• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

A quick visit to the Topkapi Palace is not enough. There are other spots worth checking out outside this attraction, and your local host knows exactly where. Combine your visit to the Topkapi Palace with a touch of hidden gems and an easy access to this famous attraction, and you are set for a good time!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

Art Culture Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Türkçe, Español

Included

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

Excluded

• Entrance to other attractions than mentioned

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 12 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. Beautiful Surroundings

   To better understand what you’ll see inside the Topkapi Palace, your local host will start by showing you other hidden gems around the attraction. That way, you can get to know more about Istanbul and the Topkapi Palace for a perfect introduction to your tour

4. How It Works

   Before entering the Topkapi Palace, meet your host and get an introduction to your tour. Your local host will explain how "skip the line" works and where to go to start exploring the Topkapi Palace

5. Ahead of the Crowds

   On this tour, you don’t need to wait long to go inside the Topkapi Palace. Follow your local host’s lead and use that extra time you saved by spending more time inside the attraction discovering its highlights and hidden gems

6. Inside the Topkapi Palace

   Once you are inside, follow your local host’s insights as you check out the must-sees, as well as the hidden gems that not many know about. Be part of an enriching tour that will satisfy your curiosity and answer all of your questions!

7. Keep Exploring

   After the time with your host is over, you can either stay inside the attraction and keep exploring by yourself or say goodbye outside the attraction where your host will point out other spots to explore in Istanbul

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

Mary

(About local Ugur)

27 October 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 October 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 October 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 May 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 November 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 August 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 July 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 May 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 May 2022

Very informative and friendly.PV

Vassily🇳🇬 Nigeria

(About local Hakan)

18 April 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 March 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 May 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 December 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 October 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 August 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 August 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 July 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 June 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 May 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 May 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 April 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 March 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 November 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 October 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 October 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 October 2018

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

vedran

(About local Emre)

9 March 2025

A huge thank you to Emre for making our trip to Istanbul truly special! He is not just a guide but a wonderful host, full of knowledge and passion for the city’s history. Emre went above and beyond—ensuring a smooth fast-track entry to Hagia Sophia, guiding us back to our hotel via public transport (which he even paid for!), and even adding extra stops like the Blue Mosque and a Medresa that weren’t originally in our itinerary. He was always attentive, welcoming, and ready to help with anything we needed. If you’re looking for the perfect guide in Istanbul, Emre is the one! Highly recommended!An Unforgettable Tour with the Emre

Jennifer

(About local Emre)

7 March 2025

We had a lovely tour with Emre! Not only does he know A LOT about Istanbul, he also is passionate about sharing his knowledge and we learned so much while having fun and enjoying this beautiful city! I would highly recommend anyone, who wants to hear interesting facts and stories about i.e Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque to book Emre as their guide. Additionally he is very helpful if you are looking for local tips as where to eat or how to get to the airport. And Emre is great with young people too! My 15 year old son enjoyed our 3 hour very much and it helped us to connect with lively and beautiful Istanbul. Lovely experience!!

Michele

(About local Aysenur )

27 February 2025

Hands down, Ayşenur is the best guide I have ever had! She customized my tour perfectly. Her friendly, fun and engaging approach made her extensive knowledge range even more palatable. Thank you so much for an amazing tour and I look forward to next. (There will absolutely be a next time!)The best guide ever!

Monique

(About local Ugur)

26 February 2025

Ugur is a very nice guy who has a big knowledge on historical facts. We enjoyed his company. He is also good with teenagers. We had 4 of them with us. He showed us nice places and took us to taste the best Baklava in town and Some Turkish caffee. He also took is on a short trip with the 2nd oldest metro in the world. We highly recommend Ugur for your trip! Excellent

Patrycja🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

24 February 2025

We had great tim. The tour was adjusted to places we would like to see. Lots of fun walking and great time. Amazing city tour

Miqelle

(About local Tolga)

22 February 2025

Tolga took over from Emre who we originally booked with but had the flu. An avid traveler himself, Tolga was super interesting to listen and talk to. Not only did he do a fabulous job with showing us Turkish street food and classic dishes, he also knew a lot about history and historical context of the region. Emre too was helpful—even though he didn’t conduct the tour he gave us extremely useful tips about Istanbul. So much better than any canned tour of the attractions. So much better than Get Your Guide

Ronald

(About local Safiye)

22 February 2025

What a wonderful experience. We have been on a number of food walking tours. Safiye made this one of the best.Treated us as friends.

Isabella 🇭🇷 Croatia

(About local Gülce)

19 February 2025

Gülce organized the whole tour based on our wishes. However, when we wanted to change the plan, she arranged that to be possible. Moreover, she had an answer to all of our questions (history, traffic and life in Istanbul). She gives an amazing recommendations for delicious local food. And, last but not least, she is a really interesting storyteller.The perfect guide for Istanbul

Whitney

(About local Esra)

18 February 2025

We had such a wonderful day with Esra. She was knowledgeable, passionate and spent the extra time answering questions, showing us the Turkish specialties in the bazar and even making sure we got on our tram back to the hotel. I would definitely recommend her! And hope to visit her great city again! Wonderful Tour

Keith🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Dilek)

