• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Istanbul is well-known for Hagia Sophia, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Türkçe, Deutsch, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 18 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 In front of the German Fountain, next to cafe Sultan - 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. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Istanbul through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

   Your tour will focus on Hagia Sophia, a very important cultural subject in Istanbul. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how Hagia Sophia made an impact in Istanbul, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit German Fountain, Little Hagia Sophia, Hagia Sophia, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the cultural side of Istanbul, you’ll be able to embrace it thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time.

7. 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

Melina 🇲🇺 Mauritius

(About local Gülce)

19 January 2025

My experience has been seamless and customised according to my requirements. I had a long transit between my flights and booked this experience to see the main sites around Istanbul. Gülce organised the best transfer. Gülce was very friendly and kind which made my experience enjoyable. She even showed me some extra places like the Grand Bazaar and we had dinner at a nice restaurant by the Bosphorus which had the most delicious dishes. She knew how to time the visits well and advised on the best way to navigate through Istanbul traffic. Unfortunately the weather was really cold and windy, but I will be back again and enjoy Istanbul better next time. Thanks a lot Gülce for everything. Explored Istanbul with the best guide

Rachel🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Esra)

1 January 2025

Thank you to Esra for a thorough and enthusiastic introduction to the magnificence of the Hagia Sophia. It was wonderful to have the benefit of Esra’s knowledge of the history of the Hagia Sophia and her guidance and company.The Magnificent Hagia Sophia.

anusha

(About local Emre)

27 December 2024

Emre is beyond amazing We learned so much from himThe best tour guide for a history buff

Andrew 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Abdullah)

25 December 2024

We could not have been happier to have Abdullah as our guide. He has a great depth of knowledge of the history of Istanbul and of Turkish culture, and is charming and witty. He was the perfect person to lead us on our exploration. Plus he helped us navigate the tram system!Great guide

Jennifer

(About local Oğuz)

11 December 2024

We had a very interesting visit to Hagia Sofia with Oguz. He met us on time and guided us through ticketing, security and finally through this amazing mosque. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the history, architecture and interior adornment. He also helped us better understand the contemporary use of Hagia Sofia as a mosque. He also had some great recommendations for us for the remainder of the day including a great local restaurant.Interesting Hagia Sofia

Manisha

(About local Gülce)

26 November 2024

This was such a great tour! Gulce met us and took us to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Hippodrome, and Basilica Cistern. She told us so much about the history and stories of everything that had happened at each place, which made seeing the spaces absolutely incredible. Can't recommend this tour with Gulce enough. Worth every penny!

Thomas

(About local BULENT)

1 November 2024

We spent two lovely days with Bulent in old Istanbul. He was a very knowledgable, helpfull and not the least funny guide. We enjoyed our time with him.Friendly and knowledgable guide.

Katrine🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Gülce)

29 October 2024

Gülce lead my little group of three, me and two teenagers, with a steady hand through Hagia Sofia and surroundings, and then on a little food tour in Karaköy. She is a knowledgeable and patient tour guide that shares many good tips and insights about what to do in today’s Istanbul and all the history that is attached to the monuments we were seeing. She comes highly recommended! Sweet and knowledeable guide

Rebecca🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

19 October 2024

My friend and I had an absolutely wonderful time with Emre. There is so much to see everywhere you turn that it's easy for everything to blur together, and so I am especially grateful for Emre's approach to introducing us to the Hagia Sofia. Rather than trying to rush us into seeing everything (and thus seeing nothing), Emre instead gave us many opportunities to pause, really look, and listen as he helped us discover the centuries of history and culture that the church/mosque has witnessed and reflects. Whether it was pointing out the 2000-year-old marble urns that were used to hold sherbet to distribute to the faithful during religious ceremonies, or the asymmetry in the buildings many arched corridors (thus indicating the eventual need for buttresses), or the combination of Islamic calligraphy and Christian iconography -- all of it was offered in a way that helped us perceive the building's role as an amazing repository of cultural history. It was truly a wonderful experience! An enthralling tour of the Hagia Sophia!

