Istanbul Old City: Segway Tour with Audio Guide & Helmet

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration3h–4h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Segway through Sultanahmet’s ancient streets and city sounds

You’ll glide through Istanbul’s Old City on a Segway with a local guide, passing icons like Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque while hearing stories in your headset. Expect quick training, helmet and waterproof gear if it rains, plus plenty of moments where you feel stitched into city life—sometimes even before you realize it.

3h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Segway tour of Istanbul Old City

Learn to ride Segway
Visit Sultanahmet District
See Column of Constantine
Explore Beyazit Mosque
Visit Sehzade Mosque
View Eastern Roman water system
Tour Süleymaniye Mosque
Walk through Gulhane Park
See Hippodrome
Visit Blue Mosque
Tour Topkapi Palace
Explore Hagia Sophia

The Experience

We were already wobbling a little outside the meeting point in Sultanahmet when our guide, Cem, handed out helmets and grinned—“Don’t worry, you’ll get it.” He was right. After maybe two minutes (and one near-miss with a pigeon), the Segway felt less like a weird toy and more like an extension of my own feet. The morning air smelled faintly of fresh simit from a nearby cart—one of those small details that sticks with you for no reason. We zipped off, Cem leading us straight toward the Column of Constantine, weaving through early market chatter and the echo of distant mosque calls.

I didn’t expect to feel so much part of the city while rolling along its old stones. Passing Beyazit Mosque, students spilled out onto the square in clusters, their laughter mixing with street vendors calling out for tea or roasted chestnuts. Cem pointed out details I’d never have noticed—like how the Süleymaniye Mosque seems to hover above everything else when you catch it from just the right angle (he called it “Istanbul’s crown”). Sometimes we’d pause for a quick story or just to listen; once by Gulhane Park, where you could hear sparrows over the hum of trams. My hands got cold gripping the handlebars but honestly, I barely cared.

The Hippodrome surprised me most—I’d read about chariot races but standing there (well, standing-ish on a Segway) made it easier to imagine the noise and chaos centuries ago. Cem joked that he’d raced his cousin there as a kid—“Not quite gladiators,” he shrugged. We rolled past Topkapi Palace’s gates and finally stopped in front of Hagia Sophia. The sunlight hit its stone in this way that made me stop talking for a second. I still think about that view sometimes when I hear seagulls back home.

What’s included

Your morning includes use of a Segway with quick training at the start, an audio headset to catch every story from your guide as you ride past Istanbul’s most historic sites, a helmet for safety (which honestly made me feel pretty cool), and waterproof gear if rain decides to join too.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Istanbul Segway Tours