Begin your small-group experience with a pickup from your Istanbul hotel. Then, take in the bustling streets as you travel by air-conditioned minivan to one of the Marmaray train stations on the city’s European side.
With your guide at your side, hop aboard one of the Marmaray commuter trains, and glide through the tunnel under the Bosphorus to the city’s Asian side. Emerge into the daylight at sk□dar and start your walking tour of this historical district, famous for its surfeit of magnificent mosques. Head down streets lined by Ottoman-era villas and visit the 16th-century Mihrimah Sultan and Aziz Mahmut Hudayi mosques ─ both impressive examples of Ottoman architecture.
Visit Yeni Valide mosque and admire the simple beauty of the tiny Semsi Pasa mosque on the Bosphorus waterfront. Next, take a closer look at Mimar Sinan, an ornate Turkish bathhouse built by the 16th-century Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. Pass through sk□dar’s atmospheric fish market, a covered archway alive with the hollers of fish vendors, and sit down for a 3-course lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant.
Feeling refreshed, catch another Marmaray train to the district of Kad
1ky. Hear why this lively area was once known as chalcedon or the “city of the blind,” and stroll along the waterside to admire the historical buildings near the Bosphorus. Delve into the cobbled lanes and churches behind the quayside, wander through Kad
1ky’s famous fish market, and explore the trendy district of Moda with its popular tea shops, tattoo parlors and restaurants.
Afterward, board a ferry for a 20-minute ride across the Bosphorus back to the European side. Soak up the views of Europe and Asia as you cruise, and then finish your tour with a hotel drop-off.
Please note: the order of activities as described above may be subject to change on the day of your tour.