Day trip

Istanbul: Full-Day Small Group City Highlights Tour

Activity provider: Tour Altinkum
Day trip

Istanbul: Full-Day Small Group City Highlights Tour

Activity provider: Tour Altinkum
Save up to 25%

From US$ 86.74 US$ 65.05 per person

Explore Istanbul’s most visited places such as the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar. Enjoy a full-day experience with a knowledgeable guide in a small group.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 7 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English, Spanish, Japanese
Pickup included
Your centrally located Istanbul hotel.
Private group available

Experience

Highlights
  • Enjoy a customized full-day group tour with your own local guide
  • Visit Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Sultanahmet Square
  • Experience shopping with locals in world-famous Grand Bazaar
  • Learn the history of the Byzantines, Ottomans, and modern Turks
  • Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant
Full description

Get to know some of the best sights of Instanbul with a local guide on this trip to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet Square, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. Enjoy included pickup and drop-off and skip-the-line entry privileges.

Start your day with pickup from your hotel, then hop in an air-conditioned vehicle and set off on your journey to see Istanbul’s greatest landmarks. First, head to Hagia Sophia, meaning divine wisdom.

The Hagia Sophia was used as a church for 916 years and as a mosque for 481 years. In 1934, by the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it was converted into a museum and has since been open to visitors.

Next, visit Topkapi Palace and enter inside. As well as being the imperial residence of the Sultan, this palace was also the seat of government for the ottoman empire. In 1924 it was converted into a museum. Today, it's famous for its harem, royal treasury, and holy relics sections.

Continue to Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Square), built by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 203 A.D. During the Roman period, this square was the civil center for the people of the city where once 100,000 spectators could be held.

Located in the heart of Sultanahmet surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, today Hippodrome is home to the Egyptian Obelisk (Dikilitaş), the Serpentine Column (Burma Sütun), the Constantine Column, and the German Fountain.

Next up on the itinerary is the Blue Mosque. This mosque was built by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I in the year 1616 and is located opposite the Hagia Sophia.

Today, the Blue Mosque is one of the most famous landmarks of the old city with its famous six minarets, dome, and blue tiles decorating the interior walls.

Visit the Grand Bazaar. Featuring 18 entrances and more than 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar is one of the greatest bazaars in the world. Stroll through the unique shops and experience the atmosphere of everyday local life.

The tour ends in the Grand bazaar.

Includes
  • Full-day sightseeing tour
  • Guide
  • Lunch in a local restaurant
  • Hotel pickup from central Istanbul hotels (Taksim, Besiktas and Sultanahmet)
  • Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
  • Topkapi Palace entry fee (500TL per person)
  • Drinks with lunch
  • Tips (optional)
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Passport or ID card for children
  • Cash

Know before you go

  • The Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays
  • The Blue Mosque will be closed for 3 months starting from January 1. During this time the Nuru Osmaniye Mosque will be visited instead
  • The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
  • Admission fees per person for the Topkapi Palace is 500TL
  • The guide will have pre-paid skip-the-line tickets for the Topkapi Palace to avoid ticket lines. The cost of the entry fee can be paid to the tour guide in cash (US dollar, Euro, or Turkish lira)
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.3 /5

based on 110 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.2/5
  • Transportation
    4.1/5
  • Service
    4.6/5
  • Organization
    4.5/5

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Star rating:

Loved it. I learned so much from Baris! i liked the Guide Baris!! We at first had trouble finding him and the group but once we did what a good experience. he's very thoughtful and was the most informative guide of the entire trip. So glad we had him.

April 1, 2023

Our guide Chiidam, was brilliant. She showed us the most important historical places such as the blue mosque, hagia sofia museum and Topkapi palace at a leisurely pace. She explained the significance of the places in Byzantine and ottoman history. She was able to relate to all members of our small group. I would highly recommend the small group historical tour. As all the places are within walking distance of each other we never felt tired.

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April 1, 2023

Tour guide very informative and friendly. Lunch was not great, food tasteless, rushed service, also doesn’t help your energy for the afternoon. Would have been nice for longer time as grand bizar. Driving around istanbul is crazy lots of traffic and tight gaps. Not worth the money paid. Would have gone alone and been more value for money.

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April 1, 2023

Product ID: 203017