Istanbul Historical City Tour

About this tour

This tour is our top recommendation for first-time visitors of Istanbul. Get to know the old city and the wonderous Istanbul. Discover Topkapi Palace, Basilica of Haghia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square and Grand Bazaar and learn about the Turkish culture.

Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace was the house of Fatih Sultan Mehmed II who conquered Istanbul when he was only 21 years old in 1453. Topkapi Palace is one of the oldest and largest palaces remaining. And today, it’s a museum exhibiting priceless art pieces and artifacts. Harem section is not included in this tour.

Basilica of Hagia Sofia 
The Church of Holy Wisdom is one of the greatest architectural creations in the world. After the conquer of Istanbul, the first place Fatih Sultan Mehmed II had entered was Haghia Sofia, which later turned into a mosque. It was later turned into a museum in 1934 and since 2020 it has been used as a mosque again. 

Blue Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque one of the most revered masterpieces of the Islamic world, commonly referred to as Blue Mosque. It is famous with its blue ceramic tiles and six minarets. Blue Mosque is one of the most visited located tourist destinations in Istanbul and it is still an actively functioning mosque, built between 1609 and 1616.

Roman Hippodrome Square
Sultanahmet Square was the center for entertainment, amusement and sports in the city during the Roman Empire. The Egyptian Obelisk, The Serpentine Column, Walled Obelisk and the German Fountain of Wilhelm II are the sites are visited with this tour. 

Grand Bazaar
The oldest and the largest covered market place in the world with more almost 4000 shops owing rich collection of handmade carpets, jewelry, leather and souvenirs, Grand Bazaar is widely visited by both locals and tourists alike. Always a buzzing center for shopping, Grand Bazaar is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs.

Istanbul Historical City Tour brings you back in time. Get to discover the halls Ottoman sultans walked around in with Topkapi Palace, see the Byzantine architecture from the 6th century with Haghia Sophia, see the 20,000 blue tiles in the Blue Mosque, step on the same ground as gladiators with Roman Hippodrome Square and see 4,000 stores with all Turkish goods in Grand Bazaar which opened to service in the Ottoman period as well. This tour introduces you to all the great civilizations that affected and left their marks in Istanbul.