Old Istanbul Highlights: Top Sites Half-Day Tour

Uncover the majesty and historical significance of Istanbul on a half-day small-group tour. Explore the top sites of Old Istanbul and discover the city’s rich heritage.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Istanbul - Originally the main church for all Christians, the Hagia Sophia became the leading church for the Orthodox community after the Christian schism. Following the Turkish conquest of Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque. Your guide will take you inside and provide detailed information to enhance your…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Tea or Turkish Coffee
  • Skipping the ticket lines at Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern
What's Not Included
  • Entry fee to Basilica Cistern ( 1300 TRY per person starting February 1st ) )
  • Entry Fee of Hagia Sophia is 25 Euros per person.
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Tipping your guide.
Additional Information

This outstanding small-group tour provides an opportunity to visit the most renowned landmarks in the Old Town, such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Basilica Cistern, with the added benefit of bypassing the ticket queues. An expert tour guide will join you at each location, offering captivating insights to enhance your understanding of their…

Location
Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant
Divan Yolu Caddesi
The restaurant is located on the street where the tram lines run through Sultanahmet, approximately 1-minute walk from the Sultanahmet tram stop.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(259 Ratings)
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Janecr2486xx
Mar 1, 2025
Highly recommend the tour and Yunus as a guide - Excellent walking tour covering a number of the main sights of the Old City and providing a very informative guide to these. Yunus was a superb host, very knowledgeable and friendly. The entrance fees to the attractions are not included and are quite expensive but no point coming to Istanbul for the first time and not visiting the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern etc, and with the tour you at least cut through some of the queues. The tour itself lasts 4hours + and is excellent value. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Corinnere666
Feb 24, 2025
Wonderful and relaxed tour! - What an amazing day! My booking was last minute and I ended up being the only one on the tour, so it was like a private tour. My guide Yunus knows everything about the city and its history, as well as the places we visited. He assured me regularly we had time and encouraged me to take photos if I wanted to; everything was very flexible. I felt like I was chatting with a friend as we walked. I recommend this tour if you'd like a friendly, informative guide and a really nice tour around Istanbul's famous sites!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emanuele_v
Feb 23, 2025
Perfect Tour if you just have a long connection - It was perfect for me because I could manage my time and choose the places. I wanted to know. My guide adjusted considering my needs.
Review provided by Viator
Sheila_e
Feb 10, 2025
Muhammed Is The Best Tour Guide! - My tour guide, Muhammed, is wonderful. Our pace was good and we took time for a chai tea break. His knowledge wisendless and he has a sense of humour that translates across cultures and language. There was no question left unanswered. Highly recomend him!
Review provided by Viator
Richard_c
Jan 22, 2025
Topkapi is huge with so much to see - Mere was a very good guide. Comprehensive coverage of Topkapi site. Best to go early as it gets busy later.
Review provided by Viator
Kshetijm
Dec 22, 2024
Tour was definitely worth it!!! - Guide Ozge Dag was very knowledgeable and showed us all major tourist places in Old City area. She knows the history of Istanbul and told exciting past times of rulers. Loved the experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adrienne_c
Nov 29, 2024
Excellent, informative tour - Jayson was an excellent tour guide—we ended up with a private tour because no one else had signed up, so we had a personalized experience. Jayson took the time to explain everything to us thoroughly, blending history with religion and culture. Great tour, and appreciated being able to skip lines to enter sites.
Review provided by Viator
Winggeet
Nov 16, 2024
Small group tour of turkey highlights! - Muhammad was very informative and funny! We really enjoyed our time with him! He took time to explain the history and culture. We visited the blue mosque, haggia Sofia and the basilica cistern. The itinerary was great with ample time to see everything a s take pictures. Would hugely recommend this tour and Muhammad as a guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James_m
Nov 2, 2024
Best way to see the sites - So good. Friendly and knowledgeable guide Yasin new his stuff and made already impressive sites even more so. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Andreaad1577zb
Oct 24, 2024
Great experience - The tour was a great experience, the tour guide Muhammed was very knowledgeable and passionate when explaining the history of each site we visited. Truly enjoyable and would recommend it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
April 2025
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