Tours in Istanbul

Tours in Istanbul

Top 5 Tours in Istanbul

  1. 1
    Portrait from local Goda and Friends - Wine & Culinary Expert
    Portrait from local BULENT - Extraordinary Tour Guide
    Choose your favorite local

    City Kickstart Tour: Istanbul

    114 reviews
    1.5 hours | City highlight tours | Istanbul

    Welcome to Istanbul! Want to know the best places to eat? Cool events in town? Which places to go to and which to avoid? Or simply get some help to navigate the city? Book this private tour with a local and get the perfect introduction to Istanbul to start your city trip on the right foot.

    €29.91per person
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  2. 2
    Portrait from local Faruk - Hostanblue
    Portrait from local Tolga - History Buff & Wine Lover & Foodie
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    A Magical Evening in Istanbul: City Tour

    257 reviews
    2.5 hours | City highlight tours | Istanbul

    As the sun sets, Istanbul lights up, the heat of the day fades, and the tourist crowds start to thin out. This is the time to enjoy the city at its atmospheric best on a private tour with a local! Take in glittering highlights and the local ambiance that only the evening brings out in Istanbul.

    €34.38per person
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  3. 3
    Portrait from local Emre - The Time Traveller
    Portrait from local Neslihan - The Intellectual Local
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    Highlights & Hidden Gems of Istanbul

    765 reviews
    3 hours | City highlight tours | Istanbul

    Want to see the best of Istanbul? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Istanbul!

    €48.90per person
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  4. 4
    Portrait from local Ayse - Professional Tourist Guide
    Portrait from local Tolga - History Buff & Wine Lover & Foodie
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    The 10 Tastings of Istanbul

    1188 reviews
    3 hours | Food tours | Istanbul

    Ready to taste the best food in Istanbul? Satisfy your cravings for local food and culture with highlights along the way, together with a foodie host. Enjoy 10 delicious and typical tastings that range from sweet to savory as well as drinks on a tasty food tour in Istanbul.

    €72.43per person
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  5. 5
    Portrait from local Nihal - The Historian
    Portrait from local Oguz - The Local Legend
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    Treasures of Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Tour

    2283 reviews
    2.5 hours | City highlight tours | Istanbul

    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!

    €43.75per person
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Experiences for every interest

  • Istanbul for

    Home Dinners • Local Delicacies • Food Markets...

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  • Istanbul for

    Treasure Hunts • Arts & Crafts • Cooking...

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  • Istanbul for

    Nightlife • Drinking Spots • Street Food...

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  • Istanbul for

    Cultural Heritage • Castles • Myths & Legends...

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  • Istanbul for

    Highlights & Must-sees • Tastings • Local...

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  • Istanbul for

    Boat Rides • Wildlife & Nature • Day Trips...

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  • Istanbul for

    Galleries • Street Art • Architecture • Art...

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  • Istanbul for

    Local Culture • Off-the-beaten-track • Markets...

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All Tours in Istanbul

Explore Istanbul with a local of your choice

Learn about their personal stories, and find out how you can explore Istanbul together

  • Merhaba I am
    Gülce
    The Ambassador of Constantinople
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  • Merhaba I am
    Mine
    The Art & History Lover
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  • Merhaba I am
    Ceren
    The Curious Sociologist
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  • Merhaba I am
    Emre
    Geschmackshunter
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  • Merhaba I am
    Kadir Celal
    The Passionate Historian
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  • Merhaba I am
    Ayfer
    The Explorer of History and Lifestyle
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  • Merhaba I am
    Diana
    The Personal Shopper.
    See more
  • Merhaba I am
    Ahmet Can
    The Professional
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  • Merhaba I am
    Doğancan
    İstanbul Raconteur
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  • Merhaba I am
    Alp
    The Foodie Musician
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Private Tours in Istanbul

Istanbul offers something for everyone, and the best way to explore for yourself this huge city is by touring according to your interests.  Whether you’re into art, food, history, or all of the above, there is a tour in Istanbul for you!

  • Cruise along the Bosporus

    This is the most popular and comprehensive way to get the overview tour of Istanbul.  From the decks of a ferry cruising along the Bosporus, you can see all of the major landmarks of the city.  Your local guide can point out and explain the significance of each site, and you’ll get a great understanding of the layout of the city.  

    You can opt for the most basic trip, which is a normal ferry ride from point A to point B with your IstanbulKart, or let your local guide know what direction you want to take and what you want to see. There are plenty of options if you want to cruise along the Bosporus, some boat tours even offer dinner, drinks, and dancing! Whether you go big or for something quick, you’ll get an unparalleled view of the city!

