Best of Istanbul City Tour

Best of Istanbul City Tour

You will have a chance to explore Istanbul for a day with the best of Istanbul city tour programs. You will have a fully guided tour of the old town and cruise on the Bosphorus between Asia and European shores for a lovely view. You will have a memorable day in Istanbul on your Turkey vacation.

Best of Istanbul City Tour Details:
08:30 am – You will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the meeting point.
After meeting with the group and your Istanbul tour guide, you will start to tour by visiting Santa Sophia. After visiting the interior of Hagia Sophia walk to Hippodrome. While you are walking in the Hippodrome, you see the German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Afterward, walk to the Blue Mosque, visit inside of the Blue Mosque, Then visit Grand Covered Bazaar which is known as Big Bazaar. There are 4000 shops in Grand Bazaar. The tour guide will inform you about the Grand Bazaar and give you time to discover the bazaar. After that we will have lunch at a local restaurant then we drive along the Golden Horn to Eminonu. Afterward, we walk across to road to the port to embark on the boat for the lovely Bosphorus Cruise and start the sail between two continents. You will sail between two continents Europe & Asia around 1hr 45 min. While you are sailing, you will see the old ottoman pasha villas, historical palaces, and mansions on the Asia and European sides.
17:00 pm – At the end of the best of Istanbul city tour, drive back to your hotel.

***This tour is not available on Friday as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Mosque are closed on Fridays for prayers.***

Brief Info about the sites in Best of Istanbul City Tour :
Santa Sophia: This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great, in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time.

Blue Mosque: Across from St. Sophia built in the 17th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.

Hippodrome: The scene of ancient chariot races, the ancient Hippodrome, with its four monuments; the GERMAN FOUNTAIN OF WILHELM II, the OBELISK OF THEODOSIUS, the bronze SERPENTINE COLUMN, and the COLUMN OF CONSTANTINE.

Grand Covered Bazaar: In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area; the goldsmiths’ street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware, and trays, water ewers, onnyxware and meerschaum pipers.

Golden Horn (from the bus): The arm of the Bosphorus and a natural harbor of the historical peninsula separating the old and the new parts of İstanbul where the first colonies settled during the Byzantine. The residential area for Byzantine Jews, Italian traders, and other non-muslim minorities. Drive along the traces of history at Balat viewing Metal Church of St. Stephen the Bulgarian, 21 km. long City Walls(from the bus), the strongest fortification of middle age.

Bosphorus Cruise by Boat: A traditional excursion by boat along the waterway separating Europe and Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion, you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavillions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of its marble facade facing the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque, and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries.

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