Private Tour: Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul's Egyptian Bazaar

Istanbul, Turkey

Begin the tour with a brief visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar, one of Istanbul's most colorful and bustling attractions. Then take an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. From your cruise boat, you can view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus' wooded shores: mosques, a bridge that for a time was the world's longest and the massive Rumeli Hisari, a fortress built by Fatih the Conqueror in just three months as he prepared to take Istanbul and the 19th century mansions of the Ottoman elite and the Sultan's fanciful gingerbread palaces and hunting lodges.

Egyptian Bazaar:
Built in 1660 with the taxes collected from the trade of Egyptian herbs and spices, the exotically domed bazaar is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint and thyme. Browse the stalls and compare the prices!

Rumelihisar Fortress:
Built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, the castle was built at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus in order to isolate the city of Istanbul, prior to its invasion in 1453. Following the fall of Istanbul, the north tower was used as a prison.

Sadberk Hanim Museum:
This collection owned by an Armenian civil servant fills two charming 19th-century wooden villas. The museum has recently expanded to include a new collection of archeological exhibits, including ancient statues, artifacts, clothing and jewelry.

USD $36.25

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Gareth C	April 2012
Lovely trip well worth it. Cabin Crew Freindly, our guide Ali was amazing, helpful, knowledgable

Review by: John A, United States of America	May 2010
Guide was very good and enthusiatstic. Bot trip was just so so. Too bad we couldn't make one stop off the boat.

Review by: Paul B, United Kingdom	June 2008
Excellent, though "private' misleads as the boat is simply a public ferry. This should be made clear on tour description.

Review by: Michael M, United States of America	October 2007
I wish we had a little more time at the Bazar. Great tour.

Review by: Monica M	October 2007
I wish we had a little more time at the Bazar. Great tour.

Review by: Barbara B, Slovenia	August 2007
Everything wrong, it was not a tour at all - just a cruise of 1.5 hours with a local transportation ship. No explanation at all, bad guide.

Review by: BARBARA B	August 2007
Everything wrong, it was not a tour at all - just a cruise of 1.5 hours with a local transportation ship. No explanation at all, bad guide.

Review by: Anonymous, Germany	May 2007
The Bosphorus tour could be taken without a guide. Basically we rode from one side to the other and then drove back to the old town. A tour of Dolmabache Palace would have been the perfect addition. While the Egyptian Bazaar is somewhat interesting, it is extremely commercial and crowded. Having visited real spice markets in Egypt, this one seemed created mostly for tourists. A shorter visit there is sufficient.

Review by: Elizabeth P, United States of America	April 2007
The private tour up the Bosphorus was beautiful and informative. It was nice to get out of the city for half a day and explore other areas beyond Istanbul. The guide was extremely knowledgeable about the sights throughout our journey. At the beginning of the tour she took us to the spice bazaar near the boat docks. Once on the ferry boat we were given an excellent overview of the history and present day goings on along the banks of the Bosphorus. Once we passed through the second bridge our town car picked us up. We then headed to a private family museum at the end that we would not have known about if we hadn't taken the tour.