The 15 Best 1-Day Tours in Istanbul

From Istanbul: Sapanca and Masukiye Day Trip with Lunch - The morning start: hotel pickup and the Zoo or Lion Park detour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,036 reviews · 12 hours · from $29Our pick

Guided day trip from Istanbul to Sapanca and Maşukiye with Lake views, waterfall-area lunch, cable car options, quad and zipline add-ons.

“Apo was a fantastic guide, and very knowledgeable. Lots of good activities to participate in, such as cable car, quad-biking etc. The lunch by the Sapanca Lake is really nice, with wonderful views and scenery. However, I really think the stop at the Turkish Delight shops are unnecessary and a waste of time, they try to force you into buying overpriced sweets and souvenirs. That time could be better spent to allow us more time to relax and explore at Sapanca Lake.”

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1-Day Tours, Bosphorus Cruises, Cruises & Boat Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

All in One Day Istanbul – Historical Tour of Istanbul with Bosphorus Cruise

2.All in One Day Istanbul – Historical Tour of Istanbul with Bosphorus Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 489 reviews · 9 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $164Top rated

A full-day VIP tour that strings together Sultanahmet icons, a rooftop lunch, and a 2.5-hour Bosphorus sunset cruise with snacks and baklava.

“The entire day was amazing from beginning to end. So much to learn, see, take and experience in one full day. Best way to experience Istanbul!”

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1-Day Tours, Bursa Day Trips, Day Trips from Istanbul, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Bursa & Uludag Mountain Day Trip w/ Opt. Cable Car

3.Bursa & Uludag Mountain Day Trip w/ Opt. Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 447 reviews · 13.5 hours · from $31

Day trip from Istanbul to Bursa, with a ferry over Izmit Bay, Uludağ mountain views, cable car down, Turkish delight making stops, and Green Mosque.

“Amazing tour, very nice and enjoyable. Very kind and helpful tour leader (Mr Noori). I would suggest this tour to anyone willing to go to Bursa mountains.”

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1-Day Tours, Shore Excursions, Tour Reviews, Tours

Istanbul Shore Excursion: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour

4.Istanbul Shore Excursion: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 273 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $100

Eight hours in Istanbul’s top sights from a cruise port, led by English guides, with Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, and Grand Bazaar.

“It was great! The only issue was that this tour contrary to its name Shore Excursion, was not meant for those in a cruise line just spending the day in Istanbul. We had to leave the tour on our own and get back to the ship in order to be onboard by the time the ship sailed away. It is the perfect tour for those staying in town for a couple of days. It manages to go to a lot of the main attractions in only one day.”

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1-Day Tours, Cappadocia Tours from Istanbul, Day Trips from Istanbul, Lunch Experiences, Tour Reviews

From Istanbul: Day Trip to Cappadocia with Flight & Lunch

5.Day Trip to Cappadocia with Flight & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 182 reviews · 16 hours · from $188

Istanbul to Cappadocia day trip with roundtrip flights, guided Göreme and fairy chimneys, Avanos lunch, and pottery workshop.

“It was very fast paced. They picked me up super early around 4am and my flight was at 8am. I think they were worried with traffic, but a later time would have been good. I made it through so quickly , but maybe due to luck. Getting to the flight required 2 transfers. We were in one van that dropped everyone off at their hotels. Then they dropped me off where another van took me to my actual meeting point where I got into another car. I wish they had told me though. The guide was great. I was only one in the tour so it was nice. I learned…”

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1-Day Tours, Bursa Day Trips, Day Trips from Istanbul, Full-Day, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Bursa and Uludag Full-Day Trip with Cable Car Ride

6.Bursa and Uludag Full-Day Trip with Cable Car Ride

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 164 reviews · 12 hours · from $58

Bursa highlights, Green Mosque and Silk Market, then Uludag Mountain by cable car for winter fun, scenic views, and a hearty lunch.

“guide was really co operative... I like every thing .... beautiful ❤❤❤ day trip.”

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1-Day Tours, Day Trips from Istanbul, Gallipoli & ANZAC Battlefield Tours, Tour Reviews

Gallipoli Day Trip from Istanbul

7.Gallipoli Day Trip from Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 147 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $240

Gallipoli from Istanbul in 14 hours with hotel pickup, guided visits to ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine and The Nek, plus lunch.

