Istanbul Highlights Bosphorus Stops 1 +2 (Europe + Asia)
Description
We strongly advise you our Whirling Dervish Ceremony: Go on a Spiritual Journey Half Day Tour in order to enrich your Istanbul holiday! - Start the day with Spice Bazaar, listen to the miracle of the herbs and taste delicious Turkish delights here. - Crossing from Besiktas to Uskudar by boat and have lunch here in a local restaurant. - In the afternoon, visit the famous mosques of Uskudar district. Start with Semsi Pasha Mosque from 16th century, designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan. - Continue with Yeni Valide Mosque from 18th century. - The last mosque we see here is another masterpiece of Mimar Sinan, Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. - Before crossing back to European side by boat, we visit local Fish Market. - And finally, last stop of the day is Dolmabahce Palace. We will also visit Harem of Dolmabahce Palace.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We drive on the southern shores of Golden Horn that makes this tour unique. Churches, mosques, Byzantine city walls, mousoleums to see enroute.
This Bazaar is a historical place to visit that is still use for purchasing spices, turkish coffee, herbs etc.
Bosphorus Strait is the hoghlight of Istanbul. We spent 90 minutes on the boat but we see the Bosphorus most of the time during the tour
Yeni Valide Mosque is an 18th century Ottoman mosque
This mosque is another masterpiece of Mimar Sinan, dedicated to the daughter of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
Dolmabahçe Palace is a 19th century palace that was constracted by sultan Abdulmecit. The architect is Balyan and it was styled in Baroc and Rokoko. Wonderfull paintings, handmade carpets, furniture. Your guide explains the history, legends, architecture..
This 16th century mosque is designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for Grand Vizier Semsi Pasha
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Complimentary hotel pick-up and drop-off from centrally located Istanbul hotels.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dolmabahçe Palace is closed on Monday, it will be replaced with Galata Tower and its neighbourhood
Reviews(118)
It is very close to the Gallate Bridge and the port, you have to live it and enjoy the great variety of products, I bought ,coffee, dates, olives, pomegranate tea, and baklava despite saying it is more expensive, I checked that they were similar prices to the rest of the city and the atmosphere of the market is fantastic
Set on this full-day adventure in Istanbul was truly breathtaking! The boat ride along the Bosphorus Strait offered stunning views of majestic bridges, palaces, and mosques. The guided tour of Dolmabahçe Palace was fascinating, and exploring the Spice Bazaar was a sensory delight with its vibrant colors and enticing scents. The highlight was undoubtedly the delicious 3-course meal enjoyed by the beautiful shoreline. This tour is a must-do for anyone visiting Istanbul, offering a perfect blend of sightseeing and cultural experiences.
No one come to pick us up from the hotel. We have been waiting for more than one hour. Hotel staff try to help us contact the number but no response. Totally bad and I want my money BACK
Greetings, There was a process in which we had problems such as some reservation notifications not being received in our system. We are sorry that your reservation coincided with this period. In such cases, we immediately look for different solutions and offer to do the tour at another time and if it is not possible, we initiate a full refund. Again, we apologize and hope we can meet again in Istanbul.
We had the best guide, Diana, who was informative and caring. Ibrahim, our driver, was very kind too. We enjoyed the trip from the beginning till the end. The cruise was a joy. Glad to be on both continents in 1 day!
Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner
Dogus (who is with Istanbul Walks) was great, we really enjoyed our day with her! We have been in Istanbul for almost a week but learned a lot of new and interesting facts, and we wish we had done this tour sooner on our trip because she pointed out a lot of fun things we didn’t know about. My only advice to other travelers, especially Western visitors, is to do your research before entering the Spice Market as it is very easy to be persuaded into purchasing/spending more than intended. We took some of our favorite pictures from the trip on the Bosphorus cruise!
Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner
This tour was a disaster from the beginning. We were rescheduled twice and finally we went. If you are looking for something informative with an interactive guide, look somewhere else. At the spice market, we were told nothing of the history but were instead led inside to a vendor and expected to spend money. The tour guide did the least during the Bosphorus cruise. They did not tell us any history about any of the buildings or monuments along the Bosphorus. We were left googling and guessing what the landmarks were. When we arrived at the Asian side for lunch, we were told nothing about the area of the history, instead just led to a restaurant. What was described as a three course lunch was in reality just one course of dry and oily meat. No dessert. The guide was just a baby sitter at the palace and just walked ahead of us and left us to interact with the palace provided headsets without offering any additional insight into the experience. We were told it was because they couldn’t speak inside the palace but we went past many larger sized groups with guides. Super disappointing. Do not book.
Hello Anne, You are right tour was rescheduled twice but it was not a problem for you and you demanded the first change. We don't have any expectation to spend your money at spice bazaar if you like you can buy things. There are many special, local food, herbs.The group visited 3 mosque in Asian side so it is not just for lunch. After everybody finished their lunch you asked to our guide to eat dessert but there wasn't time for desert. She offered to you an option as if you like you can take it as a package but you didn't accept. There are some people except for you in that tour and they were all happy. Anyway thank you for your comments/thoughts but we can't agree 'babysitter' word about our guide. Thanks Caner
This tour was the best way to start my trip to Istanbul! Having never been to Turkey before, I figured booking an organized tour would be the smartest way to familiarize myself with the area. Our time with Ludvic (spelling might be wrong) was the most enjoyable and informational experience. His knowledge is impeccable, and he easily answered all of our questions. Also, the restaurant he took us to for lunch was delicious! I highly recommend this tour, and wish I had coordinated another tour with him to see more sights not included. Everything went smoothly, and the hotel pickup and drop off is a huge perk, you’ll understand why when you start trying to coordinate taxis by yourself in the city. Not very easy, and prices are not always fair.
Thanks Danac1 Your comments very important for us. I hope to see you again in our other programmes. Saim
Great tour guide, but this tour is not value for money. The palace has some good bits but is mostly boring and it is annoying not to be able to see it at your own speed. The 90 minute cruise is pleasant, but there are many other operators offering a cruise for cheaper.
Thank you for your comments & thoughts. Actually it is not overpriced. There are many activities in this tour and we organise it as small groups. But thank you for all, we would love to see you again in İstanbul with our different tours. Best wishes, Caner..
I got food poisoning from the restaurant that went to, I’ve been throwing up, diarrhea, chills and headaches all night long nothing ever happened to me like this I felt like I was gonna die,I need to find a hospital to go to
Hello Tahani, We have been working for 5 years with this local restaurant and we have never faced a situation like yours. We contacted with restaurant and started an investigation. We are very sorry to hear about your health condition. Regards Caner
The crew are doing their best, as well as the tour guide too. The food was simple and flavorful. Thanks
Thank you for your nice comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best Wishes, Caner