Enjoy a personalized walking tour of Istanbul’s historical heart — accompanied by a licensed professional guide. by the minister of culture and tourism of Türkiye more than 15 years experience. Priority ticket access is provided by your licensed guide, allowing you to skip the ticket line.Entrance tickets are not included tour price You’ll explore iconic sites such as the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar at your own pace, with rich historical, cultural, and architectural commentary tailored just for you. Perfect for independent travelers who want a flexible, informative, and private experience in Istanbul
Out at sunset: the 2:30 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 6:08 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 13.
First of all the place that we will going to see its more than 1500 years old and its not easy to discover by yourself. Its Always busy and crowded You will skip ticket line because when you are with your official licensed guide you will always have a priority skip the ticket line you will be well informed about historical building with a 10years experience
This gorgeous building Was built between 1609-1616 by ottoman sultan we will mostly see the famous tiles on the walls and talk about magnificient history and will see how people pray inside
The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The cistern, located 150 metres (490 ft) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Today it is kept with little water, for public access inside the space.
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square.
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m2, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors.The Grand Bazaar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.
Sultanahmet Square is a historical square located in the Binbirdirek neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. During the Byzantine Empire, it was called Hippodrome in Constantinople, and during the Ottoman Empire, it was called Atmeydanı. The Roman Circus was located in the area, which is one of the most important squares of the city, and the Grand Palace was located where the Blue Mosque is today.
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I will meet you at the lobby of your hotel and we will start the tour together from there (public transportation included) Please note: This is a walking tour only — private transportation is not included.
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Istanbul Private Tour with Official Licensed Guide Fast Entry lasts about 4–6 hours. The itinerary has 7 stops.
Prices start at $113 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 every day, starting at 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 2:30 PM.
Children aged 0–6 pay from $1, adults from $113.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. I will meet you at the lobby of your hotel and we will start the tour together from there (public transportation included) Please note: This is a walking tour only — private transportation is not included. Pickup points include Harbour Suites Old City.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 9 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 51 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Book Istanbul Tour.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Very informative, very willing to wait and help with any questions, very knowledgeable about the tours, would recommend anytime
Dear Aleem, Thank yo so much for your kind review It was pleasure for me show you our beautiful city.
We had a fantastic private tour of Istanbul with our guide, Tanju, and couldn’t recommend him highly enough. From the very beginning, it was clear how knowledgeable and passionate Tanju is about Istanbul and its incredible history. He didn’t simply take us from one famous sight to another — he genuinely cared about what he was showing us, bringing the history, culture and stories of the city to life in a really engaging and personal way. We toured on a very busy Sunday, and having Tanju’s fast-track access was absolutely invaluable. The queues at some of the major attractions were extremely long, so being able to avoid much of the waiting made a huge difference and allowed us to make far better use of our time. Another highlight was being taken to some wonderful local restaurants and historic Istanbul institutions that we would almost certainly never have discovered on our own. It gave us a much more authentic feel for the city and made the whole day feel very special rather than simply a standard sightseeing tour. Tanju was knowledgeable, thoughtful, enthusiastic and excellent company throughout. His experience and local knowledge added enormously to our visit. A huge thank you to Tanju for making our time in Istanbul so memorable. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking for an exceptional private guide in Istanbul.
Hello Dear Sean, Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a real pleasure showing you around Istanbul and sharing some of my favorite places with you. I’m delighted you enjoyed the experience, and I hope to welcome you back to Istanbul again someday! Warm regards,
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about Turkey's history. Made for a wonderful activity. He knew facts and managed to keep us all interested. Time flew by without realizing.
Hello Dear Mary, Thank you so much for your kind review! It was pleasure guided your beautiful family
I spent one day in Istanbul with Tanju on a private tour and it was great. He shared “his Istanbul” with me, from Hagia Sophia and the mosques to local markets and the Taksim neighborhood, with small streets and authentic spots I would never have found on my own. He was friendly and flexible, and I really enjoyed our conversations and all the tour. I highly recommend him if you want to experience the city like a local.
