All in One Day Istanbul - Historical Tour of Istanbul with Bosphorus Cruise

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Duration:16 hours 40 minutes to 20 hours (approx.)
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

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HISTORICAL TOUR OF ISTANBUL WITH BOSPHORUS SUNSET CRUISE
Combine a trip to both Istanbul's greatest sites including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, and a luxury yacht cruise on the Bosphorus in one day. Take advantage of a special no-wait entry at the Topkapi Palace and skip-the-line access to the great Ottoman Palace during this full-day tour.

Witness the classic sites of heritage and history that abound in Istanbul on your full-day tour. Visit architectural masterpieces, marvel at awe-inspiring, Byzantine-era tile works, and see the imperial treasures of Ottoman sultans. Along the way, experience the customs of a bustling bazaar.

When you finish exploring the old city of Istanbul, the next thing is to take a magical journey on the Bosphorus. Sail down the Bosphorus passing Dolmabahce Palace, impressive Bosphorus Bridges, and beautifully designed seaside villas along both sides of the Bosphorus.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. {
Whether it’s walking ancient city walls, haggling in historic bazaars, absorbing the sanctity of Ottoman mosques, sipping beer on a rooftop bar, watching the sun go down on the Golden Horn or relaxing in a Turkish bath, there’s always something more to do in Istanbul’s Old City, a place aptly known as ‘the city of the world’s desire’. The heart of Istanbul remains its fascinating Old City, home to some of the most historic sites of this vibrant megapolis. Dramatically located on a peninsula pointing across the Bosphorus Strait to Asia, Sultanahmet was formerly the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
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The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with a few fragments of the original structure surviving.
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The German Fountain is a gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of old hippodrome, Istanbul, Turkey and across from the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898.
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The Walled Obelisk, Constantine Obelisk or Masonry Obelisk is situated near the Serpentine Column at the southern side of the Hippodrome of Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey. Its original construction date is unknown, but it is named after Constantine VII, who repaired it in the tenth century.
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The Obelisk of Theodosius is the Ancient Egyptian obelisk of Pharaoh Thutmose III re-erected in the Hippodrome of Constantinople by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in the 4th century AD
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Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It remains a functioning mosque, while also attracting large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah and a hospice.
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Hagia Sophia is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in AD 360 at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome.
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The Topkapı Palace, or the Seraglio, is a large museum in Istanbul, Turkey. In the 15th century, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans. Construction began in 1459, ordered by Mehmed the Conqueror, six years after the conquest of Constantinople.
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Dolmabahce Palace stands on the European shore of the Bosphorus and the with its various dependencies forms almost a little town, its gardens extending for a mile or more along the water's edge.
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The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı), built in the 15th century, is the oldest covered market in the world. Covering an area of 54.653 square meters, it also still ranks as one of the world’s biggest covered markets. In other words, keep on reading if you want to be prepared before entering this maze of 56 interconnecting vaulted passages, housing over 4.000 shops with persistent shopkeepers eager to use their relentless sales tricks.
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Istanbul is a bridge between Europe and Asia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, a position that endows it with one of the most unique and beautiful settings in the world. For, between the hills on the European and Asiatic shores flows the Bosphorus, the brightest gem in the diadem of nature. "This beautiful strait, sometimes spelled Bosporus and sometimes Bosphorus, was so called from the earliest ages by the ancients; from the mythology of 10, the mistress of Jupiter, having passed over it in the shape of a cow. It resembles the Dardanelles, in length, breadth and current, and like it, is a narrow separation which divides Europe from Asia; but it has many features familiar to itself. Instead of being a solitary stream running between deserted shores, it is a body of water full of life and animation, winding its way through banks covered with palaces and villages, shaded with magnificent forest trees, presenting to the eye, at every mile, a new scene of crowded existence."
