Istanbul Half Day Excursion: Exploring Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar
5.0
14 Ratings
Istanbul
Embark on a 4-hour private shore excursion in Istanbul, exploring iconic landmarks like Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Immerse yourself in the rich history of the Byzantine Hippodrome and indulge in a shopping spree at the vibrant Grand Bazaar.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Hagia Sophia Mosque - St. Sophia, one of the most magnificent Byzantine churches, and nominated the 8th wonder of the world by many historians.
- Grand Bazaar - Grand Bazaar tempting souvenir-hunters with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewellery and leather.
- Blue Mosque - Blue Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Istanbul. Dating back to the 17th century, this is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul and is also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarets.
- Hippodrome - Hippodrome, the former centre of sporting and political activities in Constantinople. During the visit you will be able to see the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from Delphi and the fountain of Willhelm II.
What's Included
- Private tour
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Professional tour guide
- Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Indulge in a 4-hour exclusive coastal trip departing from Istanbul. The itinerary includes numerous attractions such as the Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia. Dedicate some time to venture through the Grand Bazaar of Turkey, made up of 40000 shops, making it the country’s biggest indoor marketplace. This guided experience comes with port collection and return service from the Istanbul Cruise Port.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, instead you will visit the open-air bazaar.
- Clients should to wear suitable clothing and bring their own head scarf before enter to Hagia Sophia.
- Since being a mosque now, you might experience long lines before entering Hagia Sophia (skip-the line is not guaranteed).
- We as KARAVAN TRAVEL, want to ensure the minds of travelers that, all the necessary safety measures and precautions will be maintained at all times; hand sanitizer will be available, masks will be given out, seats will be blocked out on coaches, reduced groups sizes and social distancing measures will be taking against COVID-19 infections. We will follow up the new regulations/restrictions permanently and update our procedures accordingly.
Location
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(14 Ratings)
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Audrey_n
Sep 27, 2023
Excellent Tour/Tour Guide - Bose, our tour guide was a very friendly and extremely knowledgeable guide. She provided a very comfortable and interesting tour of the mosques and the grand bazaar. I highly recommend Bose, it was a great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Jeglancy
Aug 15, 2023
Excellent tour - Knowledgeable and friendly guide, knew some shortcuts to minimize time in line where skip the line wasn’t available. Recommended. Only suggestion would be to do the main attractions with lines first and the hippodrome area later as the time spent getting background there made the waits a bit longer at the mosques.
Review provided by Viator
Gale_h
Aug 15, 2023
Excellent tour, excellent guide! - Our guide was quite knowledgeable and personable. Totally enjoyed the tour and would recommend viator to friends and colleagues.
Review provided by Viator
Ricardo_c
Nov 5, 2022
Outstanding experience - Great tour with Zana. Super knowledgeable and her English was excellent. Istanbul strikes a ressemblence to my hometown of Lisbon and Zana was extremely interested is that exchange and comparisons. It felt like being shown around by a friend more than just a tour guide.
Review provided by Viator
Christopher_r
Oct 9, 2022
Terrific! - Tour was fantastic! Guide was extremely knowledgeable and offered much insight to the culture we were witnessing. Saw everything promised. Relaxed pace. We would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Jillian_l
Jun 28, 2022
Awe-inspiring & customized - This was an awesome excursion from the cruise port. Because this was a private excursion, they were willing to work with us when our port time changed. Our guide, Furkan, was excellent. We were able to personalize our tour and, even better, he was able to adapt to the kind of tour information we wanted (the history/ archaeological stuff). This was definitely worth the money for a short time in Istanbul and I already can't wait to do it again! It was our first time in Istanbul and he made us feel at home. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Andrew_d
May 16, 2022
Well organised informative tour - Our guide Gulce was very friendly and informative. All the sites were within easy walking distance of each other. Pickup at the port was very smooth. Couldn't see much in the Blue Mosque as it was under restoration but hopefully that will be finished soon. Altogether a very pleasant and informative tour.
Review provided by Viator
Sherome_r
May 4, 2022
My partner and I had a... - My partner and I had a great experience on our private tour with Mustafa. He really took his time explaining the rich history of Istanbul. The tour was extremely informative and we would definitely recommend it to those visiting!
Review provided by Viator
Sherin_a
Jul 18, 2020
Best tour guide ever, amazing city - The guide and the tour was extremely good. Mehmet Selcuk Ersan was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgable and helpful. We had an amazing experience in Istanbul.
Review provided by Viator
Tania_w
Dec 24, 2019
Awesome Private Half Day Excursion - From the moment we were picked up to the moment we were dropped off was absolutely amazing. Our guide was informative and friendly with a vast knowledge of all things on the tour. He made us feel like we were special and gave us the time to look and take photos at our leisure. Nothing was too much trouble for him. He guided us through the Grand Bazaar so we did not get lost and our visit to the ceramic shop was both unexpected and a bonus seeing ceramics made from scratch. I did make a purchase from there. All in all we recommend this tour to everyone who appreciates an enjoyable day out. We rate this tour above excellent, we could not have wished for a better day.
Len and Tania Wood
Review provided by Viator
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