Tour Program

Around 8:15 am we will pick you up at your hotel and your guide will take you around in Istanbul. You will visit the following iconic sites of the Ottoman and Byzantine Empire:

* Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) is a truly awe-inspiring, 1,400 years old Byzantine cathedral which houses mosaics, relics and iron work. Hagia Sophia was, for nearly a thousand years, the largest enclosed space in the world, and is still seen as one of the world's most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey's most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art. It was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD.

* Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque - Camii) built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets. Due to its magnificent hand-dyed blue, green and white Iznik tiles it has been named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The central dome is 43 m in height and is 33.4 m in diameter; it also boasts 260 windows.

* Hippodrome (At Meydani) the backdrop of chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic life. Of the ornaments which once decorated it, only three remain: The Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. The Obelisk is in the Egyptian style and was erected in 1547 BC and stood 60m tall. The German Fountain is also within the hippodrome area, constructed in Germany to mark German Emperor Wilhelm II's second visit to Istanbul; it was imported and officially opened on January 1 1901. The fountain's three domes are decorated with gold mosaics. 

* The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.The grand bazaar consists of 12 major buildings and has 22 doors.

Lunch Time !

*After The Lunch Visit The Recently Restored Şerefiye Cistern Which was built by Roman Emperor Theodosius II between 428 and 443 to store water supplied by the Valens Aqueduct (Roman Period water Reservoir ). 

After the tour, at approximately 4:00 pm, you will be taken back to your hotel.

You will discover the most beautiful places of Istanbul with a daily Istanbul tour.

Includes 

    *  Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel 

    *  Professional, English-speaking tour guide

    *  Admission to Hagia Sophia and Cistern 

    *  Lunch at a local restaurant

    *  All taxes and service charges