Michael🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Oguz)

16 October 2024

My wife and I were on a short city trip in Istanbul, staying in a hotel with view on the Hagia Sofia. We decided to pick Oguz to show us around. It appeared to be a very nice tour. Oguz is very friendly and knowledgeable and explained the whole history of the building, while showing us interesting places and spots within the mosque. He shares his stories with lots of enthusiasm, which makes it very entertaining. After the tour there was still some time left, which we didn't waste as he took us as well to the Basilica Cistern. Thanks for the nice time, Oguz!Highly recommendable tour with Oguz

Frances🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Abdullah)

16 September 2024

Meeting up with Apo (Abdullah) was a great way to experience our first day in Istanbul. So knowledgeable about history, architecture and culture. Highly recommended. Walking with Apo in Istanbul

Susan🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Abdullah)

1 August 2024

Abdullah was so knowledgeable about the Aya Sofya & Istanbul as a whole. Abdullah has a relaxed, friendly manner with a playful sense of humour and he was attentive to our interests across the walking tour. It was our first morning in Istanbul and our time with Abdullah was a wonderful introduction to the city. Highly recommend. Great tour with Abdullah!

naresh🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neslihan )

30 July 2024

Neslihan has lived and traveled abroad, she is able to explain the why certain historical events took place. She has a wealth of information but gives it to you at your pace. My tour with her was informative and peaceful.Unique tour/guide with unique experiences

Maureen

(About local Oguz)

22 June 2024

Oguz made our tour a wonderful experience. He is well-versed in history, excels at storytelling and is just plain fun to be with. We came away with a fuller understanding of Istanbul.Great guide!

Jared🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

15 June 2024

Gülce was the perfect tour guide for my time in Istanbul. I was only in Istanbul for two days, so I wanted a tour that offered a thorough history of the city in a short amount of time. Gülce delivered! I had a great experience touring the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia. She was knowledgeable about the history of the city, willing to answer questions, down to earth, super friendly, and flexible with the tour. Highly recommended! Worth every penny. Book this tour now! Great Tour with Gülce!

Andrew🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ugur)

14 May 2024

Ugur was our guide to both The Blue Mosque (properly called Sultanahmet Mosque, as he explained!) and Aya Sofya and we couldn't have had better. After we'd first got in touch he injured his knee so called off the day, but we were very keen to use him because other reviews said he was great with less able-bodied people, which my wife is. We contacted him a few days later and he kindly agreed to take us, his knee having recovered enough. We booked just for the two of us and had the best time; meeting up near the sites was easy, and he was great to talk, as well as listen, to, which meant we learned about Turkey today and the fabulous history of the country, the mosques, religion and the life of a modern family. True to the other review, he was ultra-careful to help my wife, warning of steps etc, and didn't hurry us at all. A very friendly and warm-hearted man! He had a lot to get through but gave us his undivided attention for three hours. At the end he made some suggestions about other things to do, including a very welcome choice of local lunch venues! We would highly recommend Ugur to anyone willing to pay for his valuable time and knowledge; you can get into Sultanahmet free and read a guidebook, and spend hours there, but it wouldn't be the same experience. Aya Sofya tickets must be bought separately, which Ugur helped us do. Absolutely worth it!

PC🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Ahmet Can)

28 April 2024

Really enjoyed my tour with Ahmet. He was very flexible and ensured we managed to see everything. Great tour with Ahmet

Monica🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Emre)

26 April 2024

We really liked our time with Emre. He was nice, knew many details and interesting information. He did e great job. In the end he offered us to skip the line for the Basilika, just because he gad time. Thank you, Emre!Interesting time with Emre

juttablaydes🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Nihal)

1 April 2024

Nette und sehr informative Führerin

David🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gülce)

