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Istanbul Old City Highlights and Hidden Gems Tour
5.0
48 Ratings
Fatih
Discover Istanbul’s hidden gems and iconic sites with a local guide. Enjoy history, culture, and cuisine on a personalized tour.
Discover Istanbul’s hidden gems and iconic sites with a local guide. Enjoy history, culture, and cuisine on a personalized tour.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Topkapi Palace - Topkapı Palace / Short Route
(Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. If the tour falls on a Tuesday, it will proceed without Topkapı Palace, but rest assured, the day will still be filled with many other enjoyable experiences.) - Hippodrome - Ancient Roman Hippodrome - an open-air museum with monuments
- Blue Mosque - A…
-
Topkapi Palace - Topkapı Palace / Short Route
(Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. If the tour falls on a Tuesday, it will proceed without Topkapı Palace, but rest assured, the day will still be filled with many other enjoyable experiences.) - Hippodrome - Ancient Roman Hippodrome - an open-air museum with monuments
- Blue Mosque - A historic Ottoman mosque
- Basilica Cistern - An underground cistern from the 6th century Byzantine Era, offering a unique experience
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - This monumental building serves as both a museum and a mosque today. Originally constructed as the largest operational cathedral in Constantinople (now Istanbul) during the Byzantine era, it holds significant importance for both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Visitors can observe the layers of architecture and art history spanning centuries.
- Arasta Bazaar - A historical Ottoman bazaar where many traditional Turkish stores and products can be found. Upon request, there will be opportunities for mini workshops and tastings.
- Sultanahmet Square - A 30-minute coffee/tea break will be taken here, at personal expense.
- Sultanahmet Square - A 60-minute lunch break will be taken here, at personal expense.
What's Included
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide (English Speaking)
- Cultural Heritage Professional Guide
- Archaeology Professional Guide
- Professional Licensed Tour Guide (English Speaking)
- Cultural Heritage Professional Guide
- Archaeology Professional Guide
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Tea and coffee
- Museum Entrance Fees > Topkapı Palace: 2400TL /per person (approx. $62)
- Museum Entrance Fees > Basilica Cistern: 1500TL/per person (approx. $38)
- Museum Entrance Fees > Hagia Sophia: 25€/per person
- Lunch
- Tea and coffee
- Museum Entrance Fees > Topkapı Palace: 2400TL /per person (approx. $62)
- Museum Entrance Fees > Basilica Cistern: 1500TL/per person (approx. $38)
- Museum Entrance Fees > Hagia Sophia: 25€/per person
Additional Information
Spend a day with a licensed professional tour guide exploring the enchanting city of Istanbul. Discover the rich history of Istanbul as you visit Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, gaining insights from both historical and art historical perspectives. Savor local food and drinks recommended by a local expert. Enjoy the privilege of skipping some queues…
Spend a day with a licensed professional tour guide exploring the enchanting city of Istanbul. Discover the rich history of Istanbul as you visit Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, gaining insights from both historical and art historical perspectives. Savor local food and drinks recommended by a local expert. Enjoy the privilege of skipping some queues with your guide. Get detailed information about other important attractions and recommendations, such as restaurants, hamams, shopping, and other key tourist routes, from a local guide who has traveled to 34 countries and numerous cities worldwide. This multicultural expertise will help you plan the rest of your holiday, answering many of your questions about Istanbul and Turkey. Upon request, and if all group members agree, we can customize your itinerary to create a tailor-made experience for your group.
- This is a walking tour. After I meet you at the meeting point, in our route, we won’t be using any transportation. All the attraction points stated in the route are in historical center and close to each other. Our walking time in between the points, and waiting for the ticket queues etc. are all inclueded in the durations. So depending on the day and group it will be a minimum 6 hours maximum 8 hours route.
Location
At Meydanı Cd 17 D
At Meydanı Caddesi
I will be meeting you at Sultanahmet Square, right in front of German Fountain (Alman Çeşmesi). I will be holding a card on which "Eylem Yalcinkaya" "Professional Tour Guide" and "Viator Booked Walking Tours" written. It is only 2minutes walking distance from Sultanahmet Tram Station.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(48 Ratings)
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Catherinepi759me
Jul 27, 2025
A perfect day tour of Istanbul - Eylem was recommended to us by our hotel and we will be forever grateful for that. We had a wonderful day visiting the classic sights of Istanbul, learning so much about the history of the city. If you would like an in-depth personal experience, Eylem is the perfect person for you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pam1234
Jul 21, 2025
Istanbul port of call two-day cruise tour - Eylem provided us with an unforgettable trip. Since the start of organizing our custom tour, communication was excellent.
