Best of Istanbul Tour

Enjoy the best of Istanbul with this guided boutique tour, limited to 15 passengers, and experience the city’s iconic sights in one full day. Your adventure begins at 08:30, when we collect you from your Istanbul hotel. Accompanied by a knowledgeable and professional tour guide, you’ll visit the following attractions:

• Pierre Loti Cable Car: Take in the breathtaking panoramic view of the Golden Horn from this hilltop tea house named after a famous French naval officer and novelist. The ride up the hill on the cable car is a must-do experience.
• Bosphorus Cruise: See Istanbul from a different perspective by cruising along the Bosphorus. Admire the 19th-century wooden mansions, grand palaces, and lush gardens that grace the banks of Asia and Europe.
• Marmaray: Explore the innovative Bosphorus rail link system under the Istanbul Strait. The project took four years to complete, with several delays caused by the discovery of ruins from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras.
• Rumeli Fortress (from the sea): Gaze upon the largest fortification in Istanbul, built by Sultan Mehmet II before he conquered the city.
• Rustem Pasha Mosque: Visit this hidden gem, constructed by the Great Architect Sinan, on behalf of the Croatian Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha, who married one of Sultan Suleyman’s daughters. Built from 1561 to 1563, this mosque is often described as the miniature version of the Blue Mosque but without the crowds.
• Lunch at a charming local restaurant.
• Basilica Cistern: Venture beneath the city to explore the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns built by Justinian, which was used to store water for the Great Palace and nearby properties. Forgotten for years, it was rediscovered in the mid-sixteenth century during a search for Byzantine monuments and manuscripts by the French King Francis I.
• Hagia Sophia Museum: Visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the primary church for Byzantine Constantinople and is now a historical mosque.
• Sultanahmet Mosque/Blue Mosque: Admire the six unique minarets and famous blue ceramic Iznik tiles that distinguish this mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet I in the district of Old Istanbul.
• Roman Hippodrome and Monuments: Discover the former center of all Byzantine sports events and social life. The Hippodrome hosted events such as gladiatorial fights, chariot races, and intense riots.

The tour ends with the option to stay at the last visited site or to be dropped off at your centrally located European side hotel. Don’t miss this unforgettable opportunity to experience the best of Istanbul in one day!