Secrets of Istanbul - half day walking tour - Off The Tourist Trails

Istanbul, Turkey
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Get deep into the history of Istanbul and visit off the beaten track destinations with the Secrets of Istanbul walking tour. Discover the hidden gems of old Constantinople and explore its puzzled streets with an English-speaking expert guide who knows the secrets of the city very well. Visit places that are not easy to find on your own, hear stories of Istanbul legends and historical personalities and see the best attractions of Istanbul along the way. ​

Description

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye

We visit this mosque from inside where you see a mosque have been serving a place for praying for 400 years. Mosque has an impressive 17 century architecture and has the best examples of the handmade Iznik tiles and Islamic calligraphies.
P.S. Blue mosque is closed till the end of March due to renovation. It will be substituted with Rustem Paşa mosque.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkiye

This is the Hippodrome which was built in 4 century A.D by Roman emperor Constantine for the chariots races. The hippodrome hasn’t survived but monuments from the Spina section ( Egyptian obelisk, Serpent column, Constantine column and German fountain ) have managed to survived despite the invasions and earthquakes. Your guide will give you historic information about the hippodrome and the city how the Greeks found their city Byzantium here in 7 B.C till today.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Forum of Constantine, Istanbul Turkiye

We will walk on the ancient road of the Romans where the modern tram rail is built on top of it today. We will have a break at the forum of Constantine the Great where the true cross and many belongs to early Christians brought from Jerusalem by Helena and were buried underneath of the column which have survived.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Grand Bazaar Jewelers, Alemdar Mah. Bab-I Ali Cad. Guran Han No:34 D. 4, Istanbul 34110 Turkiye

We will have walk through the Grand Bazaar without a shopping break! Our aim is not the shopping here but to show you the hidden parts of the bazaar amongst 4000 shops, and the tip on bargaining culture.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi, Mollafenari Mh., Istanbul 34120 Turkiye

We will have a tea/coffee and a shisha/hookah break here. We will also grab some local pastry on our way to here from a local pastry maker to eat it with your drink. The cafe is the former Medressa ( religion school ) and now it is a place where locals get social. Hookah smoking is optional here so please don’t think that you have to.

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: Sahaflar Carsisi, Istanbul 34430 Turkiye

This is the historic book maker where the books were printed for ten first time in Arabic letters.

Pass By: Istanbul Universitesi Rektorlugu, Fuat Pasa Cad. Beyazit, Istanbul Turkiye

This used to be Roman palace dates back to 4 century A.D. After the Ottoman concurred the city in 1453, they turned it to a Ottoman palace, later a military training center and now Istanbul university. We will have a break here to talk about the history of the palace and education system in modern Turkey.

Stop At: Suleymaniye Mosque, Prof. SIddIk Sami Onar Cd. No:1 Süleymaniye Mah, Istanbul 34116 Turkiye

We will visit this lovely mosque from inside. The mosque was built on top of one of the seven hills of Istanbul and offers a spectacular view of Asian side, Bosporus strait and Golden Horn, Galata and Bosporus bridged, Galata and Maiden’s Tower and more..

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: Tahtakale District, Istanbul Turkiye

We will walk down form Suleymaniye mosque and pass through the Tahtakale local market. This helps to see and understand the difference between the Grand Bazaar where local no longer shop and market where locals comes and shop daily.

Stop At: Rustem Pasha Mosque, 62 HasIrcIlar Carsisi Eminonu, Istanbul Turkiye

Visit this hidden mosque among Istanbul back streets which was built in 1560 by Rustem pasha which has over 20 thousands of best examples hand made Iznik tiles. P.S. The mosque is more blue than the actual Blue mosque.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkiye

Misir Carisi is the Spice market which was built in 1664 by the Sultan’s mother in order to provide the world spices. It is an aromatic market and the small of the species is welcoming. Addition to spices Turkish delight, herbal teas, natural oils, nuts and many of the jewelry shops are the part of it. We will have break at a shop to sample Turkish delight and learn about the spices.

Duration: 30 minutes

Inclusions

  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • Snacks - We will have a pastry filo stuffed with cheese
  • Entry/Admission - Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi

Exclusions

  • Lunch
  • Gratitude to the guide

Additional information

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Face masks required for travelers in public areas
  • Face masks provided for travelers
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Gear/equipment sanitized between use
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Ticket delivery

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Operates

See Availability

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.

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