Meet your guide at the Itimat Fabrika Satis yero/magazasi at the the entry gate of the Spice Market in the heart of Istanbul. From here you’ll take the local bus to Fener to discover Istanbul’s heritage. Travel by public bus to the colorful Fener/Balat district, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and at one time home to Istanbul’s Ottoman Orthodox and Jewish residents. See traces of Ottoman life, including wooden houses, mosques, churches, and synagogues, standing together and demonstrating the multicultural and religious ways of the Ottoman Empire. After walking along the cobblestoned streets of the Fener/Balat World Heritage area, you’ll continue along the historic Byzantine city walls that date to the 4th century A.D. and the time of Constantine the Great. See the exterior of the historic Eyüp mosque complex, a sacred area where pilgrims come to visit the mosques and the tombs of Muslim saints. From here you’ll take a short cable car ride up to the famous Pierre Loti Café, a popular meeting point for locals. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of Istanbul while sipping a drink in one of the cafés where French Poet Pierre Loti was inspired to write Aziyade, part biography and part love story about his escapades in Istanbul in the late 1800s. Walk back down to Eyüp to catch the local ferry for a cruise on the blue waters of the Golden Horn. See Ottoman houses, shipyards, the old and new Galata bridges, Ataturk Bridge, ancient city walls, mosques, churches, and other historic and modern sites. You’ll disembark at Karaköy Harbor, where the tour ends.

Enjoy a private car hire with a driver and explore Istanbul. The drivers have local knowledge and know the city very well.  Let the driver handle the traffic and relax while going to business meetings, shopping, or visiting restaurants, cafes, and historical places. The drivers wait for you in the car while you visit places and are ready to drive to your next stop. All the minivans offer WiFi and GPS. The cars are disinfected on a regular basis, are fully insured, and have a modern interior. This service is available from 4 hours until up to 8 hours, with a distance limit depending on the time.  At the end of the rental, you can drop off at any location in Istanbul.

Tell your friends you’ve been to Asia and Europe in one day by joining us on a guided tour of Istanbul’s most historic sites. Led by an expert guide, you’ll visit the impressive Dolmabahçe Palace, the official home of Ottoman Sultans. Built by two famous Ottoman architects, the palace houses a museum-worthy collection of European furniture, art and antiquities. Then it’s off to the Bosphorus Bridge, which straddles the narrow waterway that separates Europe and Asia. Once you’ve crossed the bridge it’s time to head to Camlica HIll, which offers dramatic, panoramic views of the city from almost 300 meters above sea level. Please note, on Mondays and Thursdays the palace is closed, so the tour will make three different stops: Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb, Pierre Loti Coffee House and Miniatürk park.

This half-day tour of Istanbul’s Golden Horn visits the city’s most sacred site and the 3rd most sacred site in the world after Mecca and Jerusalem. The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is visited by thousands of faithful people every day and you will join in as you explore the Mosque of Eyüp-El-Ensari, flagbearer of the Prophet Mohammed. Eyüp-El-Ensari died in Istanbul during the Arabic siege of the city in the 7th-Century. The old trees, pigeons, praying believers and the large crowd create a mystical and colorful atmosphere around the mosque. Continue via the Teleferique to the Pierre Loti Coffee House, located on a hill with beautiful trees. Enjoy the wonderful panorama of the Golden Horn and the bird’s eye view of the Horn from the cable car as you ascend 1,800 feet (550 meters) in less than 2 minutes. The coffee house takes its name from Pierre Loti, the French author and poet who was extremely fond of İstanbul and wrote as he sat in the coffee house while enjoying the views. Next visit Miniatürk, an open field of miniature scaled models of the best known masterpieces of Turkey that create a fairy-tale environment of İstanbul, Anatolia and the former Ottoman territories. It reflects the revival of Turkish culture and history in all its magnificence. Countless human models, situated throughout the park, such as a railroad worker, Muslims in a mosque courtyard, Jews praying in a synagogue, and flower sellers, portray the lifestyle of Turkish society through ages. Spend some time exploring the colorful shopping center, where you can find some of the best souvenirs in İstanbul, before the tour concludes.

From the Golden Horn to the arm of the Boshorous you will experience the beautiful sights of the historical peninsula which separates the old and new parts of Istanbul. You will be a part of history as you take an in-depth look at the residential areas for Byzantine Jews, Italian traders and other non-Muslim minorities. Get a true sense of the history behind the Balat and the Metal Church. Stop at the sights of St. Stephen the Bulgarian, and get a glimpse of what life was really like at the Jewish Hospital. You can take a break from the historic sights by taking a stroll along the Byzantine City Walls. Another charming feature of the tour is the array of colorful shops that you will see at the Spice Bazaar. We'll make a stop at the stalls selling fruits, vegetables and flowers. After enjoying the variety of shops, the tour takes you to the Bosphorus Cruise and through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia. Marble palaces, ancient wooden villas and the sights of the luxurious residential apartments provide the perfect photo opportunity. From here it is on to Rumell Fortress by boat, where the historical armament can be viewed clearly from the boat. The armament is a unique example of military architecture, and was built by the conqueror to control and protect the Bosphorus. If time permits, the tour will also take you on to visit a leather showroom. Lunch. Tell your friends you’ve been to Asia and Europe in one day by joining us on a guided tour of Istanbul’s most historic sites. Led by an expert guide, you’ll visit the impressive Dolmabahçe Palace, the official home of Ottoman Sultans. Built by two famous Ottoman architects, the palace houses a museum-worthy collection of European furniture, art and antiquities. Then it’s off to the Bosphorus Bridge, which straddles the narrow waterway that separates Europe and Asia. Once you’ve crossed the bridge it’s time to head to Camlica HIll, which offers dramatic, panoramic views of the city from almost 300 meters above sea level. Please note, on Mondays and Thursdays the palace is closed, so the tour will make three different stops: Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb, Pierre Loti Coffee House and Miniatürk park.

Located outside Istanbul's historic city walls is the captivating Eyup Sultan area, an Ottoman district brimming with interesting sights and monuments. On this half-day walking tour, stroll through the district and visit a long-standing Islamic shrine and learn of its importance to the local people. Begin with a visit to the Mosque of Eyub al Ansari – the standard-bearer of Prophet Muhammed. It’s this mosque that makes Eyüp so special to followers of the Islamic faith, and it's also one of the real highlights of the tour. Other stand-outs include the Mausoleum of Sokullu Mehmet Paşa, a Grand Vizier of Selim II, the Mosque of Zal Mahmut Paşa, the son-in-law of Sultan Selim II, and the Mausoleum of Sultan Resat, the Tekke of the Kalenderi Sect. Of course, these are just some of the interesting and historic sights you will see during the tour. The walk ends with a stroll through the Eyüp Cemetery to the Pier Loti Hill, giving you the opportunity to look over the area you have just explored.