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

About this experience

This full-day tour includes the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar, combining the city’s rich history with stunning waterfront views. Benefit from skip-the-line access at Topkapi Palace and enjoy more time exploring the magnificent residence of the Ottoman sultans. Admire remarkable architecture, beautiful Byzantine details, imperial treasures, and the vibrant atmosphere of the historic bazaar.

Schedule

Start times: 09:00

1. Stop 1 · 15 min

   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.

2. Stop 2 · 5 min

   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.

3. Stop 3 · 5 min

   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.

4. Stop 4 · 5 min

   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

5. Stop 5 · 45 min

   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.

6. Stop 6 · 45 min

   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.

7. Stop 7 · 1 h 30 min

   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.

8. Stop 9 · 1 h

   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.

9. Stop 10 · 2 h 30 min

   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. 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."

Requirements & restrictions

• Ages: Infants 0–2, Children 3–6, Youth 7–10, Adults 11–70, Seniors 71–99 years

Good to know

• 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.

Meeting point

Hotel pickup or an exact meeting point in Istanbul, confirmed after booking.

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Guest rating