Begin your journey at the legendary Hippodrome of Constantinople, once the vibrant center of Byzantine public life. Discover how this grand arena served as both a cultural stage and a political battleground for centuries. Marvel at the ancient Obelisk and the mysterious Serpent Column, two iconic relics of the past. As you explore their rich histories—from sacred rituals to imperial symbolism—uncover the timeless stories that continue to shape the soul of Istanbul’s historic heart.
Take in the breathtaking beauty of the Blue Mosque, renowned for its six soaring minarets and the mesmerizing blue İznik tiles that adorn its interior. This architectural masterpiece blends grandeur and serenity, offering a glimpse into the artistic and spiritual legacy of Ottoman Istanbul.
Step into the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture that has stood at the crossroads of empires for over 1,500 years. With your guide, explore its magnificent domes, mosaics, and rich layers of history that reflect its transformation from cathedral to mosque to museum—and now, once again, a place of worship.
The Basilica Cistern is an atmospheric underground reservoir from Byzantine Constantinople, famous for its forest of marble columns, dim lighting, and haunting reflections in shallow water.
Wander through the vibrant maze of the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest covered markets, as you uncover the rich tapestry of Turkish trade, craftsmanship, and centuries-old traditions woven into every corner.
End the tour in Eminönü meydanı with a view of the distinctive Galata Tower.
Incredible tour of Istanbul today with Merve! She is so knowledgeable, passionate about Istanbul and its history , we felt she designed a perfect day to include all we wanted to see and more. Highly recommend this tour, ask for Merve to be your guide
We had such a wonderful day exploring Istanbul with Kemal. He completely customized the experience to our interests, took the time to understand what we wanted to see and learn about, and made sure we could explore everything at our own pace. Rather than following a rigid itinerary, he tailored the day around us and spent time discussing the history, culture, and topics we found most interesting. He was knowledgeable, thoughtful, flexible, and genuinely enjoyable to spend the day with. It felt like a truly personalized experience, which made our time in Istanbul that much more special. 10/10 — highly recommend Kemal to anyone visiting Istanbul!
An amazing day see some of the lesser known sights of Istanbul . Ozzy was our guide for the day and he didn’t disappoint , such a friendly helpful guy, how can anyone carry so much information in their heads , this guy is one of best guides we’ve ever had .
Great experience with Volkan.
He was super informed very entertaining and stayed with us longer than he should have. We felt he was also very patient and helped us navigate quickly through many places.
Amazing experience with Meree! She was superb in communications before the trip. Her knowledge of the history of Istanbul was impressive! She was very informative in all aspects making our tour absolutely perfect. No rushing through sites but kept a good pace. Her personal connection with Istanbul was a huge plus! If you are looking for a guide, book Meree! You will not be disappointed. You will feel like a scholar leaving her!
This was one of the best experiences ever. Our guide Merve went above and beyond. She met us on time and was polite. We didn’t feel rushed. She was very knowledgeable on the history of the Turkish empire and we could tell she enjoyed her job. She stayed with us till the end and made sure we got a ride back. I’d rate her 10/10. I would recommend her to anyone. Thanks Merve.
Ozan was a fabulous tour guide! He allowed us to customize the tour and offered suggestions on what to visit. He was very knowledgeable, kind and relaxed. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend him. We hope to visit Istanbul again in the future. Thank you Ozan!
Wonderful half day tour with Ozan of the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar. We learned a lot about the country’s history and it was a great way to get introduced to the city on our first day. Ozan also recommended a couple of great restaurants. We had the most delicious Ottoman black plum stew for lunch at Khorasani Kebab and Grill. I highly recommend Ozan as a guide if you visit Istanbul.
Excellent - Highly Recommended This was our second time using Guided Istanbul Tours. This year we booked the 2 day private tour with driver. In 2024 we did the one day highlight and loved our Guide Ozan (Ozzy). When planning this trip with my elderly parents there was no question to use them and request Ozzy. The weather the first day was rainy and cold but Ozzy allowed us to pivot and create a plan that would work for us (one of my parents use a wheelchair). We were still able to make it to most sights but he made sure we had ample time to rest and knew the best ways to navigate the city using a wheelchair. Our second day weather was better but again Ozan allowed us to tweak the plans to make sure my parents saw the highlights and made allowed us to deviate to go to several stores we had specific wants. The office staff that helped make the reservations were a delight to work with and made sure that we knew what was and wasn’t (admissions to several landmarks and the prices) included. Our driver was fabulous and went out of his way to accommodate the wheelchair user. This is a top notch company and if you can request Ozan - he will not disappoint- personable, knowledgeable and a great person.
Vulcan was a great guide knowledgeable and relaxed
Great experience and well organised
Mary was extremely knowledgeable, very accommodating ( we changed an itinerary to suit our needs better), she took us to great places for lunch, told us what to do. Walked true Great Bazar and Spice market with us. Before our trip we were not sure haw Turkish people treat Americans but we felt very safe and we will highly recommend her👍👍👍
Ozzie is such a thoughtful and dedicated tour guide. He took me to so many famous places and shared lots of interesting stories, food... with me along the way.
We just wrapped up an amazing 3 day tour of Istanbul with Merve, and honestly, she made the whole experience unforgettable. She’s super personable, easy to talk to, and knows so much about the city’s history, culture, and people. We learned so much without ever feeling like it was just a lecture. She made us feel like family. Taking the 3 day tour allowed us to see so much more than I was expecting. Basilica Cisterns were a favorite. Having the flexibility to stop and shop at our pace was a huge bonus. Merve guided us to the perfect locations for rugs and lamps. Her restaurant picks for lunch each day were perfect. Every meal was delicious and felt authentically local. If you want a guide who keeps things fun, engaging, and full of great insider tips, Merve’s your person!
