Istanbul Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Bazaar Shopping Tour
Description
Discover Istanbul’s timeless shopping culture on this elegant half-day experience. Wander through the fragrant lanes of the Spice Bazaar and explore the legendary Grand Bazaar, where centuries of craftsmanship come alive through fine jewelry, antiques, carpets and unique treasures. Along the way, your expert local guide will share insider stories and tips on finding authentic pieces. The experience also includes a visit to a traditional Iznik ceramics workshop, where master artisans create Turkey’s iconic blue-and-white tiles. You will also have the opportunity to visit Bilgins Outlet, featuring quality leather, carpets, jewellery, ceramics and bags at attractive prices. Limited to a maximum of 10 guests for a refined and personalized experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Grand Covered Bazaar, most attractive shopping center and the biggest "souk" in the world with nearly 4000 shops selling antiques, jewellery, gold, carpets, leatherware and souvenir. (Art demonstration of handmade Turkish carpets upon request)
Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), mystical smells of different aromas of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers etc.
Sultan Ahmet Center", the heart of the "Old City" from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please look for Plan Tours and Gray Line blue and white buses to meet easily
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please note: When reconfirming your booking, your local supplier will advise you on alternative meeting points for hotels which are not accessible
Reviews(30)
Beautiful and well-maintained; I liked it more than the Grand Bazaar. Remember to haggle the prices down by up to 70 percent!
Our guide today was very knowledgeable very in control very soothing. He guided us and taught us about the historical and social situation of the bazaar. We bought tons of spices but did not put pressure on us to choose one seller or another. He simply did the translation and accompanied us. We have learned about the mores of the people of the region. It was very instructive. He picked us up at our hotel and drove us there in a minivan.
Thank you very much for your detailed and thoughtful review. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience at the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar, and that your guide made you feel comfortable, informed, and well taken care of throughout the tour. It is especially important for us to provide a relaxed, pressure-free environment while helping our guests truly understand the local culture and daily life. We are also pleased that you appreciated the guidance, translation assistance, and the convenience of hotel pick-up and drop-off. Your kind words mean a lot to our team, and we truly hope to welcome you again for another memorable experience in Istanbul. Warm regards, Plan Tours – Gray Line Turkey
An absolutely fabulous experience with Aik our guide. He made Istanbul come alive. He was so knowledgeable on the history of Turkey and personable. We highly recommend the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market tour. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had such a fabulous experience and that Aik made Istanbul come alive for you. His knowledge and personality are truly valued, and your kind words will mean a lot to him. It is also great to know that you enjoyed the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market tour and felt confident recommending it to others. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again for another memorable experience in Istanbul. Warm regards, Plan Tours – Gray Line Turkey
A wonderful intro to Turkish customs with excellent choices and suggestions for shopping. Ike made the Grand Bazaar a relaxing experience.
We are so happy to hear your satisfaction with our tour. Your valuable thoughts are always very important to us. Have a great day
The tour did not include hotel pick-up which was not convenient when you cannot speak the language but once we found each other, the guide Muriel did an excellent job of showing us the spice Bazaar, a Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. However, since was only a half day SHOPPING tour, the Mosque visit took too much time away from our limited shopping experience. Muriel spoke excellent English and tried to get us the areas of our interest, but the Bazaars are huge and takes more time than is available. Muriel directed us to authentic Turkish cuisine for lunch that was excellent.
Thank you very much for your detailed and constructive feedback. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time with our guide Muriel and that her knowledge, guidance, and recommendations—especially for lunch—enhanced your experience. Your kind words about her will be greatly appreciated. At the same time, we understand your comments regarding the duration and structure of the tour. As this is designed as a half-day program, time management between sightseeing and shopping can sometimes feel limited, especially in such large and vibrant areas like the Grand Bazaar. Your feedback regarding the mosque visit and shopping time is very valuable and will help us review and improve the balance of the itinerary. We also appreciate your note about hotel pick-up, and we will take this into consideration for future improvements. Thank you once again for your honest feedback, and we hope to welcome you again for a longer and even more fulfilling experience in Istanbul. Warm regards, Plan Tours – Gray Line Turkey
Prepare to be hassled and completely ripped off!! They are shameless and will completely rip you off. They also sexualise women. Would not advise being a solo woman traveller. And be careful buying tea from the spice bazzar. I had to throw all mine out when I got home as I found bugs all through it! Literally money thrown in the rubbish!
