Best of Istanbul Tour - Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, , Bosphorus Bridge & Camlica Hill

No visit to Istanbul is complete without exploring the rich history. Begin the tour by exploring Sultanahmet Square, where chariot races were held right up until the Ottoman conquest. Among the attractions in this beautiful setting, you will find the Serpent Column, a 2,500-year-old ancient Greek relic, the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of Thutmose III, a red granite obelisk that has remained in excellent condition despite being over 3000 years old. Located just a stone’s throw away, is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more popularly known as the Blue Mosque due to its hand-painted blue Iznik tiles that decorate the interior walls. This lavish mosque was constructed in the 17th Century and is still used as a mosque to this day. 

Enjoy a relaxing stroll across the UNESCO World Heritage listed Square brings us to Hagia Sophia, the Church of the Divine Wisdom, which for over a millennium, was the largest church in the world before it was turned into a mosque following the fall of Constantinople. Here, you can admire some of the most beautiful mosaics you will ever see. Head over to the Grand Bazaar, where every day up 400,000 shoppers scour the more than 3,000 shops in 61 covered streets in search of bargains. After working up an appetite, we will head to a traditional Turkish restaurant where your taste-buds will be tantalised with a delicious lunch. 

Post lunch, we will move on to admire Dolmabahçe Palace, one of the most glamorous palaces in the world and residence for Ottoman Sultans built by two Ottoman architects Karabet and Nikogos Balyan. This is the largest palace in Turkey, and served as the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. Its 285 rooms and 46 halls are brimming with amazing works of art and European antiquity, furniture and the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, a gift from Queen Victoria, weighing 4.5 tonnes. 

Visit Asia as you cross the Bosphorus Bridge, a unique chance to step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asia) in less than 2 minutes. Make your way up Camlica Hill, famous for its beautiful sunset and the best bird’s eye panoramic views of Istanbul from the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea. View the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn from one of the highest and most appealing places of the city.