Private HALF DAY Tours of Istanbul (Updated 2024)

Hello, I am Serhat Engul. I have been a licensed tourist guide in Istanbul for about 20 years. I organize private half-day tours covering most of Istanbul’s historical sites. On this page you can find the private walking tours I offer in Istanbul in 2024.

The history of Istanbul has a multi-layered structure covering the Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. To better understand this sophisticated history, you can book one of these private tours with me, lasting between 3 and 4 hours.

Private Half Day Tours of Istanbul

Taking private half-day tours in Istanbul with a licensed tour guide gives you the opportunity to design tours at your own pace. In this way, you can obtain comprehensive historical information and examine historical artifacts better, away from crowded groups.

If you would like to check availability for one of these private walking tours, you can contact me by filling out the form on the contact page. I respond to tour requests within 24 hours.

1. Sultanahmet Half Day Tour

Sultanahmet tour is the best seller among my half-day walking tours. In approximately 3 to 4 hours, you will see some of the most prominent historical monuments in Istanbul. Meanwhile, you gain general information about the history and culture of Istanbul.

Half-day Old City tour includes the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Spice Bazaar. This itinerary is an excellent introduction to the history of Istanbul for first timers.

On this walking tour, you will learn about the Greco-Roman history of Istanbul, starting from ancient times, as well as get an idea about the Ottoman period. You will also meet some of the Old City’s best local restaurants and Turkish dessert shops as we walk to Spice Bazaar towards the end of the tour.

The private guide fee for the half-day Sultanahmet tour is 200 Euros. This fee does not include entrance to museums, but in this itinerary we only pay entrance fee for Basilica Cistern. Admission is free for guides and you just buy your own tickets.

2. Historical Peninsula Walking Tour

The Historical Peninsula tour primarily covers Sultanahmet, but goes a little outside the tourist circle and also shows you alternative places in Old Istanbul (former Constantinople). This tour is a perfect blend of Ottoman and Byzantine history.

The half-day Historical Peninsula tour covers Forum of Constantine, Grand Bazaar, Suleymaniye Mosque, Sehzade Mosque, Valens Aqueduct, Zeyrek Mosque (former Monastery of Pantocrator) and with this route it perfectly completes the Sultanahmet tour in the first title.

In this second tour, you will complete the missing parts of the first tour and visit the most important buildings in Byzantine and Ottoman period Istanbul. The private guidance price for this second tour, which covers a larger area and requires more expertise than the first tour on the list, is 250 Euros.

3. Fener Balat Half-Day Walking Tour

Fener and Balat walking tour gives you information about how non-Muslims lived in Ottoman Istanbul. On this tour, we visit churches and synagogues in the off the beaten path parts of the city. We also take photos of colorful houses and stairs in the neighborhoods.

Fener Balat tour is one of the main tours that should be done with a private tour guide in Istanbul. Because the mosques, churches and synagogues in this area are normally closed and you need a local expert who knows the officials to visit them.

Fener was the district where the Orthodox Patriarchate was located in Ottoman Istanbul, and therefore the most prominent Greek families of the city lived here. The legacy of the Greeks who lived here between the 15th and 20th centuries can still be seen in the churches and colorful houses.

Balat was the Jewish quarter of the city during the Ottoman period. For this reason, there are synagogues and various buildings reflecting the life of that period in the district. You can follow the traces of this cosmopolitan life on the Fener and Balat walking tour.

Fener and Balat tour is the most unique and special tour of all my tours. The private guide price for this walking tour is 220 Euros. We also pay a tip of 600 Turkish Liras in total to the church officials who open places for us that are normally closed to tourists.

4. Beyoglu Half-Day Walking Tour

Beyoglu walking tour allows you to get an impression of the new lifestyle of the Ottoman Empire, which was rapidly Westernizing in the 18th and 19th centuries. In this tour, we see the iconic places of the city such as Karakoy, Galata, Istiklal Street and Taksim Square.

The tour starts from the Kilic Ali Pasha Mosque, a classical period Ottoman structure. Thus, you will get to know the Karakoy district, which was the port of Istanbul facing the Golden Horn during both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

During the tour, we pass in front of the Galata Tower and see Neve Shalom, the largest synagogue in the city, from the outside. We visit the Pera Palace Hotel, where Orient Express passengers once stayed. We also explore the buildings on Istiklal Street, the most popular walking path in the city.

