İSTANBUL TURLARI
AYASOFIA, SULTANAHMET MOSQUE AND BOSPHORUS TOUR
Visit Istanbul’s old city on a full-day guided tour with lunch and a Bosphorus cruise. Meet your guide at the departure point for your tour, board your coach and head to the old town.
Take the opportunity to visit Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Built in the 6th century, for 1000 years it’s been the largest church in the world. Admire Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque because of its blue 20,000 Iznık ceramic tiles.
Take a stroll in the Hippodrome. See the German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Bronze Serpentine Column, the Obelisk of Theodosius, and the Column of Constantine.
Shop at the Grand Covered Bazaar, the oldest and biggest covered market in the world. Get lost in 65 streets with more than 4000 shops. Buy gifts for yourself and your friends from the store you will visit.
After lunch, head to the port for a Bosphorus cruise and enjoy the view of the main sites and the two continents Europe and Asia connected by two bridges from the deck of the boat.
Take the coach again and pass by historical wooden houses, churches, synagogues, mosques, and the remains of the Constantinople City Wall. Visit the Eyup Sultan Mosque and see the Abu Eyup Alansari Tomb.
Ascend the Pierre Loti Hill by bus and snap your best photos of the Golden Horn. Take in sweeping views of the city as you descend the hill by cable car.
DOLMABAHCE PALACE
With this guided tour you will be able to visit this astonishing and lavish palace, opened in 1856 and built under the orders of Sultan Abdülmecid I, to put the empire at the level of the European monarchies.
Whereas the Topkapı Palace holds some of the main relics of the main religions of the world and the fourth largest diamond in the world, the Dolmabahçe Palace boast the biggest collection of Baccarat and Bohemian crystal chandeliers in the world, including the largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, as well as an impressive amount of gold. It has so much gold in it, that almost half the cost of the construction came from the gold used only for the ceilings. Another difference with the Topkapı Palace, not taking into account the European-styled design, is the fact that the furniture used when the palace was still inhabited is under display.
The Dolmabahçe Palace was the last headquarter of the empire until 1922, when it was abolished by the order of the new Turkish National Assembly, and it has been home to the last Crown Prince until the 1st quarter of 1924, when the Caliphate was finally abolished and he and his family were expelled from Turkey.
GOLDEN HORN AND BOSPHORUS CRUISE
Have you cruised along the Golden Horn urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus yet? If not, or if you would like to again, then this tour with an English-speaking guide is for you!
You’ll meet your guide at the news kiosk across the entrance of the Hagia Sophia and walk together for 10 minutes to the boat. Feel your excitement rise as you board and get ready to learn. Cruise along the 32 km Bosporus and enjoy seeing Istanbul’s main attractions. Admire magnificent palaces, ancient castles, and the famous hills and parks whilst you glide along.
Marvel at spectacular seaside residences from different centuries whilst passing under famous bridges. You’ll also pass by and learn about the Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Bosphorus Bridge, Rumeli Fortress, and Beylerbeyi Palace. Plus, see some historical landmarks from a distance like Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Maiden Tower, and Galata Tower to complete your experience.
ISTANBUL PRİNCES’ ISLAND TOUR
If you want to spend a calm day far away from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul, this excursion to Princes’ Island is perfect! Enjoy a cruise on the Marmara Sea to the Princes’ Islands. The ferry will bring you in 75 minutes to the lergest Princes’ Island Büyükada.
In the times of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire the islands were used as exile sites and as a monastery region. Today only 4 of the total 9 Princes’ Islands are open to public settlement. The boat will bring you to the most famous and most beautiful of these islands called Büyükada. The name means Big Island and its size is 5,4 km2 and has 7.300 inhabitants. Except fire brigade, police and ambulance only carriages and bicycles are allowed here.
You will be able to see the ruin of the villa, in which Trotsky lived in exile between 1929 and 1933, writing his autobiography and the three volumes on the “History of the Russian Revolution”, see Merkez Eczanesi, a pharmacy from 1870 and enjoy the views of the Marmara sea , Istanbul and the islands nearby.
FENER BALAT TOUR
Meet your guide at your hotel and start your private tour of the highlights of Istanbul! Enjoy total immersion in the rich history of the city and see some of its most important monuments and neighborhoods, from Suleymaniye Mosque to Balat and Fener districts. Then, take the cable car and enjoy breathtaking city views from the top of Pierre Loti Hill!
The first stop on your tour will be the impressive Suleymaniye Mosque, the largest mosque in Istanbul. In the garden behind the mosque, you will find a terrace that offers a lovely view of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Next, you’ll visit the Church of St. George in the Fener district. Since the 1600s, this church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the seat of the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion.
You’ll then explore the Balat district, where lines of drying laundry stretch across steep, winding streets. Here, art galleries and design shops alternate with old Ottoman houses leaning against each other in a combination of reds, blues, and greens. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Bulgarian St. Stephen Church, also known as the Iron Church as it’s made entirely of prefabricated cast iron, and the Rahmi Koc Museum, the industrial and cultural museum founded by the Koc family.
Finally, take the cable car and reach the top of Pierre Loti Hill for great views of the city. Enjoy the beautiful scenery while sipping your Turkish coffee or tea, the perfect conclusion to a memorable experience in Istanbul! As an alternative, you can visit the Kadikoy district on the Asian side, the modern face of Istanbul full of pubs, cafés, taverns, bookstores and art galleries.
BURSA, ULUDAG MOUNTAIN, CABLE CAR
Escape from the noisy and crowded streets of Istanbul and enjoy a relaxing full day nature tour of Bursa and Uludag Mountain with an official guide. Visit the landmarks of the second capital of the Ottoman Empire, such as the Green Mosque and Green Tomb. Take the cable car from Uludag Mountain to the city, enjoy free time and rent an ATV or just relax.
After your pickup, you will be crossing the Bosphorus Bridge and will be sailing for 50 minutes in a ferry. If there is enough time, you’ll stop (approximately 60 minute) for rest and to enjoy an optional quad bike ride in Yalova.
You will also visit the Bursa Turkish delights factory (approximately 50 minute) Green Mausoleum, Green Mosque and Silk Shop (approximately 50 minute).
Next you will ascend the Uludag (mount Olympos) by bus and stop to visiting a natural honey shop on the way (approximately 50 minute). You will also visit the wonderful Inkaya Plane Tree that’s more than 600 years old (approximately 50 minute) then have lunch in the green valley on the mountain.
Finally, you’ll reach the top of the mountain to enjoy the landscape (approximately 90 minute). From the top of Uludag you’ll ride the cable car and descent down to the city and if there is enough time, you’ll visit the shopping center in the city of Bursa.
