Constantinople to Istanbul - Full-Day Small Group Tour

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| Istanbul, Turkey

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8 hours (approx.)

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Overview

Visit some of the most famous and historic sites in Istanbul while enjoying full commentary by a local guide who will take you on a tour of the city from the time it was Constantinople during the Roman/Byzantine period to the present day. From the Hippodrome, which was a major entertainment center in old Constantinople, to the Grand Bazaar, which remains a vibrant market to this day, you will get a firsthand look at the rich history and culture of Istanbul through the ages. Other stops include Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. The tour also includes an authentic Turkish lunch along the way.

What's Included

Expertise comments and knowledge about the Topkapi Palace.
Fast track access to the sites with skip-the-line tickets.
English-Speaking & Professional Tour Guide.

Lunch & Beverages
Gratuities
Admission Fees to Musuems.

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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Alemdar
Nuru Osmaniye Cd. No:, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Hippodrome

The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Greek: Ἱππόδρομος τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, romanized: Hippódromos tēs Kōnstantinoupóleōs) was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with a few fragments of the original structure surviving.The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos (ἵππος), horse, and dromos (δρόμος), path or way. For this reason, it is sometimes also called Atmeydanı ("Horse Square") in Turkish. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

German Fountain

The German Fountain (Turkish: Alman Çeşmesi German: Deutscher Brunnen) is a gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of old hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), Istanbul, Turkey and across from the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898. It was built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and assembled in its current site in 1900. The neo-Byzantine style fountain's octagonal dome has eight marble columns, and dome's interior is covered with golden mosaics.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Blue Mosque

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii), also known as the Blue Mosque, is an Ottoman-era mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque, it also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s interior walls, and at night the mosque is bathed in blue as lights frame the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. It sits next to the Hagia Sophia, the principal mosque of Istanbul until the Blue Mosque's construction and another popular tourist site.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hagia Sophia Mosque

Hagia Sophia (/ˈhɑːɡiə soʊˈfiːə/; from Koinē Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, romanized: Hagía Sophía; Latin: Sancta Sophia, lit. 'Holy Wisdom'), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Turkish: Ayasofya-i Kebir Camii Şerifi)[2] and formerly the Church of Hagia Sophia,[3] is a Late Antique place of worship in Istanbul. Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, except during the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261, when it became the city's Roman Catholic cathedral. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935 the secular Turkish Republic established it as a museum. In 2020, it re-opened as a mosque.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Topkapi Palace

1453 was the year, twenty-year-old Mehmet II (later named the Conquerer) commanded his armies to take the lands of Constantinople from the Eastern Roman Empire and converted to a new Ottoman Capital. This important footstep towards to the history resulted with a new-born empire, reforged from the foundation of a small-tribe-state.After a six-year construction by a very special and selected stone masons and cutters, Saray-i Cedid-i Amire (the New Palace) was completed in 1465 and opened to use of the House of Osman and its cabinet.The palace's itself contains many symbolic meanings with regards to social degrees, in its architecture and the Palaceitselfstill remains as one of the most attractive places to pay a visit even today.

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ‘Covered Market’; also Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand Market’) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m2, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Operating Mosques are required their visitors to wear accordingly to the Mosque Etiquette and can be visited between the praying times.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Constantinople to Istanbul – Full-Day Small Group Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (+03). Read more Apr 2025