7 hour(s)
English
Included
Exploration of the empire’s golden age and its later decline
Unique opportunity to connect history, politics, and cultural transformation
Engaging storytelling that brings Ottoman history to life
Insightful presentations on the daily life and traditions of the Sultans
€ 141.83
€ 130.48
Free cancellation and unlimited rescheduling leads to total flexibility while you plan your travels
Lowest Price Guarantee — no other provider offers this tour for less
This tour offers the opportunity to visit two of the main palaces of the Ottoman Empire, with expert guides bringing the history to life through engaging presentations about the Sultans’ lifestyle and the grandeur of the palaces they inhabited. It also provides a fascinating chance to compare the empire’s golden age with its later declining period, when European influence began to shape its culture, lifestyle, and architecture, revealing a captivating story of change and transformation over time.
Private Professional Licenced Tour guide
Public transportation tickets
Dolmabahçe Palace Ticket
Lunch
Gratuities
Private transportation
Comfortable walking shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing
Bottle of water
Public transportation nearby
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age of participants is 7
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Type in your hotel/accommodation to see how far the attraction or departure point is.
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We had the BEST experience with our tour guide, Hakan! We had arrived in Istanbul very late the night before from another trip, and he was incredibly flexible and understanding with our start time the next morning. Throughout our full-day walking tour, he took us to so many of the major sites and shared an immense amount of knowledge and history with us at each location. His explanations were thoughtful, engaging, and really brought the city to life. He also gave excellent food recommendations — both our lunch and dinner spots were some of our favorite meals in Istanbul! He guided us through the Grand Bazaar and was so patient while we looked around and decided on purchases, never rushing us and always helping us find exactly what we were looking for. Hakan was knowledgeable, kind, and genuinely enjoyable to spend the day with. He went above and beyond to make our first day in Turkey memorable, and we truly could not have asked for a better guide. We would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Istanbul!
We were lucky enough to have Burak as our tour guide for the day when visiting Istanbul in September. Burak was very professional, took us around to all the attractions we wanted to see and worked around how we wanted to spend the day. Never short of an answer for all my questions about the history of and life in turkey. Best tour we've been on.
If you want to make the best of your time in Istanbul, this private tour is what I recommend. Hopefully you will be lucky enough to be assigned Burak Yulmaz who was one of the best tour guides we have ever had. From the get go, he asked what is our goal so he can make the experience the way we want. He met all our requests! He is very knowledgeable and shared very interesting information about the history and culture of Istanbul. Our number two goal was to take memorable pictures. He took as to all the great spots and took amazing pictures of us so we can remember the amazing places we visited. He also valued our time but yet moved at our pace while maximizing the most of our time to visit as many places during our visit. The ability to pass the long lines and him finding our way to take the pictures was in itself very worth the price. We also got to experience having kebab, Turkish tea, and Turkish coffee. I highly recommend asking for Burak to be your guide.
It was truly the best way to get to know the essentials of Istanbul in the short time I had. It was absolutely worthwhile, and I highly recommend it. Gülce is a warm, pleasant, and easygoing guide who knows exactly how to organize a day, sharing plenty of information in a fascinating way without ever making it feel heavy or boring. I had a wonderful time and only wish I had two or three more days to explore the city with her.
Ceren with Guided Istanbul Tours was an outstanding guide for our trip to Istanbul! She was knowledgeable and kept just the right pace. She went above and beyond in her service and was super friendly and kind. We saw all the important sites in just 2 days and learned a ton of interesting information. We highly recommend Ceren and Guided Istanbul Tours.
