Istanbul Private Old Town and Shopping Tour in Grand Bazaar
Description
Do you want to have a Private Tour for the History and Legends of Istanbul and have the chance to have a Personal Shopper in the Grand Bazaar? Instead of being only a guide to tell stories I am looking forward to add personal interactions to the tour and curate routes for your needs in the Grand Bazaar (only if you want to shop) In this tour everything is adjustable, we can add or remove the stops as you like. We will learn the unknown details hidden behind the walls: - Why only one Angel’s face is open but three other Angel’s faces are covered in Hagia Sophia? - Who was Istanbul’s secret Viking visitor and what did he leave as a note to us? - What is behind the walls of the Hippodrome? - Which door was made of Noah’s Ark? - Why there are more than 30.000 dead bodies under the main square of the city? - Which minaret was made of jewelry? All these questions and even more will be answered and covered with great storytelling.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This amazing park with full of roses and tulips was once the backyard of Ottomans, here we can take lovely pictures and breathe the atmosphere of a royal family garden.
Hagia Sophia is the most remarkable historical site of the city. There are too many legends to talk about here, I will tell you the brief story of the temple and then go into details, one by one. The entrance of the place is 25 Euros and is not included in the price of the tour. If you want to go, you have to let me know beforehand so I can get the tickets in advance to avoid the lines. Then you will pay me the ticket prices in cash when we meet.
This square was the main square of two big Empires, Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire and it still has the significant importance. I will tell you the whole story of it starting from Constantine the Great to nowadays. We will go on a terrace for taking pictures and talking generally about the whole history of the area.
We will go into the Blue Mosque to envy the amazing tiles of the place and talk about the history of it.
We will be standing on the site of historical hipodrome and I will show you the remaining of the hipodome. Plus, there are going to be some interesting stories that I will be telling about whatever has happened on the area.
See the amazing underground water storage a.k.a Basilica Cistern, where you will feel like being in an underground palace. This place hides lots of beauties and sculptures with hidden stories behind that you will unveil with us! The tickets for this venue is 35 Euros, so please let me know beforehand so that we can purchase together as its not included in the price
The Avenue of Constantine the Great, we will learn why there is a column and what happened to the statue on it.
4.000 store marketplace. Almost 600 years old history. One of the most remarkable places in Istanbul. Here, you have a choice. If you were already planning to come to Grand Bazaar for shopping anyways, as I am an expert guide on the bazaar (You can see I have another tour just focusing on Shopping in Grand Bazaar), I will help you with your shopping and once your shopping is done we will end the tour here. In my expertise, the shortest shopping takes 2 hours. If you are not interested in shopping, then we will go on with the other places that are after here. However, in case you want to do shopping, you have to let me know beforehand so I can curate a personalized route for you in the bazaar. Of course, I will recommend you amazing stores with great quality and help you bargain. (Most of the guides do not bargain, just leave you at random stores and wait outside, I act more like a personal shopper.)
In case you decide to not do shopping and go on with the other places to see, we will see one of the main squares of the Roman Empire and where Istanbul University is located now. We will be talking about the history around here and we will see so many cats on the venue.
The Balcony of Istanbul. One of the most important and best viewed Imperial Mosques of Istanbul. We will finish our tour while resting with the beautiful view here. Again, we will only come here if you want to not do shopping in the bazaar.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(3)
It was a very nice tour, Gökay was the best guide we had in Istanbul, we learned a lot, he is very passionate about history and super knowledgeable
Had the best tours with Gokay! The first day, he took me to the bazaar for a private tour. I enjoyed it so much, that I booked another tour with him with my husband. We moved at the pace we wanted, utilized public transportation to get around the city quickly, he picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel. We picked out where we wanted to go and he planned the day. Great food and shopping. Definitely would book with him again. Very knowledgeable, punctual, and polite.
Gokay is a particularly fine guide who not only has excellent command of the English language but also has a wealth of historical knowledge. I love history myself and this tour went way beyond my expectations in terms of information, stories and his answers to my many questions. Because it was a private tour we also adjusted a bit at my request because I also wanted to look inside the Hagia Sophia, Extensive shopping is not spent on me so we therefore kept the time in the Grand Bazar a little shorter. Making the appointment yourself, on the recommendation of an acquaintance, went very smoothly and smoothly via Whatsapp. Clear time and an unmissable meeting point guaranteed a smooth start to the day. Definitely recommended this tour and guide.
