For sure, Istanbul is one of the best historical cities in the world. There are so many countries built, it means there are so many marks of cultures. From Byzantine period to Ottoman period, there are a lot of structures built in Istanbul.
If you want to see the traces of Byzantine Empire or Ottoman Empire, there are so many places to go. For example; the great Santa Sophia. It built a church but these days, Hagia Sophia opens the door as a museum. If you will not go to the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque), it will be a mistake for you.
This amazing Istanbul tour covers the most important places in Istanbul. You can read them all in the highlights section.
Highlights
Hagia Sophia Museum (Santa Sophia)
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque)
Hippodrome
Grand Coverd Bazaar
Golden Horn (from the bus)
Cruise on the Bosphorus
Pierre Lotti Hill & Cable Car
Tour Itinerary
Our well-trained professional tour guide will come to your hotel at 08:30 am. He will give you a brief information about the best Istanbul tour. After the conversation, you will be picked up from your hotel and transfer to the first location of the tour.
Our first stop will the Hagia Sophia. You will enter the museum and our tour guide will give you detailed information about everything. You can also ask questions to our tour guide. When the Hagia Sophia tour ends, we will go to the second location.
Our second stop will be the Hippodrome. And also when we are walking to the Hippodrome, you will able to see the German Fountain.When we are done on the Sultanahmet Square, we will go to our third stop.
The third stop will be the Blue Mosque (known as Sultan Ahmet Mosque). You will able to go to the inside of the mosque. Our tour guide will tell you about everything about the Blue Mosque. Afterwards, we will go to the fourth stop.
Our fourth stop will be the Grand Covered Bazaar. There are over 4000 shops in Grand Bazaar. Our tour guide will give you some time to discover the Grand Bazaar.
We will have a lunch at a local restaurant.
Our fifth stop will be the Pierre Loti Hill. You will be transferred by touristic vehicles to the Pierre Loti Hill. You will like to climb to the Pierre Loti Hill. You will have a cable-car activity in the Pierre Loti Hill.
At the end, you will have an amazing cruise on the Bosphorus. You will able to see the Istanbul from the sea. And again, our tour guide will let you know everything about the important sights that you will see from the sea.
Our tour will be ended about 17:00. You will be transferred to your hotels, Istanbul tour ended.
Professional English speaking guide.
Transportation with A/C.
Lunch (drinks are extra)
All transportation fees & tickets
Cable Car
Parking and Road tolls
Local Taxes
Hagia Sophia’s austere interior amplifies its awesome size. Walking through the main entrance will bring you into the ruins-strewn exonarthex, a long, transverse hall common in Byzantine architecture. The nave, reached by crossing the hall, is overshadowed by the massive, gold-leaf mosaic dome.
The mihrab, the calligraphy-adorned portal pointing towards Mecca, stands awkwardly in the apse, whose two rows of stained glass windows made for a traditional backdrop to the altar during the mosque’s Orthodox incarnation.
The member or platform used to address the crowd at Muslim prayer is the stairway to the right of the mihrab. Like the mihrab, it was added to the building as part of its reconsecration as a mosque. The elaborate marble square on the floor of the Hagia Sophia’s main space marks the spot where Byzantine emperors were once crowned.
Blue Mosque
With his eponymously named mosque, Sultan Ahmet I set out to build a monument that would rival and even surpass the nearby Hagia Sophia in grandeur and beauty. Today it’s more widely known as the Blue Mosque. It was built within eight years.
The mosque’s architect “Sedefkar Mehmet Aga”, managed to orchestrate the sort of visual wham-bam effect with mosque’s exterior that Hagia Sophia achieved with its interior. Its curves are voluptuous, it has six minarets and the courtyard is the biggest of all Ottoman mosques.
Hippodrome
On the Ancient Roman periods, Sultanahmet Square was used as a raceway. There was racing with horses. And the Hippodrome was located in the middle of the area. Unfortunately, only the Hippodrome (Dikilitas in Turkish) left today.
Grand Covered Bazaar
There are over 4000 shops in the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi in Turkish). There are so many things in the bazaar. From spice to carpets, souvenirs to antiques… For sure, you can find anything you want in the Grand Covered Bazaar. It is the first mall in the world. If you want to buy something in the Grand Bazaar, you should bargain for the price.
Pierre Loti Hill
In the Pierre Loti Hill, you will have an amazing view from the top. The Golden Horn will be under your foots. And a French writer given its name of Pierre Loti.
Cruise on the Bosphorus
Bosphorus is located between two continents (Europe and Asia). There are so many things to see on the Bosphorus. Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, old villas, pashas villas and more… When you are sailing through Bosphorus, you will able to see the beauty of Istanbul from the sea. It will be a mistake if you will not join a Bosphorus cruise tour in Istanbul.
