DAY 1- ISTANBUL ARRIVAL
Upon your arrival at the Istanbul Airport and as you exit baggage claim, you will be met by a True Blue Tour representative for transfer to your hotel. If your arrival time allows, you will pass by our office on the way to your hotel for introductions, tea and a bit of orientation about your tour. The rest of the day is free for you to pass at your leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 2- BYZANTINE AND OTTOMAN RELICS TOUR (Breakfast, Lunch)
Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar
After breakfast in your hotel, you will be picked up at around 08:30 for your full day guided tour of the Sultanahmet historical district.
Sultanahmet Mosque/Blue Mosque: This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 and is located in the district of old istanbul that is named after this Ottoman Sultan. It is distinguished by its six slender minarets. The central dome is 43 m in height and 33.4 m in diameter and there are 260 stained glass windows throughout the mosque. Due to the intricately decorated blue, green and red tiles of its interior it has long been referred to as the Blue Mosque. These tiles, produced and painted by hand in Iznik (ancient Nicaea), are an attraction in and of themselves. The Quranic inscriptions that you will see throughout the mosque were made by Seyyid Kasım Gubari, one of the most famous calligraphers of his time.
Roman Hippodrome and Monuments: The ancient Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine social life and the scene of fiercely competitive chariot races. It was located in the square that is now in front of the Blue Mosque and is still the site of ancient relics from its glory days. These are the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Remains of the curved end of the Hippodrome wall can be seen on the southwest side of the three monuments.
Hagia Sophia Museum: The Hagia Sophia that stands today was the primary church of Byzantine Constantinople and was built upon the site of two earlier churches that had been destroyed. Emperor Justinian I (527-565) commissioned the project and had materials brought in from all around his empire for the massive church’s construction. The Hagia Sophia was the most important church of the Christian East. Structurally, it was the first of its design and boasted the largest dome that had yet been engineered which provided a voluminous and well illuminated interior. After Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and was used as such throughout the Ottoman period. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the modern Turkish Republic’s most revered founding father and its first Prime Minister, initiated the process to have the Hagia Sophia transformed into a museum which opened for visitors in February 1935.
Basilica Cistern: Built by Justinian after 532, the Basilica Cistern stored water for the Great Palace and nearby buildings. Lost to memory, it was rediscovered in the mid sixteenth century by Petrus Gyllius, who had been sent to Constantinople by the French King Francis I in search of Byzantine monuments and manuscripts. Gyllius, who noticed that the local people were lowering buckets through holes in the floors of their houses to retrieve water, found an entrance and thus put this mysterious subterranean architectural surprise back on the map. You will marvel at the almost 10,000 square meters of space supported by 336 marble columns each nine meters in height.
*Please note that on occasion, the Basilica Cistern is replaced with the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum.
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum: Originally built in 1524 as the palace of Ibrahim Pasha, the Grand Vizier and brother-in-law of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, the structure is now used to exhibit exquisite examples of Islamic calligraphy, artistically painted tile work, hand woven antique rugs and ethnographic displays representing the various nomadic and settled cultures that comprised the Ottoman citizenry.
You will enjoy your delicious lunch in a quaint local restaurant.
Topkapi Palace Museum: An extensive tour of the residence of the legendary Ottoman Sultans, now converted into a museum. It consists of several exhibition halls, such as the Treasury, the porcelain section, the armory and the rooms devoted to holy relics.
Grand Bazaar: We will complete this day of historical sites with a visit to the Grand Bazaar to witness the labyrinthine design and domed architecture and to explore the myriad of shops and the innumerable wares both produced in Turkey and imported from the east.
*Please note that the order in which sights are visited may vary.
At the conclusion of the tour, you may continue shopping and exploring the bazaar on your own or we will return you to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L)
DAY 3- BOSPHORUS PLUS TOUR (Breakfast, Lunch)
Dolmabahce Palace, Yildiz Gardens, City Walls, Bosphorus Cruise, Cable Car to Pierre Loti Hill Cafe
After breakfast in your hotel, you will be picked up between 08:30 and 09:15 for your full day guided tour.
Dolamabahce Palace: This ornate palace located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait was built between 1843 and 1855 by the famous Armenian architects, Garabed and Nigogayos Balyan. It served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for most of the years between 1856 and the founding of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. Some State functions still take place in Dolmabahce Palace.
Yildiz Gardens: You will take in the beauty of the wooded and hilly park of the late 19th century Ottoman Yildiz Palace. The park is landscaped with pathways, ponds and gardens full of flowers.
The tour will make a short shopping excursion to see Turkish leather production.
Lunch will be served in a traditional fish restaurant.
City Walls and Golden Horn by vehicle: Explore with your guide the remains of Constantinople's old city walls and hear about the history of their construction and the battles during which the walls either saved the city or were breached by its attackers. Continue with your driver and guide to the Golden Horn, which is the inlet created by a river that partitions the old city from the Galata district and the rest of European Istanbul.
Bosphorus Cruise: We will cruise on the Bosphorus to allow you the prime perspective from which to view the fine palaces, pavilions, Ottoman houses and seaside neighborhoods along the shores of this famous and historic waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Maramara Sea.
Rumeli Fortress (From the sea): The largest fortification for the protection of Istanbul built by Sultan Mehmet II in 1451 before his conquest of the city. This garrison is well preserved and its towers and walls can be seen clearly as our boat passes by.
Cable Car to Pierre Loti: Enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car as you climb the hill to the cafe named for the famous French writer and naval officer, Louis Marie Julien Viaud a.k.a. Pierre Loti (1850 -1923), who wrote fiction based on his experiences in Istanbul.
After the tour, you will be returned to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L)
DAY 4- ISTANBUL (Breakfast)
Enjoy breakfast in your hotel and a free day to explore Istanbul at your leisure. You have the option to book a tour for this day at additional cost. Perhaps the Princes' Islands or a walking tour of the Taksim arts and entertainment district?
Overnight in Istanbul. (B)
DAY 5- ISTANBUL DEPARTURE (Breakfast)
After breakfast and check out from your hotel, you will be picked up at the appropriate time and transferred to the Istanbul Airport for your international departure. This marks the end of the tour services. (B)
*Please note that we will be happy to make suggestions for extending this itinerary and will make your arrangements accordingly.
Tour pricing is as follows:
Please make note of the following:
