Explore Topkapi Palace & Surroundings with a Local

• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Una visita rápida al Palacio de Topkapi no es suficiente. Hay otros lugares que vale la pena visitar fuera de esta atracción, y su anfitrión local sabe exactamente dónde. Combine su visita al Palacio de Topkapi con un toque de gemas ocultas y un fácil acceso a esta famosa atracción, ¡y estará listo para pasar un buen rato!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

3 horas

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español, Türkçe

Included

• Private Guide
• Tickets for Topkapi
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 14 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Entrance of Topkapi Palace Museum - Istanbul to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Hermoso entorno

   Para comprender mejor lo que verá dentro del Palacio de Topkapi, su anfitrión local comenzará mostrándole otras gemas ocultas alrededor de la atracción. De esa manera, puede conocer más sobre Estambul y el Palacio de Topkapi para una introducción perfecta a su recorrido.

4. Cómo funciona

   Antes de ingresar al Palacio de Topkapi, conozca a su anfitrión y obtenga una introducción a su recorrido. Su anfitrión local le explicará cómo funciona "Saltarse la fila" y dónde ir para comenzar a explorar el Palacio de Topkapi

5. Por delante de las multitudes

   En este recorrido, no necesita esperar mucho para entrar al Palacio de Topkapi. Siga el ejemplo de su anfitrión local y use ese tiempo extra que ahorró pasando más tiempo dentro de la atracción descubriendo sus aspectos más destacados y gemas ocultas

6. Interior del Palacio de Topkapi

   Una vez que esté dentro, siga las ideas de su anfitrión local mientras revisa las visitas obligadas, así como las gemas ocultas que no muchos conocen. ¡Sé parte de un recorrido enriquecedor que satisfará tu curiosidad y responderá todas tus preguntas!

7. Seguir explorando

   Una vez que termine el tiempo con su anfitrión, puede quedarse dentro de la atracción y seguir explorando solo o despedirse fuera de la atracción donde su anfitrión le indicará otros lugares para explorar en Estambul.

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

19 abril 2025

Our tour of Topkapi Palace was the highlight of our four day stay in Istanbul in April, 2025. Emre's passion, knowledge and experience of the palace was immediately evident from the moment we met him. He was friendly, funny and so patient with all of our questions. He helped us to skip in front of large groups while in the palace, found spots to keep us mostly out of the rain and wind (it was raining all day) and constantly checked in with us to see if we wanted to visit certain aspect of the palace or skip them. This was an outstanding experience and we learned so much. He even gave us restaurant and book recommendations to supplement our Turkish experience. We absolutely adore him and you should not hesitate to book any tour with Emre.You will not regret booking with Emre!

Mary

(About local Ugur)

27 octubre 2024

We throughly enjoyed our experience with Ugur He was so knowledgeable on history of the palace Also a great guide for other places in Istanbul Thank you Top kapi

V🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Tolga)

25 octubre 2024

Tolga unfortunately was not the one at the tour. He sent another individual in his stead, but did not inform me of this during the booking. Roy / Abdullah his replacement was good. It was also tough to nail down the plan with Tolga, meaning I had to write him many many times to get the time and pick up confirmed. But, Roy was very friendly and knowledgeable. Good guide and can recommend

Thierry🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

8 octubre 2024

We were a group of 4 people to visit TOPKAPI. We enjoyed our tour with EMRE very much. We learned so much about TOPKAPI history and about all the places we visited. It was a wonderful visit. Everything was so interesting. EMRE even went over the three hours tour to walk us to the BASLICA CISTERN, for our next visit. We had a mémorable afternoon with EMRE. Thank you very much.Great experience with EMRE for TOPKAPI

Sally🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gülce)

5 mayo 2024

We really enjoyed our tour with Gulce. Not only did she provide us with a tour of the palace, but she also told us a lot about the history of turkey which provided us with a lot of context. My high rating means a lot, as my husband typically has no interest in history, but he really enjoyed this tour. And my daughter (typical 8 year old with no attention span) also learnt a lot. Thanks Gulce! Fantastic

Damien🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Mine )

17 noviembre 2022

I had a wonderful time with Mine exploring Topkapi Palace Museum. Her communication prior to the day was excellent and her knowledge on the tour was exceptional. Thank you. Excellent

