Highlights & Hidden Gems of Istanbul: Private City Tour with a Local Guide

Experience the best of Istanbul with a local guide on this private city tour. Discover hidden gems, avoid the crowds, and get a unique perspective of the city’s culture and history.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Topkapi Palace - See Topkapi and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Istanbul so unique
  • Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world and one of Istanbul’s most impressive sights! See it…
What's Included
  • Experience a carbon-neutral tour, ensuring an environmentally friendly journey.
  • Enjoy the exclusivity of a private tour for a more personalized experience.
  • Benefit from the knowledge of a local guide and gain insider insights.
  • Indulge in the local flavors with a complimentary drink or tasting.
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Extra food & drinks
Additional Information

This is not just another city tour; this is the best of Istanbul with hidden gems that only a local can show you. Get to know Istanbul on a city tour that gives you the perfect overview, from culture, history, and local lifestyle - this tour has it all!
Forget about big touristy groups and the crowds; it’s time to see Istanbul at its best thanks to your…

Location
At Meydanı Cd 3/A
At Meydanı Caddesi
Meet at the entrance of Sultan Cafe in front of the German Fountain in Sultanahmet.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(242 Ratings)
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Connector00750251325
Jan 4, 2025
The highlight of our trip in Istanbul! - We had a wonderful time in Istanbul with Ahmet. He showed us around the main city attractions and explained in detail the (many!) historical events that took place over the various places visited (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cisterns, Grand Bazaar, etc.). This was definitely the highlight of our trip and we'd encourage anyone visiting to benefit from Ahmet's lovely personnality, humor, good mood and wealth of knowledge by booking a tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Solomono871
Dec 29, 2024
Great experience with our guide in Istanbul - Emere was great. He took us to the usual places and also to of the beaten path streets and restaurants for a local flavor. Highly recommend him.
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718drishtib
Dec 15, 2024
A must do in Istanbul - This was our first time in Istanbul, and booking a tour with Oguz on our very first day was the best decision we made! He is very knowledgeable and passionate about the city, with amazing knowledge about local history, architecture, and much more. He also went out of his way to customise our experience- we got to take a nice break in a local tea shop which was perfect. A must do when you’re in the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H9666lnstevec
Nov 20, 2024
Highlights & Hidden Gems of Istanbul - Excellent Guide, Customized Excursion - I booked a private tour for two with Mine (pronounced long I, short e) to see Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. As these were the places we wanted to see. It was fantastic. I should note that she will customize the tour to match your request. Prior to and after booking, I had a number of questions and she responded quickly and clearly using the withlocals chat tool. Her background and expert knowledge provided us with a clear, historical description of each location and her English was excellent. She provided clear instructions how to get to our meeting location from the Cruise Port. Lastly, as a licensed guide, we were able to skip the line so we had very little wait time. When visiting Istanbul, I would highly recommend Mine as your tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evieh922
Nov 12, 2024
Another side of Istanbul - My daughter and I really enjoyed this street art tour! First, you get to see a really wonderful neighborhood in Istanbul on the Asia side and a different slice of life that is less touristy. Second, there are some great street murals and history behind them. Third, Alp is super personable and an excellent guide. He even made a detour to take us to two comic book stores because of my daughter's interest. Highly recommend!
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Explore41452853550
Nov 12, 2024
Excellent Experience! - Kadir is so knowledgeable of the rich history in Istanbul! We loved that he shared small details that are easy to miss along with past and current customs of the Turkish people. Kadir’s delightful personality is infectious, he made the tour feel like a fun adventure. Our 23 year old autistic daughter is still talking about how much she enjoyed Kadir. We highly recommend Kadir, you will have just as much fun as we did; Guarenteed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Evgenyt2013
Nov 11, 2024
Top notch service - Ahmet is a perfect example of what a local guide should be - not young, but experienced; delicate, yet persistent. He knows Istanbul like a back of his hand and always at your service if you need extra story. And as an experienced and professional tour guide he knows a pack of stories which you will never get from an audio guide. Thank you, Ahmet! I highly recommend this guy to those who want to dive deeper than Cistern :-)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vagabondmomof2
Oct 31, 2024
Great day in Istanbul with Abdullah! - We are a group of three friends who spent the day on a walking tour of Old Town Istanbul with Abdullah. He is the best! In a city of millions, we never walked far without Abdullah knowing someone. He took us into the city’s hidden gems where we tasted meat roasting on a spit, watched silversmiths do their craft, had amazing rooftop views, drank chai with the locals in a 400 year old establishment, ate an incredible kabob lunch, toured the Cistern, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. Abdullah is like a walking history book and shares his knowledge, wisdom, and humor in such a personable way. Spending our first day in Istanbul with Abdullah was a great decision. We had so much fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N509yycharlesc
Oct 29, 2024
Thank you Mine!!! - Mine was very knowledgeable and personable. She made sure we saw what was important to us. Her recommendation of a restaurant was 5 star. We recommend her without reservatio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicholas
Jan 3, 2025
Great Guide for a Great City - Dilek is a great guide to Istanbul and comes with a very pleasant personality. She is knowledgeable, smart and easily flexible to provide a tailor-made experience. And if shopping in Istanbul is your thing: she can assist there as well!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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January 2025
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