Istanbul by Land and Sea - Full-Day Private Tour

Join us for a full-day Bosphorus tour by land and sea that will take you all the way back to Byzantium and Constantinople. At the crossroads between East and West, this channel is the setting for some of the most impressive landmarks in Istanbul as well as its fair share of hidden gems. We begin with a coach tour along the Golden Horn, the inlet that has been the city’s natural harbour since it was settled in Roman times. We’ll pass through the former non-Muslim districts, seeing traces of their rich past such as the Bulgarian Orthodox metal Church of St. Stephen, the Jewish Hospital and the 22km-long Byzantine defensive walls.

At the Egyptian Bazaar, you will experience every culinary fragrance imaginable as you navigate through the stalls selling fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices.

Then we’ll hop on a boat for a romantic Bosphorus cruise, with Europe and Asia on either side. Take photos of marble palaces and ancient wooden villas perched side by side with modern mansions and luxury apartments. You’ll see the impressive Rumeli Fortress, which dates from before the Ottoman conquest and, if time permits, we’ll visit a leather showroom.

We’ll break for a traditional Turkish lunch to replenish our energies for the busy afternoon ahead.

And what an afternoon it is! We’ll head for the Beylerbeyi Palace, a summer residence for the sultans, and then to the Bosphorus Bridge. Here you can step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asia) in two minutes.

From there we’ll continue in Asia up to either Çamlıca Hill or Yeditepe for panoramic views of the city and Bosphorus. You will also see the imperial gardens of the Yıldız Palace.