Istanbul Excursions 2027: Tour Prices for Russian Travellers

Istanbul excursions in 2027 cost from $60 for an evening programme and from $75–120 for a group day tour, up to $200 for a private day with a licensed guide; on Russian-language booking sites, a group walking tour of the Old City cost about €38–45 per person in autumn 2026. Two things matter before you book: Hagia Sophia and Topkapı tickets for foreigners are sold in euros and are often not included in the tour price, and Russian bank cards do not work in Turkey.

Below we go through which Istanbul excursions are worth the money, what they cost with us and elsewhere, what to choose for three to five days, and how to pay for a booking if you live in Russia. We are a licensed Istanbul agency and run these routes every week, so we write about what we see ourselves rather than repeating other people's descriptions. The article was first written in Russian for our Russian-speaking guests.

How much do Istanbul excursions cost in 2027?

Prices depend heavily on the format. A group tour splits the cost of the guide and transport between 10 and 20 people, while a private tour is paid for the whole party, and for a family of four the difference is often smaller than it looks. These are our prices as listed on the site in October 2026; they vary with the season and the programme, so it is best to ask us for the current price for your dates.

For comparison: on Russian-language platforms in autumn 2026, a walking tour of the Old City in a group of up to 15 cost about €45 per person, an overview tour of the Old City plus the Bosphorus about €38, and a short 2–3 hour walk around Sultanahmet €20–40. These prices almost never include tickets to the museums, and some walking tours do not go inside Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque at all. Our 6–8 hour group programmes cost more precisely because tickets, transfers and entry are already included.

Istanbul city tour: the Old City

Almost every Istanbul city tour follows the same plan: the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, Topkapı and the Grand Bazaar. All of them are in Sultanahmet, within a 15-minute walk of each other. The difference between tours is which buildings you go inside and how long you spend in queues.

Three points to keep in mind:

• Hagia Sophia has charged foreign visitors since 2024: €25 for the gallery visit, with a separate tourist entrance. The lower prayer hall is closed to tourists.
• Topkapı with the Harem and Hagia Irene was sold for about €55 in mid-2026; the official price is on muze.gov.tr and changes with little notice.
• The Blue Mosque is free but closes to visitors during prayers, and Friday midday is best avoided.

If you have one day, take the full-day Old City tour with lunch: in 8 hours you go inside all the main sights with tickets included. For something shorter, the morning programme Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar takes 6 hours and costs from $120. Our guides usually start at the Hippodrome before 09:00, before the cruise groups from the Galataport terminal reach Hagia Sophia.

Bosphorus cruise: prices and options

A Bosphorus cruise comes in three kinds, and the prices differ several times over.

1. The Şehir Hatları city ferry from Eminönü. The cheapest option, no guide, with stops; good if you have been to Istanbul before and just want to see the shores.
2. A Bosphorus cruise with lunch or dinner. Our Bosphorus lunch cruise lasts 3 hours, costs from $75 and includes a hotel transfer, a guide and lunch on board; drinks with lunch are extra. The Bosphorus dinner cruise with a Turkish show lasts about 6 hours with transfers and costs from $90; the alcohol package is extra. Our guide to the Bosphorus dinner cruise with show explains what is included and how to book it for the same evening.
3. A private yacht. The whole boat is yours, charged by the hour, usually with a two-hour minimum. Good for a birthday, a proposal or a group of friends.

If you can only choose one, for a first visit we suggest the daytime cruise: the shores are lit up beautifully at night, but Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi palaces, the Rumelihisarı fortress and the wooden yalı mansions are far easier to see in daylight.

Princes' Islands: a full-day excursion

The Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara are about 1.5 hours by ferry from the European shore. Büyükada has no cars; people get around by electric carts and bicycles, and the streets are lined with 19th-century wooden mansions. Leon Trotsky lived there too, and his house still stands on Büyükada.

Our Princes' Islands tour lasts 8 hours and costs from $90: return ferry, lunch at a local restaurant, hotel transfer and stops on Kınalıada, Heybeliada and Büyükada. It is our only group programme where the assistant speaks Russian (as well as English and Spanish). Bicycle and electric cart hire on the island is not included. If you would rather go on your own, our article on the Princes' Islands ferry from Kabataş explains the timetable and fares.

Day trips from Istanbul: one or two days

If you are in Istanbul for a week, it is worth getting out of the city. These are the trips we run most often:

• Bursa, the first Ottoman capital: the Green Mosque, the Koza Han silk market and the cable car up Uludağ. Our Bursa day trip takes 8 hours and costs from $90 with the ferry, cable car and lunch.
• Sapanca and Maşukiye: a lake, waterfalls, quad bikes, a zipline. A full day of about 10 hours, from $70 with lunch.
• Cappadocia over two days by plane: Cappadocia 2 days from Istanbul costs from $599 and includes domestic flights, a night in a cave hotel and transfers. The hot air balloon flight is paid separately.

If you are on holiday in Antalya and want to see Istanbul for even one day, that is possible too: we have written separately about a day trip to Istanbul from Antalya. If Istanbul is only a stopover on your way elsewhere, see our guide to Istanbul tours for transit passengers.

Private excursions in Russian

This is the question our guests from Russia ask most often, so here is a straight answer. Our group programmes in Istanbul run in English, except the Princes' Islands, where there is a Russian-speaking assistant. A private tour with a Russian-speaking guide is possible: write "guide in Russian" when you book, we check whether a licensed Russian-speaking guide is free on your dates and name the guide's language in the confirmation before you pay. If no such guide is available on those dates, we tell you straight away.

The private classic Istanbul tour costs from $200 per group for 6–8 hours, with museum tickets paid separately. A car with driver can be added, and for a family of up to six there is Istanbul by Mercedes Vito with driver from $220 per vehicle for 8 hours. More on how we match guides on our page about a Russian-speaking guide in Istanbul.

In Turkey, only guides licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism may guide inside museums. A licensed guide carries a badge, and you can ask to see it. Unlicensed "guides" who approach tourists outside Hagia Sophia are not allowed to take a group inside the museums.

Group or private excursion: which to choose

Group programmes suit people who simply want to see the main sights without dealing with tickets. Private tours are better if you want to ask questions, change the order of sights or skip the group's waiting time. For a party of six or seven, the price of a private day divided among everyone is often no higher than a group tour.

How to pay for an excursion if you live in Russia

This is where trips most often fall apart, so we will be blunt. Mir cards are not accepted in Turkey, and Visa and Mastercard issued by Russian banks do not work abroad. Our tours are paid in advance by Visa or Mastercard and charged in US dollars.

That means booking needs a card issued by a bank outside Russia, in your name or a travelling companion's. If nobody in your group has one, tell us in your first message, not a week before the trip, so you can decide calmly whether this works for you.

On the spot, cash in US dollars or euros is easiest: exchange offices all over the city change it. Bring new, undamaged notes, because old or torn ones are sometimes refused. Small spending, such as the tram, tea, simit and entry tickets, is easier in lira. More on entry rules, flights and money in our article on an Istanbul trip from Russia.

What an excursion price usually does not include

To avoid surprises in your budget, check five points:

1. Museum tickets on private tours: Hagia Sophia €25, Topkapı with the Harem about €55, the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe separate.
2. Lunch on half-day programmes.
3. Drinks on Bosphorus cruises, especially alcohol.
4. Tips for the guide and driver: not compulsory, but customary.
5. The return transfer on some programmes: after the afternoon Topkapı tour, for example, guests often stay on at the Grand Bazaar and make their own way back.

Istanbul in 3 days: which excursions to book

For a first visit of three full days, this is the plan we usually suggest:

• Day 1. The full-day Old City: the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Cistern, lunch, the Grand Bazaar. In the evening, a walk along the Eminönü waterfront.
• Day 2. A Bosphorus lunch cruise in the morning, then Dolmabahçe or Galata and İstiklal Street in the afternoon. In the evening, the Bosphorus dinner show or the whirling dervishes.
• Day 3. A full day on the Princes' Islands, or Topkapı in the morning and free time in the Kadıköy markets on the Asian side.

For four or five days, add Bursa or Sapanca, and for a week, two days in Cappadocia by plane. All our programmes are on the Istanbul tours and excursions page, and multi-day tours for guests from Russia are on our page of Turkey tours from Russia.

How to book an excursion in Istanbul

Booking takes a few minutes. Choose a tour on the site (it can be switched to Russian), set the date and number of people, or write to us on WhatsApp with your dates, hotel, the number of adults and children, and if a Russian-speaking guide is needed. We reply confirming the programme, the guide's language and the price. Next-day bookings are usually possible, but during the Russian May holidays and in October groups fill faster, so it is better to hold places in advance.

Flights. Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus fly from Moscow to Istanbul, about 4–4.5 hours. Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines usually land at Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, Pegasus more often at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. A visa is not needed for Russian citizens on a tourist trip of up to 60 days; a foreign-travel passport is enough.

Frequently Asked Questions