DURATION: 13 hr(s) 30 min(s) – 1,5 Day Tour
RESTRICTIONS: N/A
Overview
This tour is designed to offer you a full time experience to get to know the city of Istanbul from top to toe and will be conducted over two days. Your first stop will be the ancient Hippodrome followed by Blue Mosque. Next you’ll visit St. Sophia Museum, Topkapı Palace, and The Basilica Cistern. A boat trip on the Bosphorus, will cruise along the shoreline of this narrow waterway. The Spice Bazaar where you’ll see exotic products of mystical Istanbul. Finally, it is a stop at one of the most colorful sites in the ancient city; the Grand Bazaar.
Highlights
Visit to Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, St.Sophia Museum, Topkapı Palace and Basilica Cistern
Boat Trip on the Bosphorus
Exploration and shopping at Grand Bazaar; inner and outer sections and Spice Market
A Turkish lunch will also be included on your first day in Istanbul.
A gift set covering “Survey, Pencil, Map, Evil eye bead, Refreshing towel, Two continents certificate and Shoe bag” will be provided
Full Description
This tour involves one full day and one half-day tour conducted over your two-day visit in Istanbul, Turkey. Your program covers all of the city’s highlights and as well as a traditional Turkish lunch. You will begin your day with a drive over the Golden Horn towards the Old City. Your first stop will be the ancient Hippodrome. For over 1,000 years this was the center of Byzantium life. Next you’ll visit St. Sophia Museum which originated as a church in 360 AD under Constantine. Hagia Sophia was converted into a Mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453 by Sultan Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Today the Museum is considered the most important Byzantine monument in the world. Mosque of Sultan Ahmed I, otherwise known as The Blue Mosque, is renowned for its architectural harmony, proportion and elegance, is unique as it is the only original mosque in the world with six minarets. The highlight of the tour will be Topkapi Palace (Harem section excluded). Topkapi Palace is a great walled complex hugging the shores of the Bosphorus and Golden Horn and it was once the residence of the Ottoman Sultans. A series of courtyards connect various buildings which now house an astonishing collection of Chinese porcelain, treasures, the Topkapi dagger, the celebrated Topkapi Diamond and much more. The Underground Cistern known as “The Underground Palace”, which dates back to the 6th century and is supported by 336 Corinthian columns will be your next stop. Another highlight of this excursion is the boat trip on the Bosphorus. You’ll cruise along the shoreline of this narrow waterway, which joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. There will also be a visit to the Spice Bazaar where you will see and smell the exotic products of mystical Istanbul. Finally you will visit one of the most colorful sites of Istanbul; the Grand Bazaar. The Bazaar is composed of two sections; the covered part and the modern part. The covered part is a whole quarter on its own and is surrounded by a wall which can be entered through eleven gates. You will also have the opportunity to visit the open and modern section of the Grand Bazaar which offers the best artworks and most reliable shopping. A traditional Turkish lunch will also be included in your tour.
What to Wear:
Please note that conservative attire is recommended when going ashore on this tour. No exposed shoulders or knees. Short pants and tank tops are not acceptable.
Strongly recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes.
Notes:
Guests must be able to walk approximately 4 miles in total over uneven and cobblestone surfaces, inclines and 70 to 90 steps thus guests need to watch their step at all times in order to avoid injuries. Due to the nature of this tour, it is highly recommended that guests with walkers or wheelchairs and for persons who have difficulties in walking, climbing, and/or managing steps NOT take this tour, as this is a walking tour in Old Town and requires walking among all sites. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Participants will be required to remove their shoes in order to enter the Mosque. An environmental friendly recycled bag will be provided to carry your shoes while in the mosque. The Harem section in Topkapı Palace Museum is not included in the tour. Some sections in the palace may be temporarily under renovation and close to public. The Gallery section of the Museum of St.Sophia is not included in the tour. The covered section of Grand Bazaar and Spice Market are closed on Sundays as well as on 29th October and religious festivities. Museum of St.Sophia is closed on Mondays. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Blue Mosque may not be open to visitors during month of Ramadan and if so, will be replaced with another historical Mosque (09.07-07.08.2013 – Month of Ramadan, 08-10.08.2013 – Festival Period of Ramadan, 15-18.10.2013 – Festival Period of Sacrifice). The boat trip is operated depending on weather conditions.
All tours have been posted by TURSAB(Turkish Society of Travel Agencies) licensed travel agencies and tour operators who have replied to the formal TURSAB call of 08.07.2013 for publishing their tours on this website.
Tura Turizm,
Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 109, Elmadağ İstanbul
Phone: +90 2122412700 (5 lines)
Fax: +90 2122412989
E-mail: loner@turaturizm.com.tr
ilker@turaturizm.com.tr
incoming@turaturizm.com.tr
Web: http://www.turaturizm.com.tr/