5 January 2024

My wife and I really enjoyed the tour we did with Gülce. She was very easygoing and we felt like we were exploring Istanbul with a friend. Gülce is very knowledgeable about the various sites she took us to and it was fascinating learning about the history of the hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. Gülce also went above and beyond for us, assisting us with public transport and restaurant recommendations. We would definitely recommend Gülce to anyone looking for a friendly and knowledgeable local tour guide - you won’t be disappointed!Lovely and friendly cultural experience

Simon🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Oguz)

28 November 2023

What a fantastic human being. A mixture of knowledge, enthusiasm, humour and honesty. 100% recommend, you won't do better than Oguz. Incredible guy, wonderful tour

Sarina

(About local Nihal)

13 November 2023

Wir haben uns um 11 Uhr für eine private Hagia Sophia Führung getroffen. Abgesehen davon, dass Nihal über einen super umfangreichen Wissensschatz verfügt, ist sie sehr auf unsere Bedürfnisse eingegangen und war für Diskussionen und Dialog sehr offen. Das hat die gesamte Führung sehr interaktiv und noch interessanter gestaltet. Wir waren nun schon einige Male in der Hagia Sophia und konnten dank Nihal weitere spannende Details und geschichtliche Hintergründe entdecken. Einfach großartig!

Marta🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Abdullah)

11 November 2023

Abdullah was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. He was so engaging, our teenage sons paid attention to all his explanations and they are not particularly into history. He went out of his way to adapt the tour to our preferences as we went along. Highly recommended!Great informative and entertaining tour

Charles🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gülce)

7 November 2023

Gülce was amazing!! She was incredibly knowledgeable and made our visit to Istanbul so enjoyable! She provided us with an amazing insight into the Hagia Sophia and the Bisilica Cistern! And she was able to get us in without having to stand in line! Overall, Gülce was awesome and made our trip to Istanbul unforgettable! I highly recommend her to anyone looking to explore Istanbul and get some insight into the city’s most historical landmarks!! Istanbul Visit

Betsy

(About local Dilek)

3 November 2023

We could not have asked for anything better! Dilek was awesome as was Istanbul! Highly recommend and WHEN we return we would only ask for her! Thank you for such a wonderful experience! Dilek was amazing!

kai🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Gülce)

6 October 2023

Together with two of my daughters. Excellent knowledge, Took her time to explain everthing with a friendly and knowlegable approach. Very much enjoyed the tour. Highly recommendable.Only with Gülce!

Deborah🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Dilek)

11 September 2023

Dilek was lovely - very knowledgeable & informative; she made our trip an excellent & enjoyable one! We would highly recommend her as your guide! Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque

Jodie 🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Gülce)

8 September 2023

Gülce was a total delight. If you're looking to find a highly intelligent, friendly, knowledgeable historian who'll make your visit to some key Istanbul highlights that much more interesting, she's the one. The ability to learn more from a dynamic communicator elevated a tourist visit to an experience. A stand-out, fascinating memory made from a short but excellent trip to Istanbul. Her professionalism, patience with our appalling map skills and kindness were appreciated :)Sensational Guide.

christoph🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Ugur)

21 July 2023

Ugur gave us a great tour with fantastic insights around the Hagia Sofia, showed us a small and much more authentic mosque in the area as well and got the moment to enter into the Hagia Sofia so right that there was no queue at all. All in all great tour and very sympathetic :)Hagia Sofia and surroundings

8z9byj8xq6🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Abdullah)

18 June 2023

Our tour with Apo was brilliant. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Cisterns, Grand Bazaar and a few other treats along the way. We had such a great afternoon together, we learnt a lot from Apo and the experience was fun and enjoyable from start to end. Brilliant 5 Stars

Jandi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Emre)

25 January 2023

Solo traveling can be a bit stressful and frustrating- especially when you don’t speak the local language. I am so thankful to have connected with Emre. His expertise and guidance made all the difference when visiting Istanbul. He is extremely knowledgeable and catered the tour for my interests. I enjoyed the tour very much and would definitely book with Emre again. Fantastic tour!

