Istanbul · ISTANBUL OLD CITY TOURS
Everything in Sultanahmet is a ten-minute walk from everything else, which is exactly why the day falls apart without a plan. These 15 cover the guided runs through the monuments, priced, timed and clear on which tickets are included.
Meet at Beethoven Senfoni Hotel in Istanbul’s Old City for a private hamam ritual with body scrub and foam massage. Add a 30, 50, or 75-minute massage, sauna, steam room, and face mask. Female therapists, towels, slippers, tea, coffee, and water are included.
“Everything was great....from the place till the manager and the masseur's!!”
Start near the Blue Mosque at Just Bar, meet hosts such as Maral, Sara, or Eli, play drinking games, then ride toward Taksim for several clubs. This English-language crawl lasts about seven hours and suits solo visitors and social groups who want organized nightlife.
“Fun experience meeting new people, drinking and going to Turkish night clubs. Hosts were friendly and handled the event really well. Played fun games to break the ice in the beginning. One of the best parts was the party bus where the whole group was having a rave in the bus. Highly recommended.”
Meet at the German Fountain for a three-hour walking tour of Sultanahmet, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. A guide such as Emre, Beritan, Ece, or Huseyin explains the sites, answers questions, and helps you make sense of Istanbul’s layered past. Group size is capped at 12.
“I had a great experience with the tour guy being well versus an explaining the history to us and attentive since I’m a solo traveler he was able to take a couple picture for me and I was very appreciatedI had a great experience with the tour guide. He was attentive and explained the history to us. Since I was a solo traveler, he was able to take a couple of pictures for me, which I greatly appreciated.”
Step into Sultan Mehmed Hammam inside Ramada by Wyndham Sultanahmet for a 50 to 115-minute Turkish bath. Choose a public, private, or VIP session with sauna, steam, kese scrub, foam wash, massage, face mask, tea, and coffee.
“Such a great experience!! only thing I regret is not booking a longer massage session. Heads up for women that want to use the sauna and steam room without running into any men, book the earliest session on a weekday when they are not as busy. I wear a hijab and was able to do all the things without running into any men so I didn't have to skip any of the experiences or worry about covering up.”
At this small-group Old Town workshop, you’ll learn the story and basic techniques of Turkish mosaic lamps, then build your own design from colored glass pieces and beads. Esra and Dila help with color choices and technique. Coffee, snacks, protective packaging, an LED bulb, and a US adaptor are included.
“This was a great experience. Ezra did a great job explaining how to decorate our mosaic lamps. There were many colored to chose from . Ezra also gave good ideas on which colors looked good together . You can't beat this price and you get to take home a lamp that actually works.”
Spend seven hours with a private licensed guide exploring Istanbul’s Old City. Visit Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, and possibly Basilica Cistern, with a flexible pace and help buying priority tickets.
“We did a one day walking tour of Istanbul. Our guide Sel was friendly and super knowledgeable, provided a lot of color and history about everything we were seeing. Also worked in a delicious stop for lunch. Highly recommend, especially if you have a limited time to see the city.”
See Istanbul’s essential old-city sights, eat a three-course Turkish lunch, browse the Grand and Spice Bazaars, and cruise between Europe and Asia. Expect hotel pickup, groups of up to 18, mosque dress rules, plenty of walking, and possible guide changes between tour sections.
“This was a great full day tour that was very well paced and included a lot of major attractions with lunch just adding to the experience. Our guide Muzaffer was so knowledgeable and helpful and kept us on schedule. Pick up and drop off were spot on. Highly Recommended!”
Ride a Segway through Istanbul’s Old Town with an English-speaking guide, often led by Tarik. After a short practice session, visit Beyazıt, Süleymaniye Mosque, the Valens Aqueduct, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square, and Gulhane Park in a small group of up to seven.
“Tarik was incredibly knowledgeable and good humoured. Segway was so much fun to ride around and a brilliant way to see many things in a shorter amount of time without tiring”
Start near the German Fountain with an English-speaking guide such as Ennis or Yunus, then walk through Istanbul’s Old City, visiting mosques, Hagia Sophia, royal tombs, Constantine’s Column, and the Grand Bazaar. Finish with Turkish delight, fruit tea, rooftop views, and practical restaurant advice.
“Great walk, lots of interesting information. Ennis answered lots of questions, helped us with exploring public transportation and suggested some cheaper places to eat and shop Highly recommend”
Take an English-hosted shuttle from Sultanahmet Square to Istanbul Aquarium, then follow a 1.2-kilometer route through 17 ocean and rainforest settings. Your ticket covers roundtrip transport and separate-entry admission, but you should confirm the pickup point by phone before departure.
“Good experience inside the aquarium The guide was very late during pickup”
At Cagaloglu Hammam in Istanbul’s Old City, you move from warm room to steamy marble hot room for a traditional scrub and foam massage. Separate men’s and women’s sections, English service, towels, slippers, tea, and Turkish delight make this a polished introduction to Ottoman bathing culture.
“AMAZING experience. Felt clean and fresh from head to toe. Scrubbed dead skin off and lathered and got bubbled up, and massaged. Just remember to take a brush or comb.”
Spend about 10 hours seeing Istanbul’s Ottoman, Byzantine, Greek Orthodox, and Bulgarian landmarks, with a Turkish lunch and Bosphorus cruise included. You’ll ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, use boat Wi-Fi, and visit major sights with a local guide. Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace admission costs extra.
“The tour was quite educational, with a guide who demonstrated extensive knowledge about each site. He allowed sufficient time for photographs and personal exploration when needed. However, the night boat tour felt excessively long, leading me to disembark early when we returned to the dock to pick up additional tourists. I rated it four stars because the guide often neglected to ensure the group was together when moving to the next location; he would simply proceed without checking on everyone. I suggest bringing a headscarf, as it is required in most exhibits, and purchasing your Hagia Sophia Mosque ticket online to avoid higher charges. For first-time visitors to the country,…”
Spend about three hours walking Istanbul’s Old City with a guide such as Erol, Tolga, Kim, or Huseyin. Visit the Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Sultanahmet Square, and Grand Bazaar, with time for Turkish delights and optional carpet shopping.
“Tolga was the best tour guide!!! We were so lucky that it ended up being a private tour as it was only me and my husband. Tolga knows it all! He has been providing tours for over a decade and really knows all the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Turkish history. We really appreciated his knowledge and kindness! Sadly the Blue Mosque was closed for renovations the one day we had the tour but Tolga explained a lot about it and let us know the opening times to go the following day. We also learned a lot about Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome. He also answered several questions I had about…”
Ride through Istanbul’s Old City for three to four hours with a guide such as Tarik, using a headset to follow the stories. You’ll see Sultanahmet, the Hippodrome, major mosques, the Valens Aqueduct, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapı Palace from outside. Small groups are capped at eight people.
“Terik was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable about the city and it’s history. He was very patient and stopped any time for me to take pictures. It was one of the best Segway tours I’ve ever done!”
Ride through Istanbul’s Old City on a small-group afternoon Segway tour led by guides such as Tarik. You’ll learn the story behind major landmarks, use a personal audio headset, and cover more ground than on foot. No monument interiors are included.
“Incredibly informative and fun! Our guide was fantastic. Perfect way to get an overview of the city.”
A boat, a dome, a bathhouse or a coach out of town.
