Private Byzantine & Ottoman Highlights Tour
Explore Istanbul’s most iconic Byzantine and Ottoman monuments with your own professionally licensed guide, entrance tickets included, and a relaxed private pace.
Private guide availability is limited — advance booking is recommended for 2026.
- Fully private guided experience
- Professionally licensed English-speaking guide
- Entrance tickets included
- All applicable taxes included
- Relaxed Old City walking itinerary
Your own dedicated guide
Byzantine & Ottoman history
Entrance tickets included
Easy reservation support
Duration
6–7 Hours
Departure
Every Day
Tour Type
Fully Private
Meeting Point
Sultanahmet Square
Guide
Licensed English-Speaking
Tickets
Included
Discover the Imperial Heart of Istanbul
Our Private Byzantine and Ottoman Highlights Tour is designed for travelers who want to explore Istanbul’s essential Old City monuments at a relaxed pace with their own knowledgeable guide. The experience brings together the city’s Byzantine and Ottoman heritage through architecture, imperial stories, religious traditions, and everyday life in historic Constantinople.
You will visit Hagia Sophia, walk through the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome, descend into the atmospheric Basilica Cistern, and explore the magnificent Blue Mosque.
Rather than rushing between attractions, this private experience focuses on meaningful explanations and personal attention. You can ask questions freely, pause for photographs, and discover the stories that connect the monuments of Byzantine Constantinople with the later Ottoman capital.
Important Information
This private Istanbul tour is different because:
- Your guide is reserved exclusively for your party
- The tour follows a relaxed and informative pace
- Required entrance tickets are included
- The monuments are explored on foot in the Old City
- The visiting order may change according to prayer times
- The exact meeting point is confirmed after booking
Places You Will Visit
Hagia Sophia
Discover one of the world’s greatest architectural masterpieces and its extraordinary Byzantine and Ottoman heritage.
Byzantine Hippodrome
Walk through the former center of chariot races, imperial ceremonies, celebrations, and political life.
Basilica Cistern
Descend into an atmospheric Byzantine reservoir filled with illuminated columns and famous Medusa heads.
Blue Mosque
Admire the six minarets, grand dome, elegant courtyard, and celebrated İznik tile decoration.
Tour Itinerary
Meet Your Guide in Sultanahmet Square
Your Private Byzantine and Ottoman Highlights Tour begins at approximately 10:00 AM in Sultanahmet Square. We will provide the exact meeting location when your reservation is confirmed. After a short introduction to Istanbul’s historic peninsula, your private guide will explain the route and the historical background of the Old City.
Hagia Sophia
Your first major visit is Hagia Sophia, commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian and completed in the sixth century. Your guide will explain its monumental dome, Byzantine mosaics, Ottoman calligraphy, and transformation from imperial church to mosque. The building remains one of Istanbul’s most powerful symbols of its layered religious and imperial history.
Byzantine Hippodrome
Continue to the Byzantine Hippodrome, once the social, ceremonial, and sporting center of Constantinople. Discover the stories of chariot races, imperial ceremonies, and historic uprisings while seeing the surviving monuments, including the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpent Column, and German Fountain.
Basilica Cistern
Descend beneath the streets of Sultanahmet to visit the Basilica Cistern, constructed during the reign of Emperor Justinian. Walk among hundreds of marble columns and discover the famous Medusa-head bases while your guide explains the cistern’s function within Constantinople’s historic water system.
Lunch Break in the Old City
Take a break at a local restaurant in the Sultanahmet area and enjoy Turkish cuisine at your own expense. Lunch and drinks are not included, giving you the freedom to select the dishes and restaurant style you prefer.
Blue Mosque
After lunch, visit the Blue Mosque, officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Completed in the early seventeenth century, it is celebrated for its six minarets, cascading domes, spacious courtyard, and elegant İznik tiles. As it remains an active place of worship, the visiting order may be adjusted according to prayer times and religious services.
Tour Conclusion
The tour concludes at approximately 4:00 PM in the Sultanahmet area. Your guide can provide directions back toward your hotel or recommend other nearby places to explore independently after the tour.
Private Tour Prices
Prices are listed per person and vary according to the number of guests in your private party.
1 Person
€350
2 People
€240 pp
3 People
€200 pp
4 People
€175 pp
5 People
€165 pp
6 People
€160 pp
For groups of more than six guests, please contact us for a customized quotation and suitable guiding arrangements.
What’s Included
- Professionally licensed English-speaking private tour guide
- Entrance tickets required for the published itinerary
- Private guiding service for your own party
- All applicable taxes
What’s Not Included
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips for the guide
- Hotel transfers unless arranged separately
Important Visitor Notes
Comfortable Shoes
The program is mainly a walking tour through Sultanahmet and includes historical surfaces, steps, and security lines.
Mosque Dress Code
Shoulders and knees should be covered. Women should cover their hair, and shoes are removed in carpeted prayer areas.
Prayer Times
Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are active religious sites, so the visiting order may change during prayers or services.
Relaxed Pace
This tour is designed for travelers who value detailed explanations rather than visiting many places as quickly as possible.
Booking & Cancellation
Reservation Policy
How to Book
- Contact us with your preferred date and number of guests.
- We will confirm the current real-time guide and tour availability.
- A 30% deposit is required to finalize the reservation.
- After confirmation, the agreed rate and program are guaranteed.
- Your travel voucher will be sent after the deposit is received.
- The remaining balance may be paid before the tour or through our agency.
Cancellation Highlights
- More than 48 hours before the tour: No cancellation fee.
- Between 48 and 24 hours before the tour: 50% cancellation fee.
- Less than 24 hours before the tour: 100% cancellation fee.
- No-shows: Payments are non-refundable.
- Large groups: Different booking and cancellation conditions may apply.
Book Your Private Tour
Please send your preferred tour date, number of guests, hotel name, and any special interests or mobility requirements.
Email Booking WhatsApp Reservation
24/7 Support: +90 544 920 83 75
Other Popular Istanbul Tours
