Destination · Marmara
Istanbul is the only great city in the world that stands on two continents, Europe and Asia, with the Bosphorus running between them. For almost 1,600 years it was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and it shows on every street.
Plan your Istanbul tripAbout Istanbul
Most visitors see Sultanahmet and leave. Stay a little longer and Istanbul opens up: a ferry to the Asian side for lunch, the painted houses of Balat, tea above the Golden Horn, a palace on the water at sunset. A private guide and a plan built around you turn this huge city of more than 15 million people into something easy and personal.
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Historic Istanbul
The historic peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds the monuments most travellers come for. They form the heart of any first visit, and all of them sit within walking distance of each other.
Built by Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was the largest church in the world for almost a thousand years. Its great dome still seems to float above the hall. It became a mosque in 1453 and is again a mosque today, so visit outside prayer times and dress modestly.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, finished in 1616, is the one with six minarets. Inside, more than 20,000 hand-painted İznik tiles give it its famous blue glow. It is a working mosque: check prayer times, cover shoulders and knees, and women bring a headscarf.
For nearly 400 years the Ottoman sultans ruled their empire from Topkapı. Walk through its four courtyards to the Harem, the Treasury and tiled pavilions with views over the Bosphorus. Allow at least three hours; a guide makes the stories come alive.
Step down from the busy street into Justinian's 6th-century water reservoir, a forest of 336 marble columns rising from the water. Look for the two Medusa heads at the far end, reused from older Roman buildings. It is cool, quiet and atmospheric even on the hottest day.
Completed in 1557 for Süleyman the Magnificent, this is the masterpiece of the great architect Mimar Sinan, who is buried beside it. Fewer visitors come here than to Sultanahmet, and the terrace behind the mosque has one of the finest views of the Golden Horn.
One of the oldest covered markets in the world, trading since the 1460s. Around 4,000 shops line more than 60 vaulted streets, selling carpets, lamps, jewellery, ceramics and textiles. Take your time, drink the tea you are offered and bargain with a smile.
Neighbourhoods & local life
Away from the great monuments, these districts show how Istanbul really lives. They are perfect for a private walking tour at a slower pace, with time for coffee, photos and conversation.
Steep cobbled lanes, colourful wooden houses and small cafés on the Golden Horn. For centuries Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Muslim families lived side by side here, and churches, synagogues and mosques still share the streets. The most photogenic corner of the old city.
The Galata Tower, built by the Genoese in 1348, rises above a maze of old lanes, art galleries and independent cafés. Walk down to Karaköy's waterfront and across the Galata Bridge, where anglers line the rails, for a classic view of the Golden Horn.
İstiklal Avenue runs for about 1.4 km from Taksim Square to Tünel, served by a nostalgic red tram. It is lined with 19th-century buildings, churches, bookshops and cinemas. The real charm lies in the side streets and arcades, full of meyhanes, music and old passages.
Take the 20-minute ferry across the Bosphorus to the Asian side and the journey becomes part of the day. Kadıköy has one of the city's best food markets, lively cafés and independent shops; in Moda, a seaside promenade leads to sunset tea by the water.
One of the oldest and most traditional districts of the Asian side, with fine Ottoman mosques by Mimar Sinan and a long waterfront. Sit on the shore facing the Maiden's Tower at sunset, with the skyline of the European side turning gold across the water.
Bosphorus & waterfront
The Bosphorus is a 31 km strait linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, and it ties together many of Istanbul's defining sights. Explore it as a day of its own, or combine it with a neighbourhood walk.
Sail between two continents past wooden waterfront mansions called yalı, Ottoman palaces, mosques and fortresses. Choose a public ferry for local life, a sightseeing cruise, or a private boat with your own guide at sunset, the most beautiful time to be on the water.
The baroque Ortaköy Mosque of 1856 stands right at the water's edge, below the Bosphorus Bridge, in one of the most photographed views in Istanbul. Browse the craft stalls and try a kumpir, a stuffed baked potato, on the square.
