Istanbul Private Tour: Culture, History, and Local Foods

Discover Istanbul’s rich history and culture with a private tour of Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and more. Perfect for families and solo travelers.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hippodrome - The Hippodrome is often linked with the golden era of Constantinople as an imperial capital. However, it was actually constructed before that period when the city was known as Byzantium, a provincial town of moderate importance. In AD 203, Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city, expanded its walls, and constructed a hippodrome for…
What's Included
  • Flexible tour programme
  • Guides assist with museum tickets
  • Walking tour
  • Tea and coffee
  • Private professional licensed tour guide
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
  • museum entrance tickets Ayasofya 25 Euro Basalica cistern 30 Euro30 Euro
  • Transportation fee if it is needed
Additional Information

Embark on a walking tour to explore the highlights of your destination with a professional, licensed tour guide. Our guides, equipped with extensive knowledge and insider tips, will lead you on an unparalleled journey. The tour begins at a designated meeting point or a centrally located hotel, heading towards the old town of Istanbul. Our aim is to…

Location
The Blue Mosque
At Meydanı Caddesi
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(23 Ratings)
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1 star
Chae_b
Jun 12, 2025
Our guide was very... - Our guide was very experienced. We were able to see all of the places of interest at a leisurely pace with little or no waiting. Very enjoyable day. I would recommend this tour
Review provided by Viator
Mustafa_m
Jun 11, 2025
Tourist in Istanbul - We did a tour in Turkey and arranged a guide on the tourist locations and around the blue mosque, hage Sophia and the cistern which was informative. We also saw how rugs were made in a local shop. Over all very good experience
Review provided by Viator
J7010hrmikec
May 30, 2025
Best Istanbul guide ever! - Sercan was absolutely amazing. He knows the history of everything related to Turkey, which is saying quite a bit. Also, one of the nicest guys that you would ever want to travel around with. We spent an entire day seeing the sites of Istanbul. At many of the high profile tourist sites like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue mosque, that had very long lines, he was able to get us right to the front. He has been around doing this for 30 years and seems to know everybody in Istanbul. He introduced us to longtime friends of his who are rug dealers, and we got an amazing deal on a beautiful Turkish rug. we recommended him to some friends of ours who were visiting Istanbul, and they had an equally high opinion of Secon. He also connected us with a driver and luxury van for the next phase of our trip over the course of four days down the coast of Turkey, stopping at many of the historic sites, such as Ephesus. He gave us excellent advice on where to shop and eat. And advised us where not to shop as there are definitely some places which should be considered tourist traps.. This guy is absolutely fabulous and I could not say enough good things about him. If you are in Istanbul, I highly recommend! Thank you, thank you, Sercan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janice_t
May 7, 2025
6 Stars! - This is the BEST private guided tour that we have ever taken. Serkan has extensive knowledge about the mosques and the Basilica, but more importantly introduced us to the culture and community of Istanbul. He spent an incredible 8 hours with us, and we were sad to say good bye!
Review provided by Viator
Dream36595610953
May 7, 2025
Wonderful Istanbul - It was a unique voyage of discovery in Istanbul. Stunning vibrant city and an extraordinary care by guides ! 100 out of 100 points
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Southerntlc
Apr 17, 2025
Great tour! - Very interesting and informative tour. Great communication at booking and throughout the tour. Our guide, Murat, provided detailed and interesting background on all the sites; showed us the best places to take those all important photos; and was flexible to guide the tour to our needs. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daydream26884699033
Jan 22, 2025
Great tour for families, tons of info and flexibility! - Berat was a delight. He speaks both English and Spanish. He also has knowledge of every detail you could ask. We are a family with 2 tweens and he made it fun and was flexible, line taking us to the fun ice cream vendors for the kids! Full praises for his tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laural196rg
Nov 10, 2024
Great private tour! - The tour led by Yusuf was very exhaustive, despite having a 5-year-old girl with us, our guide was super helpful, but at the same time competent, recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Getaway11138836681
Oct 29, 2024
Private Istanbul Two Day Tour - We had an amazing two day private tour of Istanbul with Serkan Keçeci. Not only did we see all the must see sights (Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia) he also showed us the real old and new neighborhoods of both Europe and Asia. We had a cruise along Bosporus Strait and he pointed out the many palaces, mosques and historical sights along the way. It was truly a memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Safari20621823565
Oct 21, 2024
Essential Istanbul - We were met on time and even though we did not have much time, we saw everything that we wanted to and more. It was a great morning
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $120 (Per Group)
up to 9 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).