Istanbul Old City Tour: A Day Exploring Historical Landmarks & Turkish Handicrafts

Explore Istanbul’s historical landmarks and immerse yourself in Turkish handicrafts on this captivating Old City tour. Visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar for an unforgettable day of discovery.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hippodrome - 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.
What's Included
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All Fees and Taxes Except Hagia Sophia museum
  • Tour Guide
What's Not Included
  • Hagia Sophia museum extra entrance 25 Euro if you would like to visit
Additional Information

This tour is a must in Istanbul. The day begins at the Roman Hippodrome, where the Romans and Byzantines held chariot races. The next stop is the Blue Mosque, the only mosque with six minarets, and its surroundings. Following that, you will visit the German Fountain, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II, and hear stories of his connection with the Orient. Visiting the Hagia Sophia Museum is optional, with tickets costing 25 Euros per person. After these visits, the guide will take you to the Grand Bazaar for a demonstration of Turkish handicrafts.

Topkapi Museum is the highlight, being the most significant museum in Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula. It is an incredibly rich treasure chest, filled with items of historical importance. The tour includes the first, second, third, and fourth courtyards, the Audience Hall, Divan (the high court), Historical Kitchens, Royal Stables, the Treasury, Gardens, and Kiosks.

Location
Hippodrome
Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2,
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(59 Ratings)
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Thomasw8568
Oct 7, 2024
A fantastic tour of Istanbul - I loved this tour! The Blue Mosque was so beautiful, and the Hippodrome showed us some ancient history. Hagia Sophia was incredible with its mix of church and mosque designs. Topkapi Palace was huge and full of interesting things to see. The guide from Turkey Tours Planners made everything easy to understand!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Haydens8564
Oct 4, 2024
A Day Full of History and Art - This tour brings together Istanbul’s most iconic landmarks. Watching people pray in the Blue Mosque and seeing the obelisks at Hippodrome gave us a live sense of history. The mosaics inside Hagia Sophia and the details under its dome were incredible. Topkapi Palace offered interesting insights into palace life
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tobyw2139
Oct 4, 2024
Exciting times - Standing in the Blue Mosque, you can feel both Ottoman and Byzantine history around you. Walking inside Hagia Sophia felt like traveling through time. Our guide explained how the Ottoman Empire was governed from Topkapi Palace, and exploring the palace's mysterious rooms was exciting.
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Wander66743826447
Oct 2, 2024
Amazing tour - This tour of Istanbul, which traces both Ottoman and Byzantine history, really lets you touch the past of the city. The elegance of the Blue Mosque, the monuments at the Hippodrome, and Hagia Sophia’s history as both a mosque and a museum were captivating. The sacred relics inside Topkapi Palace were enchanting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Traveler32936875551
Sep 29, 2024
The best experience - This Old City tour in Istanbul was one of the best tours I’ve taken! We explored ancient sites like the Hippodrome and walked through the vibrant streets of Sultanahmet. The guide was excellent, sharing fascinating details about the city’s rich past. A must-do!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour64339322822
Sep 26, 2024
A great time - This tour was very nice. The guide knew a lot and explained things simply. The Blue Mosque was beautiful, and the Hippodrome was interesting with all the old history. Hagia Sophia was the best part for me. It’s a mix of two religions. At Topkapi Palace, we saw amazing old treasures. The guide made sure we had a great time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nihan
Aug 26, 2023
Historical Artifacts - I am really curious about Istanbul. It has a beautiful history. There are many historical artifacts. This tour was very important to me. Because I wanted to visit Istanbul in detail. It was a really nice tour. I recommend it to everyone.
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Esma
Aug 14, 2023
Thanks a lot - Hello. It has been a really good experience for me. I loved Istanbul very much. It's been nice for me. A wonderful excursion has been organized. I traveled everywhere. Thanks a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elif
Jul 15, 2023
A very nice experience - We traveled all over Istanbul. It smelled of history. There were different cultural structures. For example, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque were side by side. We did a lot of shopping at the Grand Bazaar. We bought authentic items. We tried the famous Turkish delight. A very nice experience.
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Mario
Dec 17, 2023
very bad - We are at the hotel waiting for more than an hour and no one arrived, no one called, they did not inform us of anything at all
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