although pricey, it's a great tour. you can find yourself there for hours. guide was good and informative but skipped parts so you can go after by yourself. harem tour is extra but really good and you see many areas that were only for immediate family. Long queue for holy relics, I waited 70 minutes, people try and jump the queue which is not very fair but it's not managed by staff at all. huge place and 4 large courtyards so you can find space to sit too. Church also cost more to visit. you will be tired after all the walking and stairs to rooms. not good for people with mobility issues, although I saw a few people in wheelchairs.

The guide took up directly inside without having to wait in line for ticket checking/buying (had to stay only in a fast moving line for security check). He explained to us everything from outside the courtyard and let us explore the palace on our own which was advertised but I was expecting a little more enthusiasm from the guide. When we paid the extra money directly to him to go to Harem (it’s not included in the ticket) he took us around the Harem and we had later time to explore Harem ourselves too

Nice tour, lasting almost 2 hours. Was great that I didn't wait in the ticket line. We saw everything in Palace and Harem with very intresting details. Our guide was an historian, very well informed for eveything, answering all questions and with a very pleasant persolnality.