45dkmqth4s🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neslihan )

14 January 2023

Leslihan was really good, friendly, and a happy guide and educated us on the customs and habits of Turkish people in Istanbul We had a lot of fun and she made us laugh on numerous occasions. We discovered a very nice little spots to taste sahlep. Merci beaucoup Very friendly and happy visit

Jennifer🇹🇷 Turkey

(About local Oguz)

2 January 2023

Oguz was a wonderful local guide. We were running a little late but were easily able to communicate with him through WhatsApp and he kindly spent this time holding a place for us in a long line. When we arrived he gave us an animated history of the Hagia Sophia while we waited in line as well as in the mosque itself. Then he kindly was able to add on an additional trip to the Cisterns where we were able to forego the line with Oguz as this is a museum and not a mosque. Finally, he helped us obtain an Istanbul Pass card which was super helpful (as this is why we were late) and we have been using it successfully since he oriented us to this. We are grateful to have had a chance to have such a wonderful guide.Wonderful experience

Michael🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Ugur)

10 November 2022

Ugur was excellent. Knowledgeable and communicated well. Highly recommended. Michael and Nicci

Unknown

(About local Nihal)

7 November 2022

We had to queue for 1h 45 minutes, however this entire time was spent discussing Turkish and Ottoman architecture, customs, ancient sites, the current city and people which made the wait go very quickly! When entering the Hagia Sofia Nihal provided excellent facts, knowledge and pointed out many areas that most tourists had not viewed. Definitely recommended.A magical experience at the Hagia Sofia

Steven🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Abdullah)

7 November 2022

Abdullah gave an amazing tour of the Hagia Sofia. His insight and knowledge really gave meaning to our visit. Abdullah is also very funny and charming. I highly recommend taking a tour with him it’s a must do when visit Istanbul. 5 stars + 2 stars :)Amazing tour - Abdullah is the best!!!

Andre🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Nihal)

2 November 2022

Wir mussten lange in der Schlange stehen, um in die Hagia Sophia zu kommen aber Nihal hat die Wartezeit super überbrückt und uns eine detaillierte Einführung die Geschichte des Osmanischen Reiches gegeben. Die Hagia Sophia selbst war ein wunderbares Erlebnis und sehr kenntnisreich erläutert von Nihal. Vielen Dank dafür, es war großartig.Sehr kenntnisreich

Ming🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Kadir Celal)

25 October 2022

We have had a number of guides around the world, Kadir was honest, thoughtful, knowledgeable and trustworthy. This was wonderful for us since we had already some experiences of being cheated by taxi drivers! During our tour, Kadir gave us a very good overview of the history of Turkey and the roles of the Germans, Greeks and Romans in the establishment and development of the Old City. He is very knowledgeable and also willing to admit when he doesn’t know something! He was also funny and helpful, making nice comments and volunteered to help us take great photos as he previously worked at Kodak. He was also Always thinking of how to make us comfortable and ran ahead in the lines to shorten the time we spent in the queue. We never felt as though we were just another “stupid tourist ATM machine”. Rather, Kadir was really thoughtful and considerate. He gave us good tips on how to navigate the taxi system, helped us with the taxi drivers and spent his own time with us after the tour was over to introduce us to a trustworthy vendor of leather goods. We would recommend Kadir HIGHLY!! And wish him the best of luck. Great Guide - Knowledge of History

Rebecca🇺🇸 United States

(About local Kadir Celal)

7 October 2022

Kadir was knowledgeable, flexible, and very fun!! When he learned that our transportation from the airport was taking one hour and forty five minutes, he met us at our hotel so that it would reduce our stress. He was well worth every penny!!!Best decision!!

