Private Only Tours In Istanbul

Istanbul: Where Empires Meet and Stories Unfold

Istanbul on Foot: A Journey Through Time and Culture to Explore Istanbul’s Icons and Hidden Corners

Explore Istanbul — where continents meet and empires converge.
Once Byzantium, later Constantinople, today a vibrant blend of East and West — Istanbul is a city layered with history, culture, and living traditions. Our Istanbul walking tours take you through its bustling squares, colorful bazaars, majestic palaces, and sacred landmarks, from the grandeur of Hagia Sophia to the serenity of Blue Mosque.

Step into the stories behind the skyline.
With expert local guides, skip-the-line entry, and thoughtfully paced itineraries, you’ll discover not just the major highlights, but also the local neighborhoods and hidden corners that bring Istanbul’s unique character to life. 

 

OUR Prıvate Tours in istanbul
Most Popular!
€250

Istanbul: Private Full Day Guided Tour for Cruise Passengers

Explore the must-see sights of Istanbul on a full-day private tour designed for cruise passengers. Visit Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace wander through the Grand Bazaar.

Perfect for a Short Stay!
€185

Istanbul: Private Half Day Guided Tour for Cruise Passengers

Make the most of your time ashore on a private half-day tour from Galataport. Discover Istanbul’s highlights with your private guide and a flexible itinerary shaped around your interests and ship schedule.

Taste Istanbul Like a Local
€349

Istanbul: Private Culinary Tour in the Old City with Spice Market & Tastings

Discover Istanbul’s culinary culture on a private food tour through the Old City. Taste your way through markets, street stalls, and hidden eateries with a local guide, exclusively for your group.

Exclusive experience
€625

Private Bosphorus Cruise Guided Tour

Leave Sultanahmet and explore the Bosphorus on a private yacht. Forget transfers and crowds, just sit back and relax as your expert guide introduces you to this gorgeous waterway.

Authentic Shopping Experience
€170

Istanbul Grand Bazaar: Exclusive Shopping Experience with Local Expert

Enjoy a private shopping tour of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar with a local expert. Discover hidden gems, meet top artisans, and shop confidently through secret passages and lesser-known stalls.

Customer Favorite
€349

Istanbul: Historical and Contemporary Islam Tour

Explore the spiritual side of Istanbul on a private guided tour. Visit iconic mosques, learn about Islamic traditions and Sufi culture, and uncover Ottoman and Arab influences.

Exclusive Food Tour Across the Bosphorus
€390

Istanbul: Authentic Turkish Food Tour in Kadikoy

Discover authentic Turkish flavors on a private Kadikoy food tour in Istanbul. Cross the Bosphorus by ferry, explore lively local markets, and taste traditional specialties on the city’s vibrant Asian side.

Worth the Detour
€175

Istanbul: Süleymaniye Mosque & Ottoman Heritage Private Guided Tour

Enjoy a comprehensive two-hour private tour of the Süleymaniye Mosque and its surrounding complex with a professional guide. As a private experience, the tour can be tailored to your interests.

Unexpected Highlight
€249

Discover Fener & Balat: Istanbul’s Hidden Quarters Private Tour

Join a private walking tour through Fener, Balat, and the Golden Horn. Explore colorful streets, historic landmarks, and the rich cultural layers of Istanbul with an expert local guide.

Curious Explorer Pick
€175

Istanbul’s Other Side: Private Tour of Galata & Beyoglu

Expand your Istanbul experience beyond Sultanahmet! Venture into the European quarter to explore the vibrant neighborhoods once home to the city’s non-Muslim communities during the Ottoman era.

Premium Experience
€249

Istanbul: Dolmabahce Palace Guided Tour

Enjoy an exclusive guided tour of Dolmabahce Palace and its royal gardens. Enter through a separate entrance with an expert guide and admire its exquisite rooms, the Royal Apartments and Sultan’s Harem.

New for 2026
€249

Istanbul: Private Guided Tour of Chora Church and Golden Horn

Discover the stunning mosaics and frescoes of Chora Church with an expert guide. Explore the rich history of medieval Constantinople as you walk through Fener and Balat along the Golden Horn.

Let us design your private tour

Looking for a different itinerary, a bespoke tour experience? We create private experiences tailored entirely to you — whether you’re planning a family adventure, a corporate retreat, or marking a special occasion. Each itinerary is shaped around your interests and pace, with exclusive access, personal insight, and seamless delivery at every step.

