Celebrity Istanbul Shore Excursion: A Private Day Ashore

If you are sailing with Celebrity Cruises, your day in Istanbul can also be a private one. Our tours for cruise passengers cover the other Turkish ports too. This Celebrity Istanbul shore excursion is our private alternative to the ship tour. Your own guide and driver meet you at the port and plan the day around your all-aboard time.

In its 2027 program, Celebrity Cruises’ Greece, Turkey & Italy voyage on Celebrity Ascent sails from Rome and calls at Ephesus (Kuşadası) and Istanbul, with departures in July and August 2027.

Your Celebrity Istanbul Shore Excursion

Celebrity ships dock at Galataport in Karaköy, on the Bosphorus. Your guide waits at the terminal, and from there you cross the Golden Horn to the old city. On our Istanbul shore excursion, you visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, if open, outside prayer times, then the old Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar on a full day.

A Private Alternative to the Ship Tour

The ship’s tours are one way to spend a Celebrity day in Istanbul. A private day gives your group its own car and a guide in your language, and the stops and the pace are up to you. For more, read our guide to choosing a shore excursion or a ship tour.

Ephesus from Kuşadası

If the Celebrity itinerary also calls at Kuşadası, our Ephesus shore excursion takes you from Ege Port to the ancient city, the Terrace Houses and the House of the Virgin Mary, and back before all-aboard. Ege Port’s two finger piers take up to four large ships at once.

Plan Your Celebrity Istanbul Shore Excursion

From your Celebrity booking, send us the ship, the date and the arrival and all-aboard times. We plan everything around them. For more ports in Türkiye, see the Turkey cruise ports guide and our shore excursions.

We are an independent local company and are not affiliated with Celebrity Cruises.