Private Tour: Istanbul’s Ottoman Experience Including Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque | 4 hours

15 Reviews | Istanbul
From $265.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
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Private Tour: Istanbul’s Ottoman Experience Including Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque
2 Adults x $415.00
$830.00
Approx Total
$830.00
Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Local guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Guaranteed to skip the long ticket lines
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
  • Entrance to Harem Section in Topkapi Palace

Overview

Discover three top Istanbul attractions in the city’s UNESCO-listed Sultanahmet neighborhood on a 4-hour private tour! While learning about the Ottoman days of Istanbul, when the city was known as Constantinople, visit the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Hear tales of the extravagant sultans who typified the city under Ottoman rule, and ogle incredible architecture and artifacts inside each of the city landmarks.

Itinerary

  • Hippodrome

    Hop out of your minivan in Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s UNESCO-listed historical heart, and wander through the Hippodrome — your first attraction of the tour. The hub of daily life during its Ottoman-era heyday, the Hippodrome was once a vast arena with galleries where people from all walks of life would gather for political meetings, chariot races and even riots. Today, the historical site exists as a city park that’s popular with locals and visitors alike. Pose for photos in front of the Obelisk of Theodosius, a gift to the city from Egypt, and then continue by foot to the nearby Blue Mosque.

    30 minutes

  • Blue Mosque

    After marveling at the mosque’s iconic six minarets, head inside the famous place of worship to see the thousands of Iznik tiles that cascade a sea of blue throughout the building’s interior. An incredible example of classical Ottoman architecture, the Blue Mosque was built on the orders of Sultan Ahmet I who demanded a place of worship to rival the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia — another of Sultanahmet’s impressive mosques.

    45 minutes

  • TopkapI Palace

    Take some time to explore inside with your private guide, and then walk over to Topkapi Palace, the final attraction visited on your tour. Once the lavish abode of eccentric 15th-century sultans and their harems, Topkapi Palace now leads a tamer existence as one of the city’s top museums. Browse the exhibits that feature artifacts and ornamentation from Ottoman days, and hear colorful stories about the characters who lived in one of Istanbul’s most ostentatious palaces.

    1 hour 30 minutes

  • Sultanahmet District

    Leave Topkapi Palace, and stroll the short distance to your minivan to finish your tour with a drop-off at your European-side hotel or at the start point in the center of town. Please note: On Fridays the Blue Mosque will be closed until 2.30pm for prayer, this will be replaced with a visit to Rustem Pasha Mosque

    15 minutes

  • German Fountain

    It was built in Germany and moved by ships and its construction was completed in Istanbul.

    10 minutes

  • Hagia Irene Museum

    The Hagia Irene located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace is the oldest church of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine).

    30 minutes

  • Obelisk of Theodosius

    Obelisk of Theodosius: obelisk, originally erected for king Thutmose III of Egypt but transferred to Constantinople

    15 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Confirmation for this product will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
  • In the event of any museum or mosque closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited
  • Not recommended for children aged 4 and under
  • During religious holidays July 28, 29 and 30 and October 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2014 the Spice market and Grand Bazaar will be closed

Free Cancellation

June 10100% refund
June 11No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Reviews

4.5

15 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    10
  • 4 stars
    4
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 10 reviews with 5 stars

Excellent

Published on Jul, 2023

Excellent tour guide made it special Very informative Interesting Places were beatiful Tour was worth it

Excellent historical tour of Topkapi Palace and the Hippodrome

Published on Apr, 2018

I was in Istanbul on a tight timeframe and scheduled an independent tour of Topkapi palace and the Hippodrome area. My guide, Omer, spoke excellent English and was exceptionally knowledgeable of the history of the Ottoman Empire and key points of note within the palace complex. We were able to slip through the lines quickly and he gave a great explanation of the sites. He was also able to clearly answer my many questions about various details concerning palace life. It was a great tour - highly recommended!

We did a number of tours this trip...

Published on Oct, 2015

We did a number of tours this trip through Viator and all of them were excellent. The best of all was this private tour in Instanbul. Our tour guide Tibet was first class. She was there on time and knew that we had very little time to see a lot. She quickly worked with us to priortize, figure out the timing so that we would be efficient and was just wonderful in not only getting us around to see the most important sites--but was a pleasure and a lot of fun to be with. She even gave us directions and ideas as to what to do later in the day on our own which worked out perfectly. Tibet made it for us!!!! She was so professional and personable and gave us a great sense of the culture in the city!!

This tour was a great way to kick...

Published on Oct, 2015

This tour was a great way to kick off our few days in Istanbul, it gave us a nice kick start to the trip. Hakan was a knowledgeable and terrific guide. He knew the best times to arrive at each place and we covered a lot of territory and avoided a lot of lines in a half day with him. He then sent us off with recommendations and ideas for the rest of the day.

The guide was very knowledgeable...

Published on Sep, 2015

The guide was very knowledgeable about the sites, and was flexible with his schedule to meet our needs.

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