Rated as a 5-Star Tour Experience

Walks-of-Istanbul-Tour
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Joanne Fujii
November 9, 2026
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Our tour guide Emre Tan was cheerful and full of stories. Entry to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Basilica Cistern was quick and trouble free. This was an afternoon well spent and full of memorable sights.
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Janet O'Mara
November 9, 2026
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We had a great tour with this company and with our tour guide, Emre! We did a morning tour of the Mosques and Basilica Cistern and then an afternoon tour of Topkapi Palace. It was a full day with a lot of walking but it was so worth it. We had Emre for both tours and we were so glad. He was amazing. He shared so much information and history. This was a great way to see the highlights in a relatively short amount of time. Great for Cruisers! The company, Walks in Europe, was very responsive and attentive to questions I had during and after booking. Thank you for a great tour!
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Tahir Bangash
November 8, 2026
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Thank you for an amazing tour and sharing your knowledge of the sites with the group. Wonderful afternoon tour.
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Vicky Argity
November 8, 2026
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Our guide Murat was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, friendly and engaging. He explained the history, architecture and cultural significance of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern in a way that was both fascinating and easy to understand. The tour was very well organised, enjoyable and informative, and the guide was always happy to answer questions.
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Casper Loke
November 8, 2026
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Our guide was great
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Marie Murray
November 3, 2026
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Great tour for our first visit to Istanbul. Murat gave good information and was always ready to answer questions. Provided some recommendations for afterwards. We enjoyed one of the restaurants very much. Would never have found it otherwise.
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Jueta McCutchan
November 2, 2026
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Murat was very knowledgeable. He explained everything very well and you can tell he is well versed in the history. He also provided recommendations for restaurants and shopping after the tour, which was very helpful. Highly recommend. It is worth the money!
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Linda Kopecka
October 31, 2026
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We really enjoyed our full afternoon tour today! I must say that we felt it was well worth the money. We learned so much, and everything was well organised, with no waiting around, all in great company. A big thank you to our wonderful guide, Julia! I would definitely recommend this tour to others. Everything went perfectly!
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Claire Pembery
October 29, 2026
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Knowledgeable friendly well organised tour of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Highly recommended .
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Nicolas Cortes
October 29, 2026
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Good tour
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Mario Mik
October 27, 2026
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Emre was am amazing guide! Such a knowledgeable and likeable person! Highly recommend
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Hana Kuncová
October 26, 2026
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+2
Our guide was Mert and tour with him was Excellent.
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Reinhard Preller
October 26, 2026
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Sabih war ein hervorragender und kompetenter Reiseführer.
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Ana Paula
October 25, 2026
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+5
Nosso guia Emre fez toda a diferença ! Pontual cuidadoso divertido e muito simpático tornou nossa visita ao Topkapi Palace inesquecível . Sua forma leve e bem humorada para transmitir a história deste lugar foi super importante para manter nos atentos durante toda a visita . Obrigada Emre ! Saudações 🇧🇷
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Adam Dunton
October 23, 2026
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+1
An Outstanding Guide Who Made Our Three Days in Istanbul Unforgettable! We spent three full days exploring Istanbul with Murat Çelik as our private guide in mid-October, and we couldn’t recommend him more highly. His combination of historical knowledge, professionalism, adaptability, excellent English, and warm personality made an already fascinating city even more memorable for our family. One of the highlights was our extended tour of Topkapi Palace. Murat maintained an excellent pace over several hours, checking in periodically to ensure we remained comfortable and engaged. He introduced us to fascinating areas we might otherwise have overlooked, including the clock museum. What particularly impressed us was his knowledge beyond the exhibits themselves: he shared updated archaeological findings about a clock previously believed to have been a gift, for which researchers had more recently discovered an order receipt. His knowledge was both extensive and current, making the experience far more rewarding than simply walking through a museum. Murat also excelled at introducing us to authentic local experiences. Near Taksim Square, he recommended a spot serving ıslak burgers (wet burgers), where a restaurant employee escorted us to a separate building to find a table in an otherwise full dining area. It was a memorable, delicious experience we would never have discovered on our own. At another local café, Murat guided us toward a traditional drink made with orchid essence, which tasted like a delicious, warm horchata. These recommendations helped us experience a side of Istanbul beyond the usual tourist circuit. His professionalism was equally evident when the weather complicated our plans. Following record flooding the day before our tour began, Murat remained readily available with practical advice. He also seamlessly managed the ever-changing logistics of our Bosphorus cruise, coordinating around weather conditions, boat operations, and our driver while keeping the experience informative and enjoyable. Throughout our visits to Hagia Sophia, the nearby mosques, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, and Istanbul’s neighborhoods, Murat demonstrated excellent judgment, helped us find wonderful photography opportunities, and made navigating the city easy. He was kind, approachable, and attentive to our family’s interests, with a great sense of humor and a calm, confident demeanor that remained consistently professional. Our only regret is that we didn’t have a fourth day to explore the Asian side of Istanbul with him. We understand he knows some excellent off-the-beaten-path spots there, and we’d strongly encourage anyone booking a multi-day tour to consider including that side of the city. If you’re looking for a private guide who combines deep historical knowledge with authentic local insight, exceptional organization, and a genuinely enjoyable personality, Murat is an outstanding choice. He substantially enhanced our Istanbul experience, and we would happily recommend him to anyone visiting the city.
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Mark van der Hoeven
October 22, 2026
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We had a wonderful experience touring Topkapi with Mert. He is knowledgeable on the history and nicely mixes in stories and anecdotes on Turkish culture. Visiting historic sites with teenagers is really enjoyable with experienced guides like Mert.
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Leanne Goegan
October 20, 2026
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Great tour of Topkapi Palace and Harem. Our wonderful guide Mert was so friendly and knowledgeable and the perfect guide. So glad we did a 9:00 am tour as it was very busy later in the morning. The Palace is so much bigger than we expected and beautiful. Thoroughly recommend this tour.
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Asheesh Batra
October 19, 2026
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Mert was a solid guide mixing in stories, history, and humor. Tour was alright, imo would have liked to do a little more and or learn more but still an enjoyable experience
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Laurent Sfumat
October 19, 2026
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We had a lovely guided tour of the Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. Furkhan our guide was friendly and always available to answer questions. This was our first visit with Walks in Europe and we highly recommend this tour operator.
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Delia Chong
October 19, 2026
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+0
Mert was a great guide n made the tour v interesting, entertaining n informative.! We had a v nice group of 8 pax. He showed n explained the highlights of Topkapi n the Harem, with anecdotes n memorable facts. Gave us plenty of time to wander around the exhibits in different sections, avoided the crowds just in time (especially the toilet break thkq! N just before the v large group of elementary sch kids… phewww!) n encouraged n patiently answered our questions! Great job Mert! Get Your Guide always give great tours!