Istanbul Shore Excursions: The 15 Worth Booking

Skip-the-Line Istanbul: Private Tour from Cruise Ship & Hotel

1.Skip-the-Line Istanbul: Private Tour from Cruise Ship & Hotel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 536 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $280Our pick

Review of a private Istanbul tour from hotel or cruise port, covering Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and Grand Bazaar.

“We met up with our incredible tour guide Ayshe right at the door (top of escalator) in the port. Very easy to cover alot of ground by hopping in a private shuttle van both to and from old town where all of the sites were located. Ayshe was extremely professional, knowledgeable, a native of Istanbul, highly educated and delightful. We couldn’t ask for anything more from our tour. We were able to discuss the options with Ayshe and customize according to our wants which included a stop at a local coffee shop for a snack and Turkish coffee/tea. Despite the size of the city market Ayshe knew exactly where to…”

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Private & Mini Group 7-8 Hours Guided Istanbul Tour / Cruise Port

2.Private & Mini Group 7-8 Hours Guided Istanbul Tour / Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $99

Review of Istanbul’s private cruise-port tour, covering Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, bazaars, walking demands, costs, and practical tips.

“At the terminal, our Tour Guide, Erkan Elibouyuk, greeted us by displaying a sign with our name on it. He was very personable, friendly and informative throughout the day. We went to the Blue Mosque, the Aquaducts, lunch and The Grand Bazaar. Because it was a private tour, we did not feel pressured or rushed. The Aquaducts were really cool with all the colored lights and ancient pillars. The lunch at the local restaurant was really good. The Grand Bazaar was an indoor mall with over a thousand vendors. Its size was massive!! This is not a tour for someone who does not want to walk as there was a…”

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Istanbul Shore Excursion: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour

3.Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 273 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $100

See Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar in one guided shore excursion from Galataport.

“Although the morning half of the tour to the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, etc. went ok and the lunch arrangement was excellent, the afternoon half to visit the Grand Bazaar was a disaster. During the Grand Bazaar tour, we were led to attend sales pitches in 5 different shops and didn't have a chance to walk around the Grand Bazaar at all. Although the shop owners were okay, we simply were not interested in their merchandise, and felt that the whole time spent at the Grand Bazaar was a waste. Our tour guide was actually okay as she was flexible and guided us through the Blue Mosque, etc. smoothly. I…”

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Istanbul Shore Excursion : Best Seller Private Istanbul Tour

4.Best Seller Private Istanbul Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 258 reviews · 7 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $100

Explore Istanbul’s top sights on a private shore excursion with expert guides, flexible pacing, Grand Bazaar shopping, and guaranteed ship return.

“We saw the Blue Mosque, stopped for coffee.Topkapi Palace, which should not be missed stopped for coffee again then on to Hagia Sophia then lunch at a nice cafe then the basilica cistern an underground experience. Then on to the grand Bazaar. Somewhere in between we saw the serpents column and sultanalmet square. A well planned day with a wonderful guide Esra. She timed everything perfectly was extremely knowledgeable. She kept the pace at a level that was comfortable for us. She made the tour fun.”

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Istanbul Port: City Sights Tour for Cruise Ship Passengers

5.City Sights Tour for Cruise Ship Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 70 reviews · 7 hours · from $115

Review of Istanbul’s 7-hour port tour, covering Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar.

“Idil was awesome. She is knowledgeable and took us through all the sites easily. Very friendly and personable.”

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Istanbul Shore Excursion by TRAM: Half Day Private Tour from Port

6.Istanbul Shore Excursion by TRAM: Half Day Private Tour from Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $110

Review of Istanbul’s private tram shore excursion, covering Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“Emel was our guide and what an absolutely fantastic day we had! She provided explanations of what we were seeing, sharing her knowledge and expertise. She was so considerate and made sure we had an unforgettable tour. I highly recommend Emel. Thank you again for a wonderful day in Istanbul.”

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Private Guided Tour Istanbul from Cruise Ship or Hotel

7.Private Guided Tour Istanbul from Cruise Ship or Hotel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 5 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $50Best value

Review of Istanbul’s private 5 to 7-hour guided tour, including major sights, costs, itinerary, guide service, and practical booking advice.

“Our cruise arrived at the port, we departed the ship, and met our guide Elif, at the designated area. Elif asked when we needed to be back on the ship and what we wanted to see. We had a tight schedule and Elif made sure we got to experience as much as we could within the allotted timeframe. We were able to experience the history and culture of the area. Elif is very professional, knowledgeable, and personable. She even shared some of the local areas that are not overrun by tourist. It was truly a great experience and we highly recommend Elif!”

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Istanbul Private Tour from Cruise Port

8.Istanbul Private Tour from Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 31 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $105

Istanbul shore excursion with private port pickup, historic sights, Turkish dinner, belly dancing, and folklore entertainment.

“We felt this experience was adequate at best. The dancers were good, but we were not well seated to enjoy the show. The long tables were very crowded and the servers rushed. The food was OK, the appetizers were the best part, the rest ordinary. Overall the experience was very touristy and we would not repeat it.”

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Istanbul Shore Excursion: Small-Group Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul Egyptian Bazaar

9.Small-Group Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul Egyptian Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 23 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Review of Istanbul’s 3.5-hour shore excursion, with the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus cruise, port transfers, guides, value, and practical tips.

“It was great seeing Istanbul from the Bosphorus River. It's amazing to think that Istanbul is on 2 continents~~Asia and Europe! This was a nice, relaxing cruise”

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Full Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour From Hotel or Cruise Ships

10.Full Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour From Hotel or Cruise Ships

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $67

Review of Istanbul’s private full-day tour, with Sultanahmet sights, local guides, cruise pickup, costs, limits, and booking advice.

“Great tourguide which took us conveniently from one location to the other. We had a great day! Thanks Huseyin.”

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Private Half Day Shore Excursion: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar From Istanbul

11.Private Half Day Shore Excursion: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar From Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $372

Review of Istanbul’s private half-day shore excursion to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar.

“The guide and the tour was extremely good. Mehmet Selcuk Ersan was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgable and helpful. We had an amazing experience in Istanbul.”

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1,2 or 3 DAY: Private Guided Istanbul Tour from CRUISE SHIP or HOTEL

12.1,2 or 3 DAY: Private Guided Istanbul Tour from CRUISE SHIP or HOTEL

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $130

Review of a private Istanbul tour from hotel or cruise ship, covering Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, bazaars, transport, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“A private guided tour of the old town with Sima was just perfect. We got a complete overview of everything we wanted to see plus some other special places Sima took us to off the tourist map - perfect 👌”

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Private Istanbul tour from Cruise ship Galataport or ist airport

13.Private Istanbul tour from Cruise ship Galataport or ist airport

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 4 to 8 hours (approx.)

Review of a private Istanbul tour from Galataport or IST, with flexible sightseeing, private transport, expert guides, and practical value advice.

“Hakan was such a great guide who listened to our needs and made sure we met and saw all we wanted to see plus extras! Ferry boat ride to Asian side, Taksim Area, Haggia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar and others! Lots of breaks out of the sun and tea and coffee to hydrate❣️ Thank you so much Hakan!”

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Istanbul Private / Mini Group Shore Excursions from Cruise port

14.Istanbul Private / Mini Group Shore Excursions from Cruise port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $89

Review of an 8-hour Istanbul shore excursion with a small group, Old City landmarks, local guide, hotel or port pickup, and practical tips.

“The guide was exceptional his commentary throughout the tour. The vehicle was very clean and modern we felt throughout the tour. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in experiencing Istanbul.”

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Small Group Istanbul Full-Day Shore Excursion: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar

15.Small Group Istanbul Full-Day Shore Excursion: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $248

Review of Istanbul’s 8-hour shore tour, covering Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, lunch, and ship return.

“Well worth the money and time. The places included in the tour were stunning. We wish we had more time to check out Istanbul. Great city. Our guide was very knowledgeable and showed pride in sharing the highlights of his city.”

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