Bosphorus Cruise & Two Continents Tour

Bosphorus Cruise & Two Continents Tour

Starting Time:   @ 08:30 pm
Finishing Time: @ 17:00 pm
Tour Days:   Everyday

You will be collected right from your hotel or cruiseship pier in Istanbul at 08:30 am.
Please not that hotel pick up service is available from European side Istanbul and city-center hotels or cruiseship pier meeting point.
We will start to the day tour with our professional local tourist guide. Drive to Spice Bazaar. While on the way you see the the part of the Byantine old city walls. After the old bazaar, continue to sightseeing boat at the Bosphorus Strait harbor. We embark to the boat and start to sail between European and Asian Continents up to second Bosphorus bridge. While you are on the Bosphorus cruise sightseeing passing the waterfront palaces of Sultans and their Pasha’s villas. The only thing you need to do is to sit back, listen your guide, watch the magical city and enjoy this amazing ambiance. While watching the unique and magnificent city view of Istanbul from the Bosphorus Strait, our professional and experienced local tour guide will give you all the informations about the palaces and historical structures you have seen. You will be able to see from the cruise boat Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Frotress, Ciragan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Topkapi Palace, Leander’s Tower, Bosphorus Bridges, Ortakoy Mosque, old villas and more. At the end of the Bosphorus cruise sightseeing, return back to same harbor. Disembark from the boat and drive to restaurant. We will have lunch at the local restaurant. After the lunch, continue to drive on the Bosphorus bridge to Asia continent of Istanbul. Visiting the Beylerbeyi Palace museum. The summer residence of Ottoman Sultans in Asia continent. Continue drive to top of Camlica Hill. Camlica hill is the highest point of istanbul and Istanbul will be under your feet. You will enjoy the pleasure of watching Istanbul from Camlica Hill.
At the end of the fully guided Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise & Two Continents tour, we will transfer you back to your hotel or cruiseship pier.

Byzantine City Walls : The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. The first breach of the walls was by the Fouth Crusade in 1204, the second by the cannons and troops of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453.

Golden Horn : One of the best natural harbours in the world, it was once the centre for the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests. As a natural and extremely secure harbor, the Golden Horn has played an important role in the development of Istanbul. The inlet separates the European shore into two. It is approximately 8 km long, and the widest part is the entrence from the Bosphorus.

Spice Bazaar : It is located at Eminonu behind the New Mosque(Valide Sultan Mosque).It was constructed by Turhan Sultan in 1660 as a pious foundation attached to New Mosque. Allow your senses be invaded by the Egyptian or Spice Bazaar, an essential visit, despite being much smaller and perhaps existing in the shadow of the massive Grand Bazaar.

Bosphorus Boat Cruise: A traditional excursion by boat along the waterway seperating Europe and Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavillions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of is marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries.

The Rumeli Fortress  (From The Sea): Istanbul had been besieged many times before Mehmet the Conqueror took the city in 1453,but it managed to defend itself with the help of the Roman city walls.

The Leander’s Tower  (From The Sea): This is a small and attractive tower built on an islet at the entrance to the Bosphorus. It is one of the symbols of İstanbul. Used in the past as a watchtower and a lighthouse, it has been preserved in its 19th Century appearance.

Dolmabahce Palace  (From The Sea) : Dolmabahçe Palace was ordered by the Empire’s 31st Sultan, Abdulmecid I, and built between the years 1843 and 1856. Previously, the Sultan and his family had lived at the Topkapı Palace, but as the medieval Topkapı was lacking in contemporary style, luxury, and comfort, as compared to the palaces of the European monarchs, Abdulmecid decided to build a new modern palace near the site of the former Besiktas Palace, which was demolished.

Bosphorus Bridge: It also called the First Bosphorus Bridge (Turkish: Bogazici Koprusu or 1. Bogazici Koprusu) is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Bogaziçi). The bridge is located between Ortaköy (European side) and Beylerbeyi (Asian side). It is a gravity anchored suspension bridge with steel pylons and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck is hanging on zigzag steel cables. It is 1,510 m long with a deck width of 39 m. It was the 4th longest suspension bridge in the world when completed in 1973, and the longest outside the United States of America.

Beylerbeyi Palace : It was built by Sarkis Balyan Usta by order of Sultan Abdulaziz in 1865. It is on the Asian coast of Bosphorus, which was constructed, in the same style as the Dolmabahce Palace. It was summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the HAREM on the ASIAN side.

Camlica Hill : The highest hill in Istanbul. At the top of it you can rest and admire the magnificent panorama of İstanbul and the Bosphorus from the beautiful gardens, landscape in traditional style, as you sip your drinks in a cafeteria.