Guided Turkey Tours

DESCRIPTION : 

Guided Turkey Tours offers daily tours in Istanbul. Our tours include the most famous tourist atractions in the city such as Hagia Sophia, The Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace as well as number of places that are usually not visited by most tour groups. 

 

Tour Itineraries:

 

Classical Istanbul Tour: 

 

You are going to meet with your guide at 09.00 am at your hotel. Together you will walk/drive to the old city. This is a full day walking tour, as all the places are less than 5 minutes walking distance from each other. 
 
The tour starts at the Hippodrome, a center for sport activities and ceremonies and it is also famous for the chariot races during the Roman and the Byzantine era. 
 
After the Hippodrome we will visit Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is the second largest mosque in Istanbul and it was built during the Ottoman Period. It is  known for its blue Iznik tiles and being the only Ottoman mosque with 6 minarets.
 
Then we will visit Topkapi Palace, which was the main palace of the Ottoman Sultans untill 1856. Many famous exhibitions are housed in the palace. The Imperial Treasury is another part of the palace and it has an 86 carat diamond on display. We will have a splendid view of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn from the palace.
 
After here we will have a lunch break and continue to Hagia Sophia, one of the most important buildings in the history of world architecture. Built as a church by the Byzantines and decorated with mosaic tile icons, it then served as a mosque during the Ottoman era. You will definitely be impressed by being in a 1500 years old museum.
 
The tour ends with a visit to the Grand Bazaar. It is the largest bazaar in the world with its 52 small streets and more than 4000 shops.

 

The Price of the above programe: 

Group Tour from €70 Euros - Private Tour from €95 Euros 

 

                                        
 

Golden Istanbul Tour 

 

This is a special tour including some of the most unique places in the city but also which are difficult to visit on your own. The tour will take you to the roots of historic Istanbul with visit to the monuments of Byzantine and Ottoman cultural heritage. As the places of visit are all located out of the touristic centers, you will also have the chance to visit the current daily local life.

 

The first stop is the Suleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of  Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and constructed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan. The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1557.The mosque is modeled in part on the style of a Byzantine basilica, particularly the Hagia Sophia, which was perhaps a conscious move on the part of the sultan to create a continuity and a symbolic connection with the city's past. Driving along the city walls will end at one of the oldest and most important churches in the city - The Church of Chora - representing fascinating wall paintings which tell the life of Christ in an historical order. Even though the building itself being small, the meaning was great for Byzantines as being founded at the borders of the city and welcoming the visitors. Today the environment is restored and this is a good place to spend time with local artisans and wooden houses.

 

After the church, we will have a tea-coffee break at one of the most splendid spots of Istanbul with a beautiful view over the Golden Horn - Pierre Loti Hill. Than you will again start drive but that time along the shores of Golden Horn through the towns Fener and Balat which are the old Greek and Jewish living sites. Fener Orthodox Patriarchate is located in the area as well. 

 

After lunch, Our next destination will be the Dolmabahce Palace the last residence for Ottoman Sultans with 365 rooms and 22 saloons. Famous with the great collection of European antiquity, furniture and 4.5 tons chandelier. This will be our last stop after visit we will drive back to your hotel.

 

The Price of the above programe:  Private Tour from €130 Euros 

 

                                                         

 

Off the beaten path in Istanbul

 

This tour will take you to a number of places that are usually not visited by most tour groups. Firstly we will walk around Tahtakale, which is a popular shopping area for local people as they are able to buy almost anything at wholesale prices. Our next destination will be the Spice Market, otherwise known as the Egyptian Bazaar, where locals have been buying herbs and spices for hundreds of years. You will have some free time to explore the Spice Market by yourself before we visit Rustern Pasa Mosque. The Rustern Pasa Mosque which was built by the Ottomons and is famous for its Iznik tiles. 

 

Then we will catch a ferry to Kadikoy, a large residential area on the Asian side of Istanbul. In Kadikoy you will get to see how the local people live and visit Kadikoy's famous fish market. 

 

We will have lunch in Kadikoy and then board another local ferry back to the European side of İstanbul. The ferry will stop at Besiktas and from there we will walk to Kabatas, passing Dolmabace Palace, where Ataturk died in 1938. At Kabatas we will catch a finicular up toTaksim, also known as Pera and is one of the main centres of Istanbul. Walking down Istiklal Street, the main street in Taksim, you will feel like you are walking down a European Street, with many famous clothing shops, such as mango and topshop as well as a number of Starbucks and more than 3,000 street cafes, pubs and restaurants. Taksim is almost the best place to experience the nightlife of Istanbul. 

 

Our walk will take us to Galata tower, one of the first towers built in the world and where you can see a 360 degree view of Istanbul from the top of the tower. We will then walk to Karakoy where we will cross the Galata Bridge, where you can see locals fishing and finish the tour in Eminonu.

From Eminonu it is easy to get back to your hotel, you can either catch a tram or take a walk.

 

The Price of the above programe: Private Tour from €90 Euros