Does the price include the Harem?

Yes. Topkapi Palace and the Harem section are both included, along with guiding and the other entrance fees listed in the itinerary.

What changes in the Private option?

Your party has its own licensed guide, with English, Spanish or Italian available. Two private transfers take you from the hotel to the Old City and back afterwards. Sightseeing between the nearby monuments is on foot. Entrance fees and lunch remain included.

Which days can I book?

The Group tour runs on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday is unavailable in every option because Topkapi Palace is closed.

What happens when the Grand Bazaar is closed?

On Sunday, another shopping stop replaces the Grand Bazaar. The full-day guided tour, lunch and return hotel transfer remain included.

How much walking is involved?

The Old City visits involve walking between monuments and through the palace grounds, as well as time standing inside. Some surfaces are uneven and there are steps. Hotel transfers cover the journeys to and from the sightseeing area.

Is shopping compulsory?

The Group itinerary includes a shopping stop and a visit to the Grand Bazaar, or its Sunday alternative. You can browse without buying; purchases cost extra.

Which languages and tour types is this tour available in?

English — Group or Private Spanish — Private Italian — Private Pick the combination that suits you when you check availability.

Set departure days Harem included Lunch included

Istanbul Full Day City Tour with Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace & Harem entryHagia Sophia ticket includedLunch & return hotel transfersMultiple languagesMaximum 15 people

Start here

Tour Overview

Explore Istanbul's Old City, including Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Harem. Your guide, entrance tickets and lunch are included. Start and end at your central Istanbul hotel.

Explore Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome with a licensed guide. Visit Topkapi Palace and its Harem section, with lunch between the sightseeing stops. The day also includes a shopping stop and the Grand Bazaar. On Fridays, visit the palace in the morning and the mosques after Friday prayers.

The itinerary starts with hotel pickup around 08:30 and finishes around 17:00 with the return transfer. Choose a Group tour with an English-speaking guide. Private guided walks run in English, Spanish or Italian. They include private transfers to and from the Old City. Compare other local routes in our Istanbul city tours collection.

Why spend a full day in the Old City?

Palace and Harem includedBoth sections and their entrance fees are included.
Lunch during the dayA restaurant meal is included between sightseeing stops.
Return hotel transferThe full-day itinerary includes transport back after the final visits.
Three Private guide languagesChoose English, Spanish or Italian; the Group tour is in English.

Day by day

Tour Itinerary

Every day is set out in full below: the times, the transfers and every place you visit.

Istanbul Old City and Topkapi Palace with Harem A full guided day with lunch between the morning monuments and afternoon visits. On Fridays, visit Topkapi Palace in the morning and the mosques in the afternoon after Friday prayers.

08:30Approximate pickup; the collection order depends on the hotel.Hotel pickup and journey to the Old CityMeet the pickup vehicle at your central Istanbul hotel. Travel to the Old City for the full-day Group itinerary with a licensed English-speaking guide.

09:15Approximate start after the pickup round.Guided Old City visitsExplore the sights below, walking between the nearby monuments. Entrance fees and a restaurant lunch are included.

Hippodrome and ObelisksExplore the square built over the former chariot-racing ground. The surviving monuments mark the centre of an arena that once brought the city together.
Blue MosqueSee the tilework and domed prayer hall of this working mosque. The guide explains the building while following the visiting arrangements around worship.
Hagia SophiaVisit the domed landmark and learn about its changing uses through Istanbul’s history. The architecture and surviving decoration reflect several periods of the city.
Lunch at a restaurantAn included restaurant lunch provides a break between the guided visits. Drinks are paid separately.
Shopping OpportunityBrowse during the scheduled shopping stop. Any purchase is optional and is paid for separately from the tour.
Topkapi Palace and HaremExplore the palace courtyards and the included Harem section with your guide. These spaces show different parts of life and administration in the Ottoman court.
Grand BazaarVisit the covered market’s passages and shops near the end of the day. A different shopping stop is used on Sunday, when the bazaar is closed.

14:00Usually in the afternoon; on Fridays, the palace visit is in the morning.Topkapi Palace and Harem visitContinue the guided day inside the former palace and its Harem section. Both are included in the tour price.

17:00Approximate end of the full-day itinerary.Finish sightseeing and return to the hotelAfter the final shopping stop, take the included transfer back to your hotel. On Sunday, another shopping stop replaces the closed Grand Bazaar.

Return to your hotelThe full-day tour includes the return hotel transfer after sightseeing.