Shaarik🇺🇸 United States

(About local Dilek)

2 agosto 2022

We had a wonderful tour with Dilek in July 2022. My wife and I had visited the Topkapi palace previously, but this was our first visit with our daughters. Dilek was incredibly engaging and kept them both interested despite a hit Istanbul morning. We actually learned a lot too. We can’t recommend Dilek enough. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has answers to all of our questions. She’s also incredibly warm and patient. Highly, highly recommended. Terrific tour with Dilek

Paul🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

1 julio 2022

As a family with tween and teen visiting Istanbul for the first time we couldn’t have asked for a better guide than Abdullah (Apo). Apo has great knowledge of Istanbuls’ hidden gems, a passion for history, and connections to locals that made for intimate experiences at shops and sites. His sensitivity and flexibility to our families’ interest and pace kept us engaged without exhaustion for the full day. We had an absolutely great time with Apo and completely recommend him. Great day with Apo for our family

Nivin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Safiye)

28 mayo 2022

We visited Topkapi Palace with Safiye. She was an excellent guide - friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Safiye was such fun to be with - she felt more like a friend I have known for years rather than someone I had just met. Apart from telling us about the Palace, it's history and the Sultans, there was a lot of joking and laughing with Safiye. She was very flexible and patient especially as we were very late meeting her due to traffic. She didn't make us feel that we had inconvenienced her at all. I highly recommend Safiye for a fun time whilst learning about history.

Prokopios🇺🇸 United States

(About local Hakan)

19 mayo 2022

Very informative and friendly.PV

Vassily🇳🇬 Nigeria

(About local Hakan)

18 abril 2022

We had an amazing day with Hakan. His diverse knowledge of history was exceptional. He had many options for our day and he tailor made our tour according to our wishes. I and my family would like to thank him.Fantastic day

Eric🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Abdullah)

7 marzo 2022

We were very satisfied with our choice. Apu, as he likes to be called, is professional, knowledgeable and passionate. His insight on history, culture, politics and society was appreciated. He gave us the opportunity to discover parts of the city that we would not have otherwise. He was most generous with his time. Finally, we laughed a lot and truly enjoyed the time we spent together with him in Istanbul. Stop looking and book with Abdullah

erum 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

15 mayo 2021

Abdullah was our tour guide for Topkapi palace, Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque. I reached out to Abdullah in advance requesting a personalised package to include the Topkapi Harem aswell as the palace itself. He kindly accepted and was very quick to respond all my queries. We are so glad we booked Abdullah as he was very knowledgeable, new a lot about the history of Istanbul and the individual locations we visited. He was also very friendly and approachable which made the experience so much better! He educated us on a lot of things and made sure he covered every single detail which we greatly appreciated. I asked lots of questions during the day and Abdullah always had the answer and was happy to answer all my questions. After the tour I remained in contact with Abdullah asking for general advice and tips regarding Istanbul, he was very very helpful and always responded despite there being no requirement to on his behalf. I definitely recommend Abdullah as a private tour guide to everyone visiting Turkey/Istanbul. Without having such a knowledge tour guide you will not have the best experience in my opinion. Abdullah was an amazing tour guide!

Michelle & Andrew

(About local Hatice)

31 diciembre 2019

She is a superb guide, very helpful and knowledgeable, with a deep love of the history. We struck up an immediate rapport with Hatice, and felt as if we had known her for years. She made the palace, its inhabitants, its culture and its history come alive for us. Our experience of Topkapi would have much poorer without her expert guidance. We would be delighted to take another tour with her.Topkapi with Hatice

Todd🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Ugur)

4 octubre 2019

Ugur was a fantastic guide. He expertly took us through the Topkapi Palace, providing interesting details throughout the way. He was knowledgeable, engaging and very friendly - everything you could want in a guide. I wholeheartedly recommend him.Fantastic Guide

Stephanie🇱🇧 Lebanon

(About local Safiye)

31 agosto 2019

We enjoyed a wonderful tour of Topkapi Palace with Safiye yesterday . She explained every intricate detail of the palace’s layout as well as the different functions of the numerous buildings . Safiye animated the daily routine of palace life under the Ottoman Sultans. We also toured the magnificent gardens and enjoyed the unbelievable views of the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus .i highly recommend taking this tour with Safiye , her English is perfect and her knowledge of Ottoman history is profound . Stephanie Topkapi tour

pierre🇫🇷 France

(About local Abdullah)

