Carpets, Rugs and Kilims bazaar, Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Bazaar

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Vezir Han – Old Carpets, Kilims & Rugs han, one of the hidden gems of the Old City. Visit a Historic Caravanserai Step inside one of Istanbul’s hidden caravanserais, once a resting place for Silk Road merchants. Explore its courtyards and arches while learning about its history and the art traditions it preserved. This historic han dates back to the 17th century, built during the Ottoman period as a commercial center where merchants stayed, stored goods, and traded valuable items like silk, spices, and carpets. Today, it remains a living piece of history and one of the best places to see authentic antique carpets and kilims. Carpets in this region are much more than decoration—they are storytellers. Traditionally, carpets were woven by hand, often by women, and each piece reflects the weaver’s life, emotions, beliefs, and hopes.Vezirhan offers an exquisite collection of handwoven carpets and a remarkable variety of patterns and origins. Discover a treasure that art meets heritage.

   1.2 hAdmission included

2. Grand Bazaar - Having its own executive board, 15th century Grand Bazaar offers you a whole different world experience with its more than 4000 thousand shops inside. With many gates and side ones are welcoming you to its own wonderland. Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. Its history goes back to the 15th century, shortly after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. What began as a small trading area for valuable goods like silk and jewelry eventually grew into a massive complex with thousands of shops and dozens of streets. Bazaar is not just a market—it is the heart of commerce in the Ottoman Empire. Merchants were organized by trade, so each street had a specialty; gold, carpets, leather, ceramics, spices and more. Notice the arched ceilings, domes, and decorative details, which helps protect traders and customers from heat, rain, and fire. The bazaar also had its own rules, security, and closing hours—like a small city inside the city.

   1.2 hAdmission included

3. Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Bazaar) - we arrive at the Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar. This market was built in the 17th century and became the center of the spice trade in Istanbul. Its name comes from the fact that many spices and goods arrived through Egypt, which was an important province of the Ottoman Empire. The moment you enter, you’ll notice the rich aromas—cinnamon, cumin, saffron, sumac, dried fruits, nuts, and herbs. Spices were once extremely valuable, used not only for flavor but also for medicine, preservation, and perfumes. Beyond spices, the bazaar is famous for Turkish delight, teas, dried fruits, honey, and natural products. Many shops here are family-run and have been operating for generations, preserving traditional recipes and knowledge. This bazaar is smaller and more focused than the Grand Bazaar, making it easier to explore. It reflects a different side of Istanbul—more sensory, colorful, and aromatic—where food culture and daily life come together

   25 minAdmission included

4. Eminönü Çarşısı, Stroll through the vibrant backstreets of Eminönü, a hidden world of textile shops, traditional kitchenware, copper items where locals do shopping. Discover where locals get their needs away from the tourist crowds. Try a turkish coffee at backyard of a very famous coffee shop

   20 minAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 11 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Istanbul

• Its from-price is 58% below the median of the 3649 experiences we list in Istanbul.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 948 of 3649.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Istanbul

Istanbul straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus, with Byzantine and Ottoman monuments, busy bazaars and ferries crossing between continents.

The historic peninsula holds the greatest landmarks. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome face each other in Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern lies beneath the streets, and Topkapı Palace spreads across the hill above the Golden Horn. A short walk away, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar have traded for centuries, and Süleymaniye Mosque, built by the great Ottoman architect Sinan, crowns one of the city's seven hills.

Top-ranked sights in Istanbul: Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi), Bosphorus, Bosphorus Bridge (Bogazici Koprusu).

See all 3649 experiences in Istanbul