Explore Topkapi Palace & Surroundings with a Local

• 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

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Türkçe, Español, 中文

Included

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

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 15 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

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

19 April 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 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

Scot🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

10 September 2025

What a great afternoon. Alp met us at our hotel as it was on the way. He explained the tram system and made us feel comfortable using it for further exploration. We tasted at non-tourist venues which helped us order at other restaurants as everything we had either delicious or something we needed to try. My favorite things were Mantis with garlic yogurt (pasta) at a small streetside restaurant. The big dishes at a restaurant which included an amuse of a dome of bulgar surrounding spiced meats and chili oil poured at the table, Pide which is a traditional Turkish pizza style dish, followed by the best kabob I've ever eaten! There were other stops and we got to learn more about the culture and daily life. We really clicked with Alp, who not just knowledgeable, but interested in the differences and similarities of our cultures. Great tour! It laid the groundwork for seeing Istanbul more confidently!Food Tour Introduction to Istanbul

Sara

(About local Emre)

9 September 2025

Emre was a fantastic guide. We did the food tour with him and we highly recommend both him and the tour. Emre knows the history of Istanbul extremely well and tells stories along introducing great street food. Emre a rock star of a guide :)

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ahmet Can)

9 September 2025

Ahmet was great! We were visiting Istanbul for the European Triathlon Championships so didn’t have a lot of time to sightsee. We booked an afternoon tour of Sultanahmet with Ahmet and I’m so glad we did. He was friendly and very informative, bringing each site to life with stories and interesting facts. Would highly recommend!Fabulous tour of Sultanahmet

Ted🇺🇸 United States

(About local Esra)

9 September 2025

With only a short time in Istanbul, Esra provided us with a very thorough and thoughtful day exploring the major sites of the old city and helping us to understand the Turkish culture in a more meaningful way. Seeing the carpet coop sponsored by the government in action (spinning silk and weaving a carpet) was a particular highlight of the day. She was awesome and helped with other thoughts for the rest of our trip. Bravo, Esra. Awesome Day in the Old City

Denny🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Abdullah)

8 September 2025

If there were nominations or awards for city guides, Apo would receive from us an Oscar for 'best performance', a Michelin star for 'pure finesse', a Nobel Prize for 'international understanding & hospitality', and an award for the 'most original and best promotion of Istanbul'. Apo’s profile delivers 100% what it promises!! We will definitely come back to a city that never sleeps - a city whose people gifted us with kindness, openness, helpfulness and patience from the very first to the very last encounter. Including the cats, who trustfully rubbed against our legs and gladly let us pet them. Thanks a million ❤️
 Malgosia, Marcel & DennyGOOD-BETTER-APO!!!


Sean

(About local Alp)

7 September 2025

I had an incredible experience exploring Istanbul with Alp as my guide. He was exceptional at tailoring the tour to my interests, taking me through hidden gems across different neighborhoods that I would have never found on my own. Alp’s deep, factual knowledge of the city’s history, landmarks, and culture made every stop meaningful and insightful. What truly set him apart was his passion for the local music scene and his recommendations for off-the-beaten-path shops and restaurant that were all a gem. On top of it all, Alp was the sweetest, most hospitable guide that i was lucky to have had. His warmth and genuine love for his city made this tour unforgettable and I couldn’t recommend him more for anyone visiting Istanbul, especially for the first time.Truly Authentic Experience with a Gem!

Alana🇺🇸 United States

(About local muhammed)

6 September 2025

Muhammed was fantastic! Knowledgeable, kind, prompt, and just a wonderful guide to the city. We left the tour full in our bellies, more knowledgeable of the city and culture, and with a wonderful day under our belt. A great guide to the city!

Steven🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

6 September 2025

We had a fantastic time with Alp. He is very friendly and personable. He took us to some hidden gems to taste his favorite dishes. It is a true Turkish gastronomic journey with detailed explanations of the food along with its history. It is clear that he is passionate about sharing his Turkish heritage with all who take his tour. Should not be missed.Fantastic day with Alp

Tricia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Esra)

6 September 2025

We had an excellent tour around Istanbul with Esra, the tour was entirely tailored to what we wanted, visiting many of the amazing sights, and the knowledge we gained was invaluable and every question answered. If we had of had more time we would have booked onto one of the culinary tours too as that sounds great also! Perfect tour

Ramona🇨🇦 Canada

(About local muhammed)

