Byzantine Relics Tour (Half Day)

Overview

Half-day morning walking tour of Istanbul's Byzantine heart: Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar with an English-speaking guide.

This half-day morning tour covers the essentials of the Historic Peninsula on foot. After hotel pick-up at 08:30 your guide starts at Hagia Sophia, built as a church in 537 and open again for worship today, then walks you through the Hippodrome, where the German Fountain, the Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpentine Column recall the chariot races of Byzantine Constantinople.

Next comes the Blue Mosque with its six minarets and Iznik tiles, and the morning ends among the covered streets of the Grand Bazaar. Along the way your guide explains how the city changed from Byzantine to Ottoman capital. Entrance fees and transport are included; the route is about 2 km and pushchair-friendly.