The complete Istanbul over two unhurried days — the Byzantine and Ottoman icons of the old city, the imperial palaces of the Bosphorus, the great bazaars and the buzz of modern Taksim. Ten unmissable landmarks with a Ministry-licensed local guide and door-to-door hotel transfers, ready for your agency to resell.
One day is never quite enough for Istanbul. This two-day tour gives your clients the definitive introduction to the city where Europe meets Asia — beginning in the Historical Peninsula with the Byzantine and Ottoman masterpieces of Sultanahmet, and continuing on the water and along the Bosphorus to the lavish imperial palaces and the modern, cosmopolitan heart of the city. Every visit is led by a Ministry-licensed local guide who brings almost two thousand years of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history to life.
Built for the travel trade, the program is completely flexible. Resell it exactly as it is, swap the day order to fit flights and hotels, or have us tailor the sites, pace, inclusions and guiding language to your client — private or seat-in-coach, and easily extended into Cappadocia or the Aegean. It is delivered under your brand, with confidential net rates on request and no public pricing.
A logical two-day flow — the old city on foot on Day 1, the Bosphorus, palaces and modern city on Day 2.
Byzantine and Ottoman icons on foot across Sultanahmet, from Hagia Sophia to the Grand Bazaar.
For nearly a thousand years the largest cathedral in the world, Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) has stood at the heart of Istanbul since 537 AD. Commissioned by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, later an imperial Ottoman mosque and today once again a working mosque and monument, its vast 55-metre dome, shimmering gold mosaics and towering marble columns remain one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements.
Facing Hagia Sophia across a garden square stands the Blue Mosque — formally the Sultanahmet Mosque — completed in 1616 for Sultan Ahmed I. It takes its popular name from more than 20,000 hand-painted blue İznik tiles, and is instantly recognisable by its six slender minarets and cascade of domes. Still an active place of worship, it is a masterpiece of classical Ottoman architecture.
Between the two great mosques lies the Hippodrome of Constantinople, once the beating heart of Byzantine public life, where crowds of up to 100,000 gathered for chariot races. Its ancient monuments still line the promenade: the 3,500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpent Column from Delphi, and the German Fountain — an open-air walk through a thousand years of history.
For almost four hundred years the Topkapı Palace was the residence of the Ottoman sultans and the centre of an empire spanning three continents. Its courtyards, pavilions and gardens hold the Imperial Treasury — home to the jewelled Topkapı Dagger and the 86-carat Spoonmaker's Diamond — and the sacred relics of the Prophet, with terraces sweeping over the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.
Entrance & Harem optional · closed TuesdaysBeneath the streets of Sultanahmet lies the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı), the largest of the ancient underground reservoirs, built by the emperor Justinian in 532 AD. A forest of 336 marble columns rises from the water, dramatically lit and famous for two mysterious Medusa-head bases in its far corner — cool, atmospheric and utterly otherworldly.
Entrance optionalOne of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) has traded since 1461. Its labyrinth of more than 60 streets and 4,000 shops overflows with Turkish carpets, jewellery, ceramics, lanterns, leather and spices beneath painted vaulted ceilings. A living Ottoman institution — as much an experience as a place to shop, and the perfect end to Day 1.
From the water to the imperial shore and the buzz of modern Taksim.
The second day begins on the Bosphorus, the legendary strait that separates Europe from Asia and links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. From the deck your clients glide past Ottoman palaces, the medieval fortresses of Rumeli and Anadolu Hisarı, and elegant wooden yalı mansions, with two continents rising on either side — the finest way to understand the shape of the city.
The 350-year-old Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı, the Egyptian Bazaar) is Istanbul at its most sensory — a vaulted, L-shaped market piled high with saffron, sumac and paprika, lokum (Turkish delight), fragrant teas, dried fruits, nuts and honey. Built in 1664 and funded by taxes from Ottoman Egypt, it remains a favourite for tasting, shopping and photography.
On the European shore stands Dolmabahçe Palace, the opulent seat of the late Ottoman Empire, completed in 1856 for Sultan Abdülmecid I. Blending Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, it dazzles with 285 rooms, 46 halls, tonnes of gold leaf and the largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in the world. It was also the final home of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, adding a profound modern chapter to its story.
Entrance optional · closed MondaysThe tour finishes in the beating heart of modern Istanbul: Taksim Square and the pedestrian İstiklal Avenue. This elegant boulevard — lined with 19th-century architecture, boutiques, cafés and historic passages, and crossed by the nostalgic red tram — buzzes day and night. It is the perfect contemporary contrast to the ancient monuments of Day 1, and a great place to end on foot.
A sensible default — fully configurable when we build your net rate.
Entrances, fast-track tickets, lunches and private upgrades can all be built into your net rate on request — just tell us how you'd like to package the two days for your client.
The practical details your team needs to sell and brief with confidence.
Both. It can be operated fully private for your client — ideal for couples, families and VIPs — or as a seat-in-coach group departure. You choose the format per booking, and it is delivered under your brand either way.
Yes. The two days can be swapped or reshuffled to fit your client's arrival, hotel location and flights, and sites can be added or removed. We also adjust around closures — Topkapı is closed on Tuesdays and Dolmabahçe on Mondays.
Guiding, transport and the Bosphorus cruise are included; museum and palace entrances — including Topkapı, the Harem, the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe — are quoted separately and can be built into your net rate on request, with fast-track handling available.
Absolutely. The two days combine seamlessly with the Istanbul Asian Side tour or with Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale, all under one coordinated Türkiye program and one DMC contract.
Become a partner and send us your brief with dates, group size and service level, and we reply with a costed, ready-to-sell proposal on confidential net rates — with no public pricing.
Give your clients the complete Istanbul over two days — palaces, bazaars and the Bosphorus — with net rates, licensed guides and one accountable local team on the ground.
