Visit the bustling Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsisi) where you can shop for handicrafts, jewellery, carpets and leather items
Ottoman Grandeur (Half Day) The tour starts with a visit to the splendid UNESCO Heritage Site the Topkapi Palace, residence of the Ottoman sultans in the city for 400 years. A magnificent garden fills the outer, or first court. In the second courts stand the palace kitchens, now serving as galleries exhibiting the imperial collections of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain. The third court holds the impressive Hall of Audience, where the Sultan personally received ambassadors and which now houses a collection of imperial costumes, treasury jewels and a priceless collection of miniatures from medieval manuscripts. In the innermost sanctuary is the chamber of the Holy Mantle, enshrining relics attributed to the Prophet Mohammed. You then visit the world famous Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. After the mosque, see the park that now covers the ancient chariot racetrack called the Hippodrome, built by the Romans and the centre of Byzantine life in old Constantinople for 1,000 years.
Bosphorus Boat Tour (Half Day) Discover the impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus strait in a boat trip along the famous waterway dividing Europe and Asia. Take in the colours and aromas of the spice market, and see the tiny Rustem Pasha Mosque. This hour and a half excursion gives you the chance to admire beautiful mosques, lavish palaces, fortresses, opulent villas as well as the fantastically decorated Beylerbeyi Palace, a lavish Ottoman residence. The last stop on your tour is the picturesque fishermen’s village of Ortakoy, where you can enjoy a coffee and panoramic view of the passing boats from the beautiful cobbled square overlooking the water.
Princes’ Islands Tour (Full Day) Cruise the Marmara Sea to the Princes’ Islands, which are famous for their beautiful pinewoods and beaches. At the largest island Büyükada, take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage among the pine trees or relax on the beach at one of the numerous coves. Cars are not permitted on the islands, so visitors walk, or rent bicycles or carriages - even donkeys. Many restaurants and shops are situated around the pier on the northern side of the island.