ISTANBUL PRIVATE TOUR FROM CRUISE SHIP/Hotel

based on 488 reviews

Duration:6 hours (approx.)
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

From $145

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Free Cancellation

Upto 24 hours in Advance.

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

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Our tours have been rewarded with Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor 15 times succesively for the years of 2009-2024. We are the most reviewed tour agent on Tripadvisor for Istanbul Tours, you can check more than 1.600 Excellent reviews of ours on Tripadvisor.

Tick all the top sites of Istanbul off your bucket list with our private guided tour covering the Hagia Sophia, Underground Cistern, Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar.

***Please note that we will arrange tickets for the Cistern without waiting at the public ticket line, so you will skip long public ticket lines there.

***We will purchase the Hagia Sophia Tickets for you not to wait at the long tickets lines on the tour day.

***There are no skip the line for Blue Mosque visits (since mosques are not museums), so everybody has to wait at the line to enter.***

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque also known as Blue Mosque, one of the most revered masterpieces of the Islamic world, is famous with its blue ceramic tiles and six minarets.
2. Hagia Sophia Mosque
The Hagia Sophia, also known as Ayasofya in Turkish, is a famous historic building located in the old city. It was originally built as the biggest cathedral in the world by Byzantine Empire in the 6th century and later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. The building is renowned for its massive dome and beautiful mosaics that reflect its rich history and architectural significance. In 1935, it was converted into a museum and in 2020, it was converted into a mosque again. We will prepurchase the tickets for Hagia Sophia for you not to wait at the long ticket lines.
3. Basilica Cistern
The cistern was known in Byzantium as thebasilica Cistern, Justinian was the founder of the largest underground cistern, built after the Nika Revolt in 532.The number of the inhabitants of Constantinople increased and bring a problem of water supply. Basilica Cistern was used to store water for the Great Palace.
4. Hippodrome
The center for entertainment, amusement and sports in the city during the Roman and Byzantine Empires. The Egyptian Obelisk, the serpentine column and the German fountain of Willhelm II are sites to be visited.
5.
The oldest and the largest covered market place in the world with more almost 4000 shops owing rich collection of handmade carpets, jewelery, leather and souvenirs. Here's the last stop of

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Please note that we are boutique small family run tour company and have limited guides, during the summer months and special holidays our tours do fill up quickly. We suggest you try to book as soon as you can, once your plans are firm.
• The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, We will visit the Spice Market instead.
• While visiting a mosque in Istanbul, women need to cover their heads, shoulders, knees. You can carry your own scarf to cover your head but please note scarves are provided at the entrance of every mosque (available at a charge). If you are wearing leggings, tights or skirts, wraps will be provided at the entrance (available at a charge).
• Men also need to cover the knees if the shorts or bermudas are over the knees.
• *** WE ALSO DO PRIVATE EPHESUS SHORE EXCURSION. IF YOU BOOK YOUR PRIVATE EPHESUS SHORE EXCURSION WITH US AS WELL YOU WILL GET A SPECIAL PRICE FOR PRIVATE EPHESUS TOUR. SO PLEASE MENTION IN THE NOTES IF YOU ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN PRIVATE EPHESUS SHORE EXCURSION.
• ***Please note that we will arrange tickets for the Cistern without waiting at the public tickeet line, so you will skip long public ticket lines there.
• ***There are no skip the line for mosque visits (since mosques are not museums), so everybody has to wait at the line to enter.***
• ***This is not a tour for those with mobility issues
• ***** WE ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN 14 PEOPLE. If there are more than 14 people in your group, you can book it as 14 people then we can update the number of travelers by messages on viator.
• Mosques are closed until 2.30pm on Fridays due to the Friday Services.
• This is not a tour for those with mobility issues

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Victoria_S
Our guide, Diana was amazing. She really knew how to see the most in the limited time available. The highlight of this tour was seeing silk being harvested and seeing an artisan making a silk rug. Also, the mosque and grand bazaar were a must see. Diana was both knowledgeable and kind. So
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-08 10:05:24

Posted By : Rhonda_W
This was probably our favorite tour. With our great guide who was able to have us skip all the lines and go straight into areas, it saved us hours of waiting in line. Very knowledgeable and super friendly. At the end, he took us to one of his favorite street food places and hung out with us.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-29 16:18:36

Posted By : ALBERTO_T
Our tour guide Özlem Aydin was very professional…that make a big difference when you travel for pleasure!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-04 16:18:21

Posted By : Julian_B
I booked a private tour for us and our friends to ensure we had the full experience and could ask any questions. Being just the 4 of us we didn't feel like we had to wait for others. Beyza our tour guide was amazing, super knowledgeable and answered all our questions. When we visited the Grand Bazaar it was great to have Beyza with us, she was able to speak to the sellers and we didn't get hassled as much, which was perfect.
We asked if we could take a tram, it wasn't part of the experience, but she was happy to take us.
I would definitely recommend a private tour to visit all the main sights.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-23 08:04:06

Posted By : Patricia_G
We were so lucky to have Diana give us such an amazing tour to all of the major sites in old Istanbul. She was knowledgeable not only about history of the area, but also showed us her favorite local shops and restaurants. I would highly recommend taking this tour from your cruise ship with Diana.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-14 13:35:38

Posted By : patricemmmb
I booked private shore excursion for my mom while she was in Turkey for a 2 day stop. The booking process was easy and the tour was amazing. My mom really enjoyed not only the actual tour but also loved the humor and information that the tour guide provided. 5 out of 5 stars!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-25 05:39:52

Posted By : sonya_o
Our guide was wonderful. We travelled with three young children and she was helping us with the kids , made it so easy for us to make the best of our day in Istanbul.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-24 14:54:27

Posted By : Jeffrey_T
Fantastic tour, stress free and really informative. Highly recommended. We were from a cruise and everything went very smoothly.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-13 13:33:54

Posted By : William_W
Our tour guide was excellent because she was very knowledgeable and interesting. She responded to our requests and always asked us questions.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-11-29 09:54:33

Posted By : ZO_R
Both private tours were incredible!!!! Henry and Ayesa were very knowledgeables and they were very accurate in the historian part. Highly recommend it!.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-11-27 13:13:49