Istanbul Private Tour: Ferry Bazaar Airport Transfer Included
The Basilica Cistern holds vast quantities of water in a 6th-century reservoir with numerous columns, each quite tall.
A private guided tour of Istanbul with airport pickup and return, led by an English-speaking guide who plans the day around your flight time. You visit the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia (optional, separate fee), the Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar with its 4,000 shops. A ferry ride across the Bosporus is included, as is a Turkish bath with scrub and massage if you choose it. The tour runs 3 to 8 hours depending on what you enter and how long you stay at each stop.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Istanbul highlights and local culture
- Visit Hagia Sophia interior
- See Basilica Cistern water reservoir
- Tour the Blue Mosque
- Explore the Hippodrome monuments
- Take ferry ride across Bosporus
- Relax at Turkish bath with scrub
- Shop and taste at Spice Bazaar
- Wander Grand Bazaar shops
- Hagia Sophia 1h
- Basilica Cistern 30m
- Blue Mosque 30m
- Hippodrome 30m
- Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise Entry included 30m
- Cemberlitas Hamam 2h
- Misir Carsisi 30m
- KadIkoy CarsIsI 30m
- Grand Bazaar Jewelers 1h
- Misir Carsisi 30m
What’s included
- Private transportation from the airport or hotel with return.
- professional English-speaking guide for the full day.
- ferry ride across the Bosporus.
- entry to the Spice Bazaar and local market.
- Turkish bath with scrub, massage and apple tea if you choose that stop.
- towels and shampoo at the hamam.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Information
Private guided tour of Istanbul from the airport with hotel or airport return, English-speaking guide, and visits to the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
The guide meets you at the airport or your hotel and drives you straight into the city instead of leaving you waiting. Istanbul's main sights cluster in the old quarter, so the route moves between them without backtracking: the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia stand across from each other, the Basilica Cistern is a short walk away, and the Grand Bazaar sits nearby. What makes the day work is that your guide knows which sites are open when and how to move through them without the worst crowds. They also speak English well enough to explain what you're standing in front of, not just point at it.
The ferry across the Bosporus is the moment most people remember. It takes 20 to 30 minutes and carries locals between Europe and Asia every day. You stand on deck and watch the water, the bridges, and the city skyline from the middle of the strait. The Grand Bazaar is a separate kind of walking: 4,000 indoor shops built in 1461, selling carpets, antiques, jewelry, leather and textiles. Your guide shows you how to bargain with the shopkeepers instead of paying the first price. The Spice Bazaar, built in 1664, is smaller and less crowded. You can taste Turkish delights, herbal teas, nuts and dried fruits there. If you're tired by midday, the Turkish bath at Cemberlitas Hamam is a stop where someone washes you with a scrub, soaps you down, massages you, and you rest afterward with apple tea in a historic building: towels and shampoo are provided, so you bring nothing.
Entry fees to the sights are separate from the tour price and paid on the spot in Turkish lira or by card. Hagia Sophia costs about 10 USD and is optional for morning arrivals. It was built as a church in the 6th century, became a mosque in 1453, and a museum in 1935, so it holds both Islamic and Christian architecture inside one building. The Basilica Cistern and Blue Mosque also charge admission. Your guide will tell you which ones fit your time and interests before you decide whether to enter.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years): free; Infant (1 to 3 years): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What does the private transfer include, and when does the guide pick me up?
The guide meets you at Istanbul airport or your hotel and returns you there at the end of the tour. The pickup time depends on your flight arrival or your hotel checkout, and you arrange that when you book. Fuel and local taxes are included in the tour price.
How long does the ferry ride across the Bosporus take?
The ferry between Europe and Asia takes 20 to 30 minutes and carries locals as well as visitors. It is included in the tour so you don't buy a separate ticket.
What is the Basilica Cistern, and why is it worth seeing?
The Basilica Cistern is a 6th-century underground water reservoir built to supply drinking water to the city. It holds 100,000 tons of water supported by 336 columns, each eight meters tall, and the legendary Medusa heads sit at the far end in a blind corner of the chamber.
Can I skip some of the sights if I'm short on time?
Yes. The tour runs 3 to 8 hours depending on which sites you enter and how long you spend at each one. Your guide plans the day around your flight time and your interests, so you choose what to visit.
Is the Turkish bath included, and what happens there?
The Turkish bath at Cemberlitas Hamam is an optional stop. If you choose it, you are washed with a scrub, soaped and massaged, then rest in the lobby with apple tea. Towels and shampoo are provided, so you bring nothing with you.
How many shops are in the Grand Bazaar, and will the guide teach me to bargain?
The Grand Bazaar has 4,000 indoor shops built in 1461 and sells carpets, antiques, jewelry, leather and textiles. Your guide shows you how to bargain with the shopkeepers so you don't pay the opening price.
Operated by My Local Guide lstanbul. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 11 days ago
Istanbul Private Tour: Ferry Bazaar Airport Transfer Included
3h–8h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 175 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.