00, a full-day cruise and city tour shows you Istanbul from the strait that divides two continents. You pass Dolmabahce Palace, the Bosphorus Bridge, Ortakoy and the Ottoman mansions along the shore, with wide views from the water. Free time lets you take photos, sit in local cafes and shop.
- 09:00 - Pick-up from your hotel
- 10:00 - Bosphorus cruise
- 12:00 - Sightseeing with panoramic views of the Bosphorus
- 13:00 - Break for lunch
- 14:30 - Dolmabahce area, free to explore
- 16:00 - Shopping and photo stops
- 17:00 - Back at your hotel, evening free
Night in Istanbul.
Day 4 – Private Istanbul Tour by Car on Your Own Route
This is a private tour by car, and the plan is yours. Choose your stops before setting off; options include Galata Tower, Karakoy, Balat, Taksim, Ortakoy, Dolmabahce Palace, the Bosphorus viewpoints and the Old City. Spend as long as you want at each one while your driver waits nearby.
Here are three sample routes:
- Popular Instagram Route: starts at Galata Tower, then Karakoy, Balat, Fener, Ortakoy and finally viewpoints on the Bosphorus
- Luxury Istanbul Experience: starts at Dolmabahce Palace, then Bebek, Ortakoy, the shore of the Bosphorus, Galataport and finally Nisantasi
- Mixed City Highlights: starts in the Old City, then Galata, Taksim, Balat, the Bosphorus and finally the Asian side
Have other ideas? Build your own route in advance, or adjust it during the day according to your interests, the shops you want to visit, the photo spots you are after or the sights that matter most to you.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 5 – Free Day and Evening Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
After breakfast the day belongs to you. Shop, sit in local cafes, go sightseeing or just wander. Try the famous shopping districts, the traditional bazaars, modern malls or calmer parts of the city, all before the evening programme starts.
From 19:00 to 23:30 you are on a Bosphorus dinner cruise. Dinner is served with live entertainment and music, and the lights of Istanbul glow on both the European and Asian shores as you sail between them.
- 10:00 - Free morning to explore on your own
- 13:00 - Shopping and relaxing
- 19:00 - Pick-up from your hotel for the cruise
- 20:00 - Dinner cruise on the Bosphorus
- 21:00 - Live shows and entertainment
- 23:30 - Back at your hotel
Night in Istanbul.
Day 6 – Princes' Islands by Ferry: Buyukada and Lunch
This full-day trip takes you out to the Princes' Islands. We collect you from your hotel, and a ferry carries you across the Sea of Marmara. On Buyukada you have free time to walk the streets, sit at a cafe by the water and look out over the island scenery, far from the noise of the city. Lunch and transfers both ways are included.
- 09:00 - Pick-up from your hotel
- 10:00 - Ferry leaves Istanbul
- 11:30 - Crossing the Sea of Marmara with panoramic views
- 12:30 - Arrival on Buyukada
- 13:00 - Lunch in a local restaurant
- 14:00 - Free time on the island for exploring and photos
- 16:30 - Ferry back to Istanbul
- 18:00 - Drop-off at your hotel, evening free
Night in Istanbul.
Day 7 – Free Day in Istanbul, Optional Turkish Hammam
One last free day to enjoy Istanbul at your own speed. Try local cafes, browse the shopping streets and find the quieter corners, or simply rest before you fly home. You can also book an optional session at a traditional Turkish hammam and spa, a wellness ritual in the Ottoman style.
- 10:00 - Morning at leisure
- 13:00 - Shopping and local exploring (optional)
- 16:00 - Turkish hammam and spa (optional)
- 20:00 - Evening free in Istanbul
Night in Istanbul.
Day 8 – Transfer to Istanbul Airport and Departure
Have breakfast at the hotel, then a transfer takes you to Istanbul Airport (IST) and your flight home. Our services end here.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Seven Hotel Nights With Breakfast in a Mid-Range Hotel We Select, Subject to Availability and Your Approval
- ✓Lunch on Each Tour Day
- ✓Tour of the Old City
- ✓Transfers To and From the Airport
- ✓Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus
- ✓VIP Tour of the City by Car
- ✓Day Trip to the Princes' Islands
- ✓Professional Assistance on Tours
- ✓A Guide Who Speaks English
- ✓Transport Throughout the Tours
- ✓Pick-Up and Drop-Off at Your Hotel
- ✓All Local Taxes and Service Fees
- ✕Dinners
- ✕Personal Expenses
- ✕Optional Turkish Hammam and Spa
Cancellation Policy
Cancel at no charge until 7 days before your tour and you receive a full refund. If you cancel within the final 7 days before the tour, no refund is given. All times shown are local.
