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Historical
Istanbul Old City Tour
Istanbul·8 hours
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Meeting point
- Hotel pickup in central Istanbul (Sultanahmet, Taksim, Beyoğlu, Şişli, Beşiktaş).
- Languages
- English, Turkish, Other languages on request
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour.
Price on request
Highlights
- Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Topkapı Palace
- Grand Bazaar
- Hippodrome
About this tour
A full day in the old city, at a pace set by your group rather than a coach timetable. The morning starts in the Hippodrome, where chariots once raced and an Egyptian obelisk still stands, then crosses to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia — two great domes facing each other across a thousand years. After lunch in Sultanahmet, the afternoon belongs to Topkapı Palace, from where the Ottoman sultans ruled for nearly four centuries, and ends in the lanes of the Grand Bazaar and among the spice sacks of the Spice Bazaar. A licensed guide leads the day and a private vehicle takes you from your hotel and back, so the only walking is the part worth doing on foot.
Itinerary
- 09:00Hotel pickup
Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel.
- 09:30Hippodrome
The Egyptian obelisk, the bronze Serpent Column from Delphi and the German Fountain.
- 10:00Blue Mosque
Visited between prayer times; shoes off at the door.
- 10:45Hagia Sophia
Visitors see it from the upper galleries, home to its finest Byzantine mosaics.
- 12:30Lunch in Sultanahmet
A Turkish lunch close to the monuments.
- 13:45Topkapı Palace
Courtyards, the Treasury and the Harem of the Ottoman sultans.
- 15:45Grand Bazaar
Covered lanes begun in 1461 — carpets, lamps, leather and gold.
- 16:45Spice Bazaar
The 17th-century market at Eminönü, by the Golden Horn.
- 17:30Hotel drop-off
Back at your hotel in central Istanbul.
What's included
- Licensed Guide
- Hotel Pickup & Drop-off
- Private Vehicle
- Lunch
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Shoulders and knees covered for the mosques
- A headscarf for women (one can be borrowed at the door)
- Sun hat in summer
Frequently asked
Which days does the tour run?
Every day. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays — on those days we swap in the Basilica Cistern or a longer visit to the Spice Bazaar, so the day stays full.
Can we go inside Hagia Sophia?
Yes. Since January 2024 the ground floor is reserved for worship and visitors enter the upper galleries through a separate entrance — the galleries are where the famous mosaics are.
Are museum tickets included?
Your quote states whether site tickets are included. We can include them so there is nothing to pay on the day.
How much walking is involved?
About 4–5 km over the day, mostly on flat cobblestones. The vehicle covers the longer hops between areas.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Tell us the children's ages when you request a quote — child seats are arranged and the pace is set for the youngest guests.
Travel guides
Private Istanbul City Tour 2026 — Hagia Sophia, Topkapi & Grand BazaarGetting there
Arriving in Istanbul?
Book the airport ride with us as well — a fixed fare, a chauffeur waiting at the meeting point and your flight tracked.
