Private Old City Tour with Topkapi Palace & Hagia Irene
Full-Day Personalized Tour of Istanbul’s Historic Landmarks with Lunch & Private Vehicle
Delve deep into the heart of Istanbul’s history on a private full-day tour through its most iconic landmarks. From the majestic Blue Mosque and the ancient Hippodrome to the imperial grandeur of Topkapi Palace, this immersive journey reveals over a millennium of cultural heritage — all at your own pace, with a dedicated guide and private vehicle.
🕌 Tour Highlights
-
Explore the magnificent Blue Mosque, a jewel of Ottoman architecture
-
Stroll through the ancient Hippodrome, the once-thriving arena of chariot races
-
Learn the fascinating history of Hagia Sophia (exterior visit) — a symbol of faith and empire
-
Wander the maze-like aisles of the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest covered markets
-
Enjoy a delicious traditional Turkish lunch at a handpicked local restaurant
-
Visit the opulent Topkapi Palace and its rarely explored neighbor, the Hagia Irene Museum
-
Travel comfortably and privately — no other guests, flexible start time, and your own guide
📌 Key Details
📅 Availability: Daily upon request
🕘 Start Time: Flexible — recommended between 09:00–10:00
⏱ Duration: Approximately 7–8 hours
🚐 Pickup & Drop-off: Private hotel transfers included (centrally located hotels)
🍽 Lunch: Included at a local restaurant
👤 Guide: Private licensed English-speaking tour guide
🎟 Entrance Fees: Included (Topkapi Palace & Hagia Irene Museum)
🛡 Travel Insurance: Included
🗺 Private Tour Itinerary
Hotel Pickup
Begin your journey with a personal pickup from your Istanbul hotel in a private vehicle.
Hippodrome of Constantinople
Step back into the Roman era at Sultanahmet Square, viewing the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpent Column, and German Fountain — remnants of a once grand stadium.
Blue Mosque
Admire the elegant minarets and exquisite Iznik tiles of this 17th-century masterpiece, still active as a place of worship.
Hagia Sophia (Exterior Visit)
Though we won’t enter the mosque, your guide will explain its remarkable transition from church to mosque to museum and back again — a reflection of Istanbul’s layered identity.
Grand Bazaar
Explore a vibrant maze of shops selling handwoven textiles, antiques, ceramics, and Turkish delights. Perfect for souvenirs or just soaking in the atmosphere.
Lunch Break
Enjoy an authentic Turkish lunch at a locally loved restaurant — customized to your taste and dietary needs.
Topkapi Palace & Hagia Irene Museum
Step into the world of Ottoman sultans — their lavish courtrooms, harem, and treasury. Your private guide will walk you through fascinating artifacts and stories. The tour continues with a rare visit to Hagia Irene, a serene and historic Byzantine church within the palace grounds.
Hotel Drop-off
At the end of the tour, your driver will take you back to your hotel for a comfortable and relaxed evening.
What's included
Itinerary
FAQ
TripAdvisor Reviews
Brao16
Memorable tour of Turkey
Day1 of our planning till the day we left Turkey was patient, graceful and knowledgeable enough to consider all are demands and queries.Htr tours came up with a best iternary as per our needs.They planned organised and executed the tour with no room fir complaints from our side.will recommend htrtours to all who want to visit Turkey
Even the guides mr gokhan ( serves as guide in cappadocia) ms Fatima (Antalya), Mr Mert( Euphesus), Ms Dimple( Antalya)and mr Emir ( Istanbul) were too good in their job.Guides can make or break the tour.They made the tour a truly memorable one.
Highly recommend HTRTours for anyone who wants to visit Turkey.They are truly professional and deliver the best possible.
guharajann
Out trip to Turkey
purifamilyoz
HtR - the best tour company ever!!!
So, to start with upon doing a cost comparison, HtR rated most competitive in the same hotels, venues and tours we wanted.
Then our tour organiser / agent - Dicle was so proactive, caring and prompt with all our requests and inquiries before and during our tour. From small things like ensuring we got vegan options at venues, to doing our online checking in domestic flights, and following up on tax return forms when we forgot. She also upgraded our rooms in Capaddocia and Kusadasi which was so kind.
She knew we really wanted to go to Konya and changed our itinerary with ease to include a private tour to Konya. She also presented us with the most thoughtful gift of 3 ceramic whirling dervishes which we will cherish forever.
All the vehicles and drivers that picked and dropped us to airports and venues were of the highest standard.
We cannot speak highly enough of Dicle and HtR tour for having such an amazing employee and service for us.
We will be recommending this company to all our family and friends in Australia.
Thank you so much Dicle for making our trip to your beautiful country such a memorable one.
skycontractingh
Worth booking with HTR
The guides were friendly and professional, sharing lots of interesting insights about the places we visited. Overall, we had a fantastic experience, and I felt like we really got to see the best of Turkey. If you're thinking about traveling there, I’d definitely suggest going with Htr!