Merve was a wonderful guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and catered the tour to our interests. Totally worth it!
Fantastic walking tour of old Istanbul then included many highlights and traditional Turkish food and local eating spots. Volkan was our tour guide and he an excellent historian and storyteller of all things. We highly recommend getting a private tour guide. It is completely worth the money and they will typically work on your schedule. Great value for the money
Volkan was fantastic! On time, informative and extremely helpful in connecting us to local shops and restaurants. Aside from the venues listed in the tour, He introduced us to some local experiences that we would never have known about and went out of his way to make sure that we were taken care of after the tour was done. Highly recommend him particularly!
Overall tour was informative and not physically cumbersome. Ozan was experienced and very knowledgable of all locations we visited. He knew the best photo spots and recommended clean toilets. Cistern Basilica admission was pricey, although beautiful. Ozan warned us that it would be expensive but worth it. It was a great experience for our only full day in Istanbul.
Numan Tasdogan, our guide, was professional, knowledgeable, and kind. We learned a lot about Istanbul, its rich history and culture. He tailored the tour to what we wanted to see and do.
Great in depth tour of Istanbul, old and new city. Numan Tasdogan was the perfect tour guide with his knowledge, kindness, and professionalism. We experienced so much in a half day tour. Highly recommend!
Our guide was very knowledgeable. A wonderful way to spend our first day in the city. The pace was relaxing and very comfortable. We learned a lot about the culture and history of Istanbul. Enjoyed the entire tour.
Efe was an awesome guide, tailored our tour around what we had already seen and done and helped us book into Sultanahmet Hamam after the tour.
Metal was a fantastic guide - friendly, very knowledgeable and with a great love of the history of this fantastic city. The tour was very well paced and organised. I would highly recommend their tour and our wonderful guide Meral - simply the best.
Our half-day walking tour of Istanbul with Ozzy was a great experience. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and both the Grand and Spice Bazaars. Ozzy’s knowledge of history and culture gave us some valuable insights into this fascinating city and we would highly recommend his services.
Nadir Kurt was excellent guide and also the driver.
My husband, friends & I booked Mustafa through Viator for a personal 2 day tour of Istanbul. Communication was excellent, he met us at our hotel & showed us all the sites we wanted in Istanbul. As we only had 2 days it meant we didn’t waste time working out how to get to places or navigating transport. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the city where we could. Mustafa gave us options for walking/train and options for lunch. As entry wasn’t included in the price we could choose which places we wanted to see or not see on the day. Topkapi Harem & the Bospherous cruise were highlights for me, and walking down İstiklal Street to Galata after catching the funicular. A fabulous 2 days!
Amazing ! She was very detailed on history which I love !!
This was an informative, comfortable and enjoyable experience. We are familiar with Istanbul (and one member of the party is Turkish), but were visiting with friends who were visiting for the first time, and we wanted to have a day where we were led around and things were explained (in part so that we would not have to be the tour guides the whole trip). This half day trip was a good combination of the educational, the fun and the easy since the van took us to places that would have been hard and time consuming to get to on our own. I appreciate the knowledge of our guide, Tarik, and his flexibility in shaping an itinerary that was interesting to us and did not repeat things we had already done. We also appreciated being able to change the day and time of our guide when we realized we had a scheduling conflict and the fact that they were able to pick us up and drop us off at our hotel. Whether you have an itinerary in mind or need to rely on the service to recommend what to see and do, I strongly recommend this service as an orientation to the city.
I can't say enough wonderful things about our tour guide, Volkan, today! He was so knowledgeable about the history of everything we saw today. He had the best plan for seeing Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and the hippodrome to try to avoid the crowds. We never had to wait in line with him. Having someone explain the importance of these old and historical sites was invaluable to us. He is so easy going and willing to adapt the tour to your wishes. He knew I was interested in the tile work so he took us to a pottery store where we saw a pot throwing demo and I was able to purchase some beautiful pieces. He was welcoming and personable and made the tour fun. You could tell he was experienced and loved helping his guests learn about Istanbul and its rich history. Truly outstanding tour day and worth every penny!
Kemal was a wonderful guide that gave insightful interpretation and anecdotes. He gave us great food recommendations as well!
A great way to see a few of the sights of Istanbul. Our guide Kemal was very informative and helpful. I came away with a better understanding of Istanbul.
My wife, Sister and Brother in law had a fantastic half day tour of Istanbul. Our tour guide, Mustafa was excellent. He explained in detail the history of the various landmarks and tailored our tour based on our feedback to ensure we had the best experience possible. This tour is a must, be sure to ask for Mustafa!!
It was a good and beautiful tour. The explanation was very comprehensive.
Excellent guide and experience! Ahmed answered all our questions from the very first moment, always attentive and giving great recommendations! He took us to see all the places we wanted and everything in Spanish. I would return without a doubt! Highly recommended, thank you Ahmed!
Ahmet was a very patient and empathetic person, concerned about our well-being (since there were elderly people in the group), and as for his leadership as a guide, excellent, everything very well explained and his Spanish was perfect!! 10/10
Price-wise the tour was a bit above the others and unfortunately they could not provide a German speaking tour guide and also not pick us up at the desired location. For this our guide Asuman made up for everything with her kindness and knowledge. We had an interesting and fun day at Hagia Sophia and the blue mosque. At our request we also visited a very delicious fish restaurant. Finally we visited the big bazaar and there the day ended with a traditional Turkish tea. We have received a lot of interesting information and tips for further excursions. Thank you very much and a lot of praise to Asuman.
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