LGBT Friendly Top Sites of Istanbul Tour
Description
Explore the best of Old Istanbul in just one day with our gay or gay friendly guide in a professional and welcoming manner. You'll have the flexibility to set your own pace and visit the sites that are most appealing to you, including the iconic Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Witness the fascinating architecture of the Byzantine Empire at the Basilica Cistern and Hippodrome, then experience the true essence of Istanbul by haggling at the Grand Bazaar. Join us for a remarkable journey through the heart of Istanbul.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our guests will have the opportunity to access the upper gallery of Hagia Sophia and witness the praying activities from an elevated perspective, bypassing the ticket line altogether.
You will have the opportunity to witness the impressive Roman water storage system with skipping the ticket line.
We will explore the historical significance of the Blue Mosque within the context of Islam religion.
We will see the column of Canstantine the great which used to be end of Silk Road with some remainings of cerevansaray
You will see old remainings of Roman Hippodrome with understanding the chronogical history of the city
We will take a short break at the historic madrasah to enjoy some traditional Turkish coffee.
The historic bazaar boasts a network of 4,000 shops spread across 60 lanes, making it one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets in Istanbul. Discover a vast array of unique Turkish products and souvenirs, ranging from exotic spices to exquisite rugs and beyond.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hello if your hotel is located in the city center, our guide can meet you at your hotel, airbnb or port and then you head to old city with tram or taxi. We meet Beyazit, Sultanahmet, Karakoy, Sirkeci, Galata, Taksim Areas.
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
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(6)
This was an outstanding tour. First, I had booked it for Saturday but on Thursday I had to cancel Saturday and I immediately contacted the representative to see if I could rebook for Friday. She responded immediately and we made the arrangements. I was the only person on the tour and my incredible guide, Fatih, customized the tour on the spot. We spent about 4.5 hours wandering the old city and seeing things "off the beaten path". Fatih is personable, knowledgeable about the history, and it was really like spending the afternoon with a new friend (it helped that we are both half Greek 😎!) We enjoyed coffee and baklava together, he took me to the Grand Bazaar and a couple of lesser known Mosques, regaled me history and information about the different neighborhoods we explored. I recommend this company and the tour. Fatih is an awesome guide. No notes.
Perfect tour with an outstanding guide! Made us feel welcome and comfortable. Very attentive to our needs and was very flexible with the itinerary. Also great communication from the tour operator. Wish we were here a bit longer.
We can not say enough good things about our experience with this company. The arrangement process before arrival was easy with prompt and courteous responses to our inquiries. Our guide, Mohammad, was punctual, easy going - yet personable and professional. His knowledge of Istanbul and Turkish history is impressive and encyclopedic. The day after our final tour, he even helped us locate a coffee store we could not find. This is an outstanding company with a staff of true professionals.
We wanted to pack a lot into a three day visit, and IST helped us tailor an itinerary that covered all the major sites and more. The food tour and off-the-beaten-path experiences they offered made it memorable and unique from what was offered by other tour operators. Our tour guide Ozkan was awesome!
We were not particularly looking for a gay-friendly tour, but my friends highly recommended Yunus and IGT. Yunus was very easy to coordinate our itinerary with - he was very patient with all my questions about a first-time visit to Turkey, explaining the top sites and possible tour options. He was quick in responding to my messages; and I thought his prices were fair. We did one day of the top sites and and 2nd day with a private yacht on the Bosphorus and culinary tour. But Yunus was very flexible - we had to adjust some of the schedule to accommodate what my family wanted to see. Our guide was Özkan who was great! He was younger and my kids (in their 30's connected with him). He was very knowledgeable yet did not go too deep. (We've been on some tours wherein the guide gave too detailed information, ending up with my kids tuning out). Özkan met us at our hotel and dropped us off at the end of the day. He spent as much time with us to make sure the we got to see everything we wanted to see and experience everything we wanted to do. We were never made to feel like he was watching the clock and wanted to just finish the tour - as a matter of fact he spent a couple hours more with us than we expected. He listened to our feedback and adjusted accordingly. He had the right balance of knowledge, enthusiasm, and chillness..We enjoyed his tour on the first day, that actually requested that he do the 2nd day tour with us as well. You could see that he was enthusiastic and loved Turkey; he gave us tips on shopping and food, etc. Those 2 days with IGT gave us a great overview of Istanbul. My kids felt that we could do the last 2 days on our own, exploring places we didn't get to see the first few days and returned to neighborhoods (including the Grand and Spice Bazaars) we wanted to check out again. Özkan was so good at explaining the transit system and neighborhoods, we felt we got to know Istanbul quite well and confident enough to explore on our own.
Booked this tour as it was my first time in Istanbul. The tour guide, Salih, picked me up on time and was professional and welcoming from the start. He managed our itinerary well and adjusted as needed based on openings and expected amount of tourists. We went to the Hagia Sophia, saw the Blue mosque from the outside, the basilica cistern, stopped for tea and coffee and then continued to a nearby Mosque, saw the grounds of the Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar. Salih was knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I had a great time and I’m glad I booked a tour for my first trip to Istanbul.
