The old city given the time it actually needs. Everything on the half day tour plus Topkapı Palace, and a lunch stop in the middle rather than a sandwich on the move. Seven to eight hours, so wear shoes you can walk in.
Tour highlights
Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, all in one day
Topkapı Palace, seat of the Ottoman court for four hundred years
The Grand Bazaar or the Spice Bazaar, whichever fits your day better
Priority entrance, with entrance fees included apart from the Harem
Seven to eight hours with a licensed guide who is yours alone
Pick up from your hotel or the cruise ship port
Seven to eight hours on the historic peninsula, which is the amount of time the old city actually asks for. Everything on the half day tour is here, and Topkapı Palace goes in the middle of it, along with a proper sit down lunch rather than something eaten while walking.
The whole day stays on one side of the Golden Horn. There is no Bosphorus cruise and no Galata Tower on this tour. If you want those, look at Modern to Medieval Istanbul, which is the other full day.
It is a long day on your feet, and it is worth it. You get to stand still in places most visitors pass through in ten minutes, and your guide has the time to answer the question behind the question.
The plan
Your guide meets you at your hotel or at the cruise port and agrees the running order with you, around what is open that day.
Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, all within walking distance of one another.
A stop at a local lokanta. Your guide will order for you if you would like, and you pay for your own food.
The courtyards, the treasury and the view over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The Harem is a separate ticket and you can decide on the day.
The Grand Bazaar or the Spice Bazaar, whichever suits the day and how your legs are holding up.
Back at your hotel with your guide, or left where you are if you want to keep going.
The order can change with the weather, the traffic and how busy a site is on the day. Your guide will tell you.
Entrance tickets are not in the price. Your guide buys them at each entrance and you pay by card. Prices per person in 2026: Topkapı Palace 45 euro, Hagia Sophia 25 euro, the Basilica Cistern 40 euro. The sights set new prices every year.
What it costs
The figure covers everyone travelling together. Find your number in the table and that is the price.
| Group size | Total for the group |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 people | €300 |
| 5 to 10 people | €350 |
| 11 to 15 people | €400 |
| 16 to 25 people | €500 |
The price is the guiding fee for your whole group, up to 25 people. Children under 6 do not take a place in the group, so a family of two adults and a child of four is priced as two people. From 6 a child counts as one person. Entrance fees are paid at each entrance by card. Your guide buys the tickets for you and guides go in ahead of the public, so there is no ticket queue.
Where we meet
Your hotel, or a point we agree.
Before you book
Worth two minutes before you book, so nothing on the day is a surprise.
Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start time and you are refunded in full. Inside 24 hours we cannot refund. Tell us as early as you can and we will move your date rather than lose you.
Tours run in rain and in heat. If conditions make a tour unsafe we cancel it ourselves and refund you in full, or move you to another date, whichever you prefer.
The best way to discover the local areas is with a local Our guide, Burak, was very accommodating! We were running very late with delayed flights and a traffic jam. He kindly suggested we come the following night. Thank you! We would have hated to miss it. We spent most of the time on the Asian side, which was fascinating. It was a truly local experience. Busy but not crowded with tourists, so not hectic. And the local food was all delicious. We were so grateful to be shown around by a local rather than tackle it on our own.
Great tour, fun and a great dinner Great experience! We did it on a Friday evening and our guide was fantastic! We made so many stops and we were stuffed after the fourth stop! Definitely worth the price, includes ferry ride to the Asian side and back! Loved this tour!
A delicious and informative evening Burak was a wonderful tour guide. He provided some really great info on the area, local scene and history of Istanbul. We were super hungry since we skipped lunch and we were very well fed by the end. We had some really great food: pickled veggies in pickle juice (who knew this would be so tasty?), deli platter with several dips, rice stuffed mussels, Lahmacun (my absolute favorite), Iskender meat with hot butter poured on, Turkish coffee and tea, and Kunefe and ice cream for dessert. It was a wonderful experience where we tasted some great food and learned some good history. Some of these things we probably never would have tried on our own. This tour gave us the opportunity to try several things and all 4 of us tried everything. I would highly recommend this food tour with Burak.
Been with us
Wherever you prefer. A review is worth more to the next person than anything we can write about ourselves.
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