Istanbul’s architectural wonders - Private tour

General information

Destination
Istanbul, Turkey

Program details

Make as much as you can of your trip to Istanbul on this comprehensive tour of the city’s most spectacular sites. From the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the magnificent Blue Mosque to the awe-inspiring Grand Bazaar, this trip is sure to not leave you indifferent.



You will be pick-up at your hotel around 8am/8:30 am (depending on hotel location) and begin the tour by discovering the ancient Hippodrome. This impressive space used to be both a circus and the center for sporting events in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Nowadays, it has been mostly reconverted into a public space, the Sultanahmet Square, although parts of the original structure survive. Back in 200 AD, it used to host chariot races and it held over 100.000 people. It outlived the Byzantine Empire and was a popular space even in the ensuing Ottoman Empire.



Later on, continue towards the Blue Mosque, one the most iconic constructions of not only Istanbul but the whole of Turkey. Towering over the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus, it is the only mosque that has six minarets. The hulking figure of the Blue Mosque is perched on top of a hill and was originally commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 1600s. It is one of the prime examples and masterpieces of Ottoman architecture.



Round this day off with a ramble through the hustle and the bustle of the Gran Bazaar. With about 4,000 shops, it is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world; all in all, the best way to merge with local life and feel the essence of Istanbul. You will be drop-off at your hotel around 1pm/1:30pm.



Others

As mosques are closed on Fridays, there will only be external visits on that day.