Included:
Hotel pickup and return
Licensed English-speaking guide
Lunch included
Entrance fees, including Harem

Package scope

What's Included

No hidden package costs. Guiding, listed entrance fees including Topkapi Palace and Harem, restaurant lunch and return hotel transfers are included.

Included

Covered by the displayed package price

Pickup from your central Istanbul hotel and the return transfer after the tour.
The full-day guided tour, including the Hippodrome and Obelisks, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Harem, shopping opportunity and Grand Bazaar.
A licensed English-speaking guide in the Group option. Private tours have a licensed guide in your selected language: English, Spanish or Italian.
Entrance fees for the included sites, including Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace with the Harem section.
Restaurant lunch during the tour; drinks are extra.
For the Private option, two private transfers between your hotel and the Old City, with the sightseeing conducted on foot.
Local taxes and service charges.

Not included

Budget separately or add during booking

Drinks, breakfast and dinner.
Personal purchases and visits outside the stated itinerary.
Hotel accommodation and airport transfers.

Route & duration options

Compare Turkey Tour Packages

Choose a full Old City day with Topkapi Palace, a shorter morning walk or a route through Istanbul’s other districts.

This tour compared with 3 other Turkey packages Compare the included visits and transfers; departure dates and guide languages depend on the option selected.
Comparison	You are viewingIstanbul Full Day City Tour with Topkapi PalaceOld City monuments with Topkapi Palace and Harem	Istanbul Old City Morning TourA morning for the Old City’s central landmarks	Istanbul Full Day Tour: Balat, Galata and Bosphorus CruiseGalata and Balat followed by a Bosphorus cruise	Istanbul Two Continents Tour with Bosphorus CruiseAsian-side landmarks and the Golden Horn
Main visits	Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and shopping stops	Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar	City walls, Galata, St Anthony’s Church and Balat	Camlica, Beylerbeyi, Eyup, Pierre Loti and Golden Horn
Time needed	Approximately 08:30–17:00	Approximately 08:30–12:30	Full day	Full day
Palace visit	Topkapi Palace and Harem included	Not included	Not included	Beylerbeyi Palace included
Bosphorus cruise	Not included	Not included	Group: shared cruise; Private: private two-hour boat	Group: shared cruise; Private: private two-hour boat
Lunch	Restaurant lunch included	Not included	Group: aboard; Private: ashore	Group: aboard; Private: ashore
Hotel return	Included in Group and Private	Group: own return; Private: included	Included in Group and Private	Included in Group and Private
From price	€130	€46	€52	€55
		View Tour & Prices: Istanbul Old City Morning Tour	View Tour & Prices: Istanbul Full Day Tour: Balat, Galata and Bosphorus Cruise	View Tour & Prices: Istanbul Two Continents Tour with Bosphorus Cruise

Swipe to compare the packages

Need hotels and airport transfers as well?4 Days Istanbul City Break includes three Istanbul hotel nights, this full Old City itinerary and a Two Continents day between arrival and departure transfers.

Add Cappadocia to an Istanbul break?4 Days Istanbul and Cappadocia Tour combines a full Old City day with Cappadocia’s Red and Yellow tours, three hotel nights and domestic flights over four days.

Practical details

Before You Book

Details about the palace visit, tour options and time on foot.

Does the price include the Harem?
Yes. Topkapi Palace and the Harem section are both included, along with guiding and the other entrance fees listed in the itinerary.
What changes in the Private option?
Your party has its own licensed guide, with English, Spanish or Italian available. Two private transfers take you from the hotel to the Old City and back afterwards. Sightseeing between the nearby monuments is on foot. Entrance fees and lunch remain included.
Which days can I book?
The Group tour runs on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday is unavailable in every option because Topkapi Palace is closed.
What happens when the Grand Bazaar is closed?
On Sunday, another shopping stop replaces the Grand Bazaar. The full-day guided tour, lunch and return hotel transfer remain included.
How much walking is involved?
The Old City visits involve walking between monuments and through the palace grounds, as well as time standing inside. Some surfaces are uneven and there are steps. Hotel transfers cover the journeys to and from the sightseeing area.
Is shopping compulsory?
The Group itinerary includes a shopping stop and a visit to the Grand Bazaar, or its Sunday alternative. You can browse without buying; purchases cost extra.
Which languages and tour types is this tour available in?
- EnglishGroupPrivate
- SpanishPrivate
- ItalianPrivate
Pick the combination that suits you when you check availability.