“One of the best tour guides iv ever had, can't remember his name. The younger guy with tattoos. He Was really funny and knowledgeable and serious at the same time”

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1-Day Tours, Bursa Day Trips, Day Trips from Istanbul, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Bursa and Uludag Mountain Day Trip with Cable Car

8.Bursa and Uludag Mountain Day Trip with Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $66

Istanbul to Bursa and Uludag day trip with hotel pickup, ferry ride, Green Mosque, Uludag views, cable car, BBQ lunch, and carting.

“The Driver was 20 minutes early for the pickup, so we were not quite ready yet. Despite being early for our pickup, they still managed to get one hour delay before we even left Istanbul. Their priorities seemed to be to get us to spend money at the 3 tourist traps before we arrived in Bursa. In Bursa they dropped us off at a Hamam which turned out to be converted into another shop, where we should spend money. At least the green Tomb was right next door, so we could see that. Because of the Delay in picking up guests and the 3 tourist traps, it was 15:00 before…”

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1-Day Tours, Bursa Day Trips, Day Trips from Istanbul, Tour Reviews

Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul

9.Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 78 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $42

Bursa day trip from Istanbul with hotel pickup, Marmara ferry views, Uludag cable car, Green Mosque, lunch, and free time with shopping stops.

“This was a 12 hour forced shopping trip. Bursa is fun and beautiful but we only saw it for 30mins. First let me tell you it's cold. Whatever the weather is in Istanbul minus an additional 20 degrees. Dress in layers have snowboots scraf hat and gloves. Thus way you won't be forced to buy when stop at the outlet mall. We were picked up at 9 an didnt make it to the cable cars until 315 and were rushed to go up and come back down. However there was no rush when we were dumped at the stores. If you want to see Bursa find another tour this a…”

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1-Day Tours, Tour Reviews

Best of Istanbul in 1 Day

10.Best of Istanbul in 1 Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 66 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $59

Best of Istanbul in 1 Day: guided Hagia Sophia skip-lines, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar with pickup.

“Great tour guide - we visited Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topakapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar. My only complaint were crowds (maybe i will come in Jan/Feb) and high cost of visiting Topakapi (50 euros).”

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1-Day Tours, Day Trips from Istanbul, Ephesus Tours from Istanbul, Guided, Lunch Experiences, Private, Tour Reviews

From Istanbul: Private Guided Day Trip to Ephesus with Lunch

11.Private Guided Day Trip to Ephesus with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 50 reviews · 15 hours · from $449

Private flight-based Ephesus day trip from Istanbul with hotel pickup, English guide, lunch, and a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary.

“Hugo, our guide, was very helpful and gave us lots of tips, information and recommendations. He gave us detailed explanations of the places we visited. He helped us a lot with the PDF tickets on the phone. We are very grateful to him. Highly recommended.”

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1-Day Tours, Cappadocia Tours from Istanbul, Day Trips from Istanbul, Private, Tour Reviews

Private Day Trip to Cappadocia from Istanbul

12.Private Day Trip to Cappadocia from Istanbul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · 16 to 18 hours (approx.) · from $794

Private Cappadocia day trip from Istanbul with early hotel pickup, roundtrip flights, expert guide, cave churches, underground city, and lunch.

“Good explanation of the history and timelines of the area. Fascinating rock formations that have been well preserved and guarded for overall. Enjoyable day out from Istanbul.”

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1-Day Tours, City Tours, Day Trips from Istanbul, Guided, Tour Reviews

Istanbul: Guided City Highlights Day Trip

13.Guided City Highlights Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 45 reviews · 8 hours · from $94

Guided Istanbul highlights day trip with hotel pickup, air-conditioned van, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar.

“This was an excellent experience from start to the end. We were picked up on time and welcomed nicely. Our guide, Berkcan, was the best. He was very accommodating, kind, and flexible to make our experience positive. Our driver was very nice and our transportation was excellent and comfortable as well. Overall, I recommend it to everyone. Thank you, Berkcan and the team for making our experience a great one! We’ve truly enjoyed it:)”

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