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Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi)

Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi) Tours

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Full Day: Classic Istanbul Tour Including Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace

Badge of ExcellenceIstanbul, Turkiye
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From $91.00

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Istanbul Tours
All Istanbul Tours
Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 8 hours (approx.)
  • Hotel pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Experience Istanbul’s timeless sights on a full-day tour of the city’s stunning historic places. Listen for the ancient echoes of pounding hooves and charioteers at Hippodrome Square and spot the distinctive tiles of the Blue Mosque. See the Byzantine mosaics and minarets of Hagia Sophia, then follow in the footsteps of powerful sultans, courtiers, and generals at Topkapi Palace. Finish your tour in the vibrant Grand Bazaar, browsing bright displays of handicrafts, carpets, and souvenirs.
  • Full-day tour of Istanbul's essential sites
  • Choose a small-group tour for a more personal experience
  • Relax over lunch at a traditional restaurant
  • Learn about Turkish history and culture
  • Free hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Entrance fees included

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off ( only from the hotels, not other address)
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Lunch
  • Visit to the Harem in Topkapi Palace is not included (own expense)
  • Drinks
  • Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

08:00 AM

Pickup details

We pick up from Central located hotels in Istanbul. Please contact with us if your hotel is out of city limits.

What To Expect

Blue Mosque

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Hippodrome

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Dress code is smart casual
  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays instead you will take the Bosphorus Cruise Tour. Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, instead you will visit the open-air bazaar
  • Passport name, number and country is required at time of booking for all participants
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • At least 2 people are required for this activity to take place.
  • Blue Mosque is closed due to renovation and our guide will show & introduce from outside. You will be experiencing Nuruosmaniye Mosque as cover.
  • As Hagia Sophia is not a museum (has been converted into a mosque) anymore, tour guides don't have skip-the-line priority/offer there.
  • We as KARAVAN TRAVEL, want to ensure the minds of travelers that, all the necessary safety measures and precautions will be maintained at all times; hand sanitizer will be available, masks will be given out, seats will be blocked out on coaches, reduced groups sizes and social distancing measures will be taking against COVID-19 infections. We will follow up the new regulations/restrictions permanently and update our procedures accordingly.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

