Explore the top attractions in Sultanahmet (the old city) on a full-day tour with a knowledgeable guide.
Take in UNESCO World Heritage sites and famous monuments in Istanbul including the stunning Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Hippodrome.
Then follow your guide through the Grand Bazaar, browsing the shops of hundreds of vendors with an array of textiles, jewelry, perfumes, spices and more. Your guide shares the long history of Istanbul with your small group, which is limited to 12 participants to ensure a more intimate experience.
Tour Options
Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour
Pickup included
Itinerary
60 min
We will begin your tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, the church is one of the marvels of world architecture. Converted into a mosque in 1453, it is now a museum. Its massive dome still dominates the skyline of old Istanbul. It is also famed for its mosaics, including glittering portraits of emperors and empresses and a poignant Virgin and Child.
45 min
Next, we visit the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand.
45 min
The Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. Of these, an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi survive.
60 min
The Grand Bazaar was the commercial heart of the old city and its 4,000 shops are full of treasures including carpets and kilims, silks, jewelry, ceramics, icons, and leather goods. Wandering through the Grand Bazaar, indulge in some shopping, Ottoman style.
Admission not included90 min
In the afternoon we continue our tour at Topkapi Palace, which, from the 15th to the 19th century, was the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd largest in the world. It also possesses numerous Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably including one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics, many of which were gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change color in the presence of poison. We also visit the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest feature of Topkapi Palace are its courtyards with their ancient trees; it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire.
Admission not included60 min
There are hundreds of ancient cisterns hidden underneath the streets and houses of Istanbul. Of the two that are open to the public, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is the largest and Istanbul’s most unusual tourist attraction.
Contrary to James Bond, who had to row his way through Istanbul underground cistern in From Russia with Love, you can take a stroll in the forest of hundreds of marble columns and enjoy the subterranean cool on a hot summer day.
Highlights
Pick up and Drop off from the hotels
English speaking tour guide
What's included
Included
Pick up and Drop off from the hotels
English speaking tour guide
Not included
Personal expenses
Entrance fees
Lunch
Pickup Locations & Times
Our guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and then our tour will start in the streets of Istanbul that smells of history.
Traveller Ratings
5.0
22 reviews
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21
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Important Information
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Frequently asked questions
How long does Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour take?
Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour lasts about 5–7 hours. The itinerary has 6 stops.
How much does Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour cost?
Prices start at $83 per person for this Istanbul experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Can I cancel Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Our guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and then our tour will start in the streets of Istanbul that smells of history. Pickup points include CONTACT_SUPPLIER_LATER, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyEImGbFa+5CBKbpmTZC40Eg=, LOC-6eKJ+or5y8o99Qw0C8xWyFumi+9arnlDHac1ZDI6cR0=.
What languages is Full-Day Istanbul Old City Walking Tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 12 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Specialized infant seats are available
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews(22)
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catherinebN9706QQ
September 7, 2025
11 day Turkey Insiders tour (organised by Tugce)
We did an amazing 11 day Turkey Highlights tour with Turkey Insiders - covering Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pamukkale, Ephesus, and Cappadocia. 🤩 Really well organised by Tugce, with local expert guides in each location. A few times it was just us for a private tour! The guides helped us with everything and skipped the queues (avoiding hours of waiting at some of the sights) and gave us so much useful information. Accomodation was excellent (we had the top package) and logistics was seamless. Tugce gave us some great advice and we went to places we would never have known about. Very highly recommend Tugce and Turkey Insiders!
1 people found this helpful
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Denise J
July 29, 2025
Fantastic experience
I went to Turkey with a friend of mine for a special birthday. Our coordinator, Tugce, put together an extremely well organized tour for several locations throughout Turkey. This included Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia. It involved all hotels, pickups, tours, and domestic flights. Extremely smooth logistics. All guides were outstanding with 6 years of study and a license and attended to our every comfort. The cars were large and comfortable. Our guides that each deserve a special thank you are as follows.
Sercan - Istanbul guide
Ismail - Pamulkkale guide
Onur - driver
Jihan - driver for flight pickup, Ephesus and flight drop off to Cappadoccia
Yasin - Ephesus
Ibrahim - Cappadoccia guide
Ahmet - Cappadoccia guide
Tiny Ay our guide to seeing the air ballons
Alaattin - Kusadasi driver
1 people found this helpful
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Elaine B
June 9, 2025
Outstanding experience
I just finished a tour of Turkey, arranged through this organization. It was a fantastic experience, start to finish. I worked with Tugce Tavukcuaglu, who was extremely well organized and did a great job of putting together an itinerary that suited my needs. All of the local vendors she used were very punctual and reliable. They arrived on time to pick me up and did a great job giving me a comprehensive tour.
I really liked the fact that Tugce reached out to me every day during the tour to give me the name and photo of my local contact for the following day as well as the pick up times. She was always available in the event of a problem.
I highly recommend this organization if you wish to visit the country, but don’t want to be on an organized tour for the entire duration. In my case, some of the tours were private and some were small group tours – around 8 to 10 people on average.
2 people found this helpful
6
691dhanyah
January 12, 2025
Turkey trip
We had the most AMAZING walking tour of old Istanbul with our terrific guide Aliye! She is such a knowledgeable and wonderful person.
The guide in Ephesus Mr. Hussein was terrific. The guide in Pammukale Mr.Eren was awesome!
And Tugce was wonderful to work with in regards to all the travel and accommodations.
Hats off to everyone at Turkey Insiders👏👏.
1 people found this helpful
C
ChoonHuatT1
October 2, 2024
Excellent tour with Turkey Insiders. Tugce is a top notch reliable agent
We engaged Tugce of Turkey Insiders for tours in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Highlights: we toured Istanbul old city, took the Bosphorus cruise, Visited Fener and Barat as well as riding on Golden Horn ferry. In Cappadocia, we visited open air museum, underground city etc. it was a very interesting fun filled week. The tour was well organised and Tugce arranged experience guides who gave us great tours. She was very responsive to our requests and we are extremely happy with the tours. We highly recommend Turkey Insiders and Tugce if you are planning to see Türkiye.
1 people found this helpful
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djX3955HX
August 8, 2024
Definitely Worth It
The tour guide was very nice and spoke good English. He was very knowledgeable and patiently answered all our questions. He also gave us tips on the most affordable places!
2 people found this helpful
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williameS5916EK
May 9, 2024
I will go back to Istanbul
Very good walking tour that includes major destinations. You immerse in their history and experience the beautiful culture of Istanbul and its people.
J
Jet65684205735
April 16, 2024
Memorable Türkiye!
Well organised tour. We had a very good and knowledgeable guide who not only gave us an interesting account of Türkiye’s history and culture but had great recommendations on where to get the best Turkish food.
Zerrin from Turkey Insiders was consistently updating us on the tour logistics and was responsive and supportive throughout our time in Turkey 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
3 people found this helpful
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Q8656WVrolandl
January 4, 2024
A comprehensive Turkiye experience
Turkey Insiders is an excellent travel agency, and their representative Tugce went out of her way to ensure that I had an unforgettable experience. Tugce responded quickly to any query that I had, and is an enthusiastic and dedicated professional.
4 people found this helpful
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samanthamE5481MP
January 4, 2024
great tour by a great guide!
Fabulous day with Sercan. He was informative, easy to be with and very knowledgable. We had 4 in the group and would highly recommend this private tour to get around quicker.
