Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour
Overview
Discover the historic heart of Istanbul on the Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour, a full-day guided experience with morning pickup from your city center hotel or cruise port. Explore the Hippodrome, once the center of Constantinople’s sporting and political life, and see monuments including the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, and Wilhelm II Fountain. Continue to the Blue Mosque, admired for its 17th-century architecture, blue tiles, and six minarets, then visit Topkapi Palace, the former imperial residence of the Ottoman Empire. After lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant, discover Hagia Sophia and browse the historic Grand Bazaar before returning around 5:30 pm.
Highlights
- Explore Constantinople’s historic Hippodrome
- Visit the iconic Blue Mosque
- Discover Ottoman treasures at Topkapi Palace
- Enjoy lunch at a Turkish restaurant
- Admire the architecture of Hagia Sophia
- Browse carpets, jewelry, and souvenirs
- Travel by air-conditioned coach
Itinerary
Explore Istanbul's Best: Full-Day Tour of History & Culture
You will be picked up in the morning from your hotel or cruise port between 8:15 – 8:45 am for the full-day Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour.
On the tour you will be able to see:
Hippodrome, The former center of sportive and political activities of Constantinople. You will be able to see the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from Delphi, and the fountain of Willhelm II.
Blue Mosque, One of the biggest mosques of Istanbul from 17th-century architecture is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul. Also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarets.
Topkapi Palace, The former imperial residence from where the Great Ottoman Empire was ruled. Today a spectacular museum that has one of the largest collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and the very famous treasury of the Royal Family.. Lunch will be provided in a traditional Turkish restaurant.
Hagia Sophia, The magnificent Byzantine Church of all times; is one of the finest and largest architectural works of art in the world.
Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi), In addition to its historical importance, it’s a bazaar that will tempt even the nonshoppers with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewelry, leather, and souvenirs.
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel or cruise port around 5:30 pm.
What's included
- Hotel pickup and drop off (on the European side of Istanbul only) & Istanbul cruise port.
- Transport by air-conditioned coach
- Professional licensed English-speaking guide during the tour
- Lunch
- Entrance fees
- Local taxes and service charges
What's not included
- Gratuities (optional)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
Good to know
- Pick-up and drop-off service is only provided from city center hotels including the Old City and Taksim and Beyoglu hotels. Pick up service from outside the city center will be at an additional cost that we will communicate once you give us your exact pick-up location.
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Please note that the Blue Mosque opens to sightseeing visitors after 2:30 PM on Fridays; prayer-time restrictions also apply. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays.
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici).
- Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
- During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
- This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
- The regular group tour has a shopping stop included in the tour.
Frequently asked questions
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
If you need to cancel or change your travel dates, you must notify All Istanbul Tours at least 5 days before the tour starts. For a cancellation or date-change request received at least 5 days before the tour starts, the cost of all non-refundable flight and bus tickets will be deducted from the paid balance. For a cancellation or date-change request received less than 5 days before the tour starts, the full amount paid is non-refundable. If a traveler does not appear for the booked service, the reservation is treated as a no-show and the full amount paid is non-refundable.
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Traveled September 2026
Looking for an easy way to see Istanbul with friends, we chose this tour. The contrast between the Byzantine sites and Ottoman relics kept the day interesting, and our guide gave us time for a few good photos. It was a long morning, but the pace was good and we were tired in a happy way by the end.
The tour was excellent and very informative. Would highly recommend this trip. Tour guide, Murat, was very good
The tour was great, our guide was very informative and always ensured we we the right positions to take advantage of his expert local knowledge, I would highly recommend the tour as we have learnt so much about Istanbul and it’s history.
Great job 🙂