Four churches, nearly two thousand years of Christian history, and a private guide and driver for the whole day. From the oldest church in the city to the seat of Orthodox Christianity today.
This is the day we built for guests who write to us asking for the churches, not the palaces. It is private, unhurried, and led by a licensed guide who knows the clergy and the neighbourhoods.
Book this experience
Pick your date, guests and any add ons in the booking panel, then check out when you're ready.
Risk-free booking. Full refund within 48 hours of your experience, minus card processing fees.
"Koray is a master of history! Every date! Every Sultan! His wealth of knowledge is impressive but equally inspiring is his love for this city. He represents this bustling beautiful city with passion and kindness. He was generous with his time. A genuinely nice guy!"
"Came across Brit and Berat while doing research on Istanbul. Lots of informative posts on Facebook and YouTube. Decided to use their airport transfer services. Their representative was waiting as promised, gave me useful tips, and took me to a nicely customized Mercedes van. Flawless service. No complaints at all. Recommend them highly."
"Our tour was great! Well informed and super safe. The group was thoroughly brought through all of the hot spots in Istanbul with information at every stop. Lots of fun! It lasted roughly four hours. We didn't need the van for our group so the company gave us a free shuttle to the airport, which was super considerate and generous!"
"Booking with Brit and Berat was the best decision we made in planning our trip to Istanbul. They made it so easy. They planned out 4 full days of activities, including transportation. They are always just a text away. I had such a positive experience that I'm going to be returning to Turkey and booking new adventures through Brit And Berat. World class operators in a world class city."
"My family and I had an excellent experience with Brit and Berat and would highly recommend them. Communication was easy, professional, and incredibly accommodating. One of the highlights was our guide, Yakup. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and never rushed us. It felt less like a scripted tour and more like exploring Istanbul with a knowledgeable friend."
"We recently spent three nights in Istanbul and put ourselves almost completely in Brit & Berat's hands. From airport transfers to guided tours, they helped make our experience easy and memorable. Their drivers were friendly and efficient, with clean, comfortable vehicles always stocked with cold water. We highly recommend letting Brit & Berat help make your trip to Istanbul unforgettable."
"Brit and Berat tours are PERFECT! As a first time to Turkey visitor, I needed someone else to be the expert. Koray was our guide and the shuttle pick up was seamless. He taught us so much about Old Town and Turkey, but moreover he was chill and someone I would like to be friends with. These guys are a class act - it will be the best part of Istanbul for you!"
"If you are visiting Istanbul, you must reach out to Brit and Berat. It was an amazing experience working with them. Our tour guide Koray is a great asset to their team. This visit was educational, relaxing, and memorable. We are so thankful we found Brit and Berat. They are truly experts and I highly recommend."
"We booked a private customized tour with a guide and had a marvelous day with Brit & Berat tours. From the pick up to the drop off everything is handled with care with total focus to the clients' requests. First class from beginning to end. Our guide Mr. Koray was the best, very knowledgeable and easy going with a lovely sense of humor."
"Our day with Jacob could not have gone better. We explored the Hagia Sophia, the Roman Cistern, the Blue Mosque and did a little shopping. Jacob was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. He went out of his way to point out things we might have missed. You cannot go wrong booking with Brit and Berat."
"We were introduced to Brit And Berat's service through an Instagram post. They were accommodating and sent a wonderful tour guide, Koray, and a great driver. Our experience was above and beyond. The bonus was an end-of-day visit with Berat, who made sure everything we wanted to do had been accomplished and then shared his favorite rooftop view of Istanbul."
"Excellent communications from start to finish. Immaculately clean vehicles and responsible drivers made our journey pleasant. I highly recommend Brit and Berat for your transportation needs. While we were unable to reserve any tours because of our previously planned itinerary, I would not hesitate to use them if I ever get back to Istanbul!"
"I can not express enough how highly I recommend the services offered by Brit & Berat. Especially for those 1st & 2nd time visitors to Turkey. If you've ever questioned whether or not you should visit Turkey for unfamiliarity reasons, put all that to rest and just contact Brit & Berat."
"Koray is a master of history! Every date! Every Sultan! His wealth of knowledge is impressive but equally inspiring is his love for this city. He represents this bustling beautiful city with passion and kindness. He was generous with his time. A genuinely nice guy!"
"Came across Brit and Berat while doing research on Istanbul. Lots of informative posts on Facebook and YouTube. Decided to use their airport transfer services. Their representative was waiting as promised, gave me useful tips, and took me to a nicely customized Mercedes van. Flawless service. No complaints at all. Recommend them highly."
"Our tour was great! Well informed and super safe. The group was thoroughly brought through all of the hot spots in Istanbul with information at every stop. Lots of fun! It lasted roughly four hours. We didn't need the van for our group so the company gave us a free shuttle to the airport, which was super considerate and generous!"
"Booking with Brit and Berat was the best decision we made in planning our trip to Istanbul. They made it so easy. They planned out 4 full days of activities, including transportation. They are always just a text away. I had such a positive experience that I'm going to be returning to Turkey and booking new adventures through Brit And Berat. World class operators in a world class city."
