Topkapi Palace, Harem & Basilica Cistern Guided Walking Tour

Great way to visit Topkapi, Harem and Cistern. Elif, our guide, was so knowledgeable and took us to rooms others were not aware of and less crowded. She was also patient, considerate and funny. We got through the long lines faster because of the tour. She went the extra mile to be sure we got a great visit.. Highly recommend and hope you get Elif as your guide!

Our guide was very knowledgeable and animated about history. Tolga guided us as if has done this hundreds of times.

The tour is very good. The guide gives all necessary information about the palace. The harem was included.

We really enjoyed our experience our Guide was awesome, knowledgable and fun. We had a small group so could get answers to questions easily. My husband and I then had a private tour with our guide at Basilica Cistern. It is worth it. Very well done.

Hassan was an excellent guide on a very interesting tour. He was friendly, kind, and exceedingly knowledgeable! We saw a bit more of the palace than many other tours include. The Basilica Cistern is very interesting! Hassan recommended a wonderful restaurant for our lunch afterwards and showed us how to get there and where we were going afterwards.

Our guide Bertain was very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you for an exceptional experience.

What an informative tour!! Defne has a deep knowledge of history and Turkish culture that she eagerly shared with us during the tour. She knew about many relevant pieces of history as we walked through the rooms in the harem and told us many interesting anecdotes about the lives of the sultans who lived in the palace. I did a tour last year where we spent a lot of time in the area with the kitchens and clothing and while that was also interesting, unfortunately the harem section was mostly closed for renovation, so it was a delight to be able to experience it this time with someone who was so knowledgeable! She was helpful as well getting us into the Cistern and giving us tips as we explored it on our own. Highly recommended!

Our wonderful, engaging guide gave us a very thorough walk through of the palace, harem and cistern. I'm very glad we chose this tour over the many others

Our guide was excellent. I believe her name was Ese. She was knowledgeable and very helpful. Pace was very good, not overwhelming. She answered all the questions posed. She had a very positive attitude and made the tour entertaining. Thank you.

Our guide was so friendly and knowledgeable, not just about the cisterns but about the historical context. He was thorough and gave plenty of opportunities to ask questions. He spoke excellent English and was very easy to understand. Thanks so much - your guidance really improved our experience and understanding. Kerryn and Dom

Erme was a fantastic tour guide! We have a lot of questions and he answered all of them! Expensive knowledge and enthusiasm ! Overall, an incredible way to see this historic landmark!

Excellent tour of a beautiful, not-to-be missed part of the city. Informed tourguide, would recommend booking with this agency.

The tour guide was prompt, and helpful. There were only two of us, and the guide provided a good description of the cistern, and history behind it. He was polite and friendly.

Was expecting to start at 12 and they messaged and got me in earlier . Head of the line and fewer people . It wasn’t busy at the time so it was great . Very friendly and helpful. Showed me exactly where to meet and introduced himself to me .

As a visiting American, I wanted my hand held a little for my first day out and about. It was convenient for the tour guide to handle all of the entry tickets and explain everything at these major attractions The ticket lines were quite long, but since we were with a tour we could bypass the lines (at least at the Hagia Sophia), and it was nice to just be led around Jon was a 10/10 tour guide and I really appreciated the energy, effort, and help as I fought off jet lag Would recommend for any and all

The tour was excellent. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, his English was very good, and we had a great time during this tour.

Guide was late and did not keep track of clients well. Main benefit was skipping the very long line. Company communicates on WhatsApp. If you don’t have that app or aren’t used to using it, communication is difficult. On the other hand, guide was personable and somewhat knowledgeable.

Our guide John made the cistern visit come alive with lots of interesting facts and history from the Roman’s through to the Ottomans. I don’t think if you visited by yourselves you would get to understand the history and reasons for their existence if you did not have a guided tour. It gave us lots of opportunity to ask questions.

an excellent and concise tour. my guide was well informed and friendly and hit all of the major points. the cistern was truly impressive

It was an amazing experience! The views were fantastic. Our guide, Hussain, was super knowledgeable and patient. We really enjoyed listening to him about the history and the stories behind the pillars. Highly recommend!

It’s better to have someone to show you all the highlights than to find them yourself. The audio guide will work but the guide is able to go at your pace and answer any questions you have. The guide was excellent and gave enough information to keep us engaged.

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and take the time to explain everything also helped with photos. I actually missed my appointment. Got stuck in traffic and they accommodated me with a later time last minute. super awesome thank you

We had a great tour of the Basilica Cistern with our guide, Can, who was very knowledgeable about its history. The tour was well organised and communication excellent.

