Advertisement
Istanbul Tours
Private İstanbul Tour with Official Guide
5

Private İstanbul Tour with Official Guide

By Book Istanbul Tour
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
I'm an official licensed tour guide by the minister of culture and tourism of turkey more than ten years experience. I was born in Istanbul and still living here I would like to show you my city with a great knowladge and you’ll Have a priority access with me without waiting any museum queue
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 16-89
Duration: 5–6 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Fast track
  • Skip all museum queue
  • Guidance
  • Entry/Admission - Hagia Sophia Mosque
What's not included
  • basilica cistern admission fee (25 Euro)
  • Private transportation
  • topkapı palace (49 Euro)
  • Hagia Sophia Entry (€25euro)
  • Entry/Admission - Topkapı Palace
  • Entry/Admission - Basilica Cistern


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
  • The Blue Mosque, Binbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd No:10, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
    IN FROMT OF HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE
Hotel pickup offered
During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
    Port pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.
    • Galataport Istanbul, Kılıçali Paşa, Meclis-i Mebusan Cd. No: 8 İç Kapı No: 102, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
    End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • Pushchair accessible
      • Service animals allowed
      • Near public transportation
      If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 175265P3

      • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
      • Most travellers can participate
      • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
      • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

      • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

      If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 175265P3

      From
      £127.03
      per adult
      Select date and travellers
      Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

      Similar experiences

      Itinerary
      • 1
      • 2
      • 3
      • 4
      • 5
      • 6
      • 7
      About the operator
      Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
      • Book Istanbul Tour
        53
        Istanbul, Türkiye
        Joined in January 2018
      • Traveler08500494962
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Really good
        It was a really immersive tour and the guide was a really good english speaker so for tourists it is going to be easy to understand. He had all the best info and got us into the picture
        Written 13 November 2024
      • F5920QYgregh
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Only way to go
        Tanju was amazing. No way I would have ever seen the details he provided. The background and history lesson he gave made the tour far more impactful. Would not go again any other way.
        Written 3 October 2024
      • stevepR2640MH
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Tanju is an excellent guide
        Tanju was very well informed and friendly. His english was very good. Highly recommended. It was woth having a guide to skip the line and give historical context
        Written 27 September 2024
      • meith2024
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Trip to Hagia Sophia with Tanju as our guide. Beautiful architecture and the information is really helpful!
        Amazing information! Tanju was very good and informative in explaning everything. He is very helpful and gave us lots of useful information. The historical explantion really helps us to understand the beauty of Hagia Sophia even more. And no waiting needed!
        Written 27 August 2024
      • stevensP223SJ
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Excellent guide
        Very good and in depth tour. Definitely worth it. We got pictures at different generations where the building was a church, mosque and museum
        Written 27 August 2024
      • VanessaT733
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Knowledgeable guide!
        Very knowledge, friendly and great English! We enjoyed learning about what we were seeing at the Hagia Sophia! Highly recommended!
        Written 23 July 2024
      • 121leor
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Hagia Sophia: an unforgettable tour
        We knew Hagia Sophia was a shrine of beauty and history. But having Mr. Abo (Tanju!) as a guide has made our visit unforgettable. Knowledge, passion, clarity, kindness: you can't ask for more.
        Written 30 June 2024
      • owencZ2668KU
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Amazing experience and highly recommended
        Highly recommended. Was a wonderful experience and Tanju was very professional and informative. He explained in details history of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia and much more. Very kind with his time and lovely person. I would strongly recommend anyone looking to do a private guided tour.
        Written 20 June 2024
      • 381emilyp
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Highly Recommend This Tour
        We had an amazing tour of the Hagia Sofia. Mr. Abo is very knowledgeable about history and we learned so much - such interesting stories - that we would’ve missed without this tour. Highly recommend.
        Written 13 June 2024
      • NorthStar27948566067
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Reccomendation of the guide
        Nice guide, interesting stories, trying to show from the best corners. Reccomend him. It was the forst tike we visited Istambul.
        Written 1 May 2024
      • 良太並
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        The best tour in Istanbul
        This is the best tour in Istanbul because he was very kind and told us about Ayasofya. It was very interesting and beautiful place to come.
        Written 1 May 2024
      • Q6427JJmagdalenan
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Beat tour through Hagia Sophia
        The best tour guide in Istanbul!! He told us all about the important super interesting history of Hagia Sophia. We loved it!!!
        Written 25 April 2024
      • C3859CDmichelles
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Fantasic
        Tanju is amazing!! My husband Jeremy and I managed to snag a last minute tour with Tanju (found him when we were lining up for the tickets). His tour was so informational, he gave not only the history of Hagia Sophia but gave us a better understanding of Istanbul. Couldn't recommend a better person to take you around Istanbul!! Cheers, Michelle
        Written 19 April 2024
      • 337kjerstim
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Great guide
        Very knowledgeable, nice and easy going guide. Reads his group well, goes out of his way to help above and beyond what can be expected. 😊
        Written 19 April 2024
      • annemV7809YD
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Interesting visit of sainte sophie
        We had a very clear and passionate official guide for sainte sophie. Fast and efficient ! It was a good deal to skip the queue… Thank you
        Written 1 April 2024
      See all 53 reviews
      These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

      Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


      We perform checks on reviews.
      Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
      Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
      When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
      Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
      Learn more about our review moderation.
      5.0
      5.0 of 5 bubbles16 reviews
      Excellent
      16
      Very good
      0
      Average
      0
      Poor
      0
      Terrible
      0

      Alejandra A
      4 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Sept 2023 • Solo
      I had the best and complete fastest tour.
      I really recommend it. You can visit de iconic Istanbul places with the best expirience, no lines, no waiting time, and interesting data no other tours have.
      Written 27 January 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello Dear Alejandra, Thank you very much for sharing your travel experience. It was pleasure and glad to meet you Looking forward to see you again in our beautiful city Best Regards
      Written 28 January 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Andrej P.
      2 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jul 2024 • Family
      We had a great tour in the old town visiting some of the must see places such as Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Top Kapi palace and more. Tanju is a great guide, knowledgeable and very friendly. He knows the place inside out, saved us lots of time so we started tour in the right time, skipped the queues and could enjoy this wonderful places in our pace and without rush. Also he provided us with other valuable tips, showing us a great non touristy place to eat and other tips and tricks. Highly recommended!
      Written 11 July 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Alexandra N
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jun 2023 • Family
      I recommend 100% Tanju!!! He explained every thing with passion and with a family treat. He was not only the best guide ever ! He helped me to take amazing videos and professional photos with my phone. He was like family for us! I want to go back to explore Istambul and I will call Tanju again
      Written 1 February 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello Dear Alexandra, Thanks for kind review it was glad to meet you Hope to see you again in our stunning city Best Regards
      Written 3 February 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Silvena R
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Sept 2023 • Solo
      Amazing knowledge, passion and dedication to all things Istanbul! Tanju is best kept Istanbul secrets holder. I can’t recommend him enough! Was alone, felt very welcomed and looked after very well, next time I will be with my family
      Written 23 April 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Trail25247585826
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Aug 2024 • Friends
      Tanju gives a very thorough background stories of Hagia Sophia. Explaining all the various mozaics and construction details.
      Written 28 August 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Thanks a lot! Its great to hear from you and its great to hear that you enjoyed the tour
      Written 27 September 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Drake W
      San Antonio, TX54 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jul 2024 • Friends
      How beautiful is Turkey!! I enjoyed the short 2 day visit SO MUCH that I can’t wait to return to see and learn more! Had the most amazing tour guide! Tanju was extremely knowledgeable in the richness of history and culture. We had a full day of exploring Turkey by walking and subway, and taking in the beautiful views! All by way of first class treatment! No waiting in a line/queue to see all the amazing places. Tanju had wonderful suggestions on places to eat and other things to do. Next visit I will definitely try a Turkish bath!
      Overall, best experience EVER! Definitely book a tour (ask for Tanju if you can) and GO VISIT TURKEY!
      Written 18 August 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Thank you dear For kind words it was pleasure for me
      Written 23 August 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Jefferick
      Mexico City, Mexico3 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      May 2024 • Family
      Competent and professional, we had a wonderful day with Khadir, he organised everything for us. He was very patient since we had in group someone with Wheelchair. It was worth every penny
      Written 11 May 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello Dear Jeffrick, THANKS A lot for your review it was pleasure meeting you
      Written 14 June 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Maria Haddad
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      May 2023 • Couples
      Tanju was very professional, the tour was complete and very interesting, he also managed our Hotel/Airport transfert
      He is very patient and available on WhatsApp to make sure everything is ok
      I Recommend 100% !
      Written 2 March 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Theo S
      1 contribution
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jul 2023 • Friends
      Tanjur will anticipate you needs intuitively. He is very knowledgeable, pleasant, has a great sense of humor. His English is impeccable too
      Written 2 February 2024
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello Dear Theo, Thank you very much, İt was pleasure meeting you! Nice to hear that you enjoyed the tour. Hope to see you again Best Regards
      Written 3 February 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      ilhanss
      Istanbul, Türkiye53 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      He is very professional about istanbul and history. Also he is kind and friendly. I enjoyed to had a tour in istanbul by him. Realy recommend.
      Written 4 June 2022
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello Dear Ilhan, Thanks a lot for your kind review! It was great for us having you and your deraest guests in our private tour. Best Regards
      Written 9 January 2024
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Showing results 1-10 of 13
      *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

      Private İstanbul Tour with Official Guide provided by Book Istanbul Tour

      All Istanbul HotelsIstanbul Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Istanbul
      All things to do in Istanbul
      Day Trips in Istanbul
      RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire