Istanbul · SPICE BAZAAR GUIDED TOURS
The good spice bazaar guided tours fill up first and the great ones go weeks ahead. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes, and where they genuinely differ.
Spice Bazaar scents and a Bosphorus cruise with views of Dolmabahçe, Rumeli Hisarı, and Beylerbeyi, plus a short Eminönü stroll.
“This was a great tour, and a wonderful experience. Bulit, my guide walked me through the streets, introducing me to typical Turkish fare. The whole experience was delectable. A must do if you like to try and experience new and different cuisines.”
Istanbul Karakoy food tour with 10 tastings, spice and coffee lessons, and locals-only restaurants. Tea, kebab, fish, desserts included.
“Nusret was a great guide. Took me to great places and we had a blast. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Istanbul.”
See Istanbul old-town highlights in 4 hours, from German Fountain and Blue Mosque to the Basilica Cistern and Spice Bazaar.
“Confusion with the date. Operator asked if we could change our date from 10/15 to 10/16 at 2:00 PM. I said we could not citing a previously booked tour at 2:00PM but did get an answer. Then on 10/15 I received a text saying we were expected for our tour on 10/15 at 9:00 AM which was our originally date and time. But we were late as the taxi drove a long route to the area and we had to walk rapidly to the German Fountain to find the tour gone with no message as to where we might catch up with them. Knowing we we would be late I…”
3.5-hour Sultanahmet walking tour with Blue Mosque interior, Hippodrome monuments, and Hagia Sophia stop. Licensed guide, good value.
“Our tour guide "Can" was really interactive and had a great understanding at each site. will definately recommend.”
Guided shopping in Istanbul’s Egyptian Bazaar and Grand Bazaar, with haggling help, a ceramics stop, and hotel pickup.
“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.”
3.5-hour Bosphorus cruise and Spice Bazaar walk with hotel pickup, a live English-Spanish guide, and Golden Horn views.
“Cruising is amazing! I had plenty refreshing time, watching quite a view.”
4-hour Bosphorus cruise plus Egyptian Spice Bazaar visit from central Istanbul, with guide, entrances, and standout views of Europe and Asia.
“The spice bazaar where we had a private meeting with a shop owner to learn about their products without the pushing nature of most vendors. Also the cruise was beautiful. My only complaint is that sitting on the outdoor deck, it was not possible to hear the boat’s explanations of what we were seeing over the boat’s speakers. We could have gone downstairs which was indoors and perhaps heard better. But it was too sunny of a day to be inside.”
Private Bosphorus cruise plus Egyptian Bazaar shopping in Istanbul, with hotel pickup and flexible departure times.
“This tour was actually great! We took other tours with the same group after the Viator booking and it wasn't as trustworthy or safe as the one we book through Viator. In the future, I would advise people to book through this channel only.”
A 3.5-hour Istanbul shore trip mixing Misir Spice Bazaar time and a Bosphorus cruise with landmark views plus port pickup and return.
“What a fascinating place Istanbul is.We were very pleased with our short tour,particularly with the Bosphorus cruise.”
A small-group chocolate workshop near the Spice Bazaar. Learn tempering, design bars, taste cacao tea, take your work home.
“Etkinlik güzeldi fakat etkinlik sonunda çikolatalar karıştırmışlar yanlış vermişler benimkiler karamelliydi benim alerjim var karamele o yüzden yiyemedim”
See two continents in one day with a Bosphorus cruise, Spice Bazaar, Rustem Pasha Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, and Camlica Hill views.
“I was glad that I choose this tour, allowing me to see something of the Asian side. The guide was well-informed and personable. The morning portion - shopping at the spice bazaar - did not appeal to me, The lunch was at a particularly unappealing restaurant absolutely packed with those coming off tour busses with very, very inadequate air conditioning plus being very loud with forced seating at large, uncomfortable tables with people from other tours that you did not know. The afternoon portion made up for this and was appealing. I learned that the afternoon portion which includes the Palace, Bosporous and Hill can be booked separately.”
Half-day Bosphorus bus and boat cruise plus Spice Bazaar visit in Istanbul, with hotel pickup, big views, and free bazaar entry.
“The Egyptian Bazaar part of the tour is a scam where they take tourists to an extremely overpriced spice/candy shop named Ayfer Kaur. They will charge you more than $400 for a bit of Turkish Delight and some tea that you could buy elsewhere for maybe $30. If you go, I recommend you DO NOT BUY ANYTHING!”
Morning Bosphorus boat cruise and Spice Bazaar walk in Istanbul. A 3-hour tour with guided sights across Europe and Asia.
“Highly recommended. Value for money. My friends and I enjoyed the tour.”
4 hours in Istanbul with a Bosphorus ferry ride, Rumeli Hisari views, and shopping at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar.
Half-day Istanbul tour: Spice Market at Misir Carsisi with Turkish coffee, then a Bosphorus boat ride from Eminonu.
“Naz is very knowledgeable about the places that we visited. Her enthusiasm made us fondly remember the places and the history behind it.”
What this city is genuinely good at, list by list.
