On this full day tour, you would explore the highlights of Sultanahmet district to include the magnificent church of Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, beautiful Blue Mosque and The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts with a very fine collection. Topkapi Palace which used to be the residence of Ottoman sultans for over centuries is next to see before heading to the reputed shopping mall Grand Covered Bazaar with over 4000 shops.

Places to visit on this full day trip are:

-Hagia Sophia (Church of Divine Wisdom)

-Hippodrome (At Meydani)

-Blue Mosque

-Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

-Topkapi Palace

-Grand Covered Bazaar

The following rates are "flat fee", including the guidance and transportation costs.

GUIDANCE:

*Full Day private guidance service :  160,00 USD per day

TRANSPORTATION: 

*Full Day Minivan with driver :  160,00 USD including VAT plus 25 USD parking fees = 1 to 6  people / per day

Full Day Istanbul private tour  cost : 345,00 USD / 09:00am to 05:00pm

Any service in Istanbul which ends after 1:00 pm goes into a FULL DAY charge in terms of guide and transportation.

The above rates include:

INCLUSIONS
Complimentary water on board the van throughout the tour
Local transportation by a private chauffeur driven deluxe van with A/C
Services of professional English-speaking tour guide who licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and expert on Turkey's history and culture.
V.A.T

EXCLUSIONS
Any entrance fees to the sites and museums, lunches and/or dinners, alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, personal expenses and gratuity to guides & drivers.

MARVELS OF OLD ISTANBUL
You will be met at the pier by your guide for your full day tour to explore the highlights of the old district of Istanbul. Our first stop is at the Church of Divine Wisdom (Aya Sofya in Turkish, Sancta Sophia in Latin, Hagia Sofia in Greek). Converted into a museum by Ataturk, Aya Sofya was built by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. Also called the Church of Divine Wisdom, it is one of the greatest architectural marvels of all times and a masterpiece of grandeur and proportion. The word “Hagia” in Greek means “Divine” and “Sophia” means “Wisdom”. Divine Wisdom is one of the attributes of Jesus Christ and this church is devoted to his divine wisdom. It played a very important role in the Byzantine Empire as being the grandest church in Christendom until its conversion into a mosque by Sultan Mehmet II just after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. After seeing Aya Sofya, proceed to The Hippodrome which served as the center of Byzantine civic life for 1000 years, including coronations and Roman chariot races. The vast Hippodrome, also known as “At Meydani” or “Plaza of the Horses” stretches between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque with its four monuments, German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Across from Hagia Sophia, is the elegant "Blue Mosque" of Sultan Ahmed I, with its six minarets. Built in the early 17th century, Blue Mosque is one of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul. Its popular name is derived from its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Undoubtedly, it impresses every eye that sees it for the first time with its beautiful interior design, domes and semidomes, nice courtyards and six slender minarets. Next to see before lunch is  Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. The museum’s beautiful building has been given to the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha as a gift from Sultan Suleyman in 1520. Turkish and Islamic Art Museum exhibits almost all periods and all types of Islamic art. It has a collection exceeding forty thousand works. In the numerous rooms of this historic building have been collected the most precious and the rarest of the Moslem works of the epoch including carpets, wooden works, stone art, ceramic and glass, hand writings and metals.

After having lunch at a local restaurant, visit the reputed Topkapi Palace which served as the residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 15th to 19th centuries. Serving more than just a private residence for the sultan and his family, it was also the seat of the supreme executive council called Divan. Today, the palace is a museum holding a wealth of treasures among which we can count an exquisite collection of precious gems and gold, jewellery, wardrobes of the sultans and their families, miniatures, thrones, chamber of Sacred Relics and one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese porcelain. You may also explore the Harem section which offers a glimpse into the lives of the Ottoman imperial family and those who served them.

Our last stop will be at the famous Grand Covered Bazaar; the oldest and the largest covered marketplace in the world. In this reputed bazaar’s more than 4000 shops, any kind of item can be found, jewellery products, carpet sellers, furniture artisans, brassware and trays, meerschaum pipers, hand-honed copperware, hand painted ceramic works, onyxware, souvenir shops and leather goods. Return your ship at the end of the tour.

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Museum and Turkish and Islamic Art Museum are closed on Mondays.

Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays.

Grand Covered Bazaar is closed on Sundays.

Note: We do NOT include the costs of lunches in Istanbul programs as there are so many different choices in this enormous city.