Istanbul Tours
“Byzantine & Ottoman Relics” Full Day Tour
Finish the day with a visit to the incredible Underground CisternWe can as well include the famous Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum which is within the same region of today’s visits, depending on time.
“Localize in Istanbul”, Full Day Tour or Flexible
You will have a relaxing day. You will enjoy a morning Bosphorus ferryboat cruise, passing half a dozen Ottoman imperial palaces, traditional Yalis (waterside villas) and shore villages. Disembark at Sariyer for lunch at a seaside seafood restaurant. Then we are picked up by our minivan and drive south, and stop to visit theCastle of Rumeli Hisar, and then, we stop at the renowned Yildiz Park, harbouring four Ottoman Palaces and enjoy a sip of Turkish coffee or tea. Then we pay a visit to the sumptuous imperial Dolmabahce Palace.
“Splendors of Istanbul” Full Day Tour
The Dolmabahce Palace, overlooking the Bosphorus, is definitely incomparable with 14 tons of pure gold used for its interior decoration, its priceless paintings, furniture, and a rich collection of Bohemian crystal in addition to its famous Harem section. The Suleymaniye Mosque will be the next visit. This mosque complex is Architect Sinan’s most splendid work, built at the zenith of the Ottoman Empire. In the work called the Biography of the Construction, architect Sinan recounts the opening of the Mosque, and how the Sultan asked him to be the one to unlock its doors. Suleymaniye is not an ostentatiously decorated building, only a bare amount of tiles decorate its walls. It is said that 4 minarets and the 10 balconies of the Mosque represent Suleyman the Magnificent being the 4th Sultan to reign in Istanbul and the 10th Ottoman Sultan. The Spice Market will be the last visit today. In the past, Genoese and Venetian goods used to be sold at what is the second most famous bazaar after Kapalicarsi (Grand Bazaar). The Misir Carsisi or the Egyptian Market. Western travelers referred to it as the Spice Market because of the spice from Arabia, India and Far East brought here being loaded on to vessels in Egypt (there was no Suez Channel at the time).
“Ottoman Heritage in Istanbul”, Full Day Tour
In this full day tour we discover the Ottoman treasures of Istanbul built by Ottoman Turks after the conquest of Istanbul. We visit the Blue Mosque, Mosque of Soliman Magnificent, The Topkapi Palace, Egyptian Bazaar, Eminonu district.
Our day starts with the visit of the masterpiece of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul, the Mosque of Soliman the Magnificent built by the great architect Sinan. We stroll in the narrow streets of Suleymaniye where we feel like time stopped in 16th century.
We then continue with the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the 17th century blue tiles wich decorate the iner part of the walls.
Then along the park through the monuments we walk to Topkapi Palace, the old residence of ottoman sultans where more than 20 ottoman rulers lived during almost 400 years. The highlights of the palace are first the famous 86 carat diamond in the treasury halls and the harem where the sultans lived with their family. Lunch at ‘’Konyali Restaurant’’ in the palace.
In the afternoon we proceed to Eminonu area to visit the ‘Egyptian bazaar’ so called as the spices sold there in old times were all brought from Egypt.
We wonder in the streets in and around the bazaar to enjoy a typical market where local people buy their goods. To finish the day we take our turkish coffee in the area where the first coffee shops were established in the history of Europe.
“Byzantine Heritage in Istanbul”, Full Day Tour
The purpose of this tour is to have an outlook of the history of Istanbul from 330 A.D when Istanbul became the new capital for Roman Empire until the conquest of the city by Turks in 1453. We visit monuments and ruins which date back to this period of history.
Our day starts with ‘Hippodrome Square’ that was considered as the political and social heart of Constantinople. We enjoy the Obelisk brought from Egypt and the Serpentine Column.
We then proceed to amazing Underground Cistern which was used as a water reservoir in the times when the city was raided by enemies. After the underground cistern, we visit, the old ‘Via Egnatia’ of roman times to get into the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, the oldest big church of the world,St. Sophia. The lunch is in one of the local restaurants in Sultanahmet or Eminonu area.
In the afternoon we first go to little known but very beautiful Church of Pamacharistos , recently opened to visit. Our excursion in Istanbul continues with a real jewel of Byzantine decorative art of the late period. We discover the beautiful mosaics of the church St. Savior in Chora which tell us all the life cycles of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. This church is known as one of the best examples of late middle age and pre-renaissance.
We enjoy the view on the fortification walls of the city built in 5th century under the rule of Theodosius 2nd to protect the city from Huns at the end of the day.
“Modern Istanbul”, Full Day Tour
Besides all the historic heritage Istanbul is an amazing metropol with remarkable art exhibitions, concerts and organizations.
Besides the historical monuments, we highly recommend travellers to visit also Istanbul Modern, located in a converted warehouse in the Tophane district on the Bosphorus a museum for contemporary art in Istanbul, inaugurated in 2004 which is easily reached by the city’s tram system. Open to public every day except Monday.
Pera Museum is housed in a renovated historical building, which was originally constructed in 1893 has collections of Orientalist art, which consists of more than three hundred paintings. This rich collection brings together important works by European artists inspired by the Ottoman world from the 17th century to the early 19th.
The other notable permanent collections are Anatolian Weights and Measures and Kutahya Tiles and Ceramics.