Hello Dear Simon, Thank you so much for kind words it was pleasure for me
Tanju is a very knowledgeable guide, who knows all the things we wanted to know about Istanbul, and did not even have to ask. The tour was informative to say the least, he kept us moving, adjusting out itinerary to suit the goal of seeing all the sights with no lines to wait in. Was so thankful for the short or no waiting part, there where lots of people since ourctourcwas on a Friday. We had a requested traditional Turkish breakfast, not prearranged, he just listened to us and off we went. Tanju kept us smiling, even treated us to a traditional Turkish coffee at a place few foreigners get to see, let alone be served in. Thank you for making my wife's birthday so special Tanju. Book this tour, enjoy an engaging tour guide, as you are escorted thru the magical Istanbul history of so long ago.
Hello Dear Donna, It was a pleasure to show you our beautiful city;Istanbul and share its rich history and culture with you. I truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in Türkiye in the future. Safe travels!
We spent an amazing day in Istanbul with Tanju seeing Hagia Sophia, Topaki Palace, Basilia Cistern and Grand Bazzar. Tanju was incredibly knowledgeable, warm, friendly and fun. He took us to an authentic and delicious lunch (our best meal in Istanbul) and introduced our kids to Turkish Ive Crram. We loved the whole day and highly recommend
Dear Alessandra, Its great to hear that you enjoyed the tour You and your dearest family were so kind Thanks for your kind words
Tanju was recommended by a friend and he did not disappoint. We only had two days in Istanbul but felt like we were able to fit everything worth seeing and doing into our short time. Tanju was great at giving us the history of the City but as important immersed us in the culture. We would hire him for a week if we could. Definitely will recommend him to anyone traveling to this beautiful city.
Dear Carrie, Thank you so much for your kind review It was pleasure for me
I was referred to Tanju from another friend who came here. I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know who to trust here. I contacted him and he made time in my schedule the next day. He took me around the city for hours, giving great details of its incredible history. His English is amazing, he was attentive and I felt very comfortable and safe. I would recommend him to any group!
Dear Clayton, Thank you so much hope to see you again in our beautiful city
I went on this tour with Tanju and he was super knowledgeable and friendly. He communicated well and helped us find the meeting spot. We just booked a Hagia Sophia tour and it was a little bit short so if I had to do it again I would have have Tanju tour us through the Blue Mosque as well. But overall a nice visit to Hagia Sophia.
Thank you so much its great to hear that you enjoyed the tour
I went with my mom and a small group of friends on tour with Tanju. It was a wonderful experience, he knows a lot about the whole story. He took us to the best places, showed us the best views for photos and took us to eat in splendid places. My friend says, this man is an encyclopedia. Postscript: I recommend the “En Chinga Tour”! Thanks, Tanju!
¡Muchísimas gracias! Fue un placer compartir esta experiencia con ustedes. ¡Espero verlos de nuevo pronto!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Private Tour with Official Licensed Guide Fast Entry | 4–6 hours | 5.0 (51) | $113 | |
 Hagia Sophia Tour with Official Licensed Guide Fast Entry | 45 min–59 min | 5.0 (80) | $34 | View |
 Istanbul Private Tour: Fast Track Entry Ticket Local Guide | 6–10 hours | 5.0 (67) | $59 | View |
 Topkapi Palace and Harem Tour (Small Group & Fast Track Entry) | 3 hours | 4.8 (350) | $143 | View |
 Tandem Paragliding in Alanya, Antalya Turkey with a Licensed Guide | 1 hour | 5.0 (1,093) | $74 | View |
 Hagia Sophia Fast Track Entry Ticket Self Guided | 1–2 hours | 4.0 (3) | $55 | View |
 Istanbul: Guided Topkapi Palace Tour with Fast Track Entry | 2h 30min | 5.0 (5) | $91 | View |