Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar

Istanbul, Turkey

This comprehensive sightseeing tour of Istanbul provides the perfect introduction to the fabled city that spans Asia and Europe. On this one day sightseeing tour you will see how old meets new when you visit Istanbul's four "must-see" historic sites.

Formally called Constantinople, Istanbul was the capital of the Roman Empire and Europe's wealthiest metropolis, and is now the largest city in Turkey.

Blue Mosque:
One of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style. The mosque has six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.

Hagia Sophia:
Now a museum, Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent museums in the world. Take a moment to linger here to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics. (closed on Monday)

Topkapi Palace:
The largest and oldest palace in the world, Topkapi is the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire. With its treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a truly fascinating experience. (closed on Tuesday)

Grand Bazaar:
In operation since the 14th century, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world's largest covered markets, with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. The bazaar is specially known for its jewelry, leather, pottery, spices and carpets. (closed on Sunday additional time will be spent at the other locations)

Special Offer - Book and travel between before July 31, 2012 and get 8% on the recommended retail price. - Book Now!

USD $69.00

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Nancy S	April 2012
This was a fantastic trip. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The tour guide made the trip truly worth while. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Turkey and Istanbul. The lunch was delicious. A lot of walking was involved, but it was well worth it. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Review by: Ed	March 2012
Great tour, for sure in the morning, the guide was clear and professional, showing us all the highlights of the city and great views. The only remark we have is the time spent at the carpet market, this was definitely too long as we had no interest in buying carpets or jewelery, but other people liked it, so, this is a personal opinion.

Review by: Ann L	March 2012
thorough and helpful....loved Oscar our guide's unique input, especially the lunch and carpet demo given by rug company

Review by: Lyndon B	February 2012
Tour was decent and thankfully was a small group. Guide seemed a bit uninterested and quickly rushed us from one location to the other. Then he just left us at the spice bazaar and took off - only noting that the driver would just drop us back. Oh well, I learned a bit of history, but wasn't the most memorable guided tour experience.

Review by: Carla F	January 2012
Our guide was great!

Review by: Richard S	January 2012
Enjoyed very very much. Very good guide

Review by: Gabor S	December 2011
As everyone else has noted, the show was excellent. The only disappointment, as everyone else noted, was that the drive was essentially a hotel-to-show transfer.

Review by: Vairavan N	December 2011
Good tour - there was no one else that day, so I ended up on a personal tour with my guide. Really enjoyed myself

Review by: Rita K	December 2011
Very knowledgeable and caring tour guide.

Review by: Timothy C	November 2011
Overall, very good. We were disappointed that we did not go to the Grand Bazaar. Did not like going to a carpet store. Our guide was excellent.

Review by: Mazza	November 2011
The guide was excellent ( hence the 3 stars )and pick up good._br/_ Sadly we were NOT informed beforehand that Grand Bazaar was closed on Sundays and which was on our original itinerary .We ended up paying for ourselves to enter Harem in Topkapi ( very interesting )as we had more time there._br/_ The meal at the Topkapi restaurant was very poor - typical tourist fodder and not half as appetising as they were giving to other paid customers of the restaurant. We were put in a separate area for groups._br/_ Overall rather disappointing ( except for the guide) and NOT up to the usual high standards of Viator.

Review by: Raul F	November 2011
Our experience exceeded our expectations and our Tourist guide, Daria, added colour to it as she was so knowledgeable and friendly.

Review by: Laurie	October 2011
Excellent tour. Although a long day it is a must for anyone who has not been to Istanbul before. All the main historical sites were within a short walking distance and those not were a comfortable coach trip away. The guide was so very professional and pleasant. Her care and compassion for those elderly and with minor disabilities was much appreciated. The guide made the day with her knowledge and ability to communicate it to all persons. aged and young. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the water and the European Turkey. The lunch was plenty and quite tasty and enjoyed by all. We did this tour on the first day of our four day stay in Istanbul and it set us up for a greater understanding of the history and culture of Istanbul and indeed Turkey which made our sightseeing more pleasant and meaningful. I highly recommend this tour.