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At the narrowest point of the Bosphorus stands the Rumelihisarr Fortress, built by Sultan Mehmet, the Conqueror on the European shore. The Sultan himself on the 26th day of March 1452 laid the foundation stone of the Fortress with a view to controlling the passage of the ships through the Bosphorus and using it as a base for his attack on the city.
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Ortaköy Mosque, officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus.
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Which was inaugurated on October 29, 1973 on the fiftieth anniversary of the Turkish Republic, has the longest span in Europe and the fourth in the world. This suspension bridge has a total length of 1560 metres (1706 yards) and a width of 33.4 metres (110ft).
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The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge, is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait. When completed in 1988, it was the 5th-longest suspension bridge span in the world; today it is the 24th.
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Situated on the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus between the villages of Kuzguncuk and Cengelköy, the palace was built by Sultan Abdülaziz in 1865. Beylerbeyi Palace seen from the Bosphorus floats like a white vision in a fairy tale. It is the most extravagant royal house of the 19th Century on which millions were spent.
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About 180 metres away from the shores of Üsküdar stands this tower which bears two different names. Europeans who named it the Leander's Tower thought that it was here where Leander was drowned while attempting to swim the Bosphorus to reach his beloved Hero, the priestess of Aphrodite. But, in fact, Leander never crossed here even in the legend which refers to the Hellespont, Dardanelles.
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The summer Palace of Kucuksu, sometimes called the Palace of Göksu, is situated between the villages of Anadoluhisan and Kandilli on the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus.
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On the opposite bank stands the Anadoluhisari Fortress by the Göksu stream. This romantic castle which adorns the Asiatic shore of the Bosphorus was built in 1395 by Sultan Bayazit, the Thunderbolt and named as "Güzelcehisar". Later it was extended by Mehmet, the Conqueror. Today, as the first possession of Turks on the Bosphorus, it serves as the landmark of Turkish rule.
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GOLDEN HORN The Golden Horn, also known by its modern Turkish name, Haliç, is a major urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey.
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The Bosphorus has an inlet, a natural harbor which is an arm of the Sea of Marmara, called the Golden Horn. It is a deeply drowned valley about 7 km long. Two streams, Ali Bey and Kagithane flow into the Golden Horn which was so named as the early inhabitants saw it as shaped like the horns of a stag or water buffalo. Turks call it the Halic, i.e. the Gulf. The Bosphorus itself has two pleasant rivulets on its Asiatic shore, called Göksu and Kucuksu which empty themselves into the Bosphorus between the villages of Anadoluhisari and Kandilli. The two streams flowing into the Golden Horn were named by foreigners as the Sweet Waters of Europe, while Göksu and Kucuksu were known as the Sweet Waters of Asia.
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Golden Horn, Istanbul, Turkey As the sun sets in Istanbul, its yellow light blazes on the waters of the Golden Horn, giving this freshwater estuary its romantic name…we think. (The name in English is a direct translation of the Byzantine name Chrysokeras.) “Golden Horn” is its Western name. Its Turkish name, Haliç, (hah-LEECH, from Arabic) has nothing to do with gold or horns. Haliç, short for Haliç-i Dersaadet, means “The Bay of Istanbul.”
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The Galata Tower — called Christea Turris by the Genoese — is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karaköy quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, just to the north of the Golden Horn's junction with the Bosphorus.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, we visit Dolmabahce Palace on Tuesdays.
• The old city, Sultanahmet is closed for car traffic, travelers visit the sights by walking. There is quite a lot of walkings, so please wear comfortable shoes and get ready for a long walking day right before a very enjoyable luxury yacht cruise.
• The sunset cruise ends at 21.00 from 01st May to end of July.
• The tour guide will contact you one day before to coordinate the hotels pick services (if your hotel is in the city center) or the meeting point.
• The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and it may be replaced with Spice Bazaar or Arasta Bazaar
• Ladies are recommended to bring scarfs to use while visiting the Blue Mosque
• Museum tickets are not included, the tour guide can provide fast-track musem entry tickets on the tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Benjamin_R
Ahmet was an extremely informative guide and really brought the trip to life. Just remember we’re not all superhuman and sometimes need a drink or bathroom break 😂
We felt we saw everything we expected but it is a looooong day! I don’t advise booking it on 3 hours sleep, but if you’re in a rush it’s a great trip to see a lot of the Istanbul ‘big hitters’.
We did about 23k steps so bear that in mind if that’s an issue.
Tour company very helpful and I would definitely use again and recommend the tour. Thanks!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-30 16:01:23

Posted By : Deborah_B
First the good: tour guide was very knowledgeable. He share great information about all the sites. Good command of English and easy to understand. Lunch was very good. Restaurant was clean and food selection was adequate. The sunset cruise was great. Good commentary and snacks provided, as described. Crew helped take photos also. Dropped us off at cruise port

Now the bad and reason for the three star: in fairness, the tour company sent us a meeting point. I assumed it was at the exit where ALL the other guides waited for clients. That was not the place. I spent a hectic 1/2 hour trying to locate the tour. Ended up spending $50 for a taxi to take us to the tour company office so we could walk to join the tour. Since there is a driver AND guide, how easy to meet guests at the exit with their name ( like the other guides) and alleviate this anxiety. The company assumes people know where their points are. Drop off the same. Left at the port with no guidance on how to access the port entrance. This is a little we thing but there are many companies offering this tour and this was a BIG distraction. Second: this is a WALKING TOUR. Over 18,000 steps!! No water provided. 2 hours in the Topakani then off to The Hagi Sophia. Day was hot. We had teens with us and they were dragging. We are in our late 70s and needed water badly.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-30 07:27:45

Posted By : Thalis_L
The guide was knowledgable and very kind. His english good enough. Good transportation with a van. Nice cruise at the end! A nice day, well spent.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-28 10:58:27

Posted By : mahfuzuls2023
It was a good trip. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour. We are planningto take the tour again.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-23 17:33:08

Posted By : bieneschmid
We had a great day with Sengün who gave us great insights on the Ottoman history and at the same time entertained us well. The cruise was the perfect finish of a great day. We would recommend booking this tour - everything was well organised, on time and super easy.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-19 14:04:44

Posted By : Trip123781
The best tour guides, so much info. and the transport from Pickup at Hotel and drop back at hotel was excellent. They kept us informed the day before and on the morning of the tour Info on the dresscode. 5star Transport and Boat prefect condition
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-17 15:43:45

Posted By : Sylvia_S
Our tour guide Ahmet was great. He was knowledgeable, responsive and a great guide. This was our first time in Istanbul.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-15 03:11:25

Posted By : sylviasW7109NT
Absolutely amazing tour. They were very knowledgeable, responsive and kind. I would recommend this. This was our first time in Istanbul and the tour was amazing.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-15 03:09:19

Posted By : brendawatts736
This tour was wonderful. It was a very full day and we experienced alot. Very educational. The rooftop lunch was wonderful. The boat ride during sunset was amazing. Lots of food and drinks. Our tour guide Ahmet we had for the day was very friendly and did a beautiful job explaining the history and showing us around!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-13 23:57:39

Posted By : Frank_B
Ahmet was an excellent guide. He really did know his stuff, and we were fortunate to have him guide us around on our day in Istanbul. He was friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. This tour was well done. The Bosphorus Cruise was absolutely spectacular seeing the sunset over the city.

Just be aware that if they say you will see how the tiles are made (e.g., like in the Blue Mosque) or how carpet is made, or a visit to the bazaar, they will take you to a shop and try to have you buy something from there. This is highly intentional. We don't put that on our guide, but rather the organization he works for. We believe that it is part of their process. Do not feel pressured to buy anything, though they will certainly try to sell you something.

We were taken to a ceramic shop to see how they make the tiles found in the blue mosque. Conveniently, the person who typically does the demonstrations was not there. Instead, they showed us some of the items they had for sale, and the prices were eye watering. They tried to get us to purchase a small tile for 65 Euro. Do not buy it. You can find the exact same tiles at the airport for 5-6 Euro. They did give my wife a small bowl, which was nice, but we saw those at the airport for ~6 Euro.

Later, they took us to a smaller Bazaar since the Grand Bazaar was closed that day. Our guide took us to a store that sold teas and Turkish Delights. Again, the process felt very pushy. We almost asked him to not take us to the Bazaar after the ceramic shop experience.

We did have a little free time before the Bosphorus Cruise, so we decided to rest on a bench in the shade for a little bit. It wasn't 2 minutes for a carpet salesperson to try to get us to look at their goods. Generally, it felt like you had to be diligent about saying no to a lot of vendors (though this last bit is certainly not the fault of our tour guide or the agency, but we figured we would just warn you).
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-13 10:36:12