5 September 2025

Firstly I was charged for 4 and there were only 2 of us. Secondly, the guide changed at the last Minute to a guide I did not select. The tour was supposed to be 90 minutes and he cut out after 60 minutes. He did t really show us around anywhere. We walked up a hill to see the view but no history was given. Just the questions we asked answered. Would definitely not recommend this tour to anyone. This wqs a complete ripoff

Libby🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mine )

5 September 2025

I cannot begin to express how extremely lucky we feel to have spent time with Mine today. From the time of booking and throughout our tour, she was extremely responsive to our needs and worked with us flexibly. What’s more she is a wealth of knowledge about Architecture, Art, History and Culture and Politics , not only of Istanbul, but of the entire Middle East and Europe. I may have learned more from Mine in 3 hours today than I have in the past year. We walked away with incredible insights into Istanbul’s culture and history and relationship to the world. Mine has it all: information, cultural and religious insights and experience and a great sense of humor and fun! Anyone who gets Mine as their guide should consider themselves very lucky! The Amazing Insights of Mine

Stuart🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Ugur)

5 September 2025

We asked Ugur for a general tour of Sultanahmet to understand the history and culture of Istanbul and the Turkish people. Ugur was friendly, knowledgeable and easy to talk to. He was open and responsive to our requests and personalised the tour to meet our interests. He gave us some great restaurant and shopping recommendations. Thank you Ugur, we would highly recommend!Money well spent

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

3 September 2025

We had a great experience with Alp! Not only did he take us to some great places to taste various kinds of Turkish dishes, but he was also very knowledgeable of the areas we were in. I would rate our experience as a 10 and would highly recommend Alp!Fantastic tour with Alp

SCOTT🇵🇭 Philippines

(About local Tolga)

3 September 2025

The tour was OK, as expected. The food and dialog were good. What was strange, was the offer to help with future travel. He was going to provide names of 2 balloon companies in Cappadocia. I requested it several times and was met with a reply saying he will get me the info ASAP, then a thumbs up, then ignored future messages. I guess the 1000TL was too small of a tip, so no further assistance?OK tour, strange follow-up

Nancy

(About local Ahmet Can)

2 September 2025

On our first trip to Istanbul we were looking for a knowledgeable and personable guide who would discuss history , culture and Turkish life including contemporary Turkey. Ahmet exceeded all of our expectations. We felt that we not only learned about the very rich History of Istanbul. We also got to know Ahmet . Even before our tour Ahmet made suggestions for our first day here and after our tour Ahmet sent us follow up Directions for taking the ferries. We could not have been happier with our experience and look forward to recommending Ahmet to our many friends who plan to visit Istanbul . Fantastic Day

Chantal🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Gülce)

2 September 2025

We had a great tour with Gülce, she told us a lot of information during the tour but also gave us a lot of tips for after the tour. We were a group of 5 including 2 kids. It was fun for all of us.Great tour with Gülce

Hank

(About local Alp)

1 September 2025

My wife and I had the best time exploring Istanbul's food with Alp. We had a great range of food that was some of the best we tasted during our whole trip. Alp was great and patiently explained the foods we would be getting and allowed for easy flexibility if something didn't sound good. On top of the food, Alp was a really nice guy making it a pleasant afternoon. Recommend this trip to anyone thinking about it. PS, come hungry!Great day exploring with Alp!

Dr.🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Ahmet Can)

1 September 2025

Ahmet Can has been an wonderful guide and made our tour through Istanbul memorable - a huge thank you:)Thank you

Beyauna🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

1 September 2025

Apo was an excellent tour guide. I strongly recommend him. I appreciated his friendliness, his patience and historical lessons on the places we visited. He is passionate at what he does. I highly recommend him. He's magnificent!Istanbul tour

Gail🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

1 September 2025

Very personable, very informative and very helpful. Everyone should love Alp!!9

Andrea🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Gülce)

31 August 2025

We did a tour of the Hagia Sofia with Gülce. She was really knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about the surrounding area and saw things inside the mosque that we wouldn't have noticed without a guide. Excellent tour

Chris and Lee🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Emre)

30 August 2025

Emre gave us a wonderful tour. He was always sensitive to our needs and interests, and an amiable and very knowledgeable companion. A great day with Emre

TESS🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Kadir Celal)

29 August 2025

We had the pleasure of having Kadir show us around Istanbul - we only had him for 1 day instead of 2 so we chose to see the main attractions - however, he still managed to take us to some more local places and introduce us to some people that made our time in Istanbul truly valuable. Kadir is gentle, friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about his city. As foodies, we were excited when he added an impromptu ‘food tour’ into our day (which we would never have found without him showing us around) Thanks again Kadir! A fantastic day with a true local!!