Private Istanbul Layover Tour

An amazing visit to Istanbul! We were picked up as planned from the airport and swiftly transported into the city. There we met up with our guide Yassim. He was fruendly and incredibly knowledgeable about the history and culture of Istanbul. We visited the Blue Mosque (outside only (because a Friday), walked extensively through the Hagia Sophia. We also visited the Basilica Cistern - an incredible place! And the Grand Bazar—good shopping. It was great to visit during “off season” with very short lines and very few people. We were amazed by how much we could do i only a few hours! We git back to the airport seven hours after we arrived but really a lifetime of learning in between! We also acquired an incredible respect for Turkish culture.

Ozge Dag was a great tour guide, who listened and facilitated our request to see 3 sites in 6-7 hours. She wslked us through small streets and back alleys to experience the real less touristy Istanbul. She was friendly and very efficient with good command of English

My guide was personable and spoke perfect English. She shared interesting info about the different amazing sites. I came to take photos but was prevented due to the torential rain. I ended up cutting it short because I was soaking wet and could not get my camera wet. I do understand that the weather is not something you can control

We had a 12-hour layover in Istanbul and wanted to make the most of it. After some research, we found Real Istanbul Tours, and everything exceeded our expectations. Yunus was incredibly helpful beforehand, answering all our questions and organizing every detail perfectly. We were picked up on time by a friendly driver, who showed us some highlights along the way. In the Old Town, we met our guide, Muhammed, who made the day unforgettable. Muhammed showed us all the key sights, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice Bazaar. He shared fascinating stories and made the tour enjoyable and entertaining. What made the experience even better was Muhammed’s flexibility. He tailored the tour to our wishes, showed us hidden gems, and introduced us to amazing local food like Turkish coffee, tea, Lokum, Baklava, and the best Döner I’ve ever had. After a wonderful day, we were safely brought back to the airport on time. A huge thank you to Yunus, Muhammed, and the entire team for this unforgettable experience. I highly recommend Real Istanbul Tours and would book with them again anytime!

Awesome private walking tour around Istanbul with transport to and from the airport! Itinerary is up to you and we chose to go to the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, and eat some local food in the market (borek and doner). The day was so much fun and our guide Mohammed was so great. We felt completely comfortable walking around the city. Excellent way to spend a long layover. Would highly recommend!

Ozge was very knowledgeable and showed us many interesting local sites. I highly recommend this tour to anyone with a long layover.

Yasin Topcu was a amazing guide. I had a early layover of 6am. The private van picked me up promptly at 7am at the airport. Then went to city center~45 travel. Yasin was waiting for me and immediately started the tour. I was a solo traveller and wanted so see all that I can. Yasin did not skip a beat. We walked around for 5 hours seeing all the sights I wanted and guiding me to the best parts. I am a foodie so he showed me all the good Turkish food. Best Doner Kabobs I ever had!

Amazing way to spend a long layover! Tailored to see what we wanted to see, and extra touches to give it a chance in a lifetime feeling. We highly recommend this tour group for personal service from the time you step out of the airport until they return you for your flight. Truly worth it!

Excellent, friendly, professional tour guides! This is my second time using this company and I will definitely use them again. I’ve been very impressed with the quality of service and the reasonable price compared to other companies. Both times they were very helpful in working with me to adjust the tour according to what I wanted to see and do. Keep up the great work!

We had layover in Istanbul for a few hours and we knew that it won’t be enough for such large and interesting city. But still we decided to use this opportunely and booked Istanbul Layover tour in advance. And we absolutely had no regret. Our travel guide was exceptional. Iskander is a very knowledgeable, polite guide with perfect English. He made our three hours in Istanbul as unforgettable pleasure. We just had enough time to visit Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet Square and Grand Bazaar. We also spare some time to treat yourself with incredible Turkish coffee, tea and fantastic BAKLAVA. Iskander, thank you very much for your memorable tour!