Visit Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, museums, structures, neighborhoods on one of these top Istanbul sightseeing tours. Take a sightseeing tour of Istanbul and learn from the professional guides as they show you the best sights of the city. Enjoy the exciting historical and cultural facts about the city on these top rated and most visited landmarks and city walking tours, a double decker bus tour, a Bosphorus cruise, etc.
Which Sightseeing Tour Should I Take?
Here, we only suggest the proven tours and top rated ones with travelers’ comments. And they are only English.
Highlights of Istanbul: 1 or 2-Day Private Guided Tour
This is Get Your Guide’s top selling and certified tour, which means it has gained one of the best traveler experiences. Has great traveler ratings and comments.
You’ll discover the magic of Istanbul on a private 1 or 2-day walking tour with skip the line tickets. Enjoy a river cruise and guided tour of the city highlights, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palace, and Istiklal Street.
Duration: 7 hours – 2 days
Live tour guide: English, Spanish, German, Japanese
Pick-up from the front desk of your hotel in Istanbul
Book Highlights of Istanbul Guided Tour
Just click the red button above to buy your 1 or 2 Day Private Guided Tour of Istanbul online. We recommend you book in advance to guarantee your place.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts
Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Tour
This is also Get Your Guide’s top selling tour. Has great traveler ratings and comments.
You’ll see the sights of Istanbul that most interest you on a customized tour with private guide. Marvel at some of the city’s most significant sights including Topkapi Palace, Chora Church, Basilica Cistern, Fener-Balat neighboorhood, and many more.
Duration: 7 hours – 3 days
Live tour guide: Spanish, English, French, German, Italian
Pickup is available from centrally-located hotels in Istanbul, by your guide on foot.
Book Istanbul 1, 2 or 3-Day Guided Tour
Just click the red button above to buy your 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Tour of Istanbul online. We recommend you book in advance to guarantee your place.
No Regrets Booking Advice
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity starts
Tour of the City on Hop-on Hop-off Double Decker Bus
Istanbul Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour is a cheap way to discover and explore the popular zones of Istanbul which you just couldn’t walk to and see in one day. The sightseeing bus runs every 30/60 minutes and lets you see the most popular popular sights along the interesting and different districts and neighborhoods of the city. And what is great that you can all do it in a couple of hours.
The city sightseeing bus runs every 30/60 minutes and lets you see the most popular popular sights along the interesting and different districts and neighborhoods of the city. And what is great that you can all do it in a couple of hours.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- 1-Day Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus Tour with Commentary (best price, audio guide will lead you for all)
- Two Continents Evening Bus Tour with Commentary (evening bus tour is also fantastic)
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A Tour of Hagia Sophia
This is our collaborator providing in-depth guided tours in English to Istanbul’s most visited attractions. They offer Hagia Sophia guidance with fast track entry tickets. You’ll save time with skip the long queues. A great value for money. And free cancellation with a FULL REFUND up to 24 hours in advance.
You’ll enjoy Hagia Sophia with one of the few historian guides available in Istanbul, who will tell you about each detail and story about the museum, and you’ll have a detailed look at the architecture, mosaics, construction, the imperial dome, upper galleries and the decoration from the past and today that tell the story of Hagia Sophia.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket & Museum Option (fastest option and cheapest price on net from the official seller)
- Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour (again fastest option and one of the best)
- Combo: Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia Tour (a superb one, one of the best)
- Combo: Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia Tour (one of the best)
- Combo Ticket & Tour (all in one - Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace & Basilica Cistern, our favorite, no need to look for else, trust us)
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Topkapi Palace Museum
A must visit place, a magnificent oriental palace, one of world’s richest museums, as well as one of the world’s greatest architectural works.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide (one of the best one and number1 selling ticket)
- Topkapi Palace & Harem Guided Tour with Skip-the-line Entry Ticket (again one of the best and cheapest price on net)
- Combo Ticket & Tour (all top-3 one - Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace & Basilica Cistern, our favorite, no need to look for else, trust us)
- Istanbul Must See Highlights Tour (another combo with Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque & Bosphorus Cruise)
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A Tour of Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Square
This is offered by Istanbul Welcome Card and we highly recommend. You’ll discover and enjoy all the historical buildings from outside that surround the ancient imperial square of Istanbul. Between the monuments, your guide will take you through the ages of Istanbul – from antiquity to modern times.
During this tour, we will discover all the historical buildings from outside that surround the ancient imperial square of Istanbul. Between the monuments, your guide will take you through the ages of Istanbul – from antiquity to modern times.
Our website visitors will get 5% extra discount. Just click the red button below and make sure you see the discounted price on the official page.
Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Square Tour & Historian Guide
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Dolmabahce Palace Museum
One of the most glorious palaces situated on the banks of Bosphorus in Besiktas. The whole palace building is breath taking.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Dolmabahce Palace Admission and Guided Tour (superb one, quick entrance, pro guide will lead you for all)
- Dolmabahce Palace Admission and Guided Tour (another superb one)
- Guided Istanbul Tour: Bosphorus Cruise with Dolmabahce Palace Ticket (very good combo)
- Dolmabahce Palace Entry with Guided Tour Skip The Ticket Line (good one)
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Bosphorus Cruises & Boat Tours
This is a popular, unique and fantastic forms of entertainment and sightseeing during your Istanbul stay. It is also one of the best ways to discover and enjoy the most beautiful sights and sounds of the city over the sea. Typical Bosphorus Cruise start from the Eminonu pier in every hour.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Bosphorus Dinner Cruise & Show with Private Table (the best dinner cruise, over 12.000 reviews, check them and enjoy)
- Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht 1 (the best sunset, on yacht, don't miss)
- Bosphorus on Yacht Cruise with Stopover on Asian Side (great with stopover at Kanlica, we highly recommend)
- Sunset or Daytime Yacht Tour w/AudioGuide & Snacks (superb yacht cruise)
- Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht 2 (another great sunset, on yacht, don't miss)
- Bosphorus Luxury Catamaran Cruise with Dinner Show (superb dinner cruise on a catamaran, don't miss!)
- All Inclusive Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Private Table (great dinner cruise, check it out)
- Bosphorus Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht 3 (superb sunset, on yacht, don't miss)
- Maiden's Tower Ticket w/ Transfer & Audio Guide (cheapest price, the only Maiden's Tower fast track entry online ticket)
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Bosphorus Cruises on a Private Yacht
You can enjoy an exclusive sightseeing experience on the Bosphorus from the private deck of your yacht on a 2 to 3 hours private cruise past some of Istanbul’s most famous sites.
You’ll admire the beautiful scenery with 360 degree views from the spacious upper fly-bridge, or enjoy relaxing in comfort on the sun deck or in the comfortable outdoor and indoor lounges.
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Galata Tower and Walking Tour
Galata Tower, topped with a distinctive witch’s-hat roof, is one of the most impressive and popular landmarks in Istanbul.
Dating back to 14th century, the tower is an old Genoese tower overlooking the beautiful Istanbul and has a massive cone shaped structure that was built at approximately 38 meters above the sea level and rises to a height of 62 meters above its base.
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Princes’ Islands Tours
Once was the pleasure island of Byzantine Princes, and with its stunning pinewood scenery, the Princes’ Islands are one of the best preserved natural areas and sights in Istanbul. You can take a 1 hour cruise to the islands, have a great day out by full tour of the island on the horse-drawn carriage, rest in a cafe by the sea, a lunch at a local fish restaurant. Or you can have a romantic overnight stay in one of the pretty hotels on the island.
We recommend the below ticket options for the great value for money.
- Round-Trip Ticket for Princes’ Island Ferry & Audio Guide
- Princes’ Islands Cruise w/Music, Lunch & Transfer
- Full-Day Princes Island Tour with Lunch from Istanbul
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Tour the city’s popular sights on bike
Being outdoors and touring the popular tourist spots on bike is definitely a great attraction. Wind through the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sultanahmet. Explore the Golden Horn, the hub of culture and entertainment in the Beyoglu district. Navigate the maze of vendors selling Turkish rugs, spices and lamps in the Grand Bazaar. Marvel at the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia.
Wanna learn more about Istanbul on bike and best bike tours?
Tourist Discount Cards & Tickets Advice
Istanbul has several tourist discount cards. You’ll have access to variety of major Istanbul attractions and services with a fixed price and save a lot. This is by far the most practical and cheapest way to explore Istanbul, as well as get airport transfer, public transportation card, unlimited internet, etc. Below you can see our recommendations. There is also Museum Pass for museum lovers.
Online City Pass – Istanbul E-Pass
This is a digital travel discount pass that is delivered to your phone upon your purchase online, and will be ready to use at your arrival. It includes 30+ attractions and services including skip the line access and guided museum tours, dinner cruise, hop-on & hop-off Bus, airport transfer, etc.
Buy Your Istanbul E-Pass
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Online City Pass – Istanbul Tourist Pass
Istanbul Tourist Pass is a digital travel discount card that provides entrance and transportation tickets to many of Istanbul’s top tourist attractions along with several guided museum tours with skip-the-line access in a simple, useful, convenient and fun way.
Rather than paying for each item individually, the pass allows you to choose from 75+ things to do in Istanbul so you can pack as much into your stay as possible for a single set price. You’ll get valuable discounts of up to 75%.
After you purchase the pass, it will be delivered to mobile phone and will be ready to use at upon arrival. There are four types of Istanbul Tourist Pass (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10-Day).
Buy Your Istanbul Tourist Pass Online Now
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