Best of Istanbul: 1,2 or 3 Days Private Guided Tour
The Finest of Istanbul: 1,2 or 3 Days Private Guided Tour
OVERVIEW
Duration: 7 hours
Tour starting point: Hotel or Cruise Port
Tour ending point: Hotel or Cruise Port
Includes: Officially licensed tour guide, private tour
Excludes: Entrance tickets, lunch, drinks, transportation (unless option booked), gratitudes ( recommended)
Sights to see:
Day 1 - Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, German Fountain, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar
Day 2 - Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage, Galata Tower (from outside)
Day 3 - Suleymaniye Mosque, Chora Church, Fener and Balat Districts, St. Stephen Church (Iron Church), Pierre Lotti Panoramic Hill
INCLUSIONS
Private Tour
Professional Local Guide
EXCLUSIONS
Museum/Attraction Tickets
Transportation
Lunch, Drinks
Gratitude (suggested)
ITINERARY
DAY 1
You meet your tour guide in your hotel or cruise port and start the tour with the highlights of Istanbul;
Hagia Sophia; Also called the Church of Divine Wisdom, it Is a masterpiece of grandeur and proportion. Coveted by the Islamic East and Christian West, the Hagia Sophia is one of mankind's greatest treasures. Built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque then a museum and now it’s a mosque for second time.
Hippodrome and Obelisks; The vast Hippodrome, known as At Meydani or "plaza of the horses", stretches between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times, today German Fountain is the main cornerstone of square.
Basilica Cistern is a subterranean wonder and one of the greatest of Istanbul’s surviving Byzantine sites, in fact a former water storage chamber. The basilica cistern was a water tank with 140 meters of 336 columns and 80,000 cubic meters of water.
Blue Mosque; Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I, Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale. The Blue Mosque is one of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul. It is very impressive with its beautiful domes and semi domes, nice courtyards and six slender minarets.
Grand Bazaar; The oldest and the largest covered market place in the world is situated in the center of the city with over 4,000 shops
Topkapi Palace; was the main residence of the sultan and his court. It was initially the seat of government as well as the imperial residence. Even though access was strictly regulated, inhabitants of the palace rarely had to venture out since the palace functioned almost as an autonomous entity, a city within a city. Audience and consultation chmabers and areas served for the political workings of the empire. More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture.
DAY 2
Spice Market is a colorful indoor bazaar and has lots of shops offering a range of spices, flavored teas, nuts, Turkish delight, purses, as well as ceramics and small souvenirs.
Take the public ferry for Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian (Anatolian) sides, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, the Rumeli Fortress, old Ottoman villas, Bosphorus bridges, mosques.
Dolmabahce Palace; Elegance and beauty with the most luxury decoration, rugs, chandeliers, ceramic fireplaces, crystals. Beautiful palace, right on the Bosphorus with spectacular furnishings, porcelains, paintings.
Taksim Square; A great place defining modern and cosmopolit Turkey. Close to Istiklal Street and Galata Tower. Also Cicek Pasassage has very good food joints, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, night clubs around.
Note: Booking a private van is suggested.
DAY 3
Suleymaniye Mosque is a magnificent work made by Mimar Sinan during his journeyman period. It is the largest mosque in Istanbul and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The diameter of the dome of the mosque, which was built between 1550-1557, is 26.5 meters and its height is 50 meters. In the garden behind the mosque, the terrace offers lovely views of the Bosphorus and Golden Horn
Chora Church; considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church. With its glorious mosaics and frescoes about the scenes of the Holy Bible she holds an important place. The frescoes of the Kariye Museum shed light on a long period of Byzantine religious history. Very well preserved and very impressive
Fener District; is one of the historical districts of Istanbul on the Golden Horn. The streets in the area are full of historic wooden mansions, synagogues and churches dating from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. Continue exploring Istanbul’s rich religious history with a stop at the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, the church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion.
Balat District; lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Century-old Ottoman houses lean against each other in a combination of blues, reds and greens. And design shops and art galleries dot the area along the water.
St. Stephen Church; Located in Fatih, Istanbul, between Balat and Fener districts on the shore of the Golden Horn, the church is connected to the Bulgarian Exarchate. It was put back into service after seven years of restoration in 2018. The church is also known as the Iron Church due to the fact that it’s made entirely of prefabricated cast iron in 19th century.
Pierre Loti Hill and Cable Car is one of the most popular sights to visit since it offers great views for the visitors. Take the cable car to reach to the top and enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your tea or Turkish coffee
Note: Booking a private van is suggested.
Please Note:
Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
Hagia Sophia entrance will be restricted during praying time.
Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays. Due to regulations, live guide service is not available at Dolmabahce Palace.
Blue Mosque is closed until 2pm on Fridays.
Children aged 7 and under are free of charge. Please make sure that you have passport copies of children as you have to verify their ages at museums for free tickets.
Annual Closing Dates of all museums and bazaars in Istanbul as follows;
- January 1 – New Year
- May 13,14,15 – Ramadan Celebrations
- July 20,21,22,23 – Eid Celebrations
- October 29 – Republic Day
FAQ
Q: How to meet my tour guide?
A: Your tour guide will be waiting in your hotel lobby to meet you at a determined time.
Q: Can I state the departure time for my tour?
A: Of course! We operate tours on private basis, so you can customize the departure time.
Q: Can I choose the sights to visit on my own?
A: Sure! You can choose the sights and museums along all sort of criteria you like in accordance with your tour guide.
Q: How to buy museum tickets?
A: No need to buy tickets in advance, during the tour your tour guide will help you to purchase them. Official tour guides have priority at museum ticket offices.
Q: Am I traveling with a group on the tour?
A: No, we provide Private Guided Istanbul Tours for your best experience so you will have a private professional tour guide in your preferred language.
Q: How about the transportation?
A: When you book your tour with a van, you will be picked up from hotel, be transferred to the sights and then back to hotel. Otherwise, once you meet your tour guide at your hotel, you will be advised the best option for transportation such as taxi or tram.
Q: How about shopping in Istanbul?
A: We do not include any shopping stops unless you wish to visit one of the traditional workshops of handmade rugs, tiles, jewelry. If you have any interest in workshops, please indicate while booking.
Q: How do I book this Private Guided Istanbul Tour?
A: Easy! All you need to do is;
Fill the 'Booking' form where you will put your full details such as personal information, date, hotel or cruise name, arrival and departure times. Once you complete your booking, there will be a payment button to complete your payment, when you complete payment we will get back to you with a confirmation email within 24 hours.
Q: How do I pay?
A: After filling the Book Now form, there will be a payment button to complete your deposit payment, when you complete payment and secure the booking, we will confirm your tour details and balance payment will be in cash directly to the tour guide during the tour. You can choose to pay in Usd, Euro or Turkish Lira.
Q: Does status of Hagia Sophia effect our tour?
A: After conversion to mosque entrance will be restricted during praying times however your tour guide will revise the route of your tour accordingly and entrance is free of charge.
