"If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul"-Alphonse de Lamartine. Many come and visit Istanbul, and many eyes have tasted the beauty of Istanbul. Now it is your turn to welcome this city within the gaze of an Art Historian with lots of tales, facts, humor, and photos to keep with you forever until you come next time to this city, Istanbul. Experience Istanbul with a local and history buff Art Historian guide. Even if you have only 1 day to explore this city your guide will be there to help you encounter history, lots of laughs, many photos, traditions, and of course the Legendary Istanbul. Stated as 4 hours we will definitely won't waste your time and will never push you into buying or looking at a Leather Jacket or Carpet. Throughout the tour, you will be guided by only 1 local Art Historian guide Yunus.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 11.
Blue Mosque/ Sultanahmet Mosque: Although known by many as Blue Mosque it is the mosque of Sultan Ahmet who gave the name to the famous square of Istanbul' Old Town 'Sultanahmet Square' Did you know that the blue tiles inside the mosque are called Turkuaz(turquoise) Color created by the Turkish People themselves?
-Hippodrome is the Arena with all the monuments located from the Tombstone of Ancient Pharaoh to the Symbole of Brotherhood Serpent Column.
The Tombstone of Ancient Pharaoh stole goods or gifts from the Eygpt to Romans.
Carried all the way on trains gifted from the Prince of Germany to his old fellow friend Sultan of Ottoman Empire the Fount "German Fountain"
Symbole of Brotherhood between Greek Colonies The Serpent Column
Once upon a time known by the people of Kostantinopolis as the "Golden Column" but only until the invasion of Latins...now just any other Walled Column.
One of the most brilliant women in history. The tale of concubine to Empress of the Ottoman Empire.
Center of Known world
For the Turkish People, it was an Underground Palace but for the Roman Emperors, it was the water resource.
Hagia Sophia/ Santa Sophia: The head temple and maybe one of the most welcoming ones that continues to appeal to Christians and Muslims at the same time. However is Sophia only a girl's name? Duration - Not interior visit-
Topkapı Palace( Only First Courtyard entry ): Istanbul had more than 20 times attempts to be conquered by many but the Ottoman Empire Sultan Mehmet was the only one to achieve it. Topkapı Palace is the art of the only conqueror of Istanbul. It is the Palace of Victory that has seen many celebrations of the Ottoman Empire
Suleymaniye Mosque& Panoramic View of Istanbul: Walking around the once Highest education given in the Ottoman Empire welcome to the district of Suleymaniye. It is the epic mosque indeed proper to Sultan Suleyman The Magnificent. Also built by the Epic architect Sinan. This is a mosque, a combination of the Legends of the Ottoman Empire.
Welcome to one culture that stays even for Modern Days... Bazaar culture of Istanbul. Once you go inside the entrance like a fortress you will join another world and of course, we are not talking about Matrix. Or do we? Blue or red...
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Half Day Istanbul Highlights Tour By Art Historian lasts about 4 hours. The itinerary has 13 stops.
Prices start at $57 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.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 10:00 AM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Inside Sultanahmet Square the column in the middle. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 20 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 8 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Fenerwalks.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
The Half Day Istanbul Highlights Tour with our guide Yunus offers a rich exploration of key landmarks like Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Yunus, an expert art historian, provides fascinating insights, making the tour perfect for those seeking a brief yet enriching cultural experience.
We met Yunus at 10 AM for a tour and he is very personable. He has a lot of knowledge about history and was able to answer the questions that we had. He is definitely passionate about what he does. I’m very friendly. His English is superb and we highly recommend him to anyone.
Amazing tour! Yunus is so cool and knowledgeable- had a great time learning and being awed by the history here. Thank you! 🪽🤸🫶
Yunus was outstanding!!! He was beyond kind and professional. His communication was outstanding and we did all of the things we wanted to do and then some! He took us to the most beautiful places and knew exactly where to go and how to explain things in a simple way so we understood all that we were seeing and the history, etc. Highly recommend!!!
That was a lovely day with guide Younes , he is very knowledgeable and he knows what he does , passionate man , like this young guy.
We had this tour on our first full day and we're so glad we did. Our guide, Yunus, was very relaxed and ensured we had enough time at each stop to really get what we wanted. We didn't feel rushed at all. He is very knowledgeable and puts information across in a relaxed way so you get the feel for how each stop fits into the fascinating history of this part of the world.
Yunus was the best guide I could have asked for! His historical facts were intriguing throughout the day and kept me engaged the entire time. I truly lucked out with finding him as my guide. A local to the area so he knows all the ins and outs of the region. He was great with answering any questions and always made sure I had enough time at each location. Couldn’t recommend him enough!!
I've been to many other cities but first time for city Istanbul. Yunus our guide helped me a lot to understand this city. He had a such unique way of telling about the history, maybe it was because he was historian himself. I found myself wishing the tour to be longer. He made history into reality and this is said by someone who literally hates history. Professional way of organizing the tour lead by our funny story teller guide. Thank you Yunus for such an amazing tour
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Day Istanbul Highlights Tour By Art Historian | 4 hours | 4.9 (8) | $57 | |
 Istanbul Fener Balat Walking Tour by Art Historian | 3 hours | 5.0 (1) | $17 | View |
 Istanbul Private Old Town Tour By Art Historian | 5 hours | — | $206 | View |
 Byzantine and Ottoman Wonders Half Day Old City Highlights Walk | 4 hours | — | $200 | View |
 Half day Fener-Balat Walking Tour in Istanbul | 3 hours | 5.0 (392) | $19 | View |
 Morning Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar | 4 hours | 4.3 (103) | $144 | View |
 Professional Historian Tour Guide Private Service | 8 hours | 5.0 (27) | $148 | View |