This Istanbul stopover tour turns a layover of six hours or more into a guided visit to the Old City's greatest landmarks. It comes with pickup and return at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Instead of waiting at the gate, you are met by our team, driven into Sultanahmet and led around the landmarks that made Istanbul the capital of two great empires, then delivered back to the terminal in time for your onward connection. It is a private, fully guided transit excursion, so the pace and timing are planned around your flight schedule.
Cruise passengers docking in Istanbul can book the Istanbul Stopover Tour as a convenient Istanbul shore excursion during their port call. With a private vehicle and guide, the day is timed to your ship’s arrival and departure, so you can enjoy the sights without worrying about the all-aboard deadline. Tell us how many hours your ship stays in port and we will confirm that the full programme fits comfortably. Just tell us the ship and the day it calls at Istanbul — we take care of the rest.
The visit starts at Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th century, whose treasury and chambers display imperial jewels, Chinese porcelain, silverware, crystal, miniatures, the robes of the royal family and the sacred relics kept in the Holy Mantle section. You then walk to the Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, designed in the 17th century by the architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha and named after the blue Iznik tiles that cover its interior, and look across to Hagia Sophia, a building that changed the course of architectural history.
Between the two lies the Hippodrome, once the stage for chariot races, where the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine still stand. The tour closes in a traditional bazaar where you can browse handmade souvenirs, carpets, jewellery, ceramics and Turkish sweets before the transfer back to the airport. As a compact day tour of Istanbul for transit passengers, it shows the essentials of the Old City without the stress of finding your own way.
Your full day programme — click to see every stop.
Istanbul Stopover Programme After landing at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, you are met in the arrivals hall and taken by private vehicle to the Old City; the tour is designed for passengers with a connection time of at least six hours. The first visit is Topkapi Palace, the seat of Ottoman power for roughly four centuries. Walking through its courtyards, you see collections of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, the garments of the sultans and their families, the dazzling jewels of the Imperial Treasury, fine miniatures and the Holy Mantle rooms, which preserve relics associated with the Prophet Muhammad. Your guide then leads you to the Sultanahmet Mosque, the Blue Mosque, whose interior glows with thousands of blue Iznik tiles. Facing it across the old Hippodrome stands Hagia Sophia, for centuries both a spiritual centre and an architectural landmark. On the Hippodrome itself, the former arena of chariot races, you stop at the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine while your guide recounts the stories of Byzantine Constantinople. The final stop is a traditional bazaar, ideal for picking up Turkish handicrafts, carpets, jewellery, pottery or Turkish delight. When the visit ends, you are driven back to your departure airport for your next flight.
Istanbul → Istanbul Stopover → Sabiha Gokcen Airports
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Real, verified reviews from travellers who explored Turkey with us.
My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
10+ years later we still talk about our Cappadocia balloon ride and the Bosphorus sunset cruise. Some memories are timeless. Thank you Inca Tour!