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 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. 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

Gordon🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ahmet Can)

27 July 2025

Despite a delay to our start as we could not find the German fountain! Ahmet was a perfect guide, his knowledge of the history of Istanbul went beyond dates and details but provided relevant information that linked and overlapped. Despite the heat, the time went quickly.Excellent historical detail

Shaylynn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tolga)

24 July 2025

What a wonderful tour! Tolga knew all of the best places to take us on our food tour and we truly feel we got a taste of Turkey. Tolga not only is very knowledgeable on Turkish food, but also the history of Turkey. I highly recommend Tolga for any tour. Great Experience!

Rosalind 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Kadir Celal)

23 July 2025

Kadir was really lovely and helped us discover and navigate a little of Istanbul. Not only was he very knowledgeable and proud of his home city, but we loved how he interspersed his own memories of the city and how it has transformed since he was a child. Kadir took us to some hidden gems too. He took us to an ice cream shop near the Grand Bazzar, a spot where only locals would know how to find. A real treat indeed. As we were staying for a few days, Kadir was great suggesting various things that we could do. Thank you, Kadir for sharing your wonderful city with us. It was a real pleasure meeting you. If you’re interested in discovering where this ice cream shop is … then you’ll have to book Kadir! You won’t be disappointed! Like hanging out with an old friend…

Elizabeth🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

23 July 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our 10 tastings of Istanbul tour with Alp. We tried a wide variety of local favorites, and everyone in our family enjoyed something different. Great food tour!

lance & lily🇺🇸 United States

(About local Esra)

22 July 2025

Esra was in contact with us before our tour. She introduced us to a friend the day before our tour who helped us shop in the grand bizarre. She made it easy to connect and was able to move our tour up a bit to accommodate our hectic schedule. Her knowledge of Istanbul and her professionalism were both outstanding. I highly recommend her. Esra was great!

Boris🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Esra)

22 July 2025

The tour was very interesting and informing and Esra is a great guide with lots of stories and knowledge. We would highly recommend herGreat tour with a great lady

Hans🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ugur)

21 July 2025

Ugur gave us a very informative and wonderful tour of the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Ugur was full of knowledge of the historical sites, the Turkish history and provided us detailed information. Ugur was passionate about Turkey and shared his love of his country with us, including Turkish basketball. We had a great time with him! Thank you.My Family from Utah Loved Ugur!

Mark and Leanne🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Neslihan )

21 July 2025

Enthusiastic, humorous, knowledgeable, on time. I would highly recommend her to anyoneExcellent

Tabitha

(About local Abdullah)

20 July 2025

Abdullah is brilliant! We had around 5 hours to explore Istanbul as part of a flight layover (myself, husband and 2 teenagers). He communicated everything beforehand and tailored the tour to the sites I’d wanted to prioritise, but also showed and told us so much more. He managed to keep a wonderful relaxed pace , and, most importantly, he was very chatty and engaging. We discussed a good range of topics as well as hearing the important political, social, religious and architectural history of different locations. All 4 of us had a brilliant time. Super, engaging, tailored tour

Anakaren

(About local Esra)

20 July 2025

We have an awesome time touring the Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and Grand Bazaar. Esra is super knowledgeable and informative. We unfortunately could not attend the Blue Mosque cause it is closed on Fridays until 2:30 pm so instead Esra took us to the Grand Bazaar and we were able to make purchases with her help. It was comforting to know she was taking us to shops she shops at and we weren’t being scammed. She even helped finding some souvenir gifts for us. Esra is great

Heather🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

19 July 2025

My perfect day is probably different from yours. I wanted a chill day away from crowds and Gulce gave me what I was looking for. It was my first visit to Istanbul and I learned to use the impressive transit system, ate delicious local foods, drank Turkish coffee, visited several neighborhoods and bought a few trinkets to bring home. I also learned about history of some places and why there are so many cats in Istanbul. Not just any perfect day, MY perfect day. Thank you!My perfect day in Istanbul

Jean🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alp)

