OVERVIEW
Duration: 7 hours
Tour starting point: Hotel
Tour ending point: Hotel
Includes: Officially licensed tour guide, private tour
Excludes: Entrance tickets, lunch, drinks, transportation (unless option booked), gratitudes ( recommended)
Sights to see: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia , Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise
INCLUSIONS
Professional local tour guide
Private Tour
EXCLUSIONS
Museum/Attraction Tickets
Transportation
Lunch, Drinks
Gratitude (suggested)
ITINERARY
Meet your tour guide in your hotel or port and start the tour with the highlights of Istanbul;
See the magnificent Hagia Sophia from outside, admire the great blend of Islamic and Chiristian influences with beautiful interior of mosaics and significant history.
The Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market are two colorful covered bazaars and have lots of shops offering a variety of spices, purses, rugs, flavored teas, nuts, jackets,Turkish delight, as well as small souvenirs and ceramics.
Blue Mosque; Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I, Blue Mosque is truly a spectacular 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, six slender minarets and nice courtyards. The blue shade of the 27.000 pieces of Iznik quart tiles give the mosque it’s popular name and 6 towering minarets give its uniquely recognizable structure.
Spice Market is a colorful covered bazaar and has lots of shops offering a range of spices, flavored teas, nuts, Turkish delight, purses, as well as small souvenirs and ceramics.
Take the public ferry for Bosphorus Cruise to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian (Anatolian) sides, Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower, the Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus bridges, Mosques,old Ottoman villas, Turkish mansions.
Please Note:
Hagia Sophia entrance will be restricted during praying time.
Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
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 deposit 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, if you choose private van service the 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 now due to it's status.