Review by: Loren G	October 2011
I was told I could see Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar in one tour on same day. Although printed on the invoice/ itinerary as a monday tour, I was told after arriving Hagia Sophia was not open on Mondays. I had already planned and paid for other activities for the next couple of days and could not work it in as the Hagai Sophia closes at 4pm. So I was not able to see Hagia Sophia and nobody seemed to gave a crap.

Review by: Gemma	October 2011
We enjoyed it. We were glad we did not have to stand in line, almost everywhere we go, our guide just took us to the gate and walked us right in. Saved us a lot of time if we try to go on our own. Our guide spoke very good English and explain everything to our satisfactory.

Review by: Lucy D	October 2011
I was really looking forward to this tour but was extremely disappointed. Our guide provided no historical context to Istanbul and why we were seeing the 3 main sites. She took us to the Blue Mosque first and proceeded to drone on about the thousands of tiles but offered little historical information. The Hagia Sophia was similarly underwhelming. She failed to ask pertinent questions such as the significance of worshipping in the Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque, for people worshipping in medieval times.

Review by: colleen l	October 2011
The tour was good. The restaurant was not great where we ate. The guide was obliging but not incredibly knowledgeable.

Review by: Nadia F	October 2011
This tour was great a little rushed for theobviousso much to see in one day. Hard with kids.

Review by: kevin b	October 2011
Had a great experience, although our hotel was not on the official pick up list, a quick phone call and it was arranged. Omar arrived right on time and his knowledge of Istanbul was outstanding. We will certainly use Viator again.

Review by: omar b	October 2011
Our guide did not have a good command of the English language - halting talk on the subject matter, no comments whatsoever on other points of interests. We were left practically to fend for our selves. Taken to a carpet factory when we were not interested in carpets.

Review by: Henry B	September 2011
Excellent guide who had a wealth of knowledge

Review by: Doug S	September 2011
knowledgable guide but spoke very fast, and with so many people around, it was sometimes hard to follow. Lunch was only satisfactory. Too bad we didn't get to see rugs being made. Was length of time at Rug store really supposed to be part of the trip. However, very good presentation at rug store.

Review by: Gill	August 2011
This trip was brilliant from start to finish. Nothing more needs to be said apart it is a must do trip.

Review by: Sau Yung H	August 2011
Very nice tour guide, every thing went smoothly, a wonderful introduction to Istanbul if your time is limited

Review by: M	August 2011
We did see what was on the list...and had an additional stop "to see how carpets were made"-which was actually a sales pitch on carpets...could have done without that. The guide was good at leading us quickly through the crowded streets, but together with the sounds of the other tours around us and our guide having an extremely thick accent, we aware unable to make out about 75% of what he was saying. Quite a shame, as I really wanted to learn! Must say that compared ot other Viator tours I have taken, this one was a disappointment.

Review by: Peter H	August 2011
Very good and very informative

Review by: honeymooners	July 2011
Love love loved this tour!! Omar our tour guide was amazing!!!! He was so informative and gave us such a personalized account of Istanbul. We were picked-up where our ship docked, and were taken to all the great sites Istanbul has to offer. We were given ample time to take pictures and have free time at each stop. We had a delicious lunch, and even got to see the cistern and some amazing carpets. This was such an amazing tour and I would do it again!!!

Review by: divya m	July 2011
Onkush was a great guide, very informative and very helpful. My family throrughly enjoyed themselves.

Review by: Robert F	July 2011
Great choice of sights and the guide was very knowledgeable. There's some walking in steep stairs required, so elderly people or people with joint aches, be advised. The only thing that keeps me from giving five stars is the included lunch which, while edible, was the least delicious meal during my eight days in istanbul.

Review by: Carl R	July 2011
The outline of the tour was excelent. Our tour guide was inadequate for the tour. He knew his information but failed to relate to his group.

Review by: Santan M	July 2011
The pickup from our hotel was timely. we had a very good guide who knew the subject very well. I am really surprised how viator can afford a full time guide even for 5 people. You guys are great. My travel agent did provide me with another sightseeing tour gude but they were pathetic not as professional as viator. Now am planning to visit the far east, will definitely look up to viator.

Review by: Mayra v P	June 2011
Great culture, fantastic places and enjoyable tour. Would definitely recommend it.

