Private Licensed Tour Guide

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya), Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet, Istanbul 34122 Turkey

Hagia Sophia Museum, a one-time mosque converted from a 6th-century Christian basilica built by Emperor Justinian I. Marvel at the incredible building and admire the interior’s glimmering, handcrafted mosaics and rich decoration.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque). Take in the immense, flat dome and famous minarets, and explore inside with your guide. Absorb the ocean of over 20,000 Iznik tiles that lend the mosque its name, and behold the magnificent, rich carpets and windows.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey

Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman court from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Now a museum, this grandiose palace is a testament to the lavish lifestyles of the sultans. Stroll through the ornate chambers, courts and gardens, and behold some of the imperial treasures, ranging from precious Chinese porcelain to jewels and relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Your tour then concludes with a hotel drop-off.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Basilica Cistern, Alemdar Mahallesi, Yerebatan Caddesi, No:1/3, Istanbul 34410 Turkey

This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was constructed using 336 columns, many of which were salvaged from ruined temples and feature fine carved capitals. Its symmetry and sheer grandeur of conception are quite breathtaking, and its cavernous depths make a great retreat on summer days.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Dolmabahce Palace, Visnezade Mahallesi Dolmabahce Cd, Istanbul 34357 Turkey

This decadent palace, which overlooks the Bosphorus from the European side, holds great importance to Turkey. The late-19th-century sultans resided here and ruled the Ottoman Empire from here, and while the Turkish Republic's capital is in Ankara, its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, stayed at the palace whenever he visited Istanbul. It was here that Atatürk took his last breath, on November 10, 1938, at 9:05 a.m.—the time displayed on the palace clocks today.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Kariye Museum (The Chora Church), Kariye Cami Sk. No: 8 Fatih, Istanbul 34087 Turkey

Chora is considered one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. Famous for its late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, Chora is one of the most important Byzantine sites in Istanbul. The first church was known as Chora, which carried the double meaning of being affiliated to a monastery outside the city walls, and of one of the adjectives used to describe Jesus ‘’the widest sphere enclosed by man’s spiritual world’’. The church was built in the 6th century. Later destroyed in an earthquake, the church was rebuilt in the 11th century.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkey

Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the most famous and oldest covered bazaars in the city. The market was the international trade centre of the Ottoman. Today, it is a colourful and authentic bazaar famous for its herbalists and many interesting souvenirs.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Grand Bazaar Jewelers, Alemdar Mah. Bab-I Ali Cad. Guran Han No:34 D. 4 Fatih, Istanbul 34110 Turkey

Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest covered markets. Scout around some of the 4,000 stalls and get haggling tips from your guide on buying everything from leatherware to perfumes, gold and spices.

Duration: 1 hour