Enjoy the ultimate small group experience on this fascinating Istanbul tour. You’ll visit sites that many travelers often miss. Get the full Istanbul experience by booking this tour.

Art and history buffs will delight in this excursion which takes guests to multiple points of interest, such as the Suleymaniye Mosque, Chora Museum, and Pierre Loti. The mosque is a notable structure of the Ottoman Empire. When it was constructed, it had the highest dome in the area. Unfortunately, wear and tear resulted in the mosque closing for renovations, not reopening until 2010. One of the highlights of this building is the great acoustics, apparent during times of worship and prayer.

At Chora Museum, travelers will have a chance to lay eyes on the 11th-century building and admire the many mosaics and frescoes throughout the structure depicting Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. This art dates back to the 14th century and provides a glimpse into works from the historic Byzantine Renaissance.

Next, take a tea break and see where the renowned author Pierre Loti penned his book Aziyade. During your stop at Pierre Loti Cafe, you’ll learn about the author and how he spent his days taking in the beautiful views and writing. Your tour ends with a trip to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar, where you’ll explore the markets on your own and pick up exotic goods to take back with you.

Take a look at the Asian side of Istanbul on this unique sightseeing tour. During this Istanbul tour, you’ll enjoy a scenic drive through major spots like Fenerbahçe, Beylerbeyi Palace, and more. Get ready for a side of Istanbul you’ve never seen.

Throughout this Istanbul tour, enjoy panoramic views galore; make sure to have your camera handy. Expect to pass by Dolmabahce, where you’ll come across the eponymous palace. This structure once served as the Ottoman Empire’s main administrative center. It’s the largest palace in Turkey with close to 300 rooms in the palace. The building is not open to the general public, so one of the only ways to get inside is through this Turkey tour.

Once you’re done admiring the building, your Istanbul scenic tour takes a more natural turn. At the famous hills Camlica and Küçük you’ll have a chance to take some gorgeous pictures. During your visit to Camlica, you can stop for Turkish tea or coffee at one of the cafeterias if you desire.

Among the last highlights of this Istanbul drive is Beylerbeyi Palace, which served as Sultan Abdulaziz’s summer dwelling. Although it’s not as big as Dolmabahce Palace, it’s just as fascinating, particularly its interior. The floor, for instance, is covered in specially-bought Egyptian straw. Your tour finally comes to an end with a scenic drive back to the European side of Istanbul.

This exclusive introduction to Istanbul tour includes an orientation drive and two of the big three sites: The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia.

After meeting your professionally trained tour guide on the pier, you will begin an orientation drive through the business center of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. Along the way, you will see the Suleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. You will continue around the mighty city walls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it incurred over the centuries.

In the Old City, your first visit will be to the Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom. Originally built as an Orthodox basilica, it later was used as a mosque, and now is a museum. Built in 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. Upon the conquering of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, Hagia Sofia became a mosque and was used as such until 1931. It was opened as a museum in 1935.

Departing Hagia Sophia, you will next visit the world-renowned Blue Mosque finished in 1616. Sultan Ahmet I commissioned the Blue Mosque when he was only 19 years old. The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while in the galleries they become flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and trees.

Next, visit the Hippodrome, originally the home of sports games in the Byzantine period. It is estimated that the Hippodrome of Constantine was about 1,476 feet long and 427 feet wide, and capable of holding 100,000 spectators. The track was U-shaped, and the emperor’s box was located at the eastern end of the track.

You will be treated to an optional carpet demonstration with about 1 to 2 hours of shopping in the open (uncovered) section of the Grand Bazaar and the nearby covered area of the Grand Bazaar that dates to 1461. Well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops, it also has areas where stalls are grouped by the type of goods sold, such as leather coats or gold jewelry. What started as one main building has grown into a sprawling complex consisting of 12 major buildings accessed through 22 doors. It is thought to have more than 5,000 shops and stalls, two mosques, two hamams, and many restaurants and cafes. Explore the shops filled with jewelry, carpets, leather ware, and copper goods. You will then be returned to the ship pier. Your time at the Bazaar is enough for an introduction. This is not a “shopping” tour. For the serious shopper wishing more time in the Bazaar, you can end your tour here. Please let your guide know you are not returning with the group. Guests remaining at the Bazaar are responsible for their own transportation back to the pier.