6 Nights/ 7 Days: Istanbul Historical Tour

Información

This 6 night package is a great opportunity to enjoy the mystical magic of this fascinating city and explore many of its’ historical sights, with guided tours to explain Istanbul’s many attractions followed by a couple of free days to get to know the city at ones’ own leisurely pace.

On the first day, guests are met at the Arrival Hall in their chosen Istanbul airport and taken to their hotel. The rest of the day is free.

On the second day, guests are collected from their hotels at 9am for a full day tour of some of Istanbul’s historic Christian buildings beginning with the Church of St George, the city’s principal Greek Orthodox Cathedral, still in use today. The tour then moves on to the Church of St Mary of Blachernae, an Eastern Orthodox Church built in 1867 on the same spot as a shrine built in the 5th century BC by Mary of Blachernae’s Emperor husband, Marcian. After lunch, the tour moves on to the remains of the old Byzantine city walls and then the Church of St Mary of the Spring, named after a nearby holy spring, reputed to have healing properties and one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Greek Orthodoxy for almost 1500 years. The day will finish with an opportunity to do some shopping before returning to the hotel at approximately 5.30pm.

The following day, the half day tour begins again at 9am and visits some of Istanbul’s primary historical sites in the Sultanahmet area, these include the Haghia Sophia Museum which boasts the 4th largest dome in the world. This stunning building began as a Byzantine basilica built in the 6th century AD during the reign of Justinian and was an architectural innovation at the time. After this, the tour moves on to the nearby Blue Mosque, so called aafter the delicate designs of the Ottoman tiles which decorate the walls of the shrine; the mosque is identifiable by its’ six minarets. The morning ends with a visit to the Hippodrome, once the centre for sports and entertainment in old Constantinople, the Roman Capital; it was also a very important centre for politics.

On day four, the morning is free to relax and then the afternoon tour begins from the hotel at 12.30 starting with the Suleymaniye Mosque. Located on the third hill of Istanbul, the mosque is one of the best known sights in the city. Built in the mid-sixteenth century, the architect was the well-renowned Mimar Sinan and it is a vast complex blending Islamic and Byzantine styles. Moving on from here, the tour joins the Bosphorous Cruise for a thrilling tour sailing along the Straits, one of the best ways to appreciate all that this wonderful city has to offer including magnificent views of the European and Asian shorelines. Return to hotel at approximately 5pm.

The next two days are free and on the final day, guests check out of their hotel and are taken to their relevant Istanbul Airport.

Meeting/pick-up point: Pick up from Istanbul Ataturk Airport on the first day. (For transfers from Sabiha Gokcen Airport there is an additional return charge)
Duration: 6 nights/ 7 days.
Languages: in Russian.
Included:: 6 nights accommodation in a 5 star hotel on BB basis; transfers to / from airport; entrance fees to places of visit, the shuttle service Tours, a professional guide, lunch on the first day, Bosphorous trip.