Highlights of Istanbul Tour

Visiting Sights: Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome, Bosphorus Cruise, Pierre Loti Hill, Cable Car, Golden Horn

The best chance visits Istanbul historical sights in the old city and continues to cruise on the Bosphorus and panoramic view of the Pierre Loti Hill. You are going to have a memorable day in Istanbul on this vacation. This program covers highlights of Istanbul with the guided tour in one day.

Best of Istanbul City Tour
08:30 am – We will collect you right from your hotel and take you to the meeting point of group & local tour guide. After meeting with others and your Istanbul local tour guide, you will start to the tour.Our first stop will be Hagia Sophia museum. After visiting the interior of Santa Sophia walk to Hippodrome. While you are walking in the old historical Hippodrome, you see the Germen Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the column of Constantine.  Afterward, next stop will be the Blue Mosque, visiting inside of the Blue Mosque, Then continue to visit Grand Covered Bazaar which is known as big covered Bazaar. There are 4000 shops in Grand Bazaar.  Tour local guide will inform you about the Grand Bazaar and give you time to discover the bazaar. After that we’ll have lunch at our 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 good pictures at top of the hill then drive to the port where you will embark on the boat for lovely Bosphorus Boat Cruise. We 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 shores. We return back to same port and disembark from the boat.
17:00 pm – At the end of the highlights of Istanbul Tour, drive back to your hotel.

Brief Info about the sites in Highlights of Istanbul 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.
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.
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.
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 pipers.
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.
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.
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.

Important Notes:
Haghia Sophia Museum is closed on Monday; replaced with Underground Cistern.
Grand Covered Bazaar is closed on Sunday
Blue Mosque closed on Friday due to Prayer