Anatolia Journeys — Istanbul

Istanbul Private Day Tour — Old City & Bosphorus

~9 hoursPrivate · up to 15 guestsEnglish & Arabic-speakingHotel pickup included

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Licensed · TÜRSAB #14316

From

€190

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Date

Private daily departures — reserve your date early.

Guests

Vehicle class

We'll confirm availability and pricing directly with you — never a third-party booking site.

Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before the tour
No prepaymentPay after we confirm availability & price
Fast confirmationUsually within hours, by WhatsApp

A private Istanbul city tour is a full-day chauffeured visit (about 9 hours) to Istanbul's most iconic sites — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Grand Bazaar and the Bosphorus waterfront — without the fixed schedule of a group bus tour. You travel in a private Mercedes (Vito, Sprinter, VIP or Maybach) with a professional driver, hotel pickup and drop-off included, at a flat per-vehicle price for up to 6 guests. The route and pace are flexible, so families, couples and small groups can linger at what interests them and skip what doesn't. A licensed English or Arabic-speaking guide can be added on request.

شاهد هذه الجولة بالعربية ←

Highlights

Hippodrome of Constantinople
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar
Bosphorus waterfront drive (Ortaköy & Dolmabahçe)

Meeting point

Private hotel pickup: Istanbul hotels (European & Asian side). Your chauffeur meets you in the hotel lobby at the agreed time — no station or car park to find.

Know before you go

Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Museum & site entrance fees are paid on-site and not included.
Your route and pace are flexible — tell your driver your priorities.
Lunch is at your own arrangement; your driver recommends good local spots.
We confirm your exact pickup time with you the day before.

Hour-by-Hour Itinerary

These times are a flexible guide, not fixed slots — no need to lock an exact hour. Your driver adapts the day to your pace.

08:30Admission included
Hotel pickup in Istanbul
Private pickup from your hotel; short drive to the Old City (Sultanahmet).
09:00Admission included
Hippodrome of Constantinople
Former chariot-racing square with the Egyptian Obelisk and German Fountain.
09:20Admission included
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
Six-minaret 17th-century mosque directly across from Hagia Sophia.
10:00
Hagia Sophia
Byzantine cathedral turned Ottoman mosque, now a working mosque — exterior and courtyard orientation, interior visit if open to visitors that day.
10:40
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan)
The atmospheric 6th-century underground Byzantine cistern beneath the Old City — a forest of 336 columns, soft lighting and the famous Medusa-head column bases.
11:20
Topkapı Palace (exterior / optional interior)
Former Ottoman imperial palace overlooking the Bosphorus; interior visit available as an add-on if you want more time inside.
13:00
Lunch break
Your driver recommends nearby restaurants; lunch is at your own arrangement (not included).
13:50
Süleymaniye Mosque
Sinan's grand imperial mosque crowning the third hill, with sweeping Golden Horn views — quieter and, to many, grander than the Blue Mosque.
14:30Admission included
Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar
Two of the world's oldest covered markets — carpets, jewelry, spices, Turkish delight.
15:45
Balat & Fener
A relaxed photo walk through the rainbow-coloured Ottoman houses and steep historic lanes of Istanbul's most photogenic old neighbourhoods.
16:45Admission included
Bosphorus waterfront drive (Ortaköy & Dolmabahçe)
Scenic drive along the Bosphorus shoreline past Ortaköy Mosque and the exterior of Dolmabahçe Palace.
17:30Admission included
Return to Istanbul hotel
Comfortable return drop-off at your hotel.

1Hippodrome of Constantinople09:00
2Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)09:20
3Hagia Sophia10:00
4Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan)10:40
5Topkapı Palace (exterior / optional interior)11:20
6Süleymaniye Mosque13:50
7Grand Bazaar & Spice Bazaar14:30
8Balat & Fener15:45
9Bosphorus waterfront drive (Ortaköy & Dolmabahçe)16:45

What's Included

Private Mercedes + professional driver
Hotel pickup & drop-off
Fuel, parking, tolls
Bottled water
Flexible itinerary

What's Not Included

Lunch & drinks
Museum/palace entrance fees (Hagia Sophia interior, Topkapı Palace interior)
Licensed guide (add-on)
Bosphorus cruise boat ticket

Customize Your Tour / Add-ons

Licensed English/Arabic-speaking guide
Price on request
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Extra hours
Price on request
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Additional stop / custom route
Price on request
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Child seat
Price on request
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Bosphorus cruise boat upgrade
Price on request
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Vehicle upgrade (VIP / Maybach)
Price on request
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

You can add a licensed English/Arabic-speaking guide, extra hours, additional stops, a child seat, a Bosphorus cruise upgrade, or upgrade the vehicle to VIP or Maybach. Extras are priced on request — just message us on WhatsApp.

No — entrance fees for Hagia Sophia's interior, Topkapı Palace and other sites are paid on-site and are not included in the tour price. Your driver will guide you on current ticket prices.

Per vehicle — one flat price covers up to 6 guests in a Vito, so it is great value for families and groups touring together.

Yes. Because this is a private tour with a flexible schedule, your driver can build short breaks for prayer times into the day at your request. Both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are active places of worship, so modest dress is required to enter: women should bring a headscarf and wear long sleeves and long pants or a skirt, and men should wear long trousers (shorts are not permitted). A few scarves are usually available at the entrance if needed, but bringing your own is more comfortable.