Private Old City Guided Tour
Description
This private guided tour aims to give you most important information about history of those beautiful monuments such as Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and Hippodrome so what actually makes special about these places are the history behind of them and that is where the guide will be giving you all details about history and what happened in back of time until present day. The professional tour guide will ccompany you which will make things easier and comfortable in most of the touristic places, museums and palaces the tour guides have the priority can skip the lines. The best part is the tour is customizable for so you can add new places you would like to see or remove the places you don’t want to see.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya, Santa Sofia) Built in 6th century by Emperor Justinian. It plays a very important role in Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many mosaics were covered to convert church into a mosque.
Blue Mosque: Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire. Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture, with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale. Very intresting fact that locals never calls Blue Mosque, we as locals call it Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Camii). There is a lot of intresting information that i would be sharing with you about this beautiful mosque.
There is a very mysterious place in Sultanahmet, the heart of Istanbul: Basilica Cistern. The Cistern was also used as a venue in many movies and series. Did you watch Inferno, the movie starring Tom Hanks? It was shot in 2016, adopted by Dan Brown’s book. One of the main venues of that movie was Basilica. Basilica Cistern İstanbul or Basilica Palace is one of the most important structures in the history of Istanbul. The features of the columns inside, and the Medusa head, which is especially inverted, attract a lot of attention. There was a basilica where this cistern was built. For this reason, the cistern is called the Cisterna Basilica. Would you like to have some more detailed information about this place, please book our private guided tour to join me to discover... Remember Private guide can skip the lines, handdle your tickets and make your limited time worthile.
Byzantine Hippodrome / Sultanahmet Square; where chariot races were held back in Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire era. German Fountain
Grand Bazaar is a place that keeps lots of vanishing professions alive with their unique culture. It is the world’s oldest, the biggest bazaar where the most variable products are exhibited. The bazaar includes more than 3 thousand shops and it is visited by approximately 400 thousand people. During the Ottoman Empire era, jewelry and precious hand-woven textiles were gathered in Grand Bazaar from all over the country to be sold, and it is a shopping paradise for the ones who especially appreciate traditional textiles and authentic jewelry.
Topkapi Palace is one of the world’s largest surviving palaces and was built between 1460 and 1478 under the orders of Sultan Mehmed II a few years after he conquered Constantinople. The palace served as the home of the Ottoman Sultans for almost four centuries. It was also the state’s administrative and educational headquarters. The Topkapi Palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. Female members of the Sultan's family lived in the harem, and leading state officials, including the Grand Vizier, held meetings in the Imperial Council building. The Topkapi Palace is huge place and it needs few hours to discover it. İts just like small village and there are alot of stories and intrigues to tell :) We private tour guides have priority to skip the lonq lines at the museums and Topkapi Palace is museum as well.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The personal private guide meet you at your desired adress... can be your hotel lobby or any place you want be meet up. Please be informed that the private vehicle will be used, if need be. Meet up can be your hotel lobby.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(178)
Every aspect of this tour was great. Aydin was very professional. Met us at our hotel at the appointed time. His knowledge of the sites we visited was amazing. We soaked up a lot of history about the Romans, old Constantinople, the Ottomans and the Byzantine church. But is was Aydin’s warm personality that made it feel like we were simply on a walk with an old friend catching up after a long time a part. Definitely recommend this tour. It will be one of the highlights of our visit.
Our guide - Mostafa - was fantastic. Knowledgeable, funny, friendly, and very caring. He took us around to a lot of sights in Istanbul's old town. Very exciting - and a bit strenuous due to the high heat. But Mostafa did everything he could to make the trip as pleasant as possible.
Thank you very much
Awesome tour with our guide Ayden. Could not ask for better and we’ll do again in our near trip through Istanbul. Highly recommend.
Everything was well organized. Great communication before, during and after. Aydin was so so lovely , full of information and so flexible: I would highly recommend him and the company
Exploring Istanbul with Ayden was the absolute highlight of our trip. Navigating a city with such dense history and culture can be overwhelming, but Ayden made the experience smooth, deeply informative, and completely unforgettable. We honestly couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Ayden brought every landmark to life with incredible detail and rich storytelling. Standing in the Blue Mosque, he gave us a fascinating look into its intricate tilework and architectural history. Down in the Basilica Cistern, his explanations of the ancient engineering and mysterious Medusa heads added a magical layer to the atmosphere. He expertly guided us through the Sultanahmet Square, detailing the history behind both the German Fountain and the Egyptian Obelisk with ease and enthusiasm. When it came to navigating the bustling Bazaar, Ayden helped us absorb the vibrant energy without feeling lost or rushed. To top it all off, he pointed us to a fantastic local restaurant for lunch that served some of the best, most authentic Turkish cuisine we had during our entire stay. Ayden’s warm hospitality, deep knowledge, and passion for his city made all the difference. We walked away with a far richer appreciation for Istanbul than we ever could have gained on our own. We are immensely grateful for his guidance and cannot recommend booking a tour with him highly enough!
We had an outstanding experience from start to finish. The communication was quick, professional, and very helpful before our trip. Our airport transfer was punctual, the VIP vehicle was spotless and comfortable, and the driver was courteous and drove very safely. The private tour was the highlight of our visit to Istanbul. *Mustafa* was an exceptional licensed tour guide—knowledgeable, friendly, patient, and spoke excellent English. He brought Istanbul's fascinating history and culture to life while showing us the city's main attractions at a relaxed and enjoyable pace. Everything was perfectly organized, and we never felt rushed. We highly recommend this company to anyone looking for reliable airport transfers, private tours, and exceptional customer service in Istanbul. Thank you, especially Mustafa, for making our trip truly unforgettable. We will definitely use your services again on our next visit!
We had an outstanding experience from start to finish. The communication was quick, professional, and very helpful before our trip. Our airport transfer was punctual, the VIP vehicle was spotless and comfortable, and the driver was courteous and safe. The private tour was the highlight of our visit to Istanbul. Our licensed guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and spoke excellent English. We learned so much about the city's history and culture while visiting the main attractions at a relaxed pace. Everything was perfectly organized, and we never felt rushed. We highly recommend this company for anyone looking for reliable airport transfers, private tours, and exceptional customer service in Istanbul. Thank you for making our trip unforgettable—we will definitely use your services again!
We had an amazing tour guide who was attentive, experienced, and incredibly kind. He made us feel welcome throughout the entire tour, shared fascinating information, answered all our questions with patience, and ensured everyone had a wonderful experience. His professionalism and friendly attitude made our visit truly memorable. We highly recommend him to anyone visiting Istanbul!
It started off good but the guide was a bit hard to understand. We all had lunch and he didn’t even offer to pay for his. At the end, he took us for a sales pitch for a rug company. When we told the rug guy we weren’t interested, he was kind of rude. Feel a bit taken advantage of.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that some parts of the tour did not meet your expectations. Our licensed tour guides are experienced professionals who speak English and always strive to provide a friendly, informative, and enjoyable experience for our guests. Before reaching the Grand Bazaar, it is common for guides to briefly stop at a few traditional workshops where local artisans introduce Turkish handicrafts. These visits are intended to showcase an important part of our culture and heritage. There is never any obligation to purchase anything, and a simple "No, thank you" is always perfectly acceptable. That said, we are genuinely sorry that you felt uncomfortable during this part of the tour. Making our guests feel relaxed and respected is very important to us, and we appreciate you sharing your perspective. Thank you once again for your feedback. We wish you all the best and hope you otherwise enjoyed your time discovering the beauty and history of Istanbul. Kind regards, Aydın Manager
We had an absolutely fantastic day in Istanbul with Private Istanbul Tours & Airport Transfers. From the moment we booked, the communication from the tour operator was excellent. They were responsive, helpful, and made everything very straightforward. Our guide, Aydın, was outstanding. He was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing fascinating information about Istanbul’s history, culture, and landmarks in a way that was engaging and easy to follow. Just as importantly, he was genuinely one of the nicest people you could hope to spend the day with—friendly, patient, and happy to tailor the tour to our interests. The hotel pick-up and drop-off were seamless, making the whole experience completely stress-free. Everything was well organised from start to finish, and we felt looked after throughout the day. If you’re looking for a private tour in Istanbul, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this company, and especially Aydın. He made our visit memorable, and we wouldn’t hesitate to book with him again on a future trip. Thank you for such a wonderful experience!
