Istanbul Small-Group City and Secret Streets Tour with Guide

At a glance

Istanbul Small-Group City and Secret Streets Tour with Guide is a 3h small-group experience in Istanbul, Turkey, operated by Tematique Tours. Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 208 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor. Prices start from $86.82 per person, and free cancellation is available. Included: English Speaking Professional Guide, Small-group or private tour (depending on option chosen).

Quick facts

Duration

3h

Group

Small group, up to 15 travellers

Languages

English

Pickup

Meet at the start point

Confirmation

Instant confirmation

Ticket

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Cancellation

Free cancellation (see policy)

Overview

Itinerary

1. Stop 1 · 10m

   This spacious Roman built cistern shows off impressive Roman engineering was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul has been backdrop for many movies over time. Its cavernous depths make a great retreat on hot summer days.

2. Stop 2 · 10m

   This is a small street with beautiful historic houses which are leaning against the wall of Topkapi Palace.

3. Stop 3 · 10m

   The Caferağa Medresseh is a former medrese and now recognised as an important centre of Turkish classical arts where traditional Turkish handicrafts such as calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry and so forth are taught, made and sold.

4. Stop 4 · 10m

   Began its life as a church in 532 AD, converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and now a museum since 1935. By general consensus, it is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world’s great monuments built under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul and famous for its lofty interior, stunning surviving mosaics and the massive dome...

5. Stop 5 · 10m

   Imperial residence of Ottoman sultans is the subject of more colorful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. About 24 sultans ruled from the Topkapı Palace for nearly four centuries during the Ottoman Empire's 600-year reign

6. Stop 6 · 10m

   "Sultan Ahmet Center", the heart of the "Old City" from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled

7. Stop 7 · 10m

   The Walled Obelisk or Masonry Obelisk (Turkish: Örme Dikilitaş) is a Roman monument in the form of an obelisk. It is situated at the southern end of the ancient chariot-racing track of Constantinople's central barrier, beside the Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column.

8. Stop 8 · 10m

   Constructed as a present from German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1898, it represents one of the most beautiful monuments in Istanbul.

9. Stop 9 · 10m

   The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Today it is a square with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. Monuments decorating the Hippodrome include the 3500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column...

10. Stop 10 · 10m

    Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque by many tourists because of its bluish interior decoration( blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design), is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center..

11. Stop 11 · 10m

    Also known as the Serpentine Column, Plataean Tripod or Delphi Tripod, is an ancient bronze column at the Hippodrome of Constantinople (known as Atmeydanı "Horse Square" in the Ottoman period). It is part of an ancient Greek sacrificial tripod, originally in Delphi and relocated to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324.

12. Stop 12 · 10m

    This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

13. Stop 13 · 10m

    "Shop till you drop" in Tahtakale, a sub-district of Istanbul's Eminönü, where you can find anything and everything you are looking for, all for resonable prices.

14. Stop 14 · 10m

    No visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar with roots dating back to 1660, this is one Istanbul's most famous bazaars. Vividly coloured spices are displayed alongside jewel-like lokum (Turkish delight) at this Ottoman-era marketplace, providing eye candy for the thousands of tourists and locals who make their way here every day. Stalls also sell caviar, dried herbs, honey, nuts and dried fruits.

Meeting point

Good to know

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• There is a moderate amount of walking involved

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Frequently asked questions