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

Included

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

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 13 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

Karina🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Neslihan )

8 June 2025

Neslihan was an exceptional guide during our time in Istanbul. She effortlessly showed us all the best parts of the city, providing insightful historical context and making sure we experienced everything to the fullest. Her knowledge and enthusiasm made our trip unforgettable. Highly recommend Neslihan for anyone visiting Istanbul!Unforgettable Istanbul Experience

Stephanie

(About local Abdullah)

8 June 2025

The 6 of us had an excellent first glimpse of Istanbul. Abdullah is knowledgeable but has also fun facts to share. His tour was interesting and very entertaining. The food he ordered for us was amazing 🤩 We can definitely recommend him ! Excellent and fun tour !

Wies🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Abdullah)

8 June 2025

We had a full day visit to Istanbul Sultanahmet with Abdullah and really recommend booking a tour with him! We told him in advance what we would like to see and he made sure we saw all of it and added some of his own recommendations. He was very knowledgeable about the sites we were visiting and gave us lots of recommendations besides that. We had a fun day and learned a lot, great way to start your visit to Istanbul/ Turkey - thank you Abdullah!Great guide in Istanbul!

Nancy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

7 June 2025

Abdullah ("Apo") was a great guide for our three days in Istanbul. He provided a suggested itinerary, but then listened and modified based on my input. It was nice to have a basis to start with but also the flexibility to accommodate our unique interests. Apo was patient with us when we dawdled, moved us along when needed, and didn't get stressed by us choosing to skip a historic sight in favor of coffee when we were dragging. In the historic sights, Apo was not only well-informed, but also he was excellent at making history come alive for us. It was a pleasure for our group to learn about the mosques, neighborhoods, bazaars, and more that make Istanbul a very cool place to be. He picked well for lunch restaurants (such good food!) and had great suggestions on where to eat dinner. He even arranged a private boat tour of the Bosphorous for us with fresh-caught fish for lunch on the boat. Our family agreed that though we hired Apo as a guide, by the time we left, we felt he had become a friend. Perfect guide for our family trip!

Adam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

5 June 2025

Kadir was amazing. He was very knowledgeable about all of the history and culture of the area. He was obviously very passionate about the history, which made the tour very engaging. He also gave us great advice on where to eat and where else to go. I would highly recommend Kadir.Passionate historian

Ken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Esra)

4 June 2025

My wife and 2 friends were very fortunate to select Esra as our Istanbul guide. Esra has a great knowledge of the top attractions, to include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Grand Bazaar. Esra is enthusiastic, dedicated, and made sure we were treated as guests in her care. She made sure our expectations were exceeded!#1 Tour Guide!

Jody

(About local Mine )

4 June 2025

Mine was clearly knowledgeable especially historically and politically. It was very interesting to talk with her. She packed a lot into the 3 hours, teaching us history and architecture. She didn’t take in our comments or appear that interested in what we had to say. That would be an improvement area for her. All in all, we appreciated the tour. Mine

Shannon🇺🇸 United States

(About local Dilek)

2 June 2025

Dilek is an amazing guide. She took us to several amazing spots on the Asian side of Istanbul. Dilek accommodated our special requests and also took us to spots to find some unusual foods. We made some spur of the moment stops which she was totally fine with. I can’t recommend Dilek enough. Tasting our way through her neighborhood is exactly the kind of authentic experience we hoped to have. Fantastic tour!

Will🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

2 June 2025

We had the pleasure of a wonderful tour of Hagia Sophia and surrounding area with Gülce. She knew all the history which made the experience for all of us so much better. She even got us into the “tour” line for the Bassillica Cistern which saved us a lot of waiting around (and she also hard great knowledge on the Cistern as well). Thank you, Gülce, for making our trip so enjoyable!A Great Tour eith Gülce

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

2 June 2025

We spent a lovely day with Gulce touring the most famous sights in the Old City of Istanbul. She is extremely knowledgeable about the history and is able to present it in an approachable manner. Without her, we never would have appreciated was we were seeing. I am now a convert to taking a private tour! Crash course in the history of Istanbul

Ben🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Kadir Celal)

2 June 2025

Thank you Kadir for an excellent full day tour. We covered a lot and we greatly appreciated your expertise and knowledge.Full day tour

Kirsty🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Tolga)

2 June 2025

Having done a similar walking food tour with another company in Istanbul years ago, I wanted to share a similar experience with family visiting Turkey for the first time. This tour did not disappoint. Tolga was absolutely wonderful and this tour is a perfect way to sight-see, get some history and taste some wonderful street food. It was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip. Just book it.

Jacinta

(About local Mine )

1 June 2025

Mine is an excellent guide. Her knowledge is incredible & she is full of energy & enthusiasm for her role which makes the experience very enjoyable. Having a guide makes it so much easier to navigate around the many wonderful places to visit. Also, Mine’s recommendations for places to eat & shop were all great. Overall we had a wonderful time in Istanbul & I would definitely recommend Mine. 😻🤓😻

Katja🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Emre)

1 June 2025

We had an excellent tour with Emre. He took us to highlights like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and enriched the experience with fascinating stories and details we wouldn’t have wanted to miss. Emre is a natural storyteller — knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate. Highly recommended!Excellent tour

Karen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Esra)

1 June 2025

Esra is a lovely person. She is very knowledgeable about Istanbul and the culture and history of Turkey. She went out of her way to come to the port to meet us and took us on the tram to the centre. I would not hesitate to recommend her. A very interesting tour and lovely guide

Alex

(About local Emre)

31 May 2025

First class. Excellent tour. Insightful but also casual. Emre is a wealth of knowledge. An amazing introduction to Istanbul on our first day. Highly recommended. The guru of istanbul

Cormac🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Ugur)

31 May 2025

Great time with Ugur. Very helpful and made the journey informative and interesting. Had great tips for other activities, restaurant, coffee shops and all sorts of things. Offered a very flexible experience. Happy to come back!

Sabine🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

30 May 2025

We truly enjoyed our time with Kadir Celal. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. Kadir helped us experience Istanbul in a way we could never have done on our own. We highly recommend him and would definitely book a tour with him again. A wonderful introduction to Istanbul

André

(About local Esra)

30 May 2025

We met Esra as a wonderful person with lots of experience and knowledge about the history of Istanbul. All recommendations from our side for all guests looking for a unforgettable time exploring Istanbul. Best Experience to explore Istanbul

Sylvester (Sly)🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

30 May 2025

Our private tour of Istanbul with Abdullah was great! He was flexible and agreed to meet us at our hotel versus the identified meeting point. Two members of our group couldn’t stay the entire time-frame, so he tailored the tour to ensure they at least saw the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern. Abdullah did not only take us to these ionic landmarks, he provided detail information, the history behind each site and answered our many questions. He modified the reminder of the day when our group of three became just one, by taking me to one of his favorite restaurants for lunch, the food was very good and reasonably priced. As we walked through Sultanahmet he pointed out sites of historical significance. We had tea at an historic tea house located in a former religious school, that offered a glimpse into Istanbul's past. Lastly, we went to the Grand Bazaar, where he introduced me to some of his friends. When I mentioned my wife and her sisters, who had earlier left the tour, would love to see the bazaar, he called them up, determined their location and we all went back to the bazaar. I highly recommend Abdullah and will request his services when in Istanbul.Knowledgeable + Adaptable = Great Tour

Justin 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Abdullah)

29 May 2025

We were really looking forward to a private, family-friendly tour of Istanbul—something engaging, educational, and inspiring. Unfortunately, this experience fell flat. Our guide rated a 4 out of 10 at best. He led us to several closed sights (which could have easily been checked in advance), and made stops in grimy, uncomfortable spots that weren't great for small children. Despite promising to be a storyteller, he shared only scattered facts and lacked the spark or depth to bring the city to life. We had to pull information out of him with questions instead of being guided through Istanbul’s rich history and culture. While he made a small effort to acknowledge the kids, he didn’t connect with them on their level and wasn’t intuitive to their needs—missing obvious cues like pausing when they were upset or engaging them when they were ready to listen. The tour felt unstructured, and he often just walked ahead in silence unless we prompted him. Though we did see four sights in five hours (which we could'vewalked to ourselves), the experience felt like a wasted day in a city we were so excited to explore. We hoped for insight, storytelling, and someone who could spark curiosity—for both kids and adults. Sadly, we walked away disappointed.Disappointing Private Tour

Kate🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mine )

29 May 2025

We had a great custom tour with Mine! She is very accommodating and pleasant to work with. She shared a lot of history and stories with us. We appreciate her expertise! It was our first time in Istanbul and she provided very helpful recommendations for us too. I strongly recommend doing a tour with Mine! It will be fun and educational. Mine is super knowledgable and kind!

Duncan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Tolga)

26 May 2025

We had a tour with Gamze, she was an excellent guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasting tour of Istanbul.An excellent tour!