"My family and I had an excellent experience with Brit and Berat and would highly recommend them. Communication was easy, professional, and incredibly accommodating. One of the highlights was our guide, Yakup. He was exceptionally knowledgeable and never rushed us. It felt less like a scripted tour and more like exploring Istanbul with a knowledgeable friend."
"We recently spent three nights in Istanbul and put ourselves almost completely in Brit & Berat's hands. From airport transfers to guided tours, they helped make our experience easy and memorable. Their drivers were friendly and efficient, with clean, comfortable vehicles always stocked with cold water. We highly recommend letting Brit & Berat help make your trip to Istanbul unforgettable."
"Brit and Berat tours are PERFECT! As a first time to Turkey visitor, I needed someone else to be the expert. Koray was our guide and the shuttle pick up was seamless. He taught us so much about Old Town and Turkey, but moreover he was chill and someone I would like to be friends with. These guys are a class act - it will be the best part of Istanbul for you!"
"If you are visiting Istanbul, you must reach out to Brit and Berat. It was an amazing experience working with them. Our tour guide Koray is a great asset to their team. This visit was educational, relaxing, and memorable. We are so thankful we found Brit and Berat. They are truly experts and I highly recommend."
"We booked a private customized tour with a guide and had a marvelous day with Brit & Berat tours. From the pick up to the drop off everything is handled with care with total focus to the clients' requests. First class from beginning to end. Our guide Mr. Koray was the best, very knowledgeable and easy going with a lovely sense of humor."
"Our day with Jacob could not have gone better. We explored the Hagia Sophia, the Roman Cistern, the Blue Mosque and did a little shopping. Jacob was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. He went out of his way to point out things we might have missed. You cannot go wrong booking with Brit and Berat."
"We were introduced to Brit And Berat's service through an Instagram post. They were accommodating and sent a wonderful tour guide, Koray, and a great driver. Our experience was above and beyond. The bonus was an end-of-day visit with Berat, who made sure everything we wanted to do had been accomplished and then shared his favorite rooftop view of Istanbul."
"Excellent communications from start to finish. Immaculately clean vehicles and responsible drivers made our journey pleasant. I highly recommend Brit and Berat for your transportation needs. While we were unable to reserve any tours because of our previously planned itinerary, I would not hesitate to use them if I ever get back to Istanbul!"
"I can not express enough how highly I recommend the services offered by Brit & Berat. Especially for those 1st & 2nd time visitors to Turkey. If you've ever questioned whether or not you should visit Turkey for unfamiliarity reasons, put all that to rest and just contact Brit & Berat."
From the first courtyard of Topkapı, across the Golden Horn to Fener and Balat, up to Chora with private transport between every stop.
Your licensed English-speaking guide and private driver meet you in your hotel lobby, and you set off together, no queues, no group bus, no rush.
You begin inside the first courtyard of Topkapı at Hagia Irene, then cross the Golden Horn to Fener and Balat, home to the Patriarchate and the Iron Church.
The Chora Church is the artistic peak of the day: the mosaics and frescoes of the life of Christ and the Virgin in gold across every ceiling and dome.
Your driver brings you back to your hotel, or drops you anywhere central you'd like to spend the evening.
Your guide and private driver collect you from your hotel. On the way, you'll get the context that makes the day make sense: how Constantinople became the centre of the Christian world, and what survived after 1453.
Standing in the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Hagia Irene is one of the earliest churches ever built in this city, older than Hagia Sophia and never converted into a mosque. Inside, it is bare, vast and quietly moving, with the original apse cross still in place.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate is still the spiritual seat of Orthodox Christianity worldwide. You'll visit the Church of St. George, see the patriarchal throne and relics, and hear how a small Greek community has kept this place alive for centuries.
One of the very few prefabricated cast-iron churches left in the world. Every panel was made in Vienna, shipped down the Danube and bolted together on the shore of the Golden Horn. Beautifully restored, and still a Bulgarian Orthodox parish.
The reason art historians come to Istanbul. The mosaics and frescoes of the Chora tell the life of Christ and the Virgin in gold across every ceiling and dome, the high point of late Byzantine art anywhere.
Hotel pickup and drop-off, a licensed guide and a private driver for the full day.
Not included
Around 6 to 7 hours, with your private driver moving you between every site, so there is no long walking between churches.
Modest clothing with shoulders and knees covered. Kariye is an active mosque, so women should carry a headscarf for that stop.
Entrance tickets are not included. Your guide handles all the logistics and queues, and the entrance fees for Hagia Irene and Kariye Mosque are paid on the day. The Patriarchate and the Iron Church are free to enter.
Yes, and we would recommend it. Do this tour one day and the Old City another day, so you get the best of both worlds. Email hello@britandberat.com and we'll put a day-by-day plan together for you.
Reserve your date online in a couple of clicks, and we'll take care of the rest.
From our guests