19 July 2025

Alp provided us with a great introduction to authentic, delicious food. Prior to meeting Alp, he was responsive to our questions and worked to plan a delightful evening, taking into consideration our likes and dislikes. During our tour he was fun to talk with and provided a lot of insight into the local culture. Thanks for a memorable evening of food and conversation. Alp is Wonderful

Jon

(About local Emre)

19 July 2025

Our three hour food tour with Emre was one of the most memorable experiences from our visit to Istanbul. He met us on the European side and after a quick first tasting, we took a ferry to the Asian side where Emre guided us through a maze of amazing food vendors. He was attentive to our food preferences (we had one vegetarian and he made sure she had many options). It was relaxed, informative, and we tried many foods we could never have found on our own. In all, I couldn't imagine a better food tour experience. Amazing experience

Robin🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Dilek)

19 July 2025

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

(About local Safiye)

18 July 2025

We had the absolute pleasure of touring Istanbul with Safiye, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide! She showed our group of four women the very best of the city—seamlessly blending history, culture, hidden gems, and local flavor in a way that made the experience both informative and incredibly fun. Safiye went above and beyond, even spending more time with us than planned to make sure we didn’t miss anything special. Her passion for Istanbul is contagious, and her knowledge and kindness made us feel welcomed and well taken care of from start to finish. We’ll be recommending her to everyone we know heading to Istanbul. Thank you, Safiye, for an unforgettable experience!We ❤️ Safiye

Catherine

(About local Dilek)

18 July 2025

Hi! We had a wonderful morning with Dilek! She is very knowledgeable, speaks great English and Spanish too and is very kind and generous. We only had one hour, but she packed in so much history and education into our 1 hour walk around the old city. We didn’t have enough time to enter places, but we were able to get a really nice quick taste of Istanbul. She was super helpful in assisting with planning our transportation also! When we return for a longer vacation, we will reach out to Dilek again! Until next time! Clturally and visually engaging tour

Glen🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Abdullah)

16 July 2025

Abdullah is very knowledgeable and has a great sense of humour. We are a family 4 and spent and a thoroughly engaging day with a local! Highly recommend a day with Abdullah if you are in Istanbul and new to the city.

Allison🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Tolga)

15 July 2025

We had a fabulous time with Tolga on our food tour in Kadikoy and were so lucky he was able to fit us in last minute. He took us to unique spots that each were known for their own speciality. We would never have been able to find such diversity and top-notch places on our own. And he was great at sharing about the history and culture of Istanbul, answering all of our questions. Highly recommend!Amazing local insights into unique foods

Patricia

(About local Abdullah)

12 July 2025

Too many changes. And also a cancellation Too

Dan

(About local Alp)

11 July 2025

Alp is excellent. This is an great way to experience the true Istanbul. Comfortably, safely, and casually. Alp to us to multiple locations, made us comfortable, asked us thoughtfully about our food leanings, brought out dishes, carefully explained what everything was and why it was part of the culture. He answered all our questions and we never felt rushed. Most importantly, really enjoyed the food. Sometimes with local guides, you feel that they are on a mission to "get it done". With Alp, we felt like we were in town visiting an old friend and he was spending the day with us to show his favorite foodie spots with the goal to make our experience unforgettable.

Lucía

(About local Abdullah)

10 July 2025

We had the best guide we could have asked for in Istanbul! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the city’s history and full of interesting facts and hidden gems. On top of that, he was fun, energetic, and made the whole experience so enjoyable. We spent a fantastic day exploring with him and learned so much along the way. We absolutely recommend Abdullah!!!A wondeeful day full of culture and fun!!!

Sam🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Alp)

9 July 2025

We did a highlights tour with Alp, who shared his insights and knowledge with us. He hit all of the major landmarks we hoped to see, while keeping things interesting for my young kids. He was great, would highly recommend. Great Experience with Amazing Guide

Andy🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Emre)

8 July 2025

We're a family of four (two boys aged 9 and 11) who did an eight hour Istanbul tour with Emre on a hot July day. Emre was excellent, very flexible with what we went and getting tailor the tour to keep everyone engaged and refreshed in the heat. Emre is very knowledgeable about all things Istanbul and provided some tips for the rest of our trip in Turkiye. Highly recommended, we had a great day.An excellent family day with Emre