The execution of all visits, transportation and breaks was professional and top notch.
Eylem is an energetic and lovely lady who takes her job very seriously working to make her clients have a great experience. If we go to Turkey again she will be the first person we’ll call.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U1000dsgrahamm
Jun 23, 2025
Eylem is Best Way to Learn about Istanbul - Eylem is an excellent tour guide. She is extremely knowledgeable and a great host. We got to see the major sites of Istanbul with her and appreciated how she adjusted the tour on the fly based on the areas we were most interested in. She also took us on an impromptu food tour of the Grand Bazaar, showing us the best street food spots in the city – it was all delicious!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shelleysy945dn
Jun 23, 2025
It was awesome and if you want to see Istanbul - Eylem was an excellent tour guide. She was very personable, knowledgeable and knew when to go to Blue Mosque when it was less crowded. Really enjoyed the Hagia Sophia Mosque and Basilica. We also ate at a good restaurant the Pudding Shop. Eylem made all places interesting and she has a good sense of humor. I would highly recommend her if you want to see Istanbul.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denisbg2567wj
Jun 6, 2025
Istanbul overview in both side European and Asian in Bysantin and Ottomans historical approach. - Eylem was a very good guide and so available.
I spent three days with her always with same pleasure. In addition she is a good photographer. I am going back to France with more than one hundred photos and videos, thanks to Her.
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Travelerfromorlando
Jun 1, 2025
It was fantastic - What a fantastic guide. She has so much information about the places we saw well beyond just a standard guide! It was such a pleasure. The Blue Mosque was exceptional and all that I hoped to see. We took time to go to a local outside coffee house and it was marvelous. The Turkish coffee so very tasty but the atmosphere was very relaxed.
Another fantastic outing was at the Tree of Life Ceramics studio The owner and master ceramist were very accommodating and allowed me to throw a small pot which was the first I had done on a wheel since art school in 1968. What an experience!!
Eem was so helpful as I ran into issues with my breathing. She was great making sure I returned to my hotel and encouraging me to look at my schedule and see what I could rearrange to make it easier. She stayed in touch during my whole trip and beyond. She is the type of guidance all need.
My sincerest thanks to Eylem😀😀🇹🇷🇹🇷🇺🇸🇺🇸
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ccdubai
Apr 23, 2025
Like Exploring Istanbul with a Local Friend - We had an amazing day in Istanbul with Eylem! She was warm, right on time, so easy to chat with, and full of fascinating info. She customised the day to suit us, was really flexible, and made everything feel effortless. It honestly felt like exploring the city with a super knowledgeable local friend. Highly recommend booking a tour with her!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
170ozlemc
Apr 22, 2025
Great experience - I had an incredible experience with Eylem in Istanbul! We planned a 2-day private tailor-made tour with my friend. Eylem's deep knowledge of the city's rich history, vibrant culture, and fantastic food made our 2 days truly unforgettable. Eylem was not only informative but also very engaging and friendly. Eylem's knowledge on Istanbul was evident in every story and fact shared, and the recommendations for local spots including the great food were the best. I highly recommend Eylem for anyone looking to explore Istanbul in a fun and insightful way!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martijn
Apr 18, 2025
Top day with Eylem! - Had a great day with our knowledgeable and friendly guide Eylem. She knew a lot about the history and could talk about it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kakaop2025
Apr 13, 2025
She is a wonderful tourguide/ human being ^-^ - Eylam id a wonderful tourguide! She asked us for our priorities and made cohesive tourplan for the day. For every location she had something interesting to say. When I had questions she was able to answer them and even recommend me other cities or topics which could interest me. While I tended to ask more question, the rest of my family was more laid back and she tried her best to make everyone happy. She even made beautiful fotos and sent them to us and showed us some shops where we could buy some souvenirs/ delicacies. On the way to the several location she always gave tipps where we could go or eat for the days after. We even went the next day to a popular kebab (since 1969) shop near one of the entrances of the grand bazar which she said was good. And also to the Baklava shop and etc...
All in all she is really friendly, cool and it was a pleasure to have meet her :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor