FULL DAY HISTORICAL ISTANBUL EXCURSION
WITH CRUISE ON THE BOSPHORUS STRAITS

Your professional tour guide and a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle will meet you and your party at the Istanbul Cruise-Ship Pier or your hotel. You will first visit Misir Carsisi [known as The Spice Bazaar or the Egyptian Bazaar], one of the oldest bazaars [from the Turkish word “Pazar”, which means marketplace] in Istanbul and the second largest after the Grand Covered Bazaar. Misir Carsisi was built in 1660 to help support the upkeep of the adjacent mosque, Yeni Cami (New Mosque). It is filled with exotic spices, as well as stores selling Turkish Delights, Turkish coffee and teas, caviar, dried fruits, and other food items, in addition to souvenirs. Afterwards, your guide will take you to the Eminonu Pier to embark a local boat for a relaxing cruise along the famous Bosphorus Straits, where two continents meet in Istanbul. You will see the intercontinental bridges, old houses, villas, palaces, and mosques along the Asian and European shores, against the backdrop of the magnificent Istanbul skyline.

You will have a stopover for Lunch at a local Sea Food Restaurant. After lunch, the group will visit the privately owned Sadberk Hanim Museum, located in a beautiful old mansion on the Bosphorus; it has an Archaeological Section that houses interesting findings from the earliest Anatolian civilizations to the Byzantine Period, as well an Art History Section that feature samples of Islamic Art and women’s costumes, house wares, kitchen implements, etc. from the late Ottoman Empire times, providing excellent insights into the traditions and life in the Turkish homes of that period. Then, you will be transported to the historical Ortakoy Village by the Bosphorus, to see the colorful shops and cafes that are typical of Ortakoy. There will be a shopping opportunity before returning to your Cruise Ship or your hotel.

Note: The Bosphorus cruise shall be aboard public ferry boats. A private vessel could be substituted for a group of 20 or more guests, but would not be as authentic as the famous ferry boats that ply the waters of The Bosphorus.