Best of Istanbul City Tour

Best of Istanbul City tour itinerary is the best option to explore a little history of Byzantium & Ottoman and continue to Bosphorus Cruise between Asian & European shores. We invite you to join one of the best tour programs in Istanbul. We are going to pick you up from your hotel in the morning for fully guided Istanbul city tour and at the end of the itinerary, transfer you back to the hotel.

Best of Istanbul City Tour Details:
08:30 am – You will be collected right from your the hotels and taken to the meeting point of the group.
After meeting with the group and your Istanbul local tour guide, you will start to the tour by visiting Santa Sophia. After visiting the interior of Hagia Sophia walk to Hippodrome. While you are working in the Hippodrome, you see the Germen Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the column of Constantine. Afterward, walk to the Blue Mosque, visiting 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 Eyup to take the Cable car on the Pierre Lotti Hill. You will enjoy by climbing up to Pierre Lotti Hill. You will have free time to take the picture at top of the hill then drive to the port where you will embark the boat for lovely Bosphorus Cruise. You will sail between two continents Europe & Asia around 1hr 45 min. While you are sailing, you will see the old ottoman villas and mansions on the Asia and Europe Side.
17:00 pm – At the end of best of Istanbul city tour program, drive back to your hotels.

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, this 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, onyx are and meerschaum.

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 the 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 is marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists gathers 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.

Pierre Lotti Hill & Cable Car: It was named after the famous French writer, you will enjoy the magnificent scenery of Golden Horn and the city after you take a cable car drive for the hill.