Istanbul Dream

With our Istanbul Dream tour program, you'll have the chance to explore the historical city of Istanbul.  

Arrive at the Airport, meet your guide, and set off to the Old Town of Istanbul (a 90-minute drive), the historic center in which some parts of has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Topkapı Palace, a city palace that housed all the Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries; it consists of three courtyards, terraces with astonishing views, and precious collections. Have lunch at around 1 -2 pm. In the afternoon, visit Sultan Ahmet Square, the German Fountain, the Hippodrome, the Million Stone, and the magnificent Hagia Sophia. Constructed as a Christian church during the sixth century, this Church of the Holy Wisdom served as the mother church of the Orthodox religion for more than 1,000 years. When you are in the sanctuary, please don't forget to look up to admire its immense vaulted ceiling that soars above the four arches on which it rests. Visit Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known as Blue Mosque. It is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque which interior walls adorned with fascinating hand-painted blue tiles, and it is just opposite Hagia Sophia, about a 5-minute walking distance. Discover Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets; this remarkable shopping complex dates back more than 550 years. It houses over 4000 shops across 58 streets and is regularly visited by travelers and locals alike. Free time to enjoy strolling in Egyptian Market, also known as Spice Market. The daily tour finishes at Galata bridge around 7 pm. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Breakfast in the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby at 9:00 am and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Eminönü. Bosphorus Tour's boat departure time is at 10:20 am. You'll get a panoramic view of the Bosphorus, the waterway which separates Istanbul into two parts, the European continent and the Asian continent. During the Bosphorus cruise, you'll see Dolmabahçe Palace's ornated seaside entrance gate, which the sultans used. Maiden tower, Çırağan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the fortress of Rumelihisarı, and old wooden villas (called Yalı) along the seaside are some of the pearl grains adorning the strait which joins Marmara and the Black Sea. "Yalı" s served as the summer residence for distinguished citizens, grand viziers, and Paşas starting from the end of the 17th century. Yalıs were built with the inspiration of baroque, art nouveau, and modern styles of architecture and typically painted rust red, a color known as Ottoman rose. The boat trip will take approximately 90 minutes. You will have two hours in a cozy fisherman village called Kavak to walk around and have lunch. This pretty village is well known for fried mussels and fish restaurants. Take the boat, and our trip will end at Eminönü. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.

Kindly note that group visit's to Dolmabahçe Palace is organized by reservation; according to our reservation schedule, the morning program might switch to the afternoon program.
Breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby, and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Dolmabahçe Palace, an ornate blend of European and Ottoman architecture that rests along the banks overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The Armenian architect Balyan family built the palace in the 19th century. Discover eye-popping rooms that once hosted sultans and their royal guests, stroll into pristine marble rooms, and gaze up at twinkling crystal chandeliers. All the clocks in the palace were set at 9:05 am, the exact time of the death of the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who passed away on the 10th of November 1938 in this palace. Arrive at Taksim Square, the city's heart, and have lunch. In the afternoon, discover the Beyoğlu district where during the Ottoman period, Jews from Spain, Arabs, Greek, and Armenians settled in communities. The pedestrian street, Istiklal Street, once known as Grande Rue de Pera, is lined by late 19th-century apartment blocks and European embassy buildings. It's an impressive variety of grandiose gates and façades with art deco and modern architectural styles. While getting around, you'll see many churches, mosques, the Fish Market, the Mevlevi Lodge, art galleries, cafés, bookstores, shops selling handicrafts, and jazz bars. An old-fashioned tram travels the length of Istiklal Street. The daily tour will end in front of the Tunnel, the underground funicular system. The Tunnel is the world's second-oldest extant subterranean urban rail line; a French engineer, Eugène-Henri Gavand, constructed it. Construction began in the summer of 1871 and was completed in 1874. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to an old neighborhood called Cibali. Cibali was a trade center, and its harbor had a flourishing business life thanks to the Ottoman warehouses and caulkers along the Golden Horn. The Cibali Tobacco Factory, founded in 1884, was an important institution that changed the neighborhood socially and economically. The building with the elegant façade has served as Kadir Has University campus since 2002. Visit the Rezan Has Museum, enriched by documents and objects belonging to Cibali Tobacco and Cigarette Factory. The museum site connects the past to the future with its Byzantine cistern, dated the 11th century to its Ottoman structure style, dated the 17th century. You'll realize the importance of the cisterns, the water reservoirs made of stone, which were used to meet the water requirements of Istanbul in the Byzantine period. The cistern under the museum was used as the tobacco warehouse of the cigarette factory. After the visit to the museum, our walking tour of Fener & Balat starts. Balat was home to Greek-speaking Jews from the Byzantine era; Sephardic Jews from Spain joined them in the 15th century. Fener became a Greek enclave in the early 16th century. There are several important churches and mosques in the district. You'll see Teodosya Church which was converted into a mosque and have the name Gül Cami as it was ornate with roses. Visit the Ecumenical Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, which has a basilica-style church dating back to 1720. Yet the church contains much older relics and furniture. To give you an idea, the Patriarch's throne is considered Byzantine. Lunch in Balat. In the afternoon, visit the Church of St Mary of the Mongols (Kanlı Kilise), the only Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul which remained continuously in the hands of the Greek community since the Byzantine era. Another district symbol is the imposing Greek Orthodox High School in red bricks. The daily tour will end after visiting the Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars. The entire church, internal columns, and galleries were cast in iron in 1871 and shipped from Vienna to the Golden Horn coast, where it was assembled. Transfer to the Airport.