Private Shore Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar
Description
The tour will start with the visit of Byzantine Hippodrome. The next monument is the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed or “Blue Mosque”. The Church of the Holy Wisdom of God is next magnificent destination. Hagia Sophia is a symbol of the city and a very important monument that is a pole of attraction not only for those seeking religious tourism. Next visit the Topkapi Palace. Next and last visit is the exotic Grand Bazaar. Turkey's largest covered market with 4000 shops offering excellent shopping as beautiful tiles, copper and brassware, apparel made of leather, cotton and wool, meerschaum pipes and all sorts of other things.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Sultanahmet Mosque, known popularly as The Blue Mosque, an incredibly beautiful mosque known for its blue Iznik (Nicaean) tiles and unique for the fact that it has six minarets.
Grand Bazaar, the vast and legendary covered market that is the biggest souk in the world with nearly 4000 shops of antiques, jewelry, and carpets.
This visit to the imperial palace of the Ottoman Sultans will include tours of the imperial treasury, the Chinese porcelain section, the calligraphy section and many more. We will also visit the optional Jewelry Collection segment of the palace.
Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. Ranking as one of the greatest marvels of world architecture, this awe-inspiring building was constructed as a basilica in the 6th century by Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
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
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Dress code is smart casual
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- 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 lines before entering Hagia Sophia (skip the line is not guaranteed).
- Topkapi Palace is closed to visit on Tuesdays
- 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.
Reviews(2)
Private tour could have been managed more efficiently by guide. He was intent on sharing all of his historical and geopolitical knowledge at the expense of seeing all of the places listed in the booking. As it was, we visited the Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and the Topkaki Palace, but we ran out of time to do the Grand Bazaar. Tour picked us up at our hotel, and van navigated the streets of new and old Istanbul (Constantinople) well enough. A very nice lunch was included at a Old Town restaurant what included a sidewalk table. The tour was very educational and very long (9 hours from pickup to return). Our guide spoke Spanish and Arabic better than English.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour educational and that you enjoyed visiting Istanbul’s historical landmarks, as well as the lunch experience in the Old Town. We truly appreciate your constructive comments regarding the tour’s timing and language preferences. Your observations are very valuable to us, and we will certainly take them into account to ensure a better balance between sharing information and covering all the sites listed in the itinerary. We will also make sure that our guides communicate more comfortably in English to enhance the overall experience for our guests. Your insights help us improve, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future for an even smoother and more enjoyable tour. Best regards, Karavan Tourism / Operation Department
