The 15 Best Self-Guided Tours in Turkey

Istanbul: Daytime or Sunset Sightseeing Cruise & Audio Guide - The route from Maiden’s Tower to the Asian shore

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 14,430 reviews · 2 hours · from $8Our pick

Cruise Istanbul’s Bosphorus by day or sunset with landmark views, audio commentary, drinks, snacks, and optional dinner on a luxury yacht.

“The overall cruise experience was awesome, travelled about an hour each way, got to see a different view of the major buildings, voice over (english) would speak a little about each building as we got close to it. Free tea and coffee on the boat, food was offered too but I didnt eat anything. I saw other people have drinks too. There was seating inside and outside, 3 levels for the outside and 2 for the inside with good views wherever you were seated. It was a good experience, if you are in Istanbul for a short time or want to get your bearings.”

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Fast-Track Entry and Audio Guide

2.Basilica Cistern Fast-Track Entry and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7,521 reviews · 1 day · from $44

Save time at Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern with all-day fast-track entry, a multilingual audio guide, and atmospheric Medusa Head photo stops.

“Everything is beautiful and interesting, but the ticket prices are too high. For the same price, I visited the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, which was much more impressive.”

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Istanbul: Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide

3.Topkapi Palace & Harem Museum Ticket & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3,977 reviews · from $61

Enter Topkapi Palace and its Harem with skip-the-line access, a smartphone audio guide, and time to explore Ottoman treasures at your own pace.

“The guide was very clear at communicating and efficient in getting a large group of us through the main entrance and into the Harem where we could continue on our own. It was a fantastic place to visit, with lots to look at and good information. Highly recommend Topkapi Palace and Harem.”

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Istanbul: Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guide

4.Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,694 reviews · from $8

See Istanbul from Europe to Asia on a 2-hour Bosphorus cruise with tea, Wi-Fi, multilingual audio, and sunset sailings for only $8.

“Really great experience, for the price it is. It’s the full two hours.”

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Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

5.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket and Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,246 reviews · from $35

Review of Hagia Sophia’s $35 skip-the-ticket-line entry with English audio guide, practical advice on queues, clothing, access, and value.

“I am from Serbia which is Orthodox country and our history is packed with stories of our ancestors fighting Otoman expansion to the west. I could tell Hagia Sophia was a church just by the scent. It looks really amazing from inside and I felt a bit of sadness, rewinded some of Serbian medival movies in my head (Banovic Strahinja and Battle of Kosovo) 😀”

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Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour

6.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,767 reviews · from $42

Save time at Hagia Sophia with skip-the-ticket-line entry, an English audio guide, and optional small-group or private tours.

“Oguzhan was very knowledgeable and had good communication skills.”

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Istanbul: Bosphorus Cruise w/Audio Guide and Sunset Option

7.Bosphorus Cruise w/Audio Guide and Sunset Option

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 1,758 reviews · 2 hours · from $14

Cruise Istanbul’s Golden Horn and Bosphorus for two hours, passing palaces, bridges, fortresses, and waterfront villages for $14.

“Second time going on this boat trip and it was very nice. Good explaination in different languages and nice Guide. Worth a trip.”

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry & Audio Guide

8.Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,477 reviews · 1 day · from $71

Enter Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern with a QR ticket, skip the ticket queue, and explore Medusa heads, marble columns, and cool underground waters.

“Easy to receive tickets, tour as described. Loved it!”

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Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Ticket Line & Audio Guide

9.Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Ticket Line & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,469 reviews · 1 day · from $41

Visit Hagia Sophia with a QR ticket, upper-gallery access, and an English audio guide, while avoiding the long ticket-buying queue.

“The meeting point was obvious and any questions we had were answered promptly. You can turn up to any of the advertised start times and you are taken into the palace grounds and into the Harem with no fuss. Audio guide was good but the app was a little glitchy. Definitely recommend this particular tour.”

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry & Audio Guide

10.Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Entry & Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 993 reviews · from $54

Review the Basilica Cistern tour in Istanbul, with skip-the-line entry, audio guide, Medusa Heads, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“great tour a little expensive but only a few bucks”

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Dolmabahce Palace & Harem Fast-Track Entry with Audio Guide

11.Dolmabahce Palace & Harem Fast-Track Entry with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 966 reviews · from $47

Visit Dolmabahce Palace with flexible fast-track entry, gardens, Selamlik, Harem access, and a multilingual audio guide.

“If you are going early, this voucher may not be required. We went around 9:45 on a Saturday in September and there was no queue. You could save few bucks by buying the ticket in the counter directly. However by the time we came out around 1PM, there was a 10 min wait time in the counter. So, plan and book only if you are visiting Dolmabahce palace in peak hours”

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Istanbul: Hagia Sophia Ticket with Audio Guide & Blue Mosque

12.Hagia Sophia Ticket with Audio Guide & Blue Mosque

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 799 reviews · from $35

Review of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque ticket, with audio guides, timing advice, dress rules, queues, and honest value tips.

“Ich was very interesting. It is a pity that we were not allow to go to the praying area.”

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Istanbul: Topkapi Palace and Harem Ticket with Audio Guide

13.Topkapi Palace and Harem Ticket with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 786 reviews · 1 day · from $79

Review of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace and Harem ticket, with skip-the-ticket-line entry, host escort, audio guide, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“What a brilliant decision to choose this company. It was value for money and Salah, our guide, was top-class! I would recommend all visitors book their tour with an actual guide otherwise you will not understand the importance of certain places. I would recommend you book through this company, they are reliable and trustworthy. My family of six from London, loved every moment..”

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Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guide

14.Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise Tour with Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 473 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $12

A practical review of Istanbul’s two-hour Bosphorus cruise, with palace views, Turkish tea, onboard WiFi, and an audio guide in 11 languages.

“This was a terrible boat cruise. The speakers were not loud enough to hear anything outside. It was essentially a ride up and down without any information on the sites. All of the good reviews reflect that you get a free tea if you show them you gave a 5star review.”

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Short Bosphorus Cruise Tour With Hotel Pickup And Audio Guide

15.Short Bosphorus Cruise Tour With Hotel Pickup And Audio Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 369 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $24

A low-cost Istanbul Bosphorus cruise with hotel pickup, Turkish tea, landmark views, and sunset photos near Maiden’s Tower.

“The pick-up and drop-off service was good, but if you want to see a great sunset, it is better to take a private tour or go to a location yourself rather than a group boat tour. But considering the price, it is truly a reasonable tour.”

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