The Rahmi M. Koc Museum is a private industrial museum in Istanbul, Turkey dedicated to history of transport, industry and communications
“Eclectic Tour of the Istanbul City” Full Day Tour
Visit the Galata Tower built by the Genoese in 1348. The Old Pera was given to them by the Ottoman Empire because of their help in defeating a Crusade. After a short gentle walk we take the oldest functioning metros in the world. The “Tunel”, Completed in 1873, it is the shortest metro ever built. It connects Karakoy to Beyoglu, followed by window-shopping. Gentle walk to Taksim square and accompanied by your escorting guide and mini van explore the Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi), the world’s oldest “shopping mall”, to look for treasures in its 4000 shops, then dive into the colorful sights, vibrant sounds and intriguing scents of the Egyptian Bazaar (Spice B.)
“Asia and Maiden’s Tower” – Full Day Tour of Istanbul
We begin by driving across the first Bosphorus Bridge and head for the summit of Camlica Hill, which affords panoramic views of Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara and the Princes” Islands. From here a short ride brings us to the Palace of Beylerbeyi on the shore of the Bosphorus. Perhaps the most elegant of the late Ottoman palaces, Beylerbeyi boasts six sumptuously furnished reception halls. Finally we visit the Maiden”s Tower, which stands on the only island in the Bosphorus and is associated with many romantic tales and legends, including that of Hero and Leander. (except Monday and Thursday)
“The Princess Islands” of Istanbul Full Day Tour / Flexible
If you feel the need to escape from the bustle of Istanbul for a day, nothing could be easier. You simply join us aboard a ferry bound for the charmingPrinces” Islands. Our destination is Buyukada, the largest of the island chain, but we will pass by four other islands on the way. All are famous for their mild climates, lush vegetation and ornate Ottoman houses, and on all of them cars are banned. The preferred means of transportation is the charming horse-drawn carriage known as the phaeton, which we will use on our circular tour of Buyukada, passing elegant mansions draped in brilliant purple bougainvillea. You will feel as though you have stepped back into a more leisured and gracious age, almost expecting grand 19th century ladies and gentlemen to come strolling down to the waterfront on an afternoon promenade. Lunch will be at one of the many excellent traditional Seafood Restaurants on the waterfront, gazing across the water at the Asian shore of Istanbul, so close though it feels worlds away.
* This tour can be operated between 01 April – 31 October !
“Bursa and Cumalikizik Village” – Full Day Tour around Istanbul
We travel by ferry to Yalova, then by luxury coach to Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and one of the great treasure houses of Islamic architecture. We will visit the Green Mosque and the neighbouring Green Mausoleum, both world-renowned for their superb tile decoration, as well as the late 14th century Great Mosque and the Koza Han, which for centuries was the center of the silk trade. After enjoying a cable car ride up the slopes of Mount Olympus (Uludag), we drive to the village of Cumalikizik. One of the best preserved Ottoman villages in Turkey with scores of picturesque houses built in the traditional style. Lunch is at one of Bursa”s finest Turkish restaurants, the Daruzziyafe, where we will enjoy the finest Ottoman cuisine in a historic setting where Sultan Murat the Second once dined. Return to Istanbul
“?znik – Nicea” – Full Day Tour around Istanbul
……The city was named Antigonia by Antigonus I Monophthalmos in 316 B.C. in his honour after being founded by him.But it gets its name Nicea from Lysimachus’s wife. Lysimachus captured the city by defeating Antigonus in 301 B.C. and made the city the capital of Bithynia. It was also once prospered and became one of the most important cities of Roman province of Asia minor. After the triumph of Christianity,it became an important missionary center. The first place we will be visiting is the Eastern Roman church, Hagia Sophia (4th century) where the criteria of Christian orthodoxy was formulated in the First Council of Nicea in 325.When the city was taken by the Ottomans and declared as the capital of the Empire, Ottomans entered a period of great artistic development and Iznik became the center of tile production. So the early Ottoman Green Mosque (1378 C.E.) is one of the most important works to be seen with its green tiled minaret and Nilufer Hatun Imareti (1388 C.E.), now a museum housing artifacts found in the area, including ethnographic objects. After we finish our visits, we will stop by a few workshops of artisans who have revived the Iznik tile tradition and see some nice reproduction tiles. We will drive back to Istanbul.
****Tours can be combined or shorten as requested or to be divided as half day tours.
****St. Sophia; Closed on Mondays, Topkapi Palace; Closed on Tuesdays, Dolmabahce Palace; Closed on Mondays and Thursdays.
Blue Mosque; Open everyday (except praying hours)It means it is closed for visitors between 12.00-13.00 hours for noon prayer and 16.00-17.00 hours for afternoon prayer. Best time to visit the Blue Mosque is between 9.30-11.00 to see the reflections of the sunshine on the some 220 stained glass windows.
**** Some museums might be closed on Monday’s, please consult before deciding.
All tours are utilized with modern comfortable vehicles depending on the group size unless or otherwise requested with English speaking Highly skilled professional guides. Guests may choose tours inclusive of lunch.
On request we can offer Limousine, private Helicopter, private Jet and Private Motoryacht for your tour or transport needs.
We extend our assistance 7/24 by being available if needed, for full Itineraries we utilize around Turkey….
After discovering Istanbul, have a trip to south and charter a yacht. Private Yacht Charter from Turkey is one of the best holiday option.
Can we do anything else for you ? Please let us know.
We hope serve you for all your Turkey Travel Services and to meet you in person ….