Name: Private Tour: Istanbul’s Ottoman Experience Including Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque
Brand: viator
SKU: 19412
Price: 37 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (14 reviews)

4 h

Private

Instant confirmation

About this activity

Start your tour with a pickup from your European-side hotel or alternatively, meet your private guide at a central meeting point. Before leaving by minivan, listen to a brief breakdown of your day. The sequence of your itinerary is subject to change, so the attractions (as detailed below) may be visited in a different order.

Hop out of your minivan in Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s UNESCO-listed historical heart, and wander through the Hippodrome — your first attraction of the tour. The hub of daily life during its Ottoman-era heyday, the Hippodrome was once a vast arena with galleries where people from all walks of life would gather for political meetings, chariot races and even riots. Today, the historical site exists as a city park that’s popular with locals and visitors alike. Pose for photos in front of the Obelisk of Theodosius, a gift to the city from Egypt, and then continue by foot to the nearby Blue Mosque.

After marveling at the mosque’s iconic six minarets, head inside the famous place of worship to see the thousands of Iznik tiles that cascade a sea of blue throughout the building’s interior. An incredible example of classical Ottoman architecture, the Blue Mosque was built on the orders of Sultan Ahmet I who demanded a place of worship to rival the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia — another of Sultanahmet’s impressive mosques.

Take some time to explore inside with your private guide, and then walk over to Topkapi Palace, the final attraction visited on your tour. Once the lavish abode of eccentric 15th-century sultans and their harems, Topkapi Palace now leads a tamer existence as one of the city’s top museums. Browse the exhibits that feature artifacts and ornamentation from Ottoman days, and hear colorful stories about the characters who lived in one of Istanbul’s most ostentatious palaces.

Leave Topkapi Palace, and stroll the short distance to your minivan to finish your tour with a drop-off at your European-side hotel or at the start point in the center of town.

Please note: On Fridays the Blue Mosque will be closed until 2.30pm for prayer, this will be replaced with a visit to Rustem Pasha Mosque

Read more Show less

Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Local guide
Entry/Admission - Topkapi Palace

Not included

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Entrance to Harem Section in Topkapi Palace

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Confirmation for this product will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
In the event of any museum or mosque closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited
Not recommended for children aged 4 and under
During religious holidays July 28, 29 and 30 and October 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2014 the Spice market and Grand Bazaar will be closed
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Features

Tourism

100%

Cultural

80%

Reviews

4.5

14

K

Kelly B

5 | 2015-10-15

We did a number of tours this trip through Viator and all of them were excellent. The best of all was this private tour in Instanbul. Our tour guide Tibet was first class. She was there on time and knew that we had very little time to see a lot. She quickly worked with us to priortize, figure out the timing so that we would be efficient and was just wonderful in not only getting us around to see the most important sites--but was a pleasure and a lot of fun to be with. She even gave us directions and ideas as to what to do later in the day on our own which worked out perfectly. Tibet made it for us!!!! She was so professional and personable and gave us a great sense of the culture in the city!!

C

Calitlin F

5 | 2015-10-12

This tour was a great way to kick off our few days in Istanbul, it gave us a nice kick start to the trip. Hakan was a knowledgeable and terrific guide. He knew the best times to arrive at each place and we covered a lot of territory and avoided a lot of lines in a half day with him. He then sent us off with recommendations and ideas for the rest of the day.

C

Cindy C R

5 | 2015-09-25

The guide was very knowledgeable about the sites, and was flexible with his schedule to meet our needs.

M

Mrs S Duffield D

4 | 2015-06-18

Knowledgeable and experienced guide As a result we wasted no time in getting into any of the sights. Both sights well worth visiting but needed more time at the Topkapi Palace so requested that we did not return to our hotel but rather stay on at the Palace.

J

James H

5 | 2015-03-03

We had a great time. Tibet was our guide and she was so thorough. She even gave us the bonus of visiting a rug maker she knows. She was completely knowledgable and spoke excellent English. She has a nice sense of humor. She gave us some free time to look at things on our own which was nice. I would definitely recommend this tour and feel Viator is the most reliable booking agency. We booked the private tour and were picked up at the door of our hotel. Our guide arrived promptly. Everything was very organized.

A

April T

4 | 2014-12-02

Although the weather was not very cooperative, we enjoyed our half day tour of Istanbul with our private guide from Neon Tours. She was a wealth of information and even helped us find a good place to eat lunch and told us how to get to the Grand Bazaar. Our driver even gave us his umbrella!

l

loola93

5 | 2014-03-27

Amazing tour. Take comfortable shoes for walking.

Collections This experience is part of these collections