Full Day Highlights of Istanbul Old City incl Lunch & Tickets [61488P1]
Discover Istanbul's rich Culture and history with our experienced guides. Skip the Museum Ticket Queues with your guide.
Visit Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Brief Handicraft Presentation next to Grand Bazaar (Optional, guest may opt to explore the bazaar on their own) and Topkapı Palace. Lunch included.
Visit Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Brief Handicraft Presentation next to Grand Bazaar (Optional, guest may opt to explore the bazaar on their own) and Topkapı Palace. Lunch included.
ADDITIONAL INFO
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for travellers with walking difficulties
- Please note that this tour includes visits to Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque. You will be required to have a dress covering the shoulders and above the knees during these visits (for both man & women). Guests whose dress doesn’t cover the shoulders or above the knees, can purchase a single use dress from these sites.
- Our vehicles are disinfected daily at the end of each tour
INCLUDED
- Museum Tickets
- Professional Licensed Guiding
- Pick up & Drop Off from centrally located hotels on the European Side
NOT INCLUDED
- Drinks
- Gratuities (optional)
- Please review the additional notes on your ticket for the appropriate dress code for mosque visits
CANCELLATION POLICY
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
ITINERARY
- Pick up from the hotel and join the group. We begin our tour with a visit to Hagia Sophia Museum, which is considered one of the Eight Wonders of the World, occupies a unique place in the history of architectures one of the rare works of this size and age that still survives.
- Our next visit will be The Blue Mosque, which takes its name from the world famous exquisite blue Iznik tiles decorating its interior. Also it is the only imperial mosque in the world that was originally built with six minarets. Note: Blue Mosque is reserved for Prayer on Fridays. On Fridays, we visit the mosque from the exterior.
- We continue to the Hippodrome Square, the sporting and social center of old Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire such as the Egyptian Obelisk, and the Serpent Column.
- Brief Handicrafts Presentation & Lecture (Optional Attendance) next to the Grand Bazaar. Guest may opt to skip the presentation and explore Grand Bazaar on their own. Meeting back and drive to Lunch. Note: Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
- 3 Course Lunch (Beverages under your own expenses) *Vegetarian menu is also available
- Then we visit the Topkapı Palace, the residence of early and mid-era Ottoman Sultans. It was principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans and the center of administration of the Ottoman Empire from 15th to 19th century. During our visit we will see the fabulous Imperial Treasury, the Baghdad Kiosk, Holy Relics and the Kitchen Section including one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics. The Harem is also located inside the palace which was forbidden to anyone except the Sultan. Drive back to the hotel at the end of the tour. Note: Harem Section not included on the tour
- Our next stop, Hagia Eirene, the Church of the Holy Peace, is one of the few churches in Istanbul that was never converted into a mosque. Hagia Eirene reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple and has the distinction of being the first church built in Byzantium as it was converted into the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
