FULL DAY IN ISTANBUL
FULL DAY IN ISTANBUL
Your tour begins by driving through the old city to the Hippodrome, built by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 203 AD. Constantine the Great enlarged and adorned it with beautiful works which were brought from different places of the Roman Empire when he chose Byzantium as his new capital.
Afterwards, you'll make your way to the Blue Mosque, regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic architecture. Please keep in mind that if you choose to visit the inside, you will be expected to dress modestly and remove your shoes before entering. Women must cover their heads.
Next, browse the amazing Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Originally a summer residence in the pre-Christian Byzantium era, the palace is home to gorgeous jewels, religious artifacts, silk ceremonial robes, and a manuscript collection.
Finally, you will stop at the jewel in Turkey's Byzantine crown--the marvelous Hagia Sophia, a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a fascinating museum.
Enjoy some time at the Grand Bazaar for shopping. Surely you will find something here--there are more than 4,000 vendors selling everything from spices to furniture to souvenirs!
- This tour includes:
- Round trip transportation from the cruise ship pier (or your hotel) in an air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance and parking fees to all sites
- Lunch
- Visit/see:
- Hippodrome
- Blue Mosque
- Topkapi Palace
- Hagia Sophia
- Grand Bazaar
- Additional Languages Available
- Arabic
- French
- German($)
- Italian
- Japanese($)
- Korean($)
- Mandarin($)
- Portuguese($)
- Russian
- Spanish
- *Possible upcharge at checkout for languages denoted with ($) symbol.
Days of Operation
Departures (local time)
- 8:30 AM (8 hrs)
Transfer / Meeting Instructions
No Taxi Required Specific pick up or taxi instructions will appear on your voucher after you purchase your trip.Special Instructions
• Please note that the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays, and Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
• ShoreTrips reserves bypass the line tickets wherever possible, which is not available at the Blue Mosque. On very crowded days, we will discuss the Blue Mosque from the outside and visit the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (1557), which is Istanbul's largest and grandest of Istanbul’s mosques.