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8-day ultimate Istanbul tour package: the essentials
This private eight-day package mixes sightseeing with a guide, cruises on the Bosphorus, a day out on the Princes' Islands and proper free time, with prices from $1,499 per person. The price includes seven nights with breakfast at a middle-class hotel in the centre that we select, lunch on tour days, pick-ups from the hotel, airport transfers, a guide who speaks English, professional tour assistance and local taxes. Your programme takes in the Old City, a Bosphorus cruise, a VIP city tour by car, a Bosphorus dinner cruise and the Princes' Islands.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| How long | 8 days, 7 nights |
| Cost | From $1,499 per person |
| Accommodation | 7 nights including breakfast in a central middle-class hotel, confirmed once you approve |
| What you get | Airport transfers, Old City tour, Bosphorus cruise, VIP city tour by car, dinner cruise, Princes' Islands tour, guide and assistance, lunch on tour days |
| What you pay extra | Other dinners, optional Turkish hammam and spa, personal spending |
Is one week too much time for Istanbul?
Far from it. Istanbul ranks among the biggest cities on earth and stretches across two continents. With a week you can go further than the usual list: a day on the Princes' Islands where cars are not allowed, an evening out on the water, a day by private car through areas such as Balat and Bebek, and free days for cafes, markets and a traditional hammam. You go home relaxed, not exhausted.
What is in the 8-day programme?
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, private transfer, check in at the hotel |
| Day 2 | A tour of the Old City: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar |
| Day 3 | Bosphorus cruise and time to explore the city |
| Day 4 | VIP private city tour by car along a route you choose |
| Day 5 | Day at leisure, then a Bosphorus dinner cruise in the evening |
| Day 6 | Princes' Islands: ferry over the Sea of Marmara, lunch included, free time on Buyukada |
| Day 7 | Day at leisure, with an optional Turkish hammam and spa |
| Day 8 | Breakfast, then transfer to the airport |
How does it compare with our other Istanbul packages?
| Istanbul package | Length | How it differs | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul city tour package | 4 days | Just the Old City and the Bosphorus | $699 per person |
| Premium Istanbul package | 6 days | Leaves out the Princes' Islands day | $1,050 per person |
| This package | 8 days | Princes' Islands plus a free day for a hammam | $1,499 per person |
| All-inclusive Istanbul package | 10 days | Extra free days and a food tour across two continents | $1,750 per person |
What is a Turkish hammam, and is it worth trying?
A hammam is the traditional bath of Turkey. You rest in a warm marble room and then get a scrub and a foam massage. It has been part of life in Istanbul for centuries, and it is a lovely way to recover after days on your feet. In this package it is an optional choice on day seven, so you decide if and where you go; we are happy to suggest places.
What happens on the Princes' Islands day?
You take the ferry over the Sea of Marmara to Buyukada, the biggest island, where private cars are not allowed. There is free time to stroll past wooden mansions, sit in cafes by the sea and take in the views, and lunch is included. For a closer look, see our separate Princes' Islands day tour from $90.
What is the best time to visit?
For the islands and the Bosphorus, April to June and September to November are best. The islands are at their liveliest in summer; winter is calm and full of atmosphere, and a hammam is very welcome on a cold day.
What should you pack?
Good walking shoes, modest clothes for the mosques, smart-casual clothes for the dinner cruise, a light jacket for the Bosphorus and the ferry, and swimwear or spare clothes if you plan to visit the hammam.
How can you book?
Pick your dates on this page and submit the form, or send us your flight details on WhatsApp. We confirm your hotel once you approve it and send you the written plan; payment is only due after confirmation. You can find more options among our Istanbul tours and Turkey tour packages.
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