Tour Highlights:
Start with the Blue Mosque: Check out Istanbul’s greatest Islamic monument on this small-group walking tour. After you have met your friendly and informative guide and exchanged a pleasant meet and greet, you will get the day’s activities started with the tour of the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is the most visited monument in Istanbul. Your tour will start in the Sultanahmet neighborhood which takes its name from the mosque.
Marvel at this imperial Ottoman Mosque, commissioned by Sultan Ahmet the first and the last one built in this grand size. Witness the evocative power and splendor of its past as you enjoy a comprehensive guided tour of the Blue Mosque and its complementary buildings with a professional guide. Afterward, enjoy the courtyard for breathtaking views of modern Istanbulites and take a gentle stroll around the neighborhood.
Visit the Hagia Sophia with your expert guide and witness the most significant site of the Greek Orthodox religion in Istanbul and learn how it was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.
In the interiors, you will see the elements of a mosque and a church standing next to each other. Admire the basilica’s stunning dome and minarets, and countless mosaics, paintings, and columns. Learn how the impressive İznik tiles were added over time in the mosque, how the stunning Virgin Mary mosaic was made, and why the Ottomans chose to bury their sultans in the courtyard.
Walk the length of the Hippodrome and enjoy a scenic stroll around Sultanahmet as you witness local life with your small group. Learn about the obelisks that adorn the square.
Take a break between two major monuments for the best views and learn about the significance of the hippodrome during the Byzantine times of the city.
(Closed Friday mornings until the end of noon prayer. Expect long lines at high season)
The world-famous Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul’s premier sights. Sultan Ahmet’s imperial mosque is still a working mosque with fascinating tile work — 21,043 tiles, to be precise — in every shade of blue. The Blue Mosque is an essential part of our tour that lets us cover mosque architecture and the basics of Islam in a very relevant setting.
Hagia Sophia alone justifies a visit to Istanbul. The church of the Divine Wisdom is eternally impressive and important, with its extraordinary dimensions and daunting beauty.
Its dome was a daring engineering feat in the sixth century, and engineers still marvel at the building’s many innovations. It remains the most popular site in the city. All of our guides love Hagia Sophia personally, so you can expect to have in-depth explanations of the monument as part of your tour.
Your tour guide will explain the significance of the monument with regards to Islam and Christianity and go through its history of being converted from a church into a mosque.
Summer departures: 09:30 / 13:30
Winter departures: 09:00 / 13:00
Fridays: Tours run in the afternoon only.
We meet at the House of Medusa Restaurant in Sultanahmet. Here is the Google Maps Link
*Please note that if arriving by car or taxi that the last 10- 20 meters to the meeting point is closed to traffic and you will have to walk.