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Istanbul Highlights: Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar
4.5
553 Ratings
Istanbul
Embark on a full-day adventure in Istanbul, exploring iconic landmarks such as the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Discover the rich history and culture of the city while enjoying a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.
Embark on a full-day adventure in Istanbul, exploring iconic landmarks such as the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Discover the rich history and culture of the city while enjoying a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Blue Mosque - Blue Mosque
- Hippodrome - Hippodrome
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia
- Topkapi Palace - Topkapi Palace
- Grand Bazaar - Grand Bazaar
- Blue Mosque - Blue Mosque
- Hippodrome - Hippodrome
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Hagia Sophia
- Topkapi Palace - Topkapi Palace
- Grand Bazaar - Grand Bazaar
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (only from hotels)
- Professional guide
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (only from hotels)
What's Not Included
- Visit to the Harem in Topkapi Palace is not included (own expense)
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Visit to the Harem in Topkapi Palace is not included (own expense)
- Drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
This 8 hours tour starts at Hippodrome Square continues to the Blue Mosque as one of the landmarks of the city. Then visit to the St. Sophia Museum, one of the most magnificent Byzantine churches. Continue to Topkapi Palace, the imperial residence of the Great Ottoman Empire, today a museum holding large collection of porcelains and displaying holy…
This 8 hours tour starts at Hippodrome Square continues to the Blue Mosque as one of the landmarks of the city. Then visit to the St. Sophia Museum, one of the most magnificent Byzantine churches. Continue to Topkapi Palace, the imperial residence of the Great Ottoman Empire, today a museum holding large collection of porcelains and displaying holy relics. Proceed to Little Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar, tempting souvenir-hunters with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewellery and leather, where the tour ends. Lunch in a local restaurant will be served during the tour.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Dress code is smart casual
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays instead you will take the Bosphorus Cruise Tour. Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, instead you will visit the open-air bazaar
- Passport name, number and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- At least 2 people are required for this activity to take place.
- As Hagia Sophia is not a museum (has been converted into a mosque) anymore, tour guides don’t have skip-the-line priority/offer there.
- Spanish language option is only available on Mondays and Thursdays, whereas the English language option is available anytime as to not cause confusion for travelers who would like to book the said product.
- We as KARAVAN TRAVEL, want to ensure the minds of travelers that, all the necessary safety measures and precautions will be maintained at all times; hand sanitizer will be available, masks will be given out, seats will be blocked out on coaches, reduced groups sizes and social distancing measures will be taking against COVID-19 infections. We will follow up the new regulations/restrictions permanently and update our procedures accordingly.
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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(553 Ratings)
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1 star
Kara_m
Nov 9, 2024
Great tour and guide - We booked this tour to try and see as many things in the old part of Istanbul. Our guide Umutcan was amazing. He met us right on time at our hotel. He was so knowledgeable and knew detailed history for each site we visited. Lunch was at Anka Palace with a a great view of the water and the food was very good. We would absolutely book this tour again
Review provided by Viator
Monroemba
Nov 2, 2024
Amazing tour of Istanbul - Amazing tour. Saw all the major sites without having to wait in ticket line and our guide was extremely knowledgeable and well spoken in explaining the rich history of turkey and the relevance of each historic site. We had a wonderful lunch at a hotel rooftop as well all included! Would 100% recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Hermione65
Nov 2, 2024
Sublime - The Blue Mosque, just magnificent, grandiose, impressive. Sublime blue ceramic.Built in the 17th century under Sultan Ahmet 1st.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_m
Oct 25, 2024
You will love this one - It’s a long day, but it is the best way to see all of the main historical sites within the old city. Our guide was excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Gregorygl1256cp
Oct 3, 2024
Istanbul History - Our guide was prefect. She showed us exactly what we were looking for and spent exactly the right amount of time defining the place and the point of interest along with the historical background information. She was perfect for our tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steve_r
Oct 1, 2024
A Grand (Bazaar) Day Out - We spent a full day with our tour guide, Fatima visiting the attractions in Sultanhamet. Fatima was an excellent guide and it was like being shown round by your friend! The Blue Mosque was beautiful and the Hagia Sophia oozed with Byzantine history. Enjoyed the Grand Bazaar albeit with 4000 shops you reach a point of GroundHog day being a thing! Loved Topkapi palace and its grounds and we stayed after the tour had ended bidding our farewells to the lovely Fatima!
