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Istanbul Highlight Tour: Discover Two Continents and Historical Empires from Galataport Cruise Ships
5.0
1 Rating
Istanbul
Embark on an Istanbul Highlight Tour from Galataport Cruise Ships and explore the city’s most popular spots, spanning two continents and historical empires. Discover the rich history, indulge in local cuisine, and enjoy a unique shopping experience.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Blue Mosque - Our tour begins at Galataport, leading us to the magnificent Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s largest mosques. You’ll be captivated by its stunning architecture and rich history.
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Next, we’ll explore Hagia Sophia, one of the world’s wonders and one of the largest churches. Its breathtaking marble and tiles will transport you through the eras of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires.
- Hippodrome - We’ll visit the ancient Hippodrome Square, a historic site from the Byzantine era. Here, you’ll see the Walled Obelisk, the Serpent Column, and the nearly 3,500-year-old Obelisk of Theodosius.
- Topkapi Palace Museum - Discover Istanbul’s most famous museum, the former palace of the Ottoman Empire, situated at the peninsula’s edge. The complex features three large gardens, courtyards, kiosks, houses, and pavilions, including the Harem section, Hagia Irene Church, Archaeology Museum, and Gulhane Garden. Museum entry is $25 per person.
- Basilica Cistern - Known as Yerebatan Sarnici, this is the largest of the 100 cisterns beneath the city. It boasts 336 marble columns and is famous for the Medusa heads. The cistern collects water from lakes 25 km away via aqueducts. Entry is $15 per person.
- Kapali Carsi - We’ll visit one of the world’s oldest shopping malls, featuring hundreds of streets and thousands of shops. Here, you can find a variety of gifts, souvenirs, spices, leather goods, jewelry, tiles, gold, and silver.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide
- Parking fees
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Museum fees
Additional Information
During a brief interlude from your cruise in Istanbul, we’ll explore the city’s famous locales, traversing two continents, the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. Our professional guides will collect you from your cruise, ensuring your safety and comfort. Immerse yourself in the histories of three empires while savouring local cuisine and beverages. As you shop in the charming bazaars, you might enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee or sample some ice cream.
Location
Blue Mosque
Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(1 Rating)
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Wendy_e
Aug 12, 2023
Great Tour of Istanbul Sites - The driver who picked us up at the cruise port was very nice and drove well, taking us to the center of Istanbul to meet our guide.
Our guide was simply amazing. She's very well versed in the local histories and knew which king and which empire did what when. I couldn't begin to keep all that in my head. She was assertive where necessary to get us to the best lines for the shortest wait times, especially at Hegia Sofia where the wait can be incredibly long.
In all, we went to Hegia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi palace, the Cistern underneath the city and the Grand Bazaar.
We did get taken on a detour when I asked for a bathroom break. We ended up at her family's rug making / selling shop. They were very nice when we said we weren't interested and the bathroom was nice.
While waiting for the driver to get through traffic, we stopped at Çarşi Baklava and had a refreshing snack of Baklava and a cool mulberry drink.
Our guide saw us safely back to the driver who took us back to the cruise port in good time to make all aboard.
It was a wonderful day and so very nice to have a knowledgeable, quick thinking and personable guide for our first trip to Istanbul.
Review provided by Viator
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