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Traveler Tips

I would recommend people arrange their own tours as all the areas are within 10 mins walk of each other.
I would recommend this if you are for short duration and your hotel is not walking distance or you cannot take tram.
Reviews
4.5
410 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 410 reviews
Good tour
Bertrand_P, Mar 2023
Sedat was a great guide and gave us excellent insights on the different monuments. A pity the blue mosque was still under renovation.
Hit the major sights
Melissa_P, Mar 2023
Really fun day! Pickup from and drop back off to hotel was smooth. Our tour guide Burak was very friendly and knowledgeable. We got to see historical sights as well as go to a Turkish carpet merchant and learn a lot about the carpets, how they are made and with what materials. Plenty of time at the various stops.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Dear Sir/Madame, greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Fascinating walk through palaces, mosques and bazaars
Sheenagh_C, Feb 2023
Our amazing tour rep Ali took us through the history of the sultans, the pashas, the story behind the hippodrome and the obelisks showing pictures of what it would have looked like and also the amazing Hagia Sophia but with so much knowledge of the foundations to the modern day changes to the mosque he also made sure we saw the hidden mosaic, topkapi palace was breathtaking and again it was the history and stories provided by our rep that brought the whole of the excursion to life, we also visited a range of mosques and the grand bazaar with the hustle and bustle of the everyday life in there. Great tour would highly recommend as an absolute must
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Dear Sir/Madame, greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Our guide was A+. He...
Nathan_G, Dec 2022
Our guide was A+. He catered the day to our interests and was willing to take the conversation in different directions.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
The places visited,...
Ebli_D, Nov 2022
The places visited, amazing The tour guide a plus he was very knowledgeable and friendly also very enthusiast of what he does
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Nice tour, but not enough value for the money.
Hannes_H, Nov 2022
If I had known that this was mostly a walking tour, I would not have paid $140 for my wife and I to take this tour. We had a bit of a rocky start, because for some reason, they sent a french speaking guide. we were just lucky that she also spoke English sufficiently. Hale was also late because she said she had trouble finding our hotel. First stop was to be the Blue Mosque, which was being renovated, so there was not much to see there. It should have been taken off the itinerary, and the price reduced. Hale was flexible when we requested to go to the Galata Tower instead of the Sultan's Palace, but In retrospect, she should have taken us to both places, since the Blue Mosque was closed. Hale was knowledgeable and friendly once we warmed up to one another. She also took us walking through the new city in order to get to the Galata, something we appreciated. We also made some unscheduled stops, which we liked. Lunch at a decent restaurant. Luckily, my wife and I are in decent physical shape, and we like to walk. We walked a total of about 8 miles, which not everyone at our age are able to do. All and all, we had a good day with a friendly tour guide, It just cost more than it should have.
1 traveler found this review helpful
Tour of Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace
Jared_G, Nov 2022
We were fortunate to have an amazing tour guide for the day and made this tour very interesting with the highlights he pointed out. We were able to cover all the stops of the tour without being rushed and time was given at each location for time on your own!!! This is a very interesting tour package and a big "thank you" to the tour guide for a fantastic job!!!
Very well organized tour, loved it!
dolgonosm, Nov 2022
Very interesting tour with an amazing tour guide. A lot of history, many interesting facts and information that we did not know before. You will see a lot in one day, be prepared to walk a lot, but it definitely worth every step and every minute of your day. We had a great time. I highly recommend this tour with this company!
Loved our tour guide
Karen_D, Oct 2022
We had a most fabulous tour guide- Lutfullah Findkiglu. He is exceptionally knowledgeable, friendly, added a desired excursion location, and made the extra effort to find us in the VERY confusing Istanbul cruise terminal. Before the trip the company was very easy to communicate with to confirm reservations, and had the free cancellation policy if needed.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Fantastic Tour - Highly Recommend!
Robert_L, Oct 2022
Umutcan was a very knowledgeable guide who was able to provide an encyclopedic knowledge of history that brought the sites we were seeing to life. Tour was very thorough in providing detailed tours of the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Topkapi Palace. Because it was Sunday and the Grand Bazaar was closed and we had already done the Spice Market on our own, we were able to visit the marvelous Basilica Cistern instead. Fantastic tour - would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Best tour guide that we had on our 24 day itinerary
robert_m, Oct 2022
Great experience great guide well worth the tour. Our guide showed us so many historical site’s in this spectacular tour
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Excellent full-day walking tour
Edmund_R, Oct 2022
Excellent overview of the Old Town area and time spent inside the key historic buildings with informative descriptions from the tour guide. Pacing was just right in each location. Lunch at a local restaurant was delicious.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Even Lunch was Terrific!
Geoff_W, Oct 2022
Our guide, Elif was exceptional. It was clear she had a love for her city and a passion for sharing that love and knowledge. (Even the rain didn't diminish her ardor!) Spending the day with her provided us with a much greater understanding of all of the sites we visited than otherwise would have happened. We couldn't recommend her highly enough!
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Istanbul the amazing
Maria_S, Oct 2022
We really enjoyed this tour! The sites were beautiful and the city is amazing. The lunch was really really good and the shops we were taken to were really high quality.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Viator and Tour Company Mispresented the Tour and Bilked Us, Tour Guide Great
MIDORI_S, Oct 2022
Our tour guide Barack was great. Very informative. Very personable. Would absolutely use him again. Was unhappy with the tour company. For a number of reasons. 1. The order of the tour was changed. Ayasofia then Blue Mosque then Topkapi then Grand Bazaar. With lunch embedded in between somewhere. The actual order was changed. Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi. Why did this make a difference? We were going to beg off after Topkapi. Didn't need to visit gran Bazaar again for a third time. Had I known the order would be change, I would not have signed up with your tour. 2. Blue Mosque was under renovation. We saw next to nothing. Barack tried to fill in gaps, but one goes on tour because a picture (a visit) is worth a thousand words. Total waste of time. Should have been noted on the ad. Very disappointing. I am wondering if I should call my credit card company for misrepresentation of the service. In fact, I will ask my credit card company for a credit for the misrepresenation when I return to the states 3. We've already had taken three tours during our visit in Turkey. Yours the fourth. Each time, the tour company drove us to the sites and between sites. In this/your case, the tour company just picked us up and left us high and dry (wet in this case, it rained most of the day). We had to walk the entire day after the first drop off. Very difficult if one got a hip replacement only ten months ago. If I knew I had known I had to walk this much. 19,000 steps, I would have broken up each site visit on separate days. And, waited on line without the special tour guide line. My wife 65 has bad knees and had similar difficult challenges with the extensive walking demands of the tour. I am going to consider letter as my communications with Viator and the touring company caravan.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel. We are sorry to receive a negative review from the our guests directly, unfortunately in daily operations such kind of issues might occur beyond our wish/control. We will take your comments into consideration for our future bookings and to improve our service quality. Best Regards, Nathan.
Classic Istanbul
Saudhi_P, Oct 2022
Our guide was punctual, knowledgeable and able to accommodate to our pace. We enjoyed the tour and learned a lot.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Nice tour guide.
MariaM_T, Oct 2022
The best thing for this tour was our tour guide. She was very informative and nice. There was too much crowd and we decided not to make the long line inside of one Mosque, but will suggest I the future to get on those first before it fill out.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
Excellent tour
Reneva_P, Oct 2022
We enjoyed all the big sites. Lovely tour guide and good lunch. Enough time to shop. Currently Lots of renovafion happening so we could not see all aspects of sites but was still worth it. NB- long line at Hagia Sophia- start early so you dont do this in midday heat
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
I highly recommend the tour
Maritza_A, Oct 2022
Love the tour! However, we missed the hippodrome as it was listed in the tour. They took us to the Grand Bazaar instead. Loved the lunch. The guide was very knowledgeable!
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
5 star for Buse Demir
YashBharat_V, Oct 2022
Our tour guide Buse did great. Explained everything without any rush. Buse was also on time to pick us up.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
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