Highlights | Overview

• Bosphorus Cruise
• Pierre Lottie Hill
• Cable car
• Golden Horn
• Half day Istanbul

Full Description

Golden horn and Bosphorus Istanbul half day city tour

Afternoon Istanbul city tour with cable car ride, Bosphorus boat trip, panorama at the the Golden Horn, Pierre Loti hill

With this wonderful half-day excursion you will experience from 3 different sights of the magnificent city of Istanbul. And with a breathtaking boat trip of 90 minutes in the Bosphorus, you will see the magnificent traces of old Istanbul.

And the magnificent "Golden Horn" panorama from the top of Pierre Loti! The only region where you can watch the panorama of the Golden Horn is the Pierre Loti hill, who bears the name of the French writer Pierre Loti who lived in Istanbul. And we will cable car ride to Pierre Loti hill to witness the outstanding city views from its hilltop cafeteria.

The Golden horn
The Golden horn is one of the most beautiful regions of Istanbul with its historical, cultural and physical structure. Due to its horn-shaped structure extending from the south of the Bosphorus to the west, it was called Khrysokeras, in other words, “Golden Horn”.

It is not known if the famous treasure ship of Byzantium is in the Golden Horn, but the Byzantine ruins on the shores are very important for Istanbul's cultural richness. Byzantine palaces, city walls, cellars, gates, Ottoman houses and baths, as well as the historical houses of people of many nations and beliefs, places of worship of the three major religions can still be seen on these shores. At the same time in the Golden Horn, the maritime center of the Byzantine Empire, the walls along the coast were built to protect the city from a naval fleet attack. At the entrance of the Golden Horn, there was a large chain extending across the city to the northeast end of the old Galata Tower to prevent the entry of unwanted ships. This tower was extensively destroyed by the Latin Crusaders in 1204 during the 4th Crusade. Then the Genoese built a new tower next to it. This tower, which was called the Tower of Jesus in 1348, is the famous Galata Tower.

Galata Bridge is undoubtedly the highest historical value of the bridges on the Golden Horn. There is also a bridge that has made its name even though it was never built, before the construction of the Galata Bridge, which was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1502. It is a bridge known to transmit to Beyazıt.

In the Golden Horn, where the minority population lived during the Ottoman period, especially Balat and Fener are the neighborhoods where you must explore the streets that bear traces of the rich history.

90 minutes boat trip along the Bosphorus
Istanbul, the capital of two powerful empires such as Byzantine and Ottoman in the past, is a city rich in places to visit and activities to be done. It would not be wrong to say that the best way to explore the history and nature of the mega-city to which Asia and Europe are connected is the Bosphorus tour. What's more, while cruising the Bosphorus by boat, you can reduce the stress of navigating traffic and focus only on the magnificent beauties of Istanbul.

When you go by boat in the Bosphorus, you must have a quality device that you can take photos to turn historical buildings and beautiful landscapes into a valuable memory.

Price included

Pick Up Place

Pick up Point

Details to know

Golden Horn and Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul, half day tour

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Vigo Tours cannot be held responsible if the cable car is out of service for technical reasons.

Pick-up and drop-off from hotels is only possible from centrally located hotels. Some hotels may not be able to check in and out. In this case pick-up and drop-off is done from the closest point to the hotel.

At the end of the tour you can get off the bus from anywhere and continue your day on your own.

Pick up and drop off from the long distance hotels and from airport is subject to an extra charge.

End of the tour: Drop off will be not at the hotels but in Grand Bazaar or Sultanahmet area.

Additional information

Program for Golden Horn and Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul, half day tour

During this trip, explore Istanbul from three different perspectives, including sightseeing cruises, panoramic tours and cable car rides. Take a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus and admire Istanbul’s top attractions from the water, such as the Bosphorus Bridge and Rumeli Fortress. Then, drive to the Golden Horn area to see the former Jewish quarter, the old city walls, the iron St Stephens and other little-known treasures. Finally, take the cable car on Pierre Loti Hill and admire the spectacular city views from the hilltop cafe.

• Pick-up from centrally located hotels in Istanbul
• Bus ride along the city walls
• Cable car to Pierre Loti hill
• Bosphorus Cruise 90 minutes
• End of the tour: Drop off will be not at the hotels but in Grand Bazaar or Sultanahmet area.

Period & Price