Historic Off the Beaten Path Tour of the Real Istanbul

Sightseeing  :  Turkey  :  Marmara  :  Istanbul  :  Walking Tours

Suits the best to travelers who prefer walking tour to see non-touristic spots and to experience local life in the back streets of Istanbul. You will be winding in hilly back streets of Fener, where we first visit Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Church and see colorful Greek & Ottoman Houses. This is a great opportunity to see life from a local's perspective.Our tour begins at the ancient Hippodrome where thousands of spectators were entertained and kept happy by the chariot races. The historic Sultanhamet Mosque or now known as the Blue Mosque due to its magnificent interior filled with blue Iznik tiles is next in our journey. Following the mosque, we will navigate through the labyrinth of streets and passages that are home to more than 3000 shops known as the Grand Bazaar. Make sure you have practiced your bartering skills. After looking Grand Bazaar, you will have a chance to rest and you will get to experience traditional Turkish tea or coffee and a popular Turkish pastry called borek all while enjoying the ancient practice of hookah at a favorite local hangout. You will then make your way to one of Istanbul’s oldest markets- the Old Book Bazaar Sahaflar Çarşısı; located on the site of the Byzantine Empire’s book and paper market. We continue the academic theme with a tour of the campus of Istanbul University. Our next stop in our journey is Istanbul’s largest mosque- Suleymaniye Mosque; an Ottoman Imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul. This mosque is breath-taking due to the size of it and not to mention it’s interior beauty.  Get ready for your senses to be enticed during our visit to the Spice Bazaar. Upon entering the bazaar, immediately you feel the energy in the air. Your senses will be filled with bright colors and powerful aromas of the exotic spices that will surround you. Istanbul is a city that has a rich religious history and now is composed of many different religions. Your next stop will be the Church of St. George. Since the 1600s, this church has been the location of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is recognized as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Religion. Your day concludes with an old world cultural experience like no other city has to offer. Your tour of the Old Greek and Jewish District (Fener- Balat) will make you feel as if you have stepped back in time. The neighborhood is full of historic wooden mansions, churches, and synagogues that date back to the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Further to witnessing the local's life there

You end the tour with a ferry back to Eminonu, Spice Bazaar Market
This tour has been personally designed to really get into the crevices of this great city. Your day will be filled with abundant information, fascinating stories, and experiences that you could not have with any other tour guide company