Ian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Volkan)

18 July 2022

Very knowledgable and relaxed guide who kindly extended our tour to include the blue mosque - very enjoyable!A great introduction into centuries of history

Martin🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Nihal)

30 June 2022

Zwei sehr interessante Reisetage verbrachte ich mit Nihal und sie zeigte mir die schönsten Seiten dieser eindrücklichen Stadt. Viele Ecken und Sehenswürdigkeiten kannte ich noch nicht und Nihal erklärte hervorragend und sehr kompetent. Sie nimmt sich wirklich Zeit und man kann den Tag ziemlich flexibel gestalten. Das nächste Mal in Istanbul und ich versuche Nihal wieder als Guide zu buchen.Interessante und Informative Eindrucke einer eindrücklichen Stadt mit charmanter Reiseführerin

Terisa🇫🇷 France

(About local Abdullah)

1 May 2022

Abdullah gave us an outstanding tour of the Hagia Sophia and old town! He went out of his way to customize the tour to our interests and have us lots of great ideas for the remainder of our time in Istanbul. Not only is his knowledge of history impressive but he is also just a really nice, fun person to spend a few hours with! And he even kept our teenaged children engaged as well. We would highly recommend a tour with Apo !Fantastic guide!

CFTM🇹🇷 Turkey

(About local Neslihan )

1 April 2022

Very charming, full of energy, well experienced in the history of the Ottoman. We met at the appointed place, actually, she was there before time, received me well and quickly started showing me places and explaining its history. I visited a couple of places with her and she was also helpful in helping get other stuffs I needed in Istanbul. She is really jovial. Just awesome

Russell🇺🇸 United States

(About local Abdullah)

23 March 2022

We met Abdullah at the the German Fountain next to the Blue Mosque and were immediately treated to the history of the Hippodrome on which we stood. You will learn so much from Apo about the origins of the Turkish people from the Huns and the invasions of the Mongols let alone fighting wars with the Greeks. Remember the date 580AD because that's when things started really happening. Listen and learn about what happened at the Hippodrome and how it connects with Hagia Sophia! Along with the history of Istanbul, Apo will invite you to his secret places nearby to get the real taste of the mixture of old and new. My bet is you will love it and his company. Besides, he has great hair and an open, easy-going personality to match.Apo is Great!

Paola🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Safiye)

15 December 2021

Las 3 horas que pasamos con Safiye fueron geniales. Se adaptó 100% a lo que queríamos hacer y junto con ella recorrimos lugares de la ciudad que solos nunca hubiésemos visitado. Fue super atenta y nos dió un montón de consejos que nos sirvieron el resto de días que nos quedamos en Estambul (lugares para ver, para comprar, restaurantes, baños turcos, transporte, etc). Sin duda repetiríamos. Gracias Safiye!Una guía divertida y 100% disponible

Isabel🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Mine )

2 December 2021

We went to Aya Sophia with Mine and she is wonderful. Se knows a lot about history and art, and she is very nice. She also speaks a good English that we easily understand, not very common in Turkey. She brings food to fead the cats and since I am a animal lover I really like that. Thank you Mine for your kindnessWonderfull guide in Istanbul

Clivia🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ayfer)

8 November 2021

Ayfer Gab uns eine sehr interessante Führung durch die Hagia Sofia und versorgte uns darüber hinaus mit tollen Tipps für die weitere Reisegestaltung. Sehr sehr sympathische, gebildete Führerin, die exzellent englisch spricht. Wir waren sehr beeindruckt und würden sie sofort wieder buchen. Vielen vielen Dank noch einmal für diesen wunderbaren Tag!Best tourguide ever!!

Rafael🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Mine )

6 November 2021

Mine was excellent! She us very educated on the details and nuances of the history of the Hagia Sophia. In addition, she is a very kind and nice person. Highly recommend Super friendly and detailed guide!

Shamma🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Kadir Celal)

19 October 2021

We really enjoyed our time with Kadir, he is very knowledgeable and friendly. He even went out his way to help us with other questions about having the best of our stay. Thank you Kadir you are the best! Kadir is a History Master !

Annie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ayfer)

1 October 2021

Ayfer was absolutely great, very knowledgeable and helpful. She provides very good food options and shopping choices for the Grand Bazar which can be overwhelming. Her exceptional knowledge about the historical background of this magnificent city was astonishing and very insightful. She's warm and easy going. Highly recommended! Thanks for everything Ayfer! A great way to see the Old City