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🧿 Istanbul Old Town, Spice Bazaar and Bosphorus Cruise

Duration: 1h and 30min
Languages: English, Spanish
Guru: Sib
Quality Verified Registered on April 01, 2021

I am a licensed professional tour guide and PhD candidate. I have experience in the best tourist attractions of Istanbul old town like Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Square etc. Book for a memorable tour!

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Istanbul Old Town, Spice Bazaar and Bosphorus Cruise

The tour consisting of a guided walking tour and a solo cruise. We will start at the heart of the old town, see some atractions, visit Spice Bazaar and Tahtakale where you will find thousands of shops selling everything from food to gadgets, spices to apparel, souvenirs, toys, jewelries and small restaurants with reasonable local prices. After finishing the tour, I will guide you to the port where you can find public boats in best price for a Bosphorus cruise.

After finalizing the tour, it is up to you to leave, keep wandering the market or continue to the cruise.

Some attractions that you will be able to see during the walking tour:

  • Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square)
  • The Walled Obelisk
  • Obelisk of Theodosius (Egyptian Obelisk)
  • Serpent column (Spartans)
  • German fountain
  • Blue Mosque (outside)
  • Ibrahim Pasha Palace (Museum of Arts)
  • Hagia Sophia (outside)
  • The Million Stone
  • Basillica Cistern (outside)
  • Cagaloglu Hamam
  • Spice Bazaar
  • Galata Bridge
  • Eminonu


The tour will last about 1,5 hours on foot and you will need about 2,5 hours more for the cruise.

After seeing the old towns greatest sites, the guide will direct you to the port where you will find ships for a Bosphorus cruise. 

A Bosphorus cruise is a good option to discover Istanbul while sipping tea and relaxing on board of a lovely boat. The cruise will take place closer to the coast, allowing you to see many historical landmarks as well as the natural beauty of Istanbul. With so many historical sights to see in Istanbul and so little time to explore them, this event should not be missed.

The cruise takes about two hours on the sea. The boat has cafeteria and snack shop inside. 


Some attractions that you will be able to see during the cruise:

  • Galata Tower
  • Dolmabahce Palace
  • Ciragan Palace
  • Ortakoy Mosque
  • Bosphorus Bridge
  • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge 
  • Anatolian Castle 
  • Kucuksu Palace
  • Kuleli Military School
  • Vahdettin Palace
  • Beylerbeyi Palace
  • Camlica Mosque (The biggest mosque of Istanbul)
  • Camlica TV Tower (The longest building in Istanbul) 
  • Maiden's Tower
  • Historical mansions and more...


After about two-hour cruise on the sea, the boat will return to the same port (Eminonu), where you can take the tram or other transportation back to your hotel.


Useful information:

The tour will be conducted by a licensed professional guide. It is expected to contribute the guide with 10€ / $ or 400 liras per person (some pays 10€ some 50€) based on your satisfaction.

The cruise part of this tour is solo. It is up to you whether you want to take the cruise or not. The ticket price for the boat varies between 2 and 5 euros.

There are boats every hour starting from 10:00 to 19:00 (my favorite is at 14:30). No need to take the boat the same day. You can be flexible if you have other plans.

Also, I will show you the piers for ferries to go to Asian Part of Istanbul and the Islands.

For a better experience we keep the groups smaller. Please book only if you are sure that you will attend the tour.

We have limited seats, please don't book if you will not attend. You can write me for any questions before or after the booking.

I also offer tailored private tours in English, Spanish, Arabic, Persian or Turkish. Please don't hesitate to contact.


Recommended Tours

Mezquita Azul and Sokullu

https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/41713-blue-mosque-and-sokullu-mosque-inner-visits-istanbul-old-town-discover-it-with-sib?ref=dspt6o0crhj4771s920t

Other Istanbul Tours
https://www.guruwalk.com/istanbul?ref=dspt6o0crhj4771s920t&pro=true

You can consult me regarding your plans in Istanbul.

Have a nice journey,
Sib

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Highlights

What will we visit on this tour?

  • Meeting point:
    Sultanahmet, Binbirdirek, 34122 Fatih...
    Sultanahmet, Binbirdirek, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
    View on map

    I will be on banks next to the Obelisk of Theodosius (Egyptian Obelisk) in Sultanahmet square with a cane.

  • 1
    Outside visit
    Galata Bridge and Galata Tower
  • 2
    Outside visit
    Üsküdar
  • 3
    Outside visit
    Ortaköy
  • 4
    Outside visit
    Dolmabahçe Palace
  • 5
    Outside visit
    Çırağan Palace
  • 6
    Outside visit
    Mecidiye Mosque Ortaköy
  • 7
    Outside visit
    Bosphorus Bridge
  • 8
    Outside visit
    Rumeli Fortress
  • 9
    Outside visit
    Egyptian Consulate
  • 10
    Outside visit
    Bebek
  • 11
    Outside visit
    Kanlıca
  • 12
    Outside visit
    Çamlıca Mosque
  • 13
    Outside visit
    Çamlıca Tower
  • 14
    Outside visit
    Beylerbeyi Palace

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

150 ratings
4.8
By category
Professionalism
4.84
Fun
4.58
Expression
4.67
Quality
4.67
Route
4.76
Generic
5 stars
129
4 stars
16
3 stars
4
2 stars
0
1 star
1
Jesus 17 Mar 2024
Alicante

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Mar 2024
El guía ha sido una auténtica pasada nos encantó desde el primer momento nos guió perfectamente arrojando información muy útil y el paseo en barco fue una auténtica maravilla, repetiría sin duda
Adrian 13 Mar 2024
Río Cuarto

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Mar 2024
El es excelente guía. Lo único para aclarar es que la propina es obligatoria del mínimo que establece el guía, que es distinto de lo que dice la aplicación. Así mismo es súper recomendable su tour y tiene un gran conocimiento.
Claudia 09 Mar 2024
Bogotá

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Mar 2024
Es una excelente persona e inmejorable guía , felicitaciones por su trabajo .
Valerie 23 Jan 2024
Taipei

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Jan 2024
Great tour, ended up only me signing up that day, but still was fun, great route for first day to see everything around. Sib is very friendly and easy to get along with, thank you a lot!
Ainhoa 13 Dec 2023
Monreal

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Dec 2023
SIB FUE MUY AMABLE Y ATENTO CON NOSOTROS. ERA MUY ENTUSIASTA AL CONTAR LAS COSAS POR LO QUE NOS ENCANTO Y DISFRUTAMOS MUCHO DEL TOUR CON SIB
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Accepts reservations up to 12 people.
Pets
Suitable for carrying pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour requires the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Only cash payment is accepted.
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