Private Walking Tour in Old City Istanbul

Meet your professional guide at 9:00am in front of the German Fountain in the Hippodrome square to begin your private walking tour in the Old City of Istanbul.

Your private tour of Istanbul will start with a visit to the Hippodrome, you will see Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Constantine Column which are remained from the original Hippodrome.

You will take a short walk to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616, it is a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance. The mosque was a part of a complex also including, tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath. Its colourful 260 windows enables the sunlight to reach inside. This makes the interior unusually light. The blue Iznik Tiles covering the walls have given the mosque its popular name, Blue Mosque.

Next, you will visit the magnificient Topkapı Palace, the residence of the sultans for almost three centuries. It is located on the promontory jutting out between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. This setting provides a magnificent view. The construction of the Topkapı Palace was completed between 1465 and 1478.

Lunch is suggested at Konyali Restaurant serving traditional Turkish cuisine.

After your lunch, you will visit St. Sophia, the church of the Divine Wisdom.  The architectural marvel of all time. It was built during Emperor Justinian reign ( AD 537 ) and it remained the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II who ordered to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. In 1934, Atatürk proclaimed it a museum. The walls of this beautiful piece of architecture are decorated with gorgeous mosaics.

Next, you will visit the descend underground into the Basilica Cistern, constructed in 532 AD built by Justinian to hold the water supply for the Great Palace. The Cistern is 70 meters wide and 140 meters long, with a capacity of 80,000m³ of water. Here you will find an atmospheric forest of 336 beautiful columns, don’t miss the two columns featuring the head of Medusa on their bases.

Last, you will visit the Grand Bazaar, the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops. A variety of handicrafts, carpets, rare jewels and souvenirs all sold in small shops next to each other. The merchants are selling everything from antiques, home wares, books, copper ware, ceramics, gold and inexpensive souvenirs. Venture into the hidden courtyards or hans, lookout for marble fountains and ornate kiosks. Streets are named according to the trades and the most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar.