Private Hidden Wonders of Istanbul Tour

Enjoy a full-day tour of Istanbul’s top attractions, including visits to the beautiful Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, along with the spellbinding Grand Bazaar and Hippodrome, site of long-ago chariot races

On this Private Hidden Wonders of Istanbul Tour, you'll visit locations full of rich history, learn about Turkish culture, and sample delicious Turkish tea while enjoying a wonderful view of the city.

• In the Old City, your first visit will be to the Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom. Originally built as an Orthodox basilica, it later was used as a mosque, and now is a museum. Built in 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. Upon the conquering of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, it became a mosque and was used as such until 1931. It was opened as a museum in 1935.
  
  
• Departing Hagia Sophia you will next visit the world renowned Blue Mosque finished in 1616. The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I when he was only 19 years old. The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while in the galleries they become flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and trees.
  
  
• Topkapi Palace – the seat of Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries, and stuffed with imperial treasures and artifacts. (At your own expense, you may visit the palace's Harem and discover the quarters of the sultan’s many wives, princes, and eunuchs. )

See the Harem and Treasury, and learn about the sultans who lived here. Having explored here, walk the bustling streets to the Hippodrome, the site of a long-ago stadium where chariot races were once held during Byzantine and Ottoman times. 

• Then navigate the Grand Bazaar's scenic backstreets. The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. This beautiful walled marketplace contains over 3,000 shops across 61 covered streets.