Review by: Monica G	June 2011
we couldn't see Hagia Sofhia.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	June 2010
Excellent introduction to Istanbul - knowledgeable guide - only 2 in the group - so it was a very individual service. These are the main sites to visit and you haven't been to Istanbul if you haven't visited them.

Review by: Howard W, United States of America	June 2010
The guide wasready and waiting for us at our ship. She knew her subject well and was concerned about our questions and concerns. She knew exactly when to leave our last stop to get us back to the ship ahead of time.

Review by: Kristin G, United States of America	June 2010
We did this private tour from our cruise ship and we're so glad we did! It was a MUCH smaller group and it was half the price! Our guide was very knowledgeable and spoke perfect English. The lunch at Topaki Palace was delicious! Only one suggestion skip the rug sales pitch and allow more shopping time at the Grand Bazaar.

Review by: Cosmin C, Norway	June 2010
extremely knowledgeable guide, the perfect solution for one day tour. Very good food, and nice location. Very punctual and taking care of all the logistic details.

Review by: Anonymous, Austria	May 2010
Only 3 on our tour and our guide was a fountain of knowledge. Lunch was fine. The carpet sales pitch seems obligatory but interesting facts and chance to observe some cultural differences. Not always enough time to explore each sight but a great introduction.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
This tour was complete with a visit to three landmarks along with a wonderful lunch! The tour guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. We were on a cruise and opted for this tour instead of the cruise one which did not include lunch, after sharing experiences with others on the cruise, it seems like we got the most bang for our buck. My only suggestion would be to limit the carpet demo time, we spent over an hr - where yes they show you these phenomenal carpets, but if you're not interested in purchasing any it becomes almost like a time share demonstration - we felt very uncomfortable and we lost valuable time from shopping in the Bazzar. My understanding though is that this carpet demo takes place with all tours including the ship tours - they seem to have some money into this and therefore all tours have this.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
Excellent! Very informative regarding history and architecture

Review by: Aarushi A, India	May 2010
The city is stunning. A perfect confluence of East & West, old & new and the the tour is a must. The sights without the history behind each are not complete. Our guide was particularly good. Complimentary Lunch with the Bosphorus view is nice but dont keep very high expectations. Skip the carpet making and spend more time at the sites - absolutely breathtaking. The taxi is not too crowded and hence very pleasant and personalized. Highly recommend....

Review by: Andrea W, United States of America	April 2010
Included the most important things to see in Istanbul. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke perfect English. You must see the stops on this tour while in Istanbul. It would be good it this tour included the cistern which was in the same area and alos a must see venue.

Review by: Susan Y, United States of America	April 2010
We were lucky to be the only group in the tour. So, it was like a private tour. Our guide is very friendly and knowledgeable. Her English is excellent without accent. We are very pleased and satisfied how we were introduced to another part of the world. We will be back again!

Review by: Pramita B, France	April 2010
Our guide was very knowledgeable and was able to share interesting details about all the historic sites. The lunch in a cafe overlooking the Bosphorus was very nice. The guide also gave us good tips about restaurants and other places we could visit on our own.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	April 2010
Guide was pleasant and extremely knowledgeable. The tour was adjusted based on our feedback to go to less crowded sites. Would highly recommend.

Review by: Prabhu M, India	March 2010
I am really amazed by the service, there is absolutely no trouble. These guys were really professional and they were are on time to pick me up from my hotel and dropped me back to the hotel after completing the tour. The guide is full of knowledge, he explained everything in detail. Though I missed the Grand Bazaar because of Sunday, I enjoyed seeing Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace.

Review by: Scott C, United States of America	March 2010
I reserved my day tour online and didn't think about it again until the day before when I called to reserve my hotel pickup time. Everything went perfectly, and our guide was outstanding. I would use this site again in a heartbeat.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2010
Exceptional guide and lunch - good value!

Review by: Tracy H, United States of America	February 2010
Our tour guide was very helpful and answered many of our questions about the history and area of Istanbul.

Review by: Jackie K, Malaysia	January 2010
The tour is great and I would recommend it to everyone. The tour guide and drivers are friendly and informative. Pick ups are on time. Initially I was hesitant to book over the internet but after this good experience I will choose Viator again. It would be clearer if Viator would note that the Grand Bazaar is not open on Sundays.