Discover Bosphorus - Private Half-Day Tour

General information

Destination
Istanbul, Turkey

Program details

We begin with a coach tour along the Golden Horn, the inlet that has been the city’s natural harbour since it was settled in Roman times. We’ll pass through the former non-Muslim districts, seeing traces of their rich past such as the Bulgarian Orthodox metal Church of St. Stephen, the Jewish Hospital and the 22km-long Byzantine defensive walls. Discovering the sensuous smells and assorted aromas of the Spice Bazaar before embarking on a boat.



At the Spice Bazaar, you will experience every gamut of emotions as you navigate through the stalls selling both fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, flowers and, of course, spices. From aniseed to zedoary, you will find every imaginable spice under the sun. Naturally, vast amounts of Turkish delight, coffee and tea are also on sale. A big part of the fun is haggling with the garrulous stallholders, who will either amuse you or convince into purchasing something.



After this sensory feast, it’s time to sit back and relax with a pleasant cruise along the Bosphorus. You’ll pass the elegant waterfront villas that were the weekend and summer retreats of the Ottoman elites and the imposing Rumeli Fortress.



Some of these waterfront residences, called "yalı" in Turkish, are centuries old and made of wood. Others are veritable marble palaces of a less distant vintage. The range of colours and architectural styles is truly vast, ranging from the intrinsically Ottoman to Western neo-classical. Make sure to have your camera at the ready because along the Bosphorus there are more than 600 of these homes dotted about.



From the boat you’ll also see the hulking Rumeli Fortress, which was built more than 560 years ago by the Ottomans to prepare for their attack on Constantinople and to control the Bosphorus.



Important information

The Grand Covered Bazaar is closed on Sundays and will be replaced with authentic shops around Grand Bazaar.

As mosques are closed on Fridays, there will only be external visits on that day.