Review provided by Viator
Mansoorq575
Oct 13, 2024
Great tour, with a couple of caveats - Our guide, Burak, was knowledgeable, friendly, and on-time. Overall, this was a wonderful tour of multiple noteworthy locations. Burak knew the process for visiting them and was able to talk through key aspects of the buildings and their history.
Two important considerations for folks thinking of this tour:
1) This would be best considered a walking tour. The van just gets you to the Sultanahmet square, where 4 of the 5 sights are located. Then you'll walk, a lot. Since we weren't going to go back to the van, we decided to carry our backpacks with us. Somewhere on the walk, Burak mentioned that the tour is about 15,000 steps. This is important to know ahead of time because a lot of folks can't do that, especially on a warm day. We decided to stop after the first 3 sights (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Hippodrome). Unlike other tours, the tickets Karavan gets are not transferrable, so we couldn't visit Topkapi Palace on our own, and it doesn't feel like we got the full value of the tour.
Another aspect is accessibility, separately from wheelchairs. Not at all Karavan's fault, but something they should share with visitors. The tour description mentions that this tour is not wheelchair accessible, but visiting the Hagia Sophia is moderately strenuous physical activity. The security line is long and in the sun. Once past security, you have to walk uphill on a ramp, for a while. Then, inside the Hagia Sophia, there are no seats and you are not allowed to sit down on the floor, not even for a minute (we tried). To leave, you have to descend stairs. I saw 3 people helping an elderly woman carefully walk down the entrance ramp, all of them frustrated by the Hagia Sophia's lack of accessibility.
2) Clarify the schedule ahead of time. Definitions of lunchtime will vary, but while pickup was at 9am, by 2pm, we still hadn't stopped for lunch. Our group was made up of us and one other family, and both asked the guide to stop for a drink and snack break. We left the tour after the break, so I'm not sure when lunch happened. For us, we started to get hungry at 12pm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mansoor_q
Oct 9, 2024
Great tour, with a couple of caveats - Our guide, Burak, was knowledgeable, friendly, and on-time. Overall, this was a wonderful tour of multiple noteworthy locations. Burak knew the process for visiting them and was able to talk through key aspects of the buildings and their history.
Two important considerations for folks thinking of this tour:
1) This would be best considered a walking tour. The van just gets you to the Sultanahmet square, where 4 of the 5 sights are located. Then you'll walk, a lot. Since we weren't going to go back to the van, we decided to carry our backpacks with us. Somewhere on the walk, Burak mentioned that the tour is about 15,000 steps. This is important to know ahead of time because a lot of folks can't do that, especially on a warm day. We decided to stop after the first 3 sights (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Hippodrome). Unlike other tours, the tickets Karavan gets are not transferrable, so we couldn't visit Topkapi Palace on our own, and it doesn't feel like we got the full value of the tour.
Another aspect is accessibility, separately from wheelchairs. Not at all Karavan's fault, but something they should share with visitors. The tour description mentions that this tour is not wheelchair accessible, but visiting the Hagia Sophia is moderately strenuous physical ability. The security line is long and in the sun. Once past security, you have to walk uphill on a ramp, for a while. Then, inside the Hagia Sophia, there are no seats and you are not allowed to sit down on the floor, not even for a minute. To leave, you have to descend stairs. I saw 3 people helping an elderly woman carefully walk down the entrance ramp, all of them frustrated by the Hagia Sophia's lack of accessibility.
2) Clarify the schedule ahead of time. Definitions of lunchtime will vary, but while pickup was at 9am, by 2pm, we still hadn't stopped for lunch. Our group was made up of us and one other family, and both asked the guide to stop for a drink and snack break. We left the tour after the break, so I'm not sure when lunch happened. For us, we started to get hungry at 12pm.
Review provided by Viator
Ljcreighton
Sep 27, 2024
A day in Istanbul - Saw all of the important sites in one day, which was a lot of walking. Topkapi Palace was amazing.
Food at the lunch restaurant was mediocre, too bad since there are so many great restaurants here.
Review provided by Viator
Dilip_j
Sep 21, 2024
Not a good full day tour as a lot of walking during the entire 6 hours - We did not realize that all four major attractions were in one place. A lot of walking on hilly road and up and down visiting all three. After visiting Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and then 15 minute walk to the grand bazar and back we were dead tired. Had a simple lunch in a nice place and then decided to skip the 2 1/2 hour walking tour of the Topkapi palace.
Review provided by Viator
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