Half Day Highlights of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires

Our guide was terrific. We saw so much of Istanbul. He provided a deep understanding of the dynasty over the centuries, how the impressive valuables came to be in Istanbul, along with current happenings in the city/country.

This tour is a great way to see some highlights of the city. Ahmet is very proud and enthusiastic to share the culture with visitors. He was very informative. The mosque, palace and bazaar were really great experiences.

We had limited time in Istanbul so we chose to take a tour. Our guide was Alize & she was wonderful. She was patient, knowledgeable & fun. The 4 of us had her all to ourselves & she ended up changing one of the locations at our request. When we finally finished she had cheerfully given us about 1.5 hours of extra time. Highly recommended.

This tour covers three main stops. The Suleymaniye Mosque pales in comparison to the Blue Mosque and Sophia Hagia but is far less crowded and offers wonderful panoramic city and Bosporus views out back. Tapaki Palace is not to be missed. There is a lot of walking here. The Spice Market is a true highlight. We liked it better than the Grand Bazaar. Our guide was very informed and gave us individualized attention.

It was amazing! Doran our guide was perfect. He took us after the tour was over to some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.