Istanbul Old Town Highlights Tour

Istanbul Old City Walking Tour We will meet this morning for your historical highlights tour in Istanbul. ***Istanbul, with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, has a rich history dating back to the Byzantium period. Formerly known as Constantinople, Istanbul has many jewels to whet the tourists appetite (to delight the tourist). Luckily most of the historical sights are located close to one another in the old town of Sultanahamet. Your tour guide will meet you in the hotel lobby at the designated time. We will start the tour by visiting the Hippodrome which was the center for chariot races during the Byzantian period and festivals throughout Ottoman rule. Marvel at the Obelisks and visit the German Fountain which commemorates the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm. From the Hippodrome we will progress to the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) named for the blue tiles from Iznik used to decorate the walls. The Blue Mosque is the signature Mosque of Istanbul with it,s six Minarets, stained glass windows and imposing dome. The Blue Mosque is free to visit outside of prayer times. Opposite the Blue Mosque is Hagia Sophia, at times a cathedral, mosque and museum. Hagia Sophia is the highlight of Istanbul making it the most visited site in Turkey. Emperor Justinian commissioned this domed monument in the 6th century AD and this marvel was built in six years. The main basilica houses a 32 meter dome and many impressive mosaics dot the walls. These mosaics represent the Emperors and Empresses and portraits of the Virgin and Christ. There is also many examples of Ottoman calligraphy that show the harmony between Christianity and Islam. Topkapi Palace is located at the tip of the Old Town of Istanbul. This gem of a palace was the main court of the Ottoman Sultans for nearly 400 years. It is comprised of many courtyards from where you can see the Armoury room, kitchens, the treasury and the holy relics. The third courtyard houses the imperial jewels including the pear-shaped Spoonmakers Diamond and the Emerald Topkapi Dagger. We can then finish the tour of Topkapi Palace with a stroll in the gardens. No trip to Istanbul would be complete without a visit to the famed Grand Bazaar. Known in Turkish as Kapali Carsi or covered bazaar, it dates back to the 15th century and is still used by locals today. There are 7 main gates, 60 streets and roughly 4,000 shops in this large covered market. The shopkeepers are rumored to pay their rent in gold. After wandering the maze of stalls we will return to your hotel. NOTE: * Since all daily tours involve some walking, we highly recommend that you wear comfortable low-heeled shoes and casual clothes. a) Walking shoes are recommended. b) Sun glasses and hats are recommended. In the event of inclement weather, please bring a light waterproof jacket or an umbrella. c) Cameras, video cameras and binoculars are recommended, though there will be parts inside of some museums/churches/mosques where it is forbidden to use any of the ones mentioned. d) Visit to holy places of worship such as churches, monasteries, mosques, synagogues bare shoulders and shorts are not permitted, nor shoes in mosques. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any curiosity you may have regarding the tours and Turkish culture. Please visit for our web page for Nar Holidays Travel Tips Booking & Payment: When our proposal is in accordance with your plans, please show your acceptance of our offer by phone or email and indicate to us your preferred method of payment. We accept payment by Bank Transfer and credit card (Visa & Master Card only). We will provide you some suggestions and offer detailed instructions about the payment procedure in the email. Important Note: The relevant hotel and flight bookings will be made at this time. Therefore, the earlier you confirm the tour, the more likely that the proposed itinerary can be adhered to. Confirmation: The tour is officially confirmed at the moment that we receive your payment. We will write an e-mail to confirm this with you. A final itinerary, flight tickets and an invoice will be provided. Once you receive the confirmation email, we will also send you all necessary contact details for each city and some further travel advice to help you with your packing. We are all excited about your choice to visit Turkey! Cancelling your booking: If you wish to cancel your booking we must be notified in writing by the lead name, either by recorded & acknowledged mail, fax or email. Cancellation charges will apply and these depend upon when your written notification is received by us. Less than 20 day notice or no notice: cancellation charge of 100% of the value of your booking. Between 20 and 40 day notice: cancellation charge of 50% of the total value of your booking. Over 40 day notice: cancellation charge of 100 Euro only. We are unable to make any additional refunds to those mentioned above, even if cancellation is made as a result of force majeure which includes -but is not limited to- acts or threat of war, government action, strike, civil unrest, fire, failure of public utilities, medical emergency, natural or nuclear disaster or airport closure. You may be able to recover the majority of the cancellation fees under the terms of your holiday insurance policy: we strongly recommend you to get one. PS: Flight tickets and ferry tickets are not included in the above cancellation policy. Once your program is confirmed and flight/ferry tickets are purchased, any changes on the dates of the flight program will incur a change fee or in case of cancellation (this is additional to the service fee), 100% cancellation fee for the flight tickets will be incurred regardless of the above cancellation policy. Nar Holidays are a brand of Tuan Adventures Tourism which operates under the license of A0001 by TURSAB. (Turkish Travel Agencies Association)