ISTANBUL CITY TOUR & BOSPHORUS CRUISE

At the indicated time and place, we will pick you up to start a day dedicated entirely to the architectural and historical jewels of Istanbul and brought to life by the commentary of your official English-speaking guide.

Your tour begins at the the visit of the Golden Horn by bus, the Bosphorus arm and a natural port in the historic peninsula that separates the old and new parts of Istanbul, where the first colonies were established during the Byzantine Empire. This was a residential area for Byzantine Jews, Italian merchants, and other non-Muslim minorities. We will travel through the footsteps of history in Balat and the Bulgarian Church of St. Stephen, the Jewish Hospital (Or-Ahayim), Fener Orthodox Patriarchate and the 22-km large Byzantine wall, the strongest fortification of the Middle Age. 

We continue our walk in the Egyptian Bazaar, or Spice Bazaar, which has been open since the middle of the 17th century and has since then fulfilled exactly the same function. Its importance comes from the times when Istanbul marked the end of the Silk Road and was a distribution center throughout Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte confirmed its importance to us, with the phrase: "If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital." After testing our skills as a bargainer in the Bazaar, enjoy the magical smells of spices, nuts, cheeses and flowers, our guide will accompany us to the port where we will embark to continue our adventure by sea. We will navigate the Bosphorus through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe from Asia, where we will be able to enjoy the great beauty of the Istanbul forests, its palaces and the yali, wooden palaces built on both banks and we will have the opportunity to photograph the Horn from our boat of the Topkapi Palace, the Galata tower, the Rumeli Fortress historical armament built by Mehmed the Conqueror to control and protect the Bosphorus. (Visit to a leather showroom if time permits)

At the end of the boat ride, we will taste a classic Turkish lunch in a typical restaurant.

With renewed energy, we will begin the visit to the Dolmabahce Palace, located on the Bosphorus coast, the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for more than 3 decades. This incredible palace was commissioned by the thirty-first Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdülmecid I. It took 30 years to build and cost the modest sum of 35 tons of gold that contributed to the Empire becoming insolvent years later. It was inhabited by 6 sultans until the abolition of the caliphate in 1924, including Ataturk, considered the founder and father of the republic. The majestic palace will delight us with its Barrócos, Rococó, and Neo-Classic touches distributed in its more than 45,000 square meters, 285 rooms and 6 Turkish baths.
After our visit to the Palace, we will cross from Europe to Asia to enjoy the views offered by the Camlica hill, which dominates and offers us an unparalleled panoramic view of the Bosphorus and part of Europe. We will have free time to observe the landscape or simply stroll through its beautiful parks.
After the visit to the hill, we will comfortably continue on our bus to the Sultanahmed area where our tour will end. Before, our guide will answer our questions and explain in detail the various elements that will surprise us, such as the city walls that began to be built in the 4th century by the Byzantine emperor Theodosius and that extend for almost 7 kilometers.

Greca Tip: The tour finishes in Sultanahmet, the neuralgic area of the city. Take this opportunity to try some of the local foods, such as Kofte (meatballs made with lamb or beef), Pide (Turkish pizza), Sis Kebab (skewers of cooked meat) and lokum (Turkish delight) or baklava for a sweet aftertaste.