The private guide fee for this nostalgic tour, which has a very different vibe, is 220 Euros. There are no other extra costs on the tour. However, it should be noted that we see the Galata Tower from the outside.

5. Ortakoy & Bebek Walking Tour

Ortakoy and Bebek walking tour is a great alternative tour for guests who have taken one or more of the tours I have introduced previously. On this tour, you will learn about the most attractive districts of the Bosphorus coast.

Ortakoy and Bebek tour starts from the iconic Ortakoy Square, where Istanbulites flock on weekends. First, we visit the Ortakoy Mosque, a baroque Ottoman mosque, and then we start walking towards Bebek.

During our walk, which continues along the Bosphorus for a few kilometers, we pass through Arnavutkoy, an old fishing village, and reach Bebek, the most beautiful bay of the Bosphorus. Here are the cafes with the most beautiful views of Istanbul.

I recommend the Ortakoy and Bebek tour to those who stay in Istanbul for a long time and are looking for something alternative. The private guide price for this tour is 250 Euros. There are no other extra expenses on the tour.

6. Kadikoy (Asian Side) Walking Tour

Kadikoy walking tour covers the Kadikoy district on the Asian Side, which is the indispensable address of street food tours in Istanbul.Kadikoy is the best place for visitors to Istanbul to get off the classic tourist route and experience a little local life.

Kadikoy Walking Tour starts by boarding a ferry near Spice Bazaar and passing to the other side of the Bosphorus in half an hour. It covers Kadikoy’s famous Fish Market, Bahariye Street and the hip Moda neighborhood.

The seaside districts of Ottoman Istanbul (Bosphorus or Golden Horn) were places where people of many different races and religions lived together. Kadikoy reflects this richness with its structures and dishes.

Private guide fee for Kadikoy walking tour is 220 Euros. We do not visit museums on this tour and therefore there is no extra expense.

7. Uskudar (Asian Side) Walking Tour

Uskudar is one of the most beautiful districts of the Asian Side. We start our Uskudar walking tour by visiting the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque on the seashore. Afterwards, we walk to Kuzguncuk district.

Kuzguncuk was a very cosmopolitan district where mostly non-Muslims lived during the Ottoman period. For this reason, there is still an Armenian Church, a Greek Orthodox Church and a Synagogue here.

Kuzguncuk is home to colorful houses and wonderful retro cafes, just like the previous Fener and Balat districts. At the end of the tour, we can optionally visit the nearby Beylerbeyi Palace.

The private guide fee for this unique tour is 250 Euros. If you are looking for a tour in Istanbul that is off the tourist route and where you can observe local life, you can try this wonderful tour.

8. Byzantine History Tour

The Byzantine history tour includes some places from the tours in the first two titles and is a unique tour. If you are specifically interested in the Roman and Byzantine periods of Istanbul, this tour will be a great experience for you.

Half day Byzantine history tour has Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, Great Palace Mosaics Museum, Little Hagia Sophia (former Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus) and Hagia Irene Church. In this walking tour, we will focus on the Byzantine monuments in Sultanahmet.

In this thematic history tour, you will gain general information about Byzantine Istanbul and learn the history of buildings such as the Great Palace, Hippodrome and Little Hagia Sophia, located in the heart of Constantinople, with all the legends and stories associated with them.

The itinerary of the Byzantine Istanbul tour may vary depending on the restoration status of the relevant historical monuments. This tour is designed for History buffs and the private guide fee is 220 Euros.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can experience unforgettable memories by joining one of my private half-day tours in Istanbul, just like the people who wrote down their experiences on this TripAdvisor page.

The routes determined in these private tours were created with the experiences I gained from the walks I have been doing in Istanbul for years. The aim of the tours is to provide you with maximum information and visuals in minimum time.

Visiting hours and restoration status of historical places in Istanbul are information that needs to be constantly updated. For this reason, I designed my private half-day tours on the list by taking into account the current state of these old buildings.

The routes on these tours are designed to avoid waiting in line for hours in front of museums and historical monuments and to visit them at the most convenient times. For this reason, tour programs cannot be modified or combined with each other.

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