Istanbul is a country rich in culture and a land of unimaginable beauty. Its mosques with intricate decorations and curves lend charm to the beautiful sunsets. The landscapes painted with green grasslands and fairytale-like woodlands are breathtaking. The locale’s natural beauty and culture attracts many tourists. As a tourist, how can you be sure of making the most of your holiday in Istanbul?
If you are looking for an unforgettable tour in a magnificent place, Istanbul is one of the best cities to visit. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is the country’s seat of history. The city is bustling with energy since it is Turkey’s economic and cultural center.
The perfect Istanbul tours are the ones that capture the character of the city. A successful tour should be able to show you why Istanbul is different from all other cities in the world. What you need is an excellent cultural tour in Istanbul.
You have choices of different schedules to accommodate your availability. They offer half day and full day tours. For the half day tours, you can choose the morning or the afternoon tour. Night dinner cruises are also available if you fancy some unforgettable nights of Istanbul culture. The tour guides are very professional and give quick and witty descriptions of all locations. Tour explanations are delivered in clear, perfect English (also German and Spanish).
Included in the tour are hotel pick-up and drop-off, entrance fees per location, tour guides who speak in English, German and Spanish. It also covers lunch. VAT is also included in the fee. What’s good about this is you pay with cash or credit card on the day of the tour. No advance payment required.
The Imperial Tour (Old Istanbul Tour)
This part of Istanbul tours covers the following locations: (morning part of the tour) Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Egyptian Obelisks, Grand Bazaar, (afternoon tour) Topkapi Palace and the Rustem Pasha Mosque.
The morning part of this tour will take you to the Eighth Wonder of the World (Hagia Sophia Museum), one of the most beautiful mosques in the world (Blue Mosque) and the Egyption Obelisk. The trip to the covered market, Grand Bazaar, is surreal. It is pulsing with positive energy. You will feel like you are in a different world. This will be a wonderful cultural treat for you.
The next part of the day’s tour is equally delightful. The tour’s itinerary: Topkapi Palace and Rustem Pasha Mosque. The Topkapi Palace, the Ottoman Empire headquarters for 400 years, houses the third largest diamond in the world. The Palace, which is a museum now, also displays Ottoman era art works. American Newsweek’s choice for The Most Beautiful Mosque in Europe is Rustem Pasha Mosque. The unique architecture of the mosque will not fail to amaze all who visit it.
Bosphorus Cruise
This is another of the full day Istanbul tours. The first stop will be a visit to the Spice Bazaar. This is another wonder. This bazaar does not seem to be affected by the outside world. Aside from the aroma of the spices, you will feel as if you are still in the 17th century in the Ottoman Empire. The next stop is a quick trip to the Golden Horn. The Bosphorus tour is on a private boat. One amazing fact about the Bosphorus is that it separates the continents of Asia and Europe. This means that on one side you will see Asia and on the other side you will see Europe. The morning tour ends at the Rumeli Fortress.
In the afternoon, the Bosphorus Bridge is first on the list. You will enjoy the first stop of the afternoon at Camlica Hill which offers the best view in all of Turkey. Under the Bosphorus Bridge is the Beylerbeyi Palace which will be the last part of the tour. This was used as a summer resort by the Ottoman Sultans.
Princess Island Tour (Full Day Istanbul Island Tour)
This full day tour of Istanbul Island will take you to Buyukada. In the Marmara Sea, there are 9 small islands that look like an emerald necklace. The boat trip will be a 2-hour ride. At Buyukada, you will enjoy riding a horse carriage as you are guided through the place. Lunch will be at a fish restaurant.
Bosphorus and Ottoman Tour
This tour is a combination of the best parts of Istanbul. Itinerary is: Golden Horn, Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus Bridge and the Rumeli Fortress in the morning. The second half of the tour is to the Topkapi Palace and Rustem Pasha Mosque. Be assured that after this particular full day tour is over, you will still long to see other parts of Istanbul.
Imperial and Bosphorus Tour
Istanbul tours always want to give you varied choices. You are given the leeway to select the different parts you want to visit. You will discover that there are different combinations of places to visit for each kind of tour you want to experience. For the Imperial and Bosphorus Tour, places to visit are: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Egyptian Obelisks, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul City Walls, Golden Horn, Spice Bazaar, a Bosphorus Cruise, Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge.
This particular tour will satisfy your need to immerse yourself in the city’s culture. After an enjoyable day, there will be a lot of good memories to look back upon, not to mention a whole lot of photographs.
Cappadocia Tour
For the Cappadocia Tours, you have 4 different packages to choose from. They offer a daily tour, as well as 2-day, 3-day and 4-day Cappadocia Tours. This part of Istanbul is a rocky region. It is filled with history and the most wonderful sights. Activities that you can enjoy are the Balloon Tour, Turkish Night Show and the Whirling Dervishes Show. You should never leave Turkey without enjoying all of these.
Turkish Night Saloon
A Turkish Night Saloon is something that you will never forget. You will understand another part of Turkish culture: the Turkish nights. Part of the program is live orchestra. Belly dancing and folklore dance are also featured. Music and dance can be enjoyed through the performances of ERCU and the DJ Erdinc. While enjoying all these, you can also sample more of the delicious local Istanbul cooking.
Turkish Night Cruise
Nights in Istanbul are like no other. It is an experience that you just have to grab. On this Bosphorus Dinner Cruise, you will be treated to a very rich dinner that showcases the best of Turkish food. For the program, you will get to understand the varying nuances of the culture. You will see the folklore show, a belly dance show, comedy entertainment, live music and cultural dance. At the end of it all, you will wish that the night cruise never ends.
Morning Imperial Tour (Old Istanbul Tour)
If you only wish to see parts of Istanbul, this is the tour for you. This morning tour covers the following locations: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Egyptian Obelisks and the Grand Bazaar. Daily departure is guaranteed. And as with the other package tours, no advance payment is required. Payment will be in cash or card on the day of the tour.
Morning Bosphorus Cruise
Another half-day offering is the Morning Bosphorus Cruise. Places to visit are: Istanbul City Walls, Golden Horn, Spice Bazaar, a Bosphorus Cruise, Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus Bridge and the Marmara Sea.
Afternoon Imperial Tour (Old Istanbul Tour)
For the afternoon of your stay in Istanbul, you have a choice to see some parts of the city. The Afternoon Imperial Tour (Old Istanbul Tour) will take you to the Topkapi Palace, a museum which houses the third largest diamond in the world. The next destination is the Rustem Pasha Mosque, chosen by American Newsweek as the Most Beautiful Mosque in Europe.
Afternoon Bosphorus Cruise
This is the same package as its morning counterpart. This Afternoon Bosphorus Cruise offers the same locations as the morning tour (Istanbul City Walls, Golden Horn, Spice Bazaar, a Bosphorus Cruise, Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus Bridge and the Marmara Sea). If you prefer an afternoon tour after an all-night Turkish Nights Saloon tour, then pick this package. Hotel pick-up is at 12:45 – 13:30.
Asia Beylerbeyi Tour
This Asia tour will take you to the Bosphorus Bridge. What is amazing about this bridge is that it is the first bridge to connect Asia and Europe. You also get to sip delicious Turkish coffee while enjoying the view from Camlica Hill. This is Istanbul’s highest peak. The tour will then take you under the Bosphorus Bridge, to the Beylerbeyi Palace. There is a strong historical significance in this palace as the Ottoman Sultans enjoyed it as their summer resort.
People who have been to the different places in Istanbul on different tours have enjoyed every tour. They have nothing but good words and the best of memories. So the next time you plan a tour, take the Istanbul Tours!
