Best-Selling ToursBest-Selling Tours
The tours our guests book most often: Istanbul old city, Bosphorus cruises and Cappadocia trips, all private with a licensed guide.
3 tours
Best of Istanbul Private Tour, 1-3 Days with Professional Guide
A licensed private guide for 1, 2 or 3 days in Istanbul: the Old City, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, planned around your interests.
8 Hour (Per Day)Istanbul
Private Basilica Cistern Tour, Optional Topkapi & Hagia Sophia
The Basilica Cistern with your own licensed private guide and the entrance ticket included, with optional Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia visits.
6 - 8 HoursIstanbulIstanbul Churches Full-Day Private Tour, Professional Guide
A private day visiting Istanbul's active Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches, from the Patriarchate in Fener to Istiklal Street.
7 HoursIstanbulThis list is short on purpose: nine tours out of the full catalogue, chosen by how often guests book them. Almost all are in Istanbul, most are private, and together they cover what a first visit usually needs: the old city, the Bosphorus, one evening out and a plan for the airport.
Why these nine
A first stay of two or three days in Istanbul usually needs one old city tour, one Bosphorus tour and one evening out. Travellers passing through need a layover plan. Some come for a specific interest, such as churches or food. The list covers each of those.
- The cheapest guided way into the old city is the Hagia Sophia (Ticket Included), Blue Mosque & Grand Bazaar Group Tour, from $120 per person for 6 hours, with entrance tickets and pick-up from central hotels included.
- The most flexible is the Best of Istanbul Private Guided Tour for 1, 2 or 3 Days, priced per group from $199 for about seven hours of guiding a day, with pick-up from your hotel or Galataport.
- The classic combination is the Istanbul Combo: City Tour and Bosphorus Cruise, from $200 per person for 6 to 8 hours.
- The palace specialist is the Private Topkapi Palace & Basilica Cistern Tour, from $236 per person, one of the few private tours on the site with the tickets already included.
The evening and the airport
Two of the best sellers are about time rather than place. The Istanbul Night Food Tour with Meyhane Experience, from $81 per person, is a four-hour evening across both continents; food and drinks are paid on the spot. The Private Istanbul Layover Tour with Airport Transfer, from $550 per person for nine hours, collects you at the airport, takes you to the Spice Market, the Bosphorus and the Grand Bazaar and brings you back for your next flight.
Reading the prices correctly
The prices on this list are not directly comparable. Most are per person, but the Best of Istanbul tour is per group, so for a family of four it can work out cheapest. Tickets are included on the Topkapi and Active Churches tours and not on the others; for Hagia Sophia and Topkapi, tickets can add a noticeable amount per person. A private van is optional on most Istanbul tours here and costs extra, but walking between the old city sights is normal and often faster than driving.
Who these suit
These nine suit first-time visitors best. If you have been to Istanbul before, the more specific lists will serve you better: our city tours include the Asian side and a modern art day, and the Bosphorus tours list has private yachts and lunch cruises. For a specific interest, the Istanbul Active Churches Tour from $115 per person visits Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches that still hold services.
A simple two-day plan
Day one: the old city in the morning, when Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are quieter, and the Topkapi tour in the afternoon on any day except Tuesday, when the palace is closed. Evening: the night food tour. Day two: the combo tour's Bosphorus half, then free time around Galata. Our Istanbul 2-day itinerary sets this out hour by hour, and the Topkapi Palace guide explains which courtyards and treasury rooms to prioritise.