Kings Istanbul City Tour — Hagia Sophia to Pierre Loti, Lunch Included
See both sides of old Istanbul in one day: Dolmabahçe and Galata in the morning, lunch in Sirkeci, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in the afternoon, and the Golden Horn from Pierre Loti hill at the end of the day.
- 8 stops in one day
- Lunch in Sirkeci included
- Same VIP vehicle and driver all day
- Licensed guide option
- TÜRSAB #14519
- TÜRSAB-licensed agency #14519
- Same VIP vehicle and driver all day
- Ministry-licensed guide option
- Pay by card or cash
Select Participants & Date
This tour does not run on Mondays.
❤️ Overview
Most Istanbul city tours squeeze into Topkapı and the Grand Bazaar. We built the route differently: we start at Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus before the crowds, pass through Taksim and Galata, cross the Golden Horn and have lunch at Pino Gare roof restaurant in Sirkeci. The afternoon belongs to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Spice Bazaar, and the day ends on Pierre Loti hill in Eyüp. You keep the same VIP Mercedes Vito and the same driver all day, from your hotel door and back. Choose between two packages: Chauffeured, where our English-speaking driver runs the route and you explore each site at your own pace, or Guided, where a guide licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism takes you through the palace, the mosque and Hagia Sophia.
Choose your package
Route, vehicle and lunch are the same in both packages. The difference is a licensed guide inside the sites.
Chauffeured
from 75€per person
Our English-speaking driver runs the route and waits at every stop; you explore each site at your own pace.
- VIP Mercedes Vito all day
- English-speaking driver
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (European side)
- Set-menu lunch at Pino Gare
- Water in the vehicle
| 2 people | 100€ per person |
| 3–4 people | 85€ per person |
| 5–7 people | 75€ per person |
With licensed guide
from 110€per person
Everything in Chauffeured, plus a ministry-licensed professional guide inside Dolmabahçe, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
- Everything in Chauffeured
- Guide licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (English; other languages on request)
- Guided visits inside the palace, the mosque and Hagia Sophia
| 2 people | 160€ per person |
| 3–4 people | 130€ per person |
| 5–7 people | 110€ per person |
Your day, stop by stop
Times are approximate and change with traffic and season.
Hotel pickup
Your driver meets you in the lobby of your European-side hotel. You keep the same Mercedes Vito all day, so bags can stay in the car.
Dolmabahçe Palace
We enter the Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus right after opening, before the tour groups arrive. One ticket covers the Selamlık and the Harem. The palace is closed on Mondays.
Taksim and İstiklal Avenue
A short stop at Taksim Square and a walk along the start of İstiklal Avenue and its heritage tram line.
Galata
Photo stop at the foot of Galata Tower. Going up the tower is not part of the program; if you want to, the entry ticket (€30 for foreign visitors) is sold on site.
Lunch at Pino Gare
We cross the Golden Horn over Galata Bridge to Sirkeci. Lunch is a set menu at Pino Gare, the roof restaurant on the 7th floor of the Orient Express Hotel building, and is included in the price.
Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet)
Visited after the midday prayer; entry is free. Shoulders and knees must be covered, and women wear a headscarf. On Fridays visits start after 14:30.
Hagia Sophia
Foreign visitors see Hagia Sophia from the upper gallery; the ticket is €25 per person. The mosaics and the dome are best seen from this level.
Spice Bazaar
Free time among the spice, Turkish delight and dried-fruit stalls of the 17th-century bazaar in Eminönü.
Pierre Loti hill
We drive up the hill in Eyüp. Tea break on the terrace over the Golden Horn in the last light of the day (drinks not included).
Hotel drop-off
We drop you at your hotel door. Times are approximate and depend on traffic.
✅ Included
- VIP Mercedes Vito and driver all day
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (European side)
- Set-menu lunch at Pino Gare
- Licensed professional guide in the Guided package
❌ Excluded
- Museum entrance tickets (add them with the ticket pack)
- Drinks at lunch and at Pierre Loti
- Galata Tower entry
- Pickup from the Asian side (+€20)
- Tips and personal expenses
📍 Meeting Point
Pickup from your hotel (European side; Asian side +€20)
⚠️ Important Notes
- •The tour does not run on Mondays: Dolmabahçe Palace is closed that day.
- •On Fridays the mosques are closed for the midday prayer until about 14:30; we adjust the order of stops.
- •Mosque dress code: shoulders and knees covered, women wear a headscarf.
- •In the Chauffeured package the driver does not guide inside the sites; choose the Guided package if you want a guide inside.
- •Times are approximate and change with traffic and season.
- •Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time, with a full refund.