Ottoman Istanbul Half-Day Afternoon Tour

Explore the heart and soul of Istanbul on a half-day tour of some of its major highlights. In the company of an expert guide you will visit the Topkapi Museum and Palace, and continue to the Sultans Tombs. Traveling by air-conditioned coach, the tour includes free pick-ups from central Istanbul hotels, or the port, making it ideal for cruise ship passengers.

Topkapi Museum is the most important museum in Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula, boasting an incomparably rich treasure-chest of artifacts of historical importance. Located in the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, the exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, as well as robes worn by the sultans and their families, includes the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury.

Next you'll visit the Sultans Tombs. Made up of 5 tombs of the Ottoman Sultans, within the graveyard at St. Sophia, these ceramic panels are the most beautiful examples of the 16th century design with purple, green, blue and red flower motives. The prince's robes and a small piece from the Kaaba covers are displayed on the sarcophaguses. Please note, on Mondays the Sultans Tombs will be closed and replaced with a visit to the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque.