Istanbul - Old City Tour
- 6–8 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Private tour
Highlights
Welcome to Grand Tour Istanbul. We offer private, customized day tours around one of the most interesting and historically important cities in the world. By far the best way to see Istanbul is with your own private tour. You'll get an itinerary customized to what you want to see and do but with the flexibility to change it as you go, on the fly! Your guide will be focused one hundred percent on what you want to see and do. Stop for lunch anytime or eat on the run. Linger for an entire afternoon in Topkapi Palace or just see the highlights. Want to see as much as you can in a limited time? Your guide will structure your itinerary to reduce travel time between sites. Whatever you want to do and however you want to do it, your guide will advise and assist in making your stay as fun and fulfilling as possible.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private tour guide service.
What's not
- Food and drink
- Museum / attraction entrance fees
Itinerary
Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856) of their 624-year reign. As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a major tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed’s cloak and sword.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques it also contains the tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, then a museum, and once again a mosque in Istanbul. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453 it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern is located 150 meters southwest of the Hagia Sophia. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
The Hippodrome was a Roman Circus and was the site of chariot and horse races as well as being an important sporting and social center in Constantinople
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 518
- 40
- 30
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- 10
Ratings come from 18 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
- Meeting point
- Outside Hagia Sophia Mosque. Can also meet customers at Galataport, Sarayburnu port, customer's hotel or at the front of another nominated site or museum.
- Pickup
- Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Grand Tour Istanbul
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Istanbul
- Its from-price is 68% above the median of the 3649 experiences we list in Istanbul.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 766 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).
Special offers in Istanbul
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
