Istanbul Express Three-Hour Tour

A Quick Tour in Sultanahmet

Are you on a short layover in Istanbul? Do you only have a half day to discover the city? Are you interested in Istanbul tours led by locals? Our express tour shows you the city without entering any of the museums or attractions.

We want to help you learn to navigate Istanbul so that you can explore the city independently after our three-hour introductory tour of Istanbul.

On this tour, you learn how to take in the Topkapı Palace, how to make the most of the Blue Mosque, how to skip the lines at Istanbul museums, and how to get into the buzz of the Grand Bazaar.

We give you a short introduction to Istanbul to get your bearings from local, informed, passionate guides.

Our Istanbul Express tour starts at the Hippodrome. Then, we show you the city on the map, give you a transport card, and talk about the tram system.

We then do a tour in Sultanahmet to see the best sites in Istanbul, showing you the major highlights from outside: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar.

With our priority admission, we can purchase you a Museum Pass, which is a pre-paid card that includes admission to all of the major sites in the city so that you can explore on your own (you can add this option when you book the tour).

With our Istanbul introduction, you learn how to get on the tram with your Istanbul card, the proper dress code for a mosque, the best restaurants for lunch, in what order to visit Istanbul highlights, and of course how to enjoy shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

Istanbul Express is a quick tour in Sultanahmet. You can choose to go on a guided private tour and enjoy exclusive access to a private guide or join a small group of eight. The experience is always intimate with our small groups.