Enjoy an unforgettable experience during your cruise: Istanbul, the multicultural city par excellence of Europe and Asia. One of the best destinations among excursions for cruise ships around the world.

The magic of this incredible Turkish city catches you from the first moment. In ancient times it was Byzantium, then it became Constantinople for almost 2,000 years; the city halfway between Europe and Asia captivates the traveler with its beauty and tradition, all united in a modern and cosmopolitan set that will make you live the most unexpected experience of your trip. You will live intensely your passage through this city of more than 6,000 years of history, letting yourself be captivated by its beauty and the warmth of its people. Romanticism, history and tradition in an avant-garde "western" city. By the way, did you know that the tulip is originally from Istanbul, and not from Holland?

Come and discover the jewel of the Bosphorus, and take an exciting souvenir of your trip. Europe and Asia in one place! Book your place on this sensational tour of the magnificent "Istanbul". We are waiting for you.

PROGRAM

IMPORTANT: THE ROUTE OF THIS EXCURSION VARIES DEPENDING ON THE DAY OF ARRIVAL OF THE BOAT TO THIS CITY.

SUNDAY:

– The Grand Bazaar is closed. You will visit the Spice Bazaar.

TUESDAY:

– Closed Topkapi Palace. Instead you will visit the Dolmabahce Palace.

FRIDAY:

– The Blue Mosque only opens 2 hours in the afternoon and is incompatible with the tour schedules. There will be an external visit.

When the ship is less time in port and the excursion is made in 4, 5 or 6 hours, the routes and duration of the visits will be adjusted to the total time available.

SANTA SOFÍA: We will visit Hagia Sophia outside, we will not enter the interior since there are no longer quick lines for groups, and the queues make it unfeasible to make the complete itinerary.

Departure of the excursion. The guide awaits you at the port with the sign "Shorexc"

Rental of Headphones (MANDATORY for Adults). They are paid directly to the guide.

First, visit the Hippodrome Square, with its famous monuments: the Egyptian Obelisk, the Obelisk of Constantine, the Serpentine Column and the German Fountain.

Visit to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616; A triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance. The mosque was part of a complex that also contained tombs, fountains, kitchens and a bathroom. Its colorful 260 windows allow the sun's rays to reach the interior of it, illuminating its interior in an unusual way. The blue Iznik slabs that cover its walls have given it its name.

Exterior visit to Hagia Sophia, the church of divine wisdom; The architectural wonder of all time. It was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian in 537 and was the largest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II, who ordered the church to be converted into a mosque.

Visit to Topkapi Palace, the residence of the sultans for more than three centuries. The palace is located on a promontory that juts out between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. This location gives a magnificent view to visitors.

Being the imperial residence of the sultan, his court and his harem, it was at the same time the house of government during the Ottoman Empire. The palace was inhabited by 4000 people. Today, the Palace complex is a large museum with many rooms on display. Highlights include the Treasure Room, with its magnificent jewels, and the room containing sacred objects of Islam (including the beard and foot impression of the Prophet Muhammad).

Visit to the Cisterns of Yerebatan. Penetrating inside this cistern is an unforgettable experience. As it goes down, we can notice the growing moisture on our face. When we get down we can see the grandeur of this monument. Rows and rows of columns that come out of the water that still reaches this warehouse.

The lighting of the Cisterns has been tastefully placed, it reflects on the surface of the water while gently illuminating the columns. You have been acquiring different shades, so there is a kind of multicolored puzzle coming out of the water.

Free time for lunch in the Sultanahmet area.

Meeting point in Sultanahmet to go to the Grand Bazaar, the largest and oldest covered bazaar in Turkey, with more than 4000 shops. The best entry point is the Nuruosmaniye Gate, which is also the most attractive. Here you can get a variety of Turkish handicrafts and souvenirs.

Return to the ship.

End of the tour.

PRICES

• Bus.
• Guide in Spanish.

The price does NOT include:

• Tickets. They are paid on site:

– Topkapi Palace: 25 euros per person

– Cisterns: 20 euros per person

– Dolmabahce Palace: 25 euros per person

• Rental of Headphones (MANDATORY for Adults). Price: 3 € per person. They are paid directly to the guide.

• Discount for children, applied only on individual excursions.
• Not combinable with other offers.
• It is essential to send a copy of the child's Identity Document.
• From 9 years old you pay like an adult.
• When the ship is less time in port and the excursion is made in 4, 5 or 6 hours, the routes and duration of the visits will be adjusted to the total time available.
• 8-hour excursion.

Depending on the day of the excursion, it may see its itinerary modified by the closing hours of different monuments.