Private Half Day Shore Excursion: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar From Istanbul
Description
Enjoy a 4-hour private shore excursion departing from Istanbul. This tour visits a variety of sites including the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Spend some time exploring Turkey's Grand Bazaar, which contains 40000 shops making it the largest covered market in Turkey. This guided tour includes port pickup and drop-off from the Istanbul Cruise Port.
Tour Options
Itinerary
St. Sophia, one of the most magnificent Byzantine churches, and nominated the 8th wonder of the world by many historians.
Grand Bazaar tempting souvenir-hunters with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewellery and leather.
Blue Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Istanbul. Dating back to the 17th century, this is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul and is also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarets.
Hippodrome, the former centre of sporting and political activities in Constantinople. During the visit you will be able to see the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from Delphi and the fountain of Willhelm II.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up ONLY cruise passangers arriving from ship. Please contact with us to advise your ship details before arrival.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, instead you will visit the open-air bazaar.
- Clients should to wear suitable clothing and bring their own head scarf before enter to Hagia Sophia.
- Since being a mosque now, you might experience long lines before entering Hagia Sophia (skip-the line is not guaranteed).
- 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.
- Important Information Regarding the Restoration Works at Hagia Sophia: A comprehensive restoration project is currently underway at Hagia Sophia Mosque to improve its earthquake resistance. As part of the project, the main dome is being reinforced and a temporary steel protective structure is being installed. The restoration is expected to take approximately 3–5 years. During this period, the mosque will remain open to visitors, and guests will continue to have access to view the historic mosaics.
Reviews(15)
very pleasant tour with a very nice and knowledgeable guide, Umutcan. Unfortunately we were not able to see Sultanahmet Mosque because it was Friday morning and it was closed for prayer. But we got a glimpse of the Topkapi Palace instead :) Coffee, spices and Turkish delights in Grand Bazar are a must!
Bose, our tour guide was a very friendly and extremely knowledgeable guide. She provided a very comfortable and interesting tour of the mosques and the grand bazaar. I highly recommend Bose, it was a great experience!
Dear Madame, greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Ephesus and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Burak
Knowledgeable and friendly guide, knew some shortcuts to minimize time in line where skip the line wasn’t available. Recommended. Only suggestion would be to do the main attractions with lines first and the hippodrome area later as the time spent getting background there made the waits a bit longer at the mosques.
Dear Sir, greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Burak.
Our guide was quite knowledgeable and personable. Totally enjoyed the tour and would recommend viator to friends and colleagues.
Dear Madame, greetings from Karavan Travel. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Burak.
Great tour with Zana. Super knowledgeable and her English was excellent. Istanbul strikes a ressemblence to my hometown of Lisbon and Zana was extremely interested is that exchange and comparisons. It felt like being shown around by a friend more than just a tour guide.
Tour was fantastic! Guide was extremely knowledgeable and offered much insight to the culture we were witnessing. Saw everything promised. Relaxed pace. We would highly recommend.
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind review towards the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hoping to serve you in the future again. Best Regards, Nathan.
This was an awesome excursion from the cruise port. Because this was a private excursion, they were willing to work with us when our port time changed. Our guide, Furkan, was excellent. We were able to personalize our tour and, even better, he was able to adapt to the kind of tour information we wanted (the history/ archaeological stuff). This was definitely worth the money for a short time in Istanbul and I already can't wait to do it again! It was our first time in Istanbul and he made us feel at home. Thank you!
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind reviews to the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hope to assist you in the future Turkey trips. Best Regards, Emel Kilic.
Our guide Gulce was very friendly and informative. All the sites were within easy walking distance of each other. Pickup at the port was very smooth. Couldn't see much in the Blue Mosque as it was under restoration but hopefully that will be finished soon. Altogether a very pleasant and informative tour.
Dear Andrew, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind reviews to the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hope to assist you in the future Turkey trips. Best Regards, Emel Kilic.
My partner and I had a great experience on our private tour with Mustafa. He really took his time explaining the rich history of Istanbul. The tour was extremely informative and we would definitely recommend it to those visiting!
Dear Sir, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind reviews to the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hope to assist you in the future Turkey trips. Best Regards, Emel Kilic.
The guide and the tour was extremely good. Mehmet Selcuk Ersan was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgable and helpful. We had an amazing experience in Istanbul.
Dear Madam, Greetings from Karavan Travel Istanbul. Thank you very much for your kind reviews to the tour which was operated by Karavan Travel. Nice to host you in Istanbul and hope to assist you in the future Turkey trips. Best Regards, Emel Kilic.