Hello, On what date did you go on the tour, and what was your guide’s name? Since we couldn’t find a customer name that matches your nickname, we need more details to proceed. Could you please send us photos of the defective products and provide more details about your complaint regarding the attitude towards women?
DO NOT TAKE THIS TOUR! My tour guide provided almost no information about the history of the bazaar, and took me to an offsite store where I was expected to spend over $500 on a counterfeit designer handbag while my guide sat down and was served coffee - I assume she got a kick-back by bringing tourists to this store. When we finally arrived at the bazaar, she spent the entire time staring at her phone and I finally dismissed her and continued my tour of the site on my own.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear about your experience, as this is certainly not the level of service we aim to provide. Your comments regarding the lack of guiding, the visit to an offsite store, and the overall conduct of the guide are taken very seriously. Please kindly note that our company has a strict policy against any form of pressure on guests to make purchases, and guided tours should always focus on providing informative and engaging experiences. What you have described does not reflect our standards. We would appreciate the opportunity to investigate this matter further. If possible, kindly share your booking details with us so we can review the situation internally and take the necessary actions. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We truly value your feedback and hope to have the chance to restore your trust in our services. Warm regards, Plan Tours – Gray Line Turkey
Strange tour. Instead of Bazaar my son and my mom were initially taken to a clothing store with brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci. Also, they were offered fur coats. My son lives near Florida. He definitely does not need any fur coat. Only after talking to the guide for some time, they were taken to Grand Bazaar. The guide did not explain much of anything. The whole tour was over in 1-2 hours. No spice market at all. My son said he could have gone to the Bazaar without any guide just fine. So waste of your money. Also, everything there is overpriced. You can buy it cheaper elsewhere.
Hello, As we spoke to their guide, she said your mother didn't understand English so your son had to translate all. This tour includes Grand Covered Bazaar and Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar only + shops around. Of course a shopping tour is mostly not a cultural explanation tour but our guide says she gave the explanation. Coming to the Spice Bazaar, as this is a "walking" tour and it was hot she asked your son if your mom would like to go down to the Spice Bazaar still, he said no. That's why they didn't visit. 'My son lives near Florida. He definitely does not need any fur coat'. Unfortunately, we can not do anything about the products sold in the bazaars as you can kindly understand. We wish they could contact us on spot about their dissatisfaction so that may be we could change the program a bit. Thank you
I hadn’t thought much about the reservation when I booked. The tour guide, Ertugrul, was excellent. He was personable and interested in finding what we were looking to see and purchase. Other tour guides had tried to pressure us into situations of which we weren’t interested but Ertugrul had connections in the bazaar and showed us the quality places for things we were seeking like iznik ceramic pieces. We weren’t looking for brand named fashion items or rugs which you can certainly find there. I only wish I bought a few more things because the quality and price was better than in other places. I didn’t have any problem getting tea and spices through US customs. The driver was also very good but I did not catch his name. All in all, a great experience. If you think you’ll pick up souvenirs that you didn’t get while in Istanbul at the airport be prepared to pay double or triple. I was told this is because the airport is heavily taxed. Bring cash for tips of driver and guide. They all seem to accept euro, USD and lira.
The memorable moments is when the guide just left us on our own. Not a very attentive guide. He then implied that we weren't where we were supposed to be at the meeting time.
Hi Kelly Remember you are the only guests for this tour and we provide the best guide for you He is a professional guide and do his best to make you happy WE look forward to see you again in our services so we can try to make you happy as well
