Tour 2 - ISTANBUL- BOSPHORUS - ASIAN SIDE

Sites to visit: GOLDEN HORN, SPICE (EGYPTIAN) BAZAAR, BOSPHORUS CRUISE, Lunch, BOSPHORUS BRIDGE, CAMLICA HILL, * DOLMABAHCE or BEYLERBEYI PALACE

Also seen during the tour from the boat:

Yildiz Palace, Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski, Bosphorus & Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges connecting Europe & Asia, Beylerbeyi Palace, Mecidiye Mosque in Ortakoy, Rumeli & Anadolu Fortresses.

Notice: Bosphorus Tours are conducted with regular boats if minimum number of attendants are not provided for the private boat.

CLOSED

Spice (Egyptian) Bazaar on Sunday: Replaced with Authentic shops

Dolmabahce Palace on Monday & Thursday: Replaced with Pierre Loti Hill & Miniaturk

Beylerbeyi Palace on Monday & Thursday: Replaced with Kariye Museum

INTRODUCTION OF SITES

* Golden Horn - It is the natural inlet - harbour divides European side of Istanbul, lies between historic Sultanahmet and the New Town - Beyoglu. It created a huge commerce & sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of years.

* Spice (Egyptian) Bazaar - It is the second largest bazaar in Old City and still the Center of the commercial hub & a bustling gastronomic paradise since 1664 for exotic spices and dried fruits, nuts, olives, Turkish delight & Turkish Coffee, jewelry and other high-margin goods.

* Bosporus Cruise - It is a Cruise trip up the 32 km long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. Enjoy the panoramic face of Istanbul's both European & Asian shores. With this 1.5 hours boat cruise you may see wonderful palaces, modern bridges, wooded hills; villages large and small - modern and old-fashioned; the old wooden waterside Ottoman mansions & kiosks.

* Camlica Hill - It is the highest point of Istanbul on the Asian side with a green park & it has the great panoramic view of all Istanbul - Asian & European Sides, Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara & even Princess Islands

* Dolmabahce Palace - it is on the European coastline of the Bosphorus strait, served as administrative center & final residence of the Ottoman sultans. It has an extraordinary mixture of Turkish and European architectural and decorative styles.

* Beylerbeyi Palace - Built as a summer palace for Ottoman Sultans in 1865, on the Asian shore, used as a guest house for visiting royalty - from Europe, Russia and Persia, during their visits to the city. It has a fanciful architecture of European and Turkish styles.

* Miniaturk - the world's largest miniature park contains 105 miniature models of well known Turkish historical sites in an open air park. Here one can see the reflections of many civilizations such as the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations.

* Pierre Loti Hill - It is a hilltop with a cafe which has an incredible view of Golden Horn, from Eyup to Eminonu - Old City to Beyoglu.