Istanbul Must See:Hagia Sophia Bluemosqu Topkapı Basilica Cistern Bosphorus Tour
Local istanbul experience with a professional licensed tour guide! With this experince you will see the city from a different window and you will not be same as before. Firstly we start the day at Sultanahmet area and visit the Hagia Sophia and Bluemosque. After that we will visit the Topkapı Palace. You will listen to different histories about Roman and Ottoman Empires. Then free time for lunch, we will go Bosphorus tour (on a public bosphorus boat) to see marvellous istanbul from the sea.for 90 minutes. These are only starters, you will have the main course on the tour :-) What we will see in this tour: Hagia Sophia Bluemosque Hippodrome Basilica Cistern Grand Bazaar (Closed on Sundays) Topkapi Palace Bosphrous cruise (90 minutes -(public bosphorus boat)
Private tour option is also available. Check details. If you are arriving to Galataport (Cruise terminal) it is easy to reach to meeting by tram in 20 minutes
Options
Istanbul Highlights Hagia Sophia,Bluemosqu,Topkapı Palace,Cistern,Bosphorus Tour
Please note that:: Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
Topakapı Palace Museum is closed on Tuesdays and we visit Dolmabahce Palace
Istanbul Highlights: Istanbul Highlights: Hagia Sophia, Bluemosque, Topkapı Palace, Basilica Cistern ,Bosphorus Tour *Dolmabahce Palace on Tuesdays
What's included in Istanbul Must See:Hagia Sophia Bluemosqu Topkapı Basilica Cistern Bosphorus Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Blue Mosque
Known as the Sultan Ahmet Camii (or Sultan Ahmed Mosque), this breath-taking building is one of the most majestic Ottoman mosques in all of Turkey. *** Please note that there isn't any priority entrance for the guides at the mosques. We skip the lines at the museums*** Don't trust who can do that!
Hippodrome
Hippodrome of Constantinople, located in Sultanahmet/Istanbul, was a public arena mainly for chariot races. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos (horse) and dromos (way). The Hippodrome of Constantinople was also home to gladiatorial games, official ceremonies, celebrations, protests, torture to the convicts and so on. Hippodrome functioned all in Roman (203-330 CE), Byzantine (330-1453 CE), and Ottoman (1453-1922) periods.
Ayasofya
The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque / Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi, with its innovative architecture, rich history, religious significance and extraordinary characteristics has been fighting against time for centuries, was the largest Eastern Roman Church in Istanbul. Constructed three times in the same location, it is the world’s oldest and fastest-completed cathedral. With its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, monolithic marble columns and unparalleled mosaics, is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history. The sheer dazzling beauty of mosque with its magnificent play on space, light, and color provokes worship in the believer! Hagia Sophia pose on the ground of the first hill of Istanbul, precisely at the tip of the historic peninsula, surrounded by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn on three sides. *** Please note that there are 2 lines one for buying tickets with cards and if you bring cash we can skip the tickets line to go in***
Inclusions
- Professional Guidance in English
- Pick up and drop off from the hotels are not included.
- Topkapı Palace Museum entrance ticket is extra which exactly 60 USD pp
- Lunch
- On Tuesdays Dolmabahce Palace entrance ticket is extra which is exactly 45 USD pp cash please
- Basilica Cistern ticket is excluded (40 USD pp) Cash please
- Bosphorus tour ticket is excluded (10 USD pp)cash please
- Gratuities
- The entrance fee for Hagia Sophia is 30 USD pp) cash please
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN ALL DAY WALKING TOUR. Bring your walking shoes with you.
- Rules for the mosques: men can wear shorts but it should be under knees. If not at Bluemosque they provide covers for the legs for free but at Hagia Sophia they charge 4 USD for covers. For women: they should cover hairs, legs and shoulders. Free covers available at Bluemosque but at Hagia sophia they charge 4 USD.
- **You can skip any of the place; but if you book the group tour you have to wait us until we visit .***
- ***If you pick up the early timings we don't wait at the mosque lines a lot. (recommended)***
- *** Please note that there isn't any priority entrance with the guides at the mosques.***
- On Tuesdays Dolmabahce Palace entrance ticket is extra which is exactly 45 USD pp cash please
- ***HOW YOU CAN REACH TO MEETING POINT? From the cruise terminal (GALATAPORT) by tram (public transportation) you can take the tram and it takes maximum 30 minutes. The tram stop TOPHANE is 10 mins. away from the port. When you exit from the port turn to the left direction and you will see the stop TOPHANE. Take the tram to BAĞCILAR direction and get off at SULTANAHMET stop. From there walk to the German Fountain (Alman Çeşmesi in Turkish) in 1 min. For tram you can use your master or visa contacless credit cards (No amex). No need to buy a travel card.
- *** For the museum tickets: you don’t need to buy them online. We will go to the guide kiosks to buy them together. Pease don't buy TOURIST PASS, MEGA PASS, E-PASS, etc. .They aren't valid for my tour.
- During the winter times, we may not able to do the Bosphorus boat the trip because of the bad weather conditions.
- This a full day tour and we have a lot places to visit. That's why at The Topkapı Palace Museum we will visit the main collections which are important for us. If you are looking for more detailed tour of Topkapı Palace , you should book a different tour.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- I will be holding a yellow umbrella in front of the German Fountain which is at the Hippodrome area. It is green dommed fountain on the corner of the Blue Mosque. It is near to the gate B of the Blue Mosque. Please don't get help from the people who doesn't have a guide license on their neck.