Begin your day by meeting your guide at either a central location on the way to the Yenkapi neighborhood or your central hotel in Istanbul. Hop into your comfortable coach and start with a drive around the Golden Horn which converges with the Bosphorus Strait to connect Europe and Asia. Continue through the Jewish district of Balat and observe the distinct, iron built Church Of St Stephen of the Bulgars. Then, marvel at the ancient Byzantine Walls of Constantinople.
Next, make your way into the Greek quarter of Fener and admire the Ecumencial Orthodox Patriarchate. Learn about the liturgical leader of the Greek Orthodox Church who resides at this established church. Then, continue to the colorful Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) and walk about its lively stalls seeing an array of shopkeepers selling spices and eclectic wares, tapestries, and other diverse goods.
Hop back on your coach for a quick ride to the port for your sightseeing adventure on the Bosphorus. Find your favorite vantage point aboard and relax for a charming cruise. As the boat picks up speed, whip out your camera for perfect panoramic shots of Istanbul’s top attractions. Marvel at the beauty of the Imperial Gardens of Royal Yildiz Palace and see the commanding Rumeli fortress which views the slimmest section of the Bosphorus.
As you duck beneath the Bosphorus bridge enjoy the illustrious marble palaces that sit cheek-by-jowl with Ottoman-era wooden villas on both east and west coastlines. As your cruise on the Bosphorus heads back to the port side, glimpse over the long shoreline and savor the picturesque scene of the city of a thousand faces. Step off the boat and take a leisurely ride back to Taksim Square where your tour ends.
