ISTANBUL CLASSIC CITY TOUR

See Turkey’s Ottoman and Byzantine relics with an official guide, during half day morning tour

The Hippodrome & Unique Monuments

Blue Mosque

Topkapi Palace

Fountain of Sultan Ahmet III

Hagia Irene Church

Itinerary

After meeting your guide at departure point for half day morning tour, climb aboard your luxury coach and head to the Sultanahmet.

Topkapı Palace: It was private residence of Ottoman Sultans from 19th to the 19th centuries exhibiting sacred Islamic Relics of Prophet Mohammed, imperial treasury, Chinese porcelain, weapons & calligraphy etc. Harem section is not included in the program and visit is due to extra entrance fee.

Fountain of Sultan Ahmet III: (photo stop) The fountain is located in front of the Imperial Gate of the great Topkapı Palace in Istanbul at the site of an older Byzantine fountain called Perayton. The fountain is a Turkish rococo structure. The fountain of Sultan Ahmed III was built in 1728 by Ottoman sultan Ahmed III.

Blue Mosque:B The Sultan Ahmet Mosque known as Blue Mosque because of its blue 20,000 Iznık Ceramic Tiles. It was built for Sultan Ahmet I by the architect Mehmet, has 6 towering minarets and last great mosque of the Classical period. We visit The Blue Mosque on Friday from outside because of Friday pray

Great Hagia Sophia Mosque: (Hagia Sophia Museum) From outside, without interior visit. It was built in the 6th century by the emperor Justinian as a Greek Orthodox Church also called the church of Divine Wisdom. It was converted into a mosque in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II The Conqueror and in to a museum by Ataturk in 1935 and it was converted into a mosque in 2020 by by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was largest church in the world for 1000 years.

Hippodrome: It was the sporting and social center of ancient Constantinople for 1000 years, with its monuments, German Fountain of Wilhelm II, Bronze Serpentine Column, Obelisk of Theodosius and Column Constantine.

Hagia Irene Church: (Photo Stop) “Hagia Irene” means “Holy Peace”in Greek. Hagia Irene was first built as a basilica with three naves, on the order of during the reign of Constantinos the Great (306–337), on top of a temple, out of wood. Hagia Irene consists of three sections that include; the naos, narthex and atrium, while the standing atrium is the only surviving sample from the Byzantine period

Shopping: We visit touristic shop

Hotel Pickup

From Centrally located Istanbul hotels. For each Hotel there is a fixed departure time. We only have pick up service from hotels (levent, sisli, osmanbey, harbiye, taksim, ortakoy, findikli, karakoy, tepebasi, sirkeci, sultanahmet, kadirga, beyazit, laleli, aksaray, yenikapi, findikzade, topkapi, sutluce)

Additional Info

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Not recommended for participants with walking difficulties

Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday. Replaced with Museum of Turkish and Islamic arts.

 We visit The Blue Mosque on Friday from outside because of Friday pray

Harem section is not included in the program

Operates all year round except for the holy month of Ramadan and the 1st of May

You will be notified of your departure time after we have received your reservation

Departure Point: Dolmabahce

Departure Time: Approximately 9:30 am

Return Details: Returns to the hotel at approximately 01:30pm