Day 1

Hippodrome Square

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

Spice Market

Bosphorus Cruise

Süleymaniye Mosque (Europe-Old City)

Galata Tower (Europe-New City)

Spice Market-Egyptian Bazaar (Europe-Old City)

Hagia Sophia (Europe-Old City)

Sultan Ahmet Mosque-Blue Mosque (Europe-Old City)

Topkapı Palace (Europe-Old City)

Maiden's Tower (mid-Bosphorus)

Dolmabahçe Palace (Europe)

Çirağan Palace (Europe)

Ortaköy & Mecidiye Mosque (Europe)

Bosphorus Bridge - 1

Arnavutköy (Europe)

Bebek (Europe)

Rumeli Fortress (Europe)

Emirgan (Europe)

Bosphorus Bridge - 2 & Anatolian Fortress (Asia)

Küçüksu Kasrı (Asia)

Çengelköy (Asia)

Kuleli Naval Academy (Asia)

Beylerbeyi Palace (Asia)

Üsküdar (Asia)

Itinerary

Day 1

Hippodrome Square; Start at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which was the social and sports center of the old city. Explore major artworks such as the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from Delphi, and the fountain of Willhelm II (aka German Fountain)

Blue Mosque; Take a stroll to the Blue Mosque, a majestic structure with six minarets adorning the skyline of Istanbul. One of the most popular attractions in this ancient city is the imperial mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Camii) in Istanbul. Foreign visitors refer it as the Blue Mosque because of the tiles inside. The mosque, which has six minarets and a massive cascade of domes, is a worthy sibling to Ayasofya

Hagia Sophia; Proceed to the Hagia Sophia Mosque, one of the most significant monuments of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The dome and stunning mosaics of this architectural jewel are on display as your guide shares its turbulent history with you. In the year 537, Justinian the Great constructed the Church of the Holy Wisdom. It has stood here for over 1,520 years, through 120 generations of men and women, and is known as Aya Sofya in Turkish

Spice Market; All the delicious foods and mementos that travelers find most alluring are available in one place, beneath the elaborate vaulted ceilings. These include of tea, a variety of Turkish Delight tastes, dried fruit, cheese, jam, nuts, seeds, and spices. Silver, ceramics, jewelry, and other handmade items are also available

Bosphorus Cruise; While sailing the Bosphorus, you will take in the numerous magnificent sites that surround the Bosphorus Strait, including the Dolmabahce Palace, Bebek, Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus Bridges, Anatolian Fortress, and more

Süleymaniye Mosque (Europe-Old City); The Mosque of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent was designed by Mimar Sinan, the Ottoman Empire's greatest architect. It is Istanbul's largest and grandest mosque, dominating the city's Third Hill

Galata Tower (Europe-New City); The Galata Tower offers the best panoramic view of Istanbul and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It was constructed in 1348 AD and used as a watchtower to aid in the city's defense

Spice Market-Egyptian Bazaar (Europe-Old City); All the delicious foods and mementos that travelers find most alluring are available in one place, beneath the elaborate vaulted ceilings. These include of tea, a variety of Turkish Delight tastes, dried fruit, cheese, jam, nuts, seeds, and spices. Silver, ceramics, jewelry, and other handmade items are also available

Hagia Sophia (Europe-Old City); In the year 537, Justinian the Great constructed the Church of the Holy Wisdom. It has stood here for over 1,520 years, through 120 generations of men and women, and is known as Aya Sofya in Turkish

Sultan Ahmet Mosque-Blue Mosque (Europe-Old City); One of the most popular attractions in this ancient city is the imperial mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Camii) in Istanbul. Foreign visitors refer it as the Blue Mosque because of the tiles inside. The mosque, which has six minarets and a massive cascade of domes, is a worthy sibling to Ayasofya

Topkapı Palace (Europe-Old City); Topkapi Sarayi was the seraglio, the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, ruled by the sultans for nearly 400 years

Maiden's Tower (mid-Bosphorus); The little islet where the 18th-century Kz Kulesi (also known as Leander's Tower) presently stands was once home to a Byzantine fortress from the 12th century

Dolmabahçe Palace (Europe); The palace is exactly what a sultan's palace should be. It is enormous and opulent, with 285 rooms, 43 spacious salons, a 4000 kilogram (4-1/2 ton) Bohemian glass chandelier, and a Bosphorus-shore façade that is nearly 500 meters (1/4 mile) long

Çirağan Palace (Europe); Previously serving as the Ottoman parliament building, it is currently home to suites as a hotel

Ortaköy & Mecidiye Mosque (Europe); The elegant Ottoman baroque mosque, which is located close to the Bosphorus Bridge's western pylon. Modern galleries, cafés, boutiques, restaurants, and clubs have flooded the picturesque Bosphorus village of Ortaköy

Bosphorus Bridge - 1; The Bosphorus Bridge is Istanbul's most recognizable bridge. The bridge connects the continents of Europe and Asia and is the oldest of the three suspension bridges over the Bosphorus Strait

Arnavutköy (Europe); There are charming Ottoman yalis (wooden Bosphorus seaside mansions) lining the coastline of this Albanian Village

Bebek (Europe); Along the Bosphorus, the town of Bebek is incredibly hip. It has a lively vibe and is well recognized for the elegant cafés and stores that line the waterfront

Rumeli Fortress (Europe); Mehmet the Conqueror gave the order to construct the powerful Fortress of Europe, which took just four months to complete. By controlling the 700-meter-widest section of the Bosphorus, it prevented Byzantine Constantinople from receiving grain supplies from the Black Sea coast, which facilitated the sultan's conquest of the city in 1453

Emirgan (Europe); This European Bosphorus town is renowned for the Sakp Sabanc Müzesi, one of Istanbul's greatest art and culture museums, and the Emirgan Korusu, a sizable woodland garden park

Bosphorus Bridge - 2 & Anatolian Fortress (Asia); The smaller Fortress of Anatolia, constructed by Sultan Beyazit I around 1390 and strengthened by Mehmet the Conqueror in advance of his capture of Constantinople in 1453, is located opposite Rumeli Hisar

Küçüksu Kasrı (Asia); This lovely tiny Baroque hunting house was completed in 1857 for Sultan Abdül Mecit I and famous in 19th-century European views of Istanbul as it meanders from the Asian hills into the Bosphorus

Çengelköy (Asia); A charming Bosphorus village with a massive ancient plane tree near the ferry pier, where locals unwind in its shade while drinking tea and coffee, playing cards or dominoes, and observing vessels pass

Kuleli Naval Academy (Asia); You'll identify this Turkish naval academy when you pass since Kuleli means ""with towers."" When Sultan Selim III wanted to modernize the Ottoman military, it was constructed in 1800. It was one of two hospitals run by Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War in 1855

Beylerbeyi Palace (Asia); A charming imperial house featuring a fountain in the grand salon, the customary opulent apartments, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, Sèvres and Chinese vases, and lovely gardens. The palace frequently served as a guest house for royal visit

Üsküdar (Asia); Byzantine Chrysopolis, the ""City of Gold,"" was formerly the greatest Asian district, now known as Üsküdar (Scutari). Along the beautiful Roman highways that began here, Byzantine soldiers gathered for operations into Asia

 

Additional information

Blue Mosque is closed until 2 pm on Fridays Temporarily closed between January 1- April 1 on 2023

Hagia Sophia entrance will be restricted during praying time