What You Will Do
First-time travelers can discover the best of Istanbul with this small-group highlights tour, perfect for getting your bearings in this picturesque city. Explore the city's top landmarks with your guide, find a few hidden gems, and learn about the city's diverse cultural and architectural achievements. Along the way, you can spot the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, and even stop at an Ottoman-era spice market to get a taste of the time-honored marketplace experience.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
Meeting Point
Your guide ( wears a tourist guide badge so easy to spot) will meet you by the entrance (outside on the street) of "Vogue Hotel Supreme Istanbul".
Located on “Yerebatan Street” where the tram lines (T1) run through Sultanahmet, approximately 2 minutes walk from Sultanahmet tram stop.
1
Basilica Cistern
This spacious Roman built cistern shows off impressive Roman engineering was commissioned by Emperor Justinian, largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul and has been backdrop for many movies over time.
2
Hagia Sophia Mosque
1 hour
A fifteen hundred years old splendid monument, is a must see in Istanbul, built to be the world’s largest place of worship by Emperor Justinian in 532 AD. First a Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Basilica, later an imperial mosque, in 1935 it was opened to the public as a museum. After being neutral for about 86 years it was converted into a mosque again in July 2020. Hagia Sophia is the only mosque anywhere in the world right now where you could see Islamic elements along with the Christians images. The lofty interior, stunning surviving mosaics and the massive dome, which seems to float unsupported and gives the church its amazing sense of space. An unforgettable experience awaiting you.
3
Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque by many tourists because of its bluish interior decoration( blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design), is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center..
4
Sultanahmet Square
10 minutes
This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
5
Sultanahmet District
10 minutes
"Sultan Ahmet Center", the heart of the "Old City" from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled
6
Nuruosmaniye Camii
The mosque is the first mosque ever which was built in Baraque Style and you can easily see it if you have an eye for the detail.
7
Tahtakale District
10 minutes
"Shop till you drop" in Tahtakale, a sub-district of Istanbul's Eminönü, where you can find anything and everything you are looking for, all for resonable prices.
8
Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)
No visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar with roots dating back to 1660, this is one Istanbul's most famous bazaars. Vividly coloured spices are displayed alongside jewel-like lokum (Turkish delight) at this Ottoman-era marketplace, providing eye candy for the thousands of tourists and locals who make their way here every day. Stalls also sell caviar, dried herbs, honey, nuts and dried fruits.
9
Kapali Carsi
20 minutes
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is high on most tourists' itineraries, and for a good reason. This enormous site is the largest covered market in the world with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m², attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily...
10
Suleymaniye Mosque
40 minutes
A work of Sinan the Architect, the building is a perfect fusion of simplicity and grandiose. It was commissioned by the most powerful of Ottoman Sultans, Suleyman I, known as 'The Magnificent'. The Mosque crowns one of the seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the entire city.
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