FULL DAY BOSPHORUS TOUR
Combining MORNING BOSPHORUS & ASIA & BEYLERBEYI PALACE TOUR
Full Day Regular Group Tour
(20-25 people for each group)
MORNING BOSPHORUS CRUISE
CITY WALLS The first breach of the walls was by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the second by the cannons and troops of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453.
GOLDEN HORN As a natural and extremely secure harbor, the Golden Horn has played an important role in the development of Istanbul. The inlet separates the European shore into two. It is approximately 8 km long, and the widest part is the entrance from the Bosphorus. Two streams drain into this inlet at its far end.
SPICE BAZAAR (EGYPTIAN BAZAAR) The air here is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice.
BOAT TRIP ON THE BOSPHORUS An amazing cruise between the two continents, EUROPE and ASIA, along the Bosphorus by the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, wooden villas and mansions up to the Rumeli Fortress.
THE RUMELI FORTRESS (from the Sea) (No Interior Visit)
We begin with a brief visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar*, one of Istanbul’s most colorful, bustling attractions. Next, we travel the Golden Horn on our way to an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. From our cruise boat, we view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus’ wooded shores: mosques, a bridge that for a time was the world’s longest and Rumeli Hisar›, a massive fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror in just three months as he prepared to take Istanbul. Also noteworthy on this tour are the 19th century mansions of the Ottoman elite and the Sultans’ fanciful gingerbread palaces and hunting lodges.
LUNCH
ASIA & BEYLERBEYI PALACE
We begin by driving across the Bosphorus Bridge, for a time the world’s longest suspension bridge, and head for the summit of Çamlıca Hill and its panoramic views of Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara and the Princes’ Islands. Our next stop is the Grand Çamlıca Mosque, the largest mosque in Turkey, opened in 2019 and was designed by two female architects, Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu. A short drive brings us to the Palace of Beylerbeyi on the shore of the Bosphorus. Perhaps the most elegant late Ottoman palace, Beylerbeyi boasts six sumptuously furnished reception halls with Bohemian crystal chandeliers and Sèvres and Chinese vases, including a main salon with an indoor fountain. The sultans’ guests at the palace included Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. (Every day except Mondays.)