12 agosto 2019

Abdullah is apassionate guide who knows very well the history of İstanbul and more. We enjoyed spending the afternoon at Topkapi with himGreat guided tour

Germán Gabriel🇦🇷 Argentina

(About local Safiye)

23 julio 2019

Not only she is extremely kind and professional but also has an extensive knowledge about turkish culture and history. I would definitely recommend her to any of my friends. Don’t miss the chance to learn from her. Extraordinary !

Andy🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Oğuz)

29 junio 2019

We are unsure if this is due to the tour design or Oguz’s guiding, but we felt this tour missed the mark as a Withlocals experience. Oguz was very knowledgeable about Ottoman history and the historical facts related to Topkapi palace, but the tour resembled an audio guide as we were overloaded with many dates and facts in certain places, then followed our guide in silence to another spot, where he would deliver another blurb. We would have loved to hear more stories about life at Topkapi palace and when we asked, Oguz did explain certain things, but then returned to his factual commentary. We would also have appreciated it if he had curated the provided information better (e.g. in the Portrait hall, we didn’t necessarily need an explanation of each painting). We spent the entire three hours covering the palace grounds, so the experience’s description of visiting another spot and having a tea break did not apply. This felt more like a standard (imbalanced) tour rather than what we’re used to from Withlocals.Topkapi:Focus on facts rather than stories

Julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oğuz)

27 mayo 2019

We had a wonderful tour of both Topkapı and Hagia Sophia with Oguz. He was very knowledgeable and informative and shared many interesting facts and stories about Istanbul and Turkey. He was also very patient, generous and accommodating. A really great tour of two historical marvels!Tour of Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia

Cynthia🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Ugur)

16 mayo 2019

Ugur was a wonderful guide and his knowledge of Topkapi Palace was impressive. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer and he navigated the heavy crowds expertly, which was much appreciated. He was engaging and warm and we enjoyed his company very much. He also knew what was open at the Palace and what was not, which allowed us to maximize our time there. His advice about neighborhoods to visit was invaluable. A wonderful time

Wasif🇺🇸 United States

(About local Safiye)

20 abril 2019

Right from the beginning Safiye texted us letting us know about our tour booking. She was very timely and was on time and met us right outside the palace. Tour wise she was extremely knowledgeable and great. Safiye had a great balance of showing us around and giving us plenty of time to look around. We were never rushed and even offered to take us to an offsite park full of tulips for pictures. She wasn’t feeling well but never canceled and was joy a to have as a tour guide. Book with confidence and I would personally recommend her, also gave us plenty of ideas outside of our tour. Topkapi Palace with Safiye

Jonathan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

27 marzo 2019

Apo’s knowledge of Istanbul and its history is second to none. I had a really enjoyable morning finding out about the Aya Sofia, Basillica Cistern and the Grand Bazar. I would definitely recommend Apo as a guide. He knows the city well he can tailor the tour to your liking. Great tour with a very knowledgable guide

Rosie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Oğuz)

17 noviembre 2018

Our guided tour of the Topkapi Palace with Oguz was excellent. He is extremely knowledgeable, has a really friendly manner and speaks very good English. He made our visit a very enjoyable and memorable experience and we would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Istanbul.Topkapi Palace with Oguz

Carol🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Oğuz)

29 octubre 2018

Booking a tour with Oguz for the Topkapi Museum on our first day in Istanbul was a brilliant move. Not only did we gain a good understanding of the history of the Ottoman rulers and the Sultan’s administration, we also grasped the big picture of the Region, Turkey and Istanbul. In addition we received lessons on city transport, basic greetings, food, restaurant recommendations and more. The three hours with Oguz set us up perfectly for the rest of our holiday. We can’t recommend this tour or Oguz highly enough! The Perfect Start

Brian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ugur)

25 octubre 2018

The third of our booked “walker”was with Ugur-the ladies favourite. A really smashing young man with a real modern slant on modern day Istanbul and the people who live there. This trip was just for the Hagia Sophia but we did it and it’s little sister to ensure we had our value. All our walkers had superb knowledge of the specific topic for the day as well as the general history of Istanbul and Turkey, but also quickly realised our strengths and weaknesses as a group. Very many thanks to you all.A day in ye olde Istanbul

Usman 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Oğuz)

17 octubre 2018

Was a good experience if you want a private/personal tour is the best option.Topkapi palace visit

Juniper🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oğuz)

2 julio 2025

Oguz was very friendly, knowledgeable, responsive, and accommodating! He took us to incredible places off the beaten path and knew all of the history. Having him there to navigate made it so we didn't waste any time, and we would have missed a ton of context and symbolism without him. He helped us to feel safe and confident in going out on our own the next day. Incredible value added to our trip!

Eddy🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Safiye)

2 julio 2025

We had an amazing food tour with Safiye. We tried food that we did not know about and we learned alot about Turkiye. Safiye is a funny and interesting tour guide. It was like being on a tour with your beloved sister. Thank you Safiye from Sema, Eddy, Lucas and Silas from DenmarkAmazing Istanbul

Daniel

(About local Oğuz)

29 junio 2025

Oguz was a wonderful tour guide. We got the start time wrong but he waited an hour for us to arrive. He was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I would definitely use Oguz again if we are ever able to come back to Istanbul.Great city tour

Claire🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gülce)

28 junio 2025

We had a fabulous time with Gulce with 10 food stops on a three hour walking tour. Gulce was informative and fun and the food she chose was a great mix of flavours and dishes. Highly recommended.A great taste of Turkey

Aeric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

28 junio 2025

Alp provided us with a thoughtful and excellent tour of more off-the-beaten-path destinations around Istanbul. As a perfect example of his hospitality, he even quietly arranged a stop at a famous baklava place that served the only gluten-free baklava we saw in our whole time in Turkiye for a member of our group with a gluten allergy. Fantastic!Multi-talented guide and great person!

Aeric🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

28 junio 2025

Emre did a wonderful job taking us all around Istanbul and showing us most of the key historical sites there. I can't recommend him enough!Great tour, great guide!

Belinda🇿🇦 South Africa

(About local Gülce)

28 junio 2025

Gülce was a wonderful guide — warm, flexible, and easy to follow. Her English was excellent, making the experience smooth and enjoyable. The tour offered delicious local food in generous portions (don’t eat beforehand!) and just the right hint of local knowledge about daily life and history. Our group of 4 adults and 4 kids (ages 8–13) loved every stop. Perfectly timed at 3 hours — a real highlight of our trip. Highly recommended!Istanbul Must Do Tour

Aaron🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Ugur)

27 junio 2025

Ugur was a fantastic guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul and took us to some amazing local restaurants Fantastic tour would highly recommend

Darrin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

27 junio 2025

Our guide, Alp, was fun to visit with and he carefully curated our tour stops and tastes. He chose spots where only locals dine. We learned much about Istanbul and Turkey. At the end my wife said, “Turkish is my new favorite cuisine.” The tour enhanced the enjoyment of the rest of our stay in Istanbul immensely. 10 Tastes Were Fantastic

Heidi

(About local Abdullah)

26 junio 2025

We had an amazing night exploring. Abdullah (Apple) was so chill and relaxed ... full of fun laughter and but also very knowledgeable with the sights we saw. Thank you for a great experience! Amazing chill night

Geeta🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Kadir Celal)

25 junio 2025

Our tour with Mr. Kadir was memorable. He is so well versed with Istanbul’s history, and took us to all the major attractions whilst taking us back in time with all the historical references :) the tour was fun as we stopped by for a bite, Ayran and Turkish cay at spots recommended by Mr. Kadir. Highly recommend leaving your Istanbul tour to Mr. Kadir. Istanbul through the eyes of an expert

Sabrina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

23 junio 2025

Abdullah gave us a great tour of the old part of Istanbul. He was friendly, warm, funny and incredibly knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, learned absolutely loads and couldn't have got our trip to Istanbul off to a better start, thank you Abdullah!Wonderful

Warren🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Abdullah)

23 junio 2025

Great guide with lots of knowledge about Istanbul and Turkey and architecture and fun showing local hidden gems.Charming historical expert

sylwia and Adrian

(About local Ugur)

23 junio 2025

We had a truly outstanding experience with our guide, Ugur, in Istanbul. From the moment we met, it was clear this would be a very personalized and enriching tour. Ugur tailored the experience to our interests and brought the city’s rich history to life with incredible depth and insight. We learned so much, not only about the architectural features across the European side of Istanbul, but also about the centuries of political tensions that have shaped the region, including its modern dynamics. One of the highlights was simply sitting down for a great coffee with him, where the conversation flowed as easily as if we were old friends. He also recommended a fantastic local restaurant for dinner—authentic, tucked away, and absolutely delicious. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and personable guide in Istanbul, I couldn’t recommend Ugur more highly.Great overview of best in Istambul

Fernando🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Neslihan )

22 junio 2025

We had an amazing time with Neslihan. She knows a lot about history of the sures and turkey, but also with a lot of energy. Highly recommend this your. Amazing experience

John🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

22 junio 2025

If you would like a great guide to show you around Istanbull Abdullah does a great job with a relaxed attitude and lots of local experience, I cant recommend Abdullah enoughRoll up the sky with Abdullah

Barbara and Rob🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Oğuz)

22 junio 2025

Oguz met us on our first morning in Istanbul and we are very glad we arranged this tour. We began with an overview of the old city and walking past the major tourist ‘must see’ sites and bazaars and then he took us to some of the lesser visited and very beautiful mosques. Oguz was knowledgeable and friendly and our time with him was a highlight of our visit.Great introduction to Istanbul

Joe🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

22 junio 2025

Gülce really gave us a tremendous tour of the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern. She was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. She was so kind to give us a recommendation for a restaurant for dinner that night and then to actually walk us over to the restaurant so that we could look at the menu and the atmosphere. From there, she brought us to the Grand Bazaar to help my wife find a particular necklace that she had been looking for. She knew the right shops to go to and stayed with us until my wife had found the necklace and paid for it -- even though it was 30 minutes after the official end of the tour! She is just such an intelligent, kind, and thoughtful person! The only downside for this tour is that even though it is titled "Haghia Sophia Tour", the entrance fees for Hagia Sophia are not included. We had to pay a fee for the Basilica Cistern as well. In the end, these fees doubled the cost of the tour.Gülce was wonderful!

Gail🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

22 junio 2025

Kadir is a wonderful guide to Istanbul. Warm and knowledgeable, he made our experience exploring the neighborhoods of Istanbul a pleasure. Many thanks!!Warm thanks!!

Ray🇺🇸 United States

(About local Safiye)

21 junio 2025

We booked a three hour Istanbul introductory tour with Safiye. She met us right on time at Galataport. We took public transport to Sulthanamet via the tram. I booked specially because three in the group prefer Spanish and Safiye has a great working knowledge of the language, plus her English is excellent. We toured the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia, and the Topkapi gardens, plus she provided tips to continue visiting Istanbul the next day (which was the last day as we were on a cruise). Safiye is very kind, personable, and patient, and deeply knows the city’s history and its landmarks. We very much enjoyed our time with her and highly recommend her if you are visiting Istanbul.Perfect Time in Istanbul

jeaninne

(About local Kadir Celal)

20 junio 2025

Kadir is amazing !!! He showed us around with so much knowledge and passion foe the city. He is the best guide !!! So nice with the kids. He had everyone engaged. I highly reccomend him !!! Kadir is amazing

Hanna

(About local Safiye)

19 junio 2025

I spent the day with lovely Safiye looking around all the "off the beaten track" locations that the locals know. She showed me great turkish coffee, amazing location for lunch, lots of cool suburbs including around Balat and the Asian side as well. She understood my needs and wants as well as catered to my lack of fitness so was able to supplement the walking with public transport in places. More than the obvious, Safiye is easy to talk to, knowledgeable, entertaining, cheerful and I really enjoyed my time spent with her. Thank you Safiye!Safiye is delightful 😊

Nicole🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Esra)

19 junio 2025

We had a blast with Esra- from start to finish. We saw all the landmarks we wanted to see. Skipped the queues and heard the wonderful history from an extreme knowledge guide!!! Esra you rock. Will see you again soon!!!Wonderful experience