18 February 2025

With just a day in Istanbul we needed a orientation and a guide to places close to our hotel. Dilek went over and above, helping us with airport transfer and other advice and guidance before we arrived. The time with Dilek in the morning was all we could have wished for and she was generous with her advice, her willingness and flexibility to meet our needs and her time - we hope to meet her again when we have more time to explore the cityIntro to the European side of Istanbul

Unknown

(About local Neslihan )

17 February 2025

Neslihan brought warm energy and plenty of fascinating historical tales to the tour. Her easygoing demeanor and kindness made the scheduled time fly by. Arranged to familiarize ourselves with the area before venturing out ourselves, she made sure to listen to our plans, customizing advice to our particular interests. Having our fortunes read in coffee grounds was a fun and unexpected addition. Equipped with many suggestions, key Turkish phrases, and an Istanbulkart, we began our trip feeling confident and energized. Teşekkürler, Neslihan!Upbeat and personalized

Magnus

(About local Ahmet Can)

16 February 2025

Ahmet Can is an excellent guide. If you want to see and learn about Istanbul, he's your man.Fantastic

Marina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Neslihan )

16 February 2025

Our 3 hour tour with Neslihan was amazing: we laughed a lot, seen a lot, learnt a lot and ended up with a list of recommendations for the rest of our trip. Neslihan loves the city and it’s infectious! She knows it’s history and culture and shares her knowledge in a light and engaging way: surprised just how much we’ve learnt whilst having fun! Could not recommend Neslihan highly enough.Terrific

Robert🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ugur)

12 February 2025

Ugur is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul. He is very personable and is always open to his client’s preferences and will bend over backwards to accommodate them. I would certainly recommend him for anyone who wants to experience Istanbul to its fullest.Exceptional

Elisabeth🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Dilek)

10 February 2025

Great start to our stay in Istanbul with Dilek - who was clear and informative. Helped us get the lay of the land, when attractions were open and not so busy, how to get around and what to concentrate on in the time we had. Perfect introduction to Istanbul

Dawn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

8 February 2025

Kadir is super knowledgeable, and took the less than ideal weather into account. He made the day informative and interesting, showcasing the history and beauty of the city. Thank you, Kadir!Great tour of Istanbul!

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

5 February 2025

Gülce is very knowledgeable about Istanbul and the history of Turkey. She braved the cold (it’s snowing in Istanbul!), tailored the tour to our interest, impressed us with the depth of her knowledge, and gave us a lot of good practical advice for visiting Istanbul.Gülce is a Pro!

Michelle

(About local Ugur)

4 February 2025

Ugur took us to places frequented mainly by locals and with him, they treated us very well. He was very considerate of our picky teenagers, and adapted the tour and food as we went along. Everything was delicious and Ugur explained the various dishes and their preparation. He also answered our questions and sent us recommendations on things we were interested in afterwards. I only wish we had booked more tours with him.Unique experience

Leslie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Aysenur )

4 February 2025

During our short tour with Ayşenur, we had the chance to enjoy Istanbul at night. We learned about the lifestyle of locals and some great things about the history of the city. This is a concentrated short tour over the culture , history, architecture, hidden gems and where to find local food either on the streets or in a fine dining restaurant in the city. Ayşenur’s way of delivering the tour feels like there’s still more to dig in. She continued to ask if there were other things we wanted her to focus on to make sure we were getting the most out of our visit. Definitely recommended, she’s a true local.A Great Evening in Istanbul

Tomek

(About local Ugur)

3 February 2025

It’s been a fantastic day in Istanbul! We had a private tour with Ugur, and he was not only a great guide but also a wonderful travel companion. He is a kind gentleman, full of knowledge and a great sense of humor, truly passionate about his country. The organization was perfect, and every moment was filled with Turkish stories.Great day in Istanbul!

Ann🇺🇸 United States

(About local Dilek)

1 February 2025

I honestly don’t know where to start. Dilek was amazing and it was like I was learning about the city from a friend. Her communication, from the moment I set up the tour until the moment I met her was fabulous. We chatted and got to know each other. She arranged for me to have transportation and it was the best decision! Dilek’s in depth knowledge of Istanbul is second to none, and we had wonderful conversations wandering the cobblestone streets lined with cafes and restaurants. We were able to see the Hagia Sofia, Cisterns, Spice Market, old city, new city, galata port, and so much more! I fell in love with Istanbul in large part because of Dilek. I didn’t just have a tour. I explored an amazing city with a friend, and made memories that will last me forever.

Katalin🇫🇷 France

(About local Gülce)

31 January 2025

The food tour with Gülce was very nice! She took us to many traditional street food spots, often historic in their own right, and gave some nice background info for each place and dish. We had a good time trying so many different well seasoned and tasty foods, thank you!Beautiful tour with delicious local food!

Katalin🇫🇷 France

(About local Kadir Celal)

30 January 2025

Kadir was very flexible and customised te tour as per our preferences. We learned a lot and the anecdotes Kafir told us where very refreshing. A serious guide, with humor and lots of attention to it's guests, it was a pleasure to discover Istanbul with him.Interesting tour, nice guide

David🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Emre)

27 January 2025

We had a great time visiting the old sites of Istanbul with Emre. He was so knowledgable it was crazy. Any question we had, he had the answer for. And he's a super food lover and we went to a grill spot for lunch that was so good. And the kind of spot a tourist would have some difficulty due to not knowing what to order, but Emre handled it all and we had a feast!Fantastic private tour!