Private Classic Old City Tour in Istanbul

Classical Istanbul City Tour takes you to the Byzantian and Ottoman heritage and offers a memorable journey into history.

Tour Highlights

  • Enjoy a private tour of Istanbul
  • Visit Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace
  • Stroll in Hippodrome

Private Classic Old City Tour in Istanbul Overview

On this private Istanbul city tour, we see the Hippodrome, where chariot races took place was the center of Byzantine political life, standing in the open space in front of the Blue Mosque, the area is now called as Sultanahmet. We also see the German Fountain that is located in the center of the square.

Then we visit Blue Mosque. It is one of the best examples of classical Turkish art, built between 1609 and 1616 by the Architect Mehmet Aga the mosque takes its name the blue Iznik (Nicea's) tiles which decorate splendidly its walls.

We proceed to The Grand Hagia Sophia Mosque. This Basilica was built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century is one of the architectural marvels of all the times. It was converted into a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453.

The tour continues with a delicious lunch break at a local restaurant.

After lunch,we walk to the Grand Bazaar, the oldest shopping mall in the world. This labyrinth of streets and passages has more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area; selling mostly gold and silver jewelry, copper and brass items, leather, coats, carpets, and many other beautiful Turkish art and handicrafts such as handpainted ceramic plates, etc...

Finally, we visit Topkapi Palace. It is the great palace of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and china porcelain, caftans worn by the Sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle enshrining relics of Prophet Mohammed.

Free hotel pick up & drop off areas on Private Istanbul City Tour

Aksaray-Besiktas-Beyazıt-Beyoglu-Laleli-Sirkeci-Sultanahmet-Taksim

Hotel pick up is at 09:30
Hotel drop off is at 17:00

Private Old City Tour in Istanbul includes

  • Pick-up and drop-off only from the regions listed
  • Transportation by air-conditioned non-smoking vehicles
  • Professional tour guide
  • Lunch
  • Entrance fees (Harem part in Topkapi Palace is an extra charge)
  • Local taxes
  • Service charges

Private Old City Tour in Istanbul does not include

  • Drinks at lunch
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips/gratuities
  • Harem part in Topkapi Palace (it is optional)

Important notes

  • Grand Bazaar (Covered Bazaar) is closed on Sunday.
  • Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesday. It is replaced with Underground Cistern.
  • Blue Mosque is seen from outside on Friday morning as it is closed for prayer.