Your program covers all of the city's highlights for you to enjoy Istanbul with no rush including a boat trip on the Bosphorus. You will begin your day with a drive over the Golden Horn towards the Old City. Your first stop will be the ancient Hippodrome. For over 1,000 years this was the center of Byzantium life. Next is the Blue Mosque, is renowned for its architectural harmony, proportion and elegance, is unique as it is the only original mosque in the world with six minarets. You’ll visit St. Sophia Museum which originated as a church in 360 AD under Constantine. Hagia Sophia was converted into a Mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453 by Sultan Fatih Sultan Mehmet. The highlight of the tour will be Topkapi Palace (Harem section excluded). Topkapi Palace is a great walled complex hugging the shores of the Bosporus and Golden Horn and it was once the residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Following the Palace visit, you will have the chance to enjoy the best examples of Turkish cuisine before you continue to the next visit. Finally you will visit one of the most colorful site of Istanbul; the Grand Bazaar. The Bazaar is composed of two sections; the covered part and the modern part. You will have the chance to explore the exotic atmosphere of the covered part. During your time in the Grand Bazaar, you will be taken for a presentation on the unique art of Turkish carpets and given additional time to shop. You will have plenty free time to explore the bazaar before continuing on to the local port to take the boat for an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus.