- Hagia Sophia Mosque - Began its life as a church in 532 AD, converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and now a museum since 1935. By general consensus, it is the most important Byzantine structure and one of the world’s great monuments built under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Istanbul and famous for its lofty interior, stunning surviving mosaics and the massive dome.
- Sultanahmet District - “Sultan Ahmet Center”, the heart of the “Old City” from where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled.
- Sultanahmet Square - This beautiful square and a great place to make a stop, relax and take photos of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
- Hippodrome - The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Today it is a square with a few fragments of the original structure surviving. Monuments decorating the Hippodrome include the 3500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column.
- German Fountain - Constructed as a present from German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1898, it represents one of the most beautiful monuments in Istanbul.
- Obelisk of Theodosius - The Obelisk of Theodosius is a tall, ancient monument located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was originally built in Egypt around 1500 BC, and was later moved to Istanbul by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in the 4th century AD.
- Serpent Column - Also known as the Serpentine Column, Plataean Tripod or Delphi Tripod, is an ancient bronze column at the Hippodrome of Constantinople (known as Atmeydanı “Horse Square” in the Ottoman period). It is part of an ancient Greek sacrificial tripod, originally in Delphi and relocated to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324.
Read more about Istanbul Sightseeing Walking Tour - https://www.viator.com/tours/Istanbul/Istanbul-Sightseeing-Walking-Tour/d585-15459P6?mcid=56757
- Walled Obelisk - The Walled Obelisk or Masonry Obelisk (Turkish: Örme Dikilitaş) is a Roman monument in the form of an obelisk. It is situated at the southern end of the ancient chariot-racing track of Constantinople’s central barrier, beside the Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column.
- Blue Mosque - Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque by many tourists because of its bluish interior decoration( blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design), is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center.
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Sultanahmet District - We will be welcomed to family for dinner and meet with family. This will be great opportunity to understand the local culture in Istanbul.
Later your guide will take you to a local tea house and have chit chat about local style of Istanbul
- Local English-Speaking Guide
- All fees and/or taxes
- Dinner
- Gratuities (Recommended)
- Extra drinks at the teahouse
Experience local hospitality with a Turkish family on this small-group tour and munch on home-cooked local treats. Nothing beats home cooking, especially Turkish home cooking. Join this tour to be treated to a feast at a local family’s home. Try Turkish life with a family meal and an evening mingling with locals at some of their favorite haunts on this Istanbul food tour. An expert local guide will meet you at the meeting point, from which you’ll wander through the streets of historical Sultanahmet and visit Hagia Sophia en route to meet a local family. Turkish people’s sense of hospitality is world-famous and on this Istanbul tour, you’ll have the opportunity to experience it firsthand. Meet the family and settle in for a typical Turkish meal. There is little English spoken in the household but your local guide will be there to help translate-all part of the authentic local experience! Chat informally with all members of the family and hear what it’s like to live in Turkey today.
- Please be aware that the standard of dress through out Turkey is conservative. To respect this and for your own comfort we recommend modest clothing. This means clothing that covers your shoulders and knees for both women and men. Turkish people do not wear shoes within the home so we suggest easy slip on shoes be worn. The weather in Istanbul is highly variable depending on the time of year. Winters range from freezing cold to extremely hot and humid in summer .
- Can accommadate vegan or vegetarian options when the clients inform us in advance.
- Please inform us for any dietaries or allergies in advance when you book the tour.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