We took the basilica cistern private tour and it was amazing. Fatih was a very good guide and explained everything thoroughly. He had great knowledge and catered to us perfectly. Highly recommend.

Skipping the very long lines is a real benefit. Our guide gave a interesting overview of the cistern and it's historical significance, as well as some interesting contemporary details -- like the people living above who fished through holes in their basements. The cistern itself is not big so I think the history makes this much more meaningful.

We had an amazing guide, Elif.She was very knowledgeable about the cistern in Istanbul. She was very informative and personable. The guided tour was amazing thanks to our wonderful guide, thank you I would highly recommend this tour and this guide?

Hard to know that there is so much history underground Istanbul. I was very impressed with our guide and her knowledge of the history of the cisterns.

The tour was fantastic and our guide, Sarah, was terrific! She was very knowledgeable and pleasant. Thank you!…and thanks again for assigning Sarah!

Seeing the cisterns was an experience that was interesting and informative. It was lovely especially with the changing light display.

Fantastic guide! Wonderful experience. Some srt is (tastefully) mixed in with the columns and makes for a unique additional experience.

Our tour guide was very friendly. This was my second time in the Basilica, I was dissapointed about the the new modern statues placed in the basilica, it does not look good. I loved the fact that we were a very small group.

This tour was amazing. Elif was an exceptional guide, nothing was missing : social time, professional explanations including historical, technical and mythological approaches. Finally, big thank you for your kindness. No doubt, a must to visit.

Awesome trip undetground with a passinate guide and sweet helpful guide med Elif. She did everything in her power to make the trip every penny and more count. Than you so much for cleverness, sweetness and will to make a perfect trip for us

That was amazing tour and the tour guide is so nice , her name is ELIF, such a nice person , next time I’m definitely going to find her as well

Our guide Elif was prompt, very accommodating and knowledgeable. She was really nice to the kids too. Most imlortantly, she was great at taking photos!

Tour guide, Ms Elif, is friendly and good. She give good guide on the history on the architecture. There is also photo to better improve the visualising.

What a great experience with Elif ! She was very patient, very kind and gave us many very interesting informations about the Basilic Cistern, its history, specificities, hidden places and sculptures. She also took pictures of us, thanks again ! We could discuss about history and other things, it was such a good moment for us ! Tessekur ederim !!!

Wow, what an experience?! An amazing location, with its story brought to life by the wonderful Ms Elif, our engaging and knowledgeable guide! Even the same photos look different under the changing colour lights - 10 / 10, Fantastic!

Great communication as to where to meet. Detailed tour. I recommended booking ahead as we were able to skip the long lines with our guide

Upon booking we had a quick confirmation with clear instructions by text. Our guide Elif was punctual and very knowledgeable and helpful too! Everything was smooth and hassle free!

Elif was professional, knowledgeable, and very personable. She answered every question asked. She made sure we hit ever open exhibit and even sent me video tours after the fact for parts that were closed. I appreciated her enthusiasm as well as her kindness. She made a point to ask if I needed a rest, WC, or water. All in all a great experience of touring the Palace.

I had an amazing experience with Elif. Her extensive knowledge about the history and culture of the place I visited was truly impressive. She went above and beyond to make our tour enjoyable and memorable. She also took time to answer my questions. Also she ensuring that we gained a deeper understanding of the sites. I highly recommend Elif for her professionalism, expertise, and passion for her work. Thank you for a fantastic experience!

The tour was fun, the tour guide managed to explain everything perfectly and making the tour fun and exciting! Plus point the tour guide take a good photos as well

The guide Elif was very informative about the history of the cistern. I would recommend getting a guide if your not well informed about the history about the place.

Elfy is nice and informative, polite. Also take care directions afterwards. Very punctual. Would recommend. Very clear information of meeting point.

Our young guide told us so many interesting things about that impressive Basilica Cistern. This visit was one of the best things we have ever done and we will never forget it. The woman who guided us knew so many interesting things and also told us the important stories and we also laughed together a lot.

It’s a wonderful experience, the tour guide lady is very kind and professional.she explained the Basilica Cistern history in detail. I’ll recommend her to anyone.

Amazing Day tour of Bascilla Cistern and Hippodrome. Elif was our guide..she was extremely well informed and warm. Strongly Recommend for all tourists.

The tour was absolutely fantastic. Burak and Elif depth of knowledge on so many subjects are astounding. They are experts and offered us enlightening information about the historical site. Thank you for your time, effort and enthusiasm in guiding us through the incredible tour