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Offered languages
- English
The former capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul is a vibrant city filled with magnificent architecture and a rich history as the bridge between east and west. Perfect for first-time visitors, this in-depth guided walking tour covers the main attractions while also venturing to hard-to-find secret spots. Leave the navigation to your guide, who also provides illuminating commentary.
After meeting your guide at Sultanahmet Square, head off on a scenic stroll through one of the world’s most spectacular cities. Your guide will tell stories from the heyday of Byzantine and Ottoman rule as you wander the picturesque streets. This tour aims to give you an overview of the city, its historic attractions, museums, local arts and traditions etc.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
In front (outside) of FOODIE-IST CAFE AND BRASSERIE. It is approximately 2 minutes walking distance from (T1) Sultanahmet tram stop. Your guide will wear a tour guide badge and will be easy to spot.
Our tour concludes after visiting Spice Market in Eminönü and leaving you free to continue your Istanbul sightseeing
Itinerary
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1Basilica Cistern
This spacious Roman built cistern shows off impressive Roman engineering was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul has been backdrop for many movies over time. Its cavernous depths make a great retreat on hot summer days.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Sogukcesme Sokak
This is a small street with beautiful historic houses which are leaning against the wall of Topkapi Palace.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Caferaga Medresesi
The Caferağa Medresseh is a former medrese and now recognised as an important centre of Turkish classical arts where traditional Turkish handicrafts such as calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry and so forth are taught, made and sold.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
Began its life as a church in 532 AD, converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and now a museum since 1935. By general consensus, it is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world’s great monuments built under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul and famous for its lofty interior, stunning surviving mosaics and the massive dome...
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5TopkapI Palace
Imperial residence of Ottoman sultans is the subject of more colorful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. About 24 sultans ruled from the Topkapı Palace for nearly four centuries during the Ottoman Empire's 600-year reign
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Sultanahmet District
"Sultan Ahmet Center", the heart of the "Old City" from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Walled Obelisk
The Walled Obelisk or Masonry Obelisk (Turkish: Örme Dikilitaş) is a Roman monument in the form of an obelisk. It is situated at the southern end of the ancient chariot-racing track of Constantinople's central barrier, beside the Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8German Fountain
Constructed as a present from German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1898, it represents one of the most beautiful monuments in Istanbul.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9Hippodrome
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Today it is a square with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. Monuments decorating the Hippodrome include the 3500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column...
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque by many tourists because of its bluish interior decoration( blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design), is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center..
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11Serpent Column
Also known as the Serpentine Column, Plataean Tripod or Delphi Tripod, is an ancient bronze column at the Hippodrome of Constantinople (known as Atmeydanı "Horse Square" in the Ottoman period). It is part of an ancient Greek sacrificial tripod, originally in Delphi and relocated to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
12Sultanahmet Square
This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
13Tahtakale District
"Shop till you drop" in Tahtakale, a sub-district of Istanbul's Eminönü, where you can find anything and everything you are looking for, all for resonable prices.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
14Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)
No visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar with roots dating back to 1660, this is one Istanbul's most famous bazaars. Vividly coloured spices are displayed alongside jewel-like lokum (Turkish delight) at this Ottoman-era marketplace, providing eye candy for the thousands of tourists and locals who make their way here every day. Stalls also sell caviar, dried herbs, honey, nuts and dried fruits.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There is a moderate amount of walking involved
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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