Completed in 1856, Dolmabahçe replaced Topkapı as the home of the last Ottoman sultans. Its European-style halls glitter with crystal chandeliers and gold leaf, a striking contrast to the older palace. Atatürk, founder of the Republic, spent his last days here in 1938.
Sultan Mehmed II built this fortress in only four months in 1452 to control the Bosphorus before the conquest of Constantinople. Climb its towers and walls for wide views over the strait, an excellent stop for anyone curious about the city's military history.
Food, markets & culture
Istanbul is one of the great food cities of the world. A private food walk takes you to the places locals love, not only the famous tourist restaurants.
Built in the 1660s beside the New Mosque, the Spice Bazaar is a feast of colour and scent: spices, dried fruit, nuts, teas, lokum and baklava. It is the natural first stop for anyone interested in Turkish food culture, and the streets around it are just as rewarding.
A Turkish breakfast is a long, generous table of cheeses, olives, honey and clotted cream, eggs, pastries and endless glasses of tea. Later in the day, taste simit, börek, meze, kebabs and baklava in the small family eateries that Istanbul does so well.
Turkish coffee culture is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage. Slow down in a traditional café, watch the coffee being made in a copper cezve and learn the customs around it. It is an easy, delightful pause in the middle of a neighbourhood walk.
Visit artisan workshops for ceramics, textiles, calligraphy and handmade objects, and shop the traditional streets around the bazaars. We can arrange visits around your interests, from a tile-painting session to a meeting with a master craftsman.
Experiences
Every private Istanbul tour can mix these experiences in any order, at your own pace.
Byzantine monuments, Ottoman palaces, historic mosques and old neighbourhoods with a private, licensed guide.
Panoramic views, waterfront landmarks and the simple thrill of crossing from Europe to Asia.
Markets, regional specialities, street food, Turkish coffee and traditional restaurants.
Colourful streets, historic skylines, the waterfront and everyday life on both sides of the city.
Historic bazaars, artisan workshops, independent boutiques and local markets.
Beyond the classics
With more time in Istanbul, or after a first visit, these places take you beyond the standard sightseeing route.
Home to some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world, made in the early 14th century. Opening arrangements change from time to time, so we check access before planning your visit.
One of Istanbul's most sacred Muslim districts. Take the cable car up to the hilltop café named after the French writer Pierre Loti, with a sweeping view down the Golden Horn.
An elegant Ottoman summer palace of the 1860s on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, smaller and calmer than Dolmabahçe, with gardens running down to the water.
A ferry ride of an hour or more to car-free islands of wooden mansions, pine woods and waterfront walks. Plan a full day and check ferry times, especially out of season.
A Bosphorus village of 19th-century wooden waterfront houses, fish restaurants and cafés, perfect for an unhurried walk along the shore.
Trip length
We recommend at least three days in Istanbul for a first visit, and four or five to see both continents without rushing. Here is how the city unfolds day by day.
Focus on Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern, plus a short Bosphorus cruise.
Add Galata and Karaköy, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, and a walk through a historic neighbourhood such as Balat.
Cross to the Asian side for Kadıköy and Üsküdar, with more time for food, markets and local culture.
Include the Princes' Islands, more museums, quieter neighbourhoods or a private experience built around your interests.
Let's plan your holiday
Tick the places that interest you most, tell us how many of you are travelling, how many days you have and your preferred dates. We will write a personal Istanbul itinerary for you and email it with a price.
Choose the places you would love to see, how many of you are travelling and for how long.
We write a private programme just for you and email it with a personal price.
Change anything you like. We refine the programme with you until it feels just right.
From history and faith to hidden villages and the coast, find the journey that suits you. Every one can include Istanbul.
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Discover Istanbul at your own pace, with a private itinerary designed around your interests, your time and your travel style. Ancient history, Ottoman architecture, Christian heritage, local cuisine or the Bosphorus: we combine the experiences that matter most to you, with professional guiding, private transfers where needed and flexible days.
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