Turkey · City Tours

8-Hour Istanbul Historical Highlights Tour with Topkapı Palace

8 Hours Round trip from İstanbul Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Visit the Blue Mosque, the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets
  • 02 See the Roman-era Hippodrome and its three historic monuments
  • 03 Discover Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, two architectural marvels of old Istanbul
  • 04 Explore the Grand Bazaar, Turkey's largest covered market
  • 05 Tour Topkapı Palace, the former imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans

Explore the historical highlights of Istanbul, a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. Discover the Old City, where the cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here are still reflected today. Visit the open-air Roman-era Hippodrome, the iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Topkapı Palace.

Basilica Cistern, the largest covered reservoir in the city, built in 532 AD on the site of a great basilica that once supplied water to nearby palaces such as the Great Palace of Constantinople and Topkapı Palace.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 8 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Not included
Wheelchair access Not applicable
City Istanbul
Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Istanbul Old City Landmarks and Imperial Heritage

Visit the following attractions with your tour guide:

  • Blue Mosque, the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets, built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616.

  • Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with three monuments: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine.

  • Hagia Sophia, an ancient basilica built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the best architectural marvels of all time.

  • Basilica Cistern, the largest covered reservoir in the city, built in 532 AD on the site of a great basilica that once supplied water to nearby palaces such as the Great Palace of Constantinople and Topkapı Palace.

  • Grand Bazaar, Turkey's largest covered market, with excellent shops selling beautiful Turkish rugs, tiles and ceramics, copper and brass, leather clothing, cotton and wool, foam pipes, alabaster bookends and ashtrays, and more.

  • Topkapı Palace, the former imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans and one of the oldest and largest remaining palaces in the world.

End of the tour.

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace, Hippodrome of Constantinople

Where this trip takes you

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapı Palace, Hippodrome of Constantinople

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from İstanbul 1 city · 8 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Professional Istanbul guide

What's Not Included

  • Food and drinks

  • Lunch

  • Gratuities

  • Entrance fees

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
İstanbul, Turkey
Tour start
İstanbul, Turkey
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 8 hours finish where they began, in İstanbul.

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