  • Step back in time in the Old City

    Once you know exactly what you’re looking for, the Old City is easy enough to spot, because it was once surrounded by a wall.  While the typical Old City of Istanbul tours include famous sites such as the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Gulhane Park, you can expand your tour of ancient Istanbul by simply following the old city walls.  

    With your local friend, you can trace the outline of the Old City outside of the normal tourist hubs.  The most well preserved example of the ancient walls can be found at Vezneciler, where you’ll also find a lovely park and square with a statue that remembers the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.  Just follow the old wall to get out of the tour center and go on a unique tour of Istanbul in ages past!

  • Eat your way through Istanbul

    One great way to experience the different parts of Istanbul is by tasting the unique food of each neighborhood.  You can start your Istanbul food tour in the morning in Besiktas’s “breakfast street” with a proper Turkish breakfast, enjoyed with countless cups of tea over the course of a few hours.  Then, you can try waffles in Kadikoy, fresh grilled fish sandwiches in Eminonu, famous meatballs in Sultanahmet, Uyghur food in Capa or Yusufpasa, or “kumpir” (loaded baked potatoes) in Ortakoy.  Throughout the city, you’ll find the staples of Turkish street food: “simit” (a round bread with sesame seeds), grilled corn on the cob, roasted chestnuts, and of course, “doner” (beef or chicken roasted on a spit).  

    Food is pretty easy to find at all hours, as most places stay open late into the night, so your food tour in Istanbul won’t get cut short!  If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, just tell your local friend and they’ll advise you on what to eat.

  • Street art in the backstreets

    Another great way to really get to know a place is by the art you can find in the everyday spaces.  Neighborhoods like Karakoy on the European side and Moda on the Asian side are full of street art and galleries that are open to the public. Just by wandering around the streets, you can get a whole artistic tour of Istanbul.  You’ll see pictures, slogans, political messages, and jokes painted all over the walls of the neighborhoods you wander. For the full effect, you should bring your local guide along so that you can get good translations of the messages the artists are trying to send.

    Most of the neighborhoods in the city center have some great street art, and most of the street art has a message or deeper meaning. The best way to unravel these messages and meanings is to ask your local friend. They probably have some connection to the art, as well, simply because they are locals to Istanbul, too! This is an amazing Istanbul tour to get a glimpse into the local perspective.

  • Museum hopping: the every-weather tour

    If you haven’t heard already, it’s time you heard now: the weather in Istanbul can be unpredictable, so it’s best to have a back-up tour in place if the weather becomes too unbearable.  However, such a tour is not difficult to plan in Istanbul, because the city is full of museums! Many of them are accessible with a museum pass, which you can purchase at many tourist information sites and which are valid for different lengths of time, or just ask your local hosts, they can help plan a unique museum-hopping tour in Istanbul!

Private Tours in Istanbul with a local

Istanbul is even better with a local! From wonderful cooking classes and food tours to captivating highlight tours and day trips, there are Withlocals private tours in Istanbul that have your name written on them. With a down to Earth local host to be your guide, you will discover all the wonders of Istanbul the local way! Whether you want to make a trip to a local market or have a chef whip up a delicious recipe for you, there are tours in Istanbul that will satisfy your every desire! From the Turkish Market Visit & private Cooking Class to the private Turkish Breakfast with a Chef, you will get to try all the wonderous delights offered on a private tour of Istanbul. Do you fancy amazing architecture and history instead? On a city tour of Istanbul, you will feast your eyes on the most awe-inspiring architecture and the history that influenced their creation. From The Marvels of Hagia Sophia private tour to Istanbul’s Cultural Gems: Mosques & Museums, you will have the opportunity to surround yourself with the most spectacular craftsmanship on a city tour of Istanbul. This is the city where cultures collide and you can learn about their impact on the local population in guided tours of Istanbul. From the When Europe Meets Asia: Full Day tour to the Best of Istanbul: Half Day Tour, you will be engulfed in a truly remarkable meshing of traditions and values. With a truly unique experience at your fingertips, you will definitely find tours in Istanbul that are perfect for you! A Withlocals private tour is completely modifiable and you can ask your local host to alter your schedule based on your preferences!

What other travelers love about our local experts

Tricia
About local
6 September 2025
Perfect tour

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!

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Istanbul
Libby
About local
5 September 2025
The Amazing Insights of Mine

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!

Treasures of Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Tour
Caitlin
About local
2 September 2025
Emre was great!

My favorite part was when he hand fed me mussels and rice. Dude loves his yogurt! Highly recommend.

The 10 Tastings of Istanbul
Beyauna
About local
1 September 2025
Istanbul tour

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!

Full Coverage Istanbul City Tour

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