Istanbul is full of surprises so please allow sufficient time to explore this captivating city!

All our Reception staff speak English and they are happy to assist you with booking tours of Istanbul, providing a map and directions to the many tourist attractions and offering recommedations and tips as to dining options and the best shopping venues.

Whether your time in this fascinating metropolis is long or short, there is so much to see in the Old City and the following sites are within a few minutes walk from the hotel. You may wish to self-guide, join a Small Group Tour or avail the services of one of our reputable and knowledgable Private Guides.

Beyond Sultanahmet:
Take the tram or walk across the Galata Bridge to Beyoglu and from the top of the Galata Tower, marvel at the 360 degree view of old and new Istanbul – the Bosphorus Bridge, the ancient peninsular, Sulimaniye Mosque and the recently completed Metro Bridge. Wander around the cobblestone streets at the base of the tower and investigate some of the more unusual shops and galleries.

Walk along Istiklal Caddesi to Taksim Square, stopping on route to listen to the many buskers in addition to enjoying some retail therapy at the plethora of shoping outlets. Should you feel  hungry or thirsty, the choice of dining options are endless.
Catch a ferry to Kadikoy on the Asian side where life is more relaxed. Enjoy a coffee at some of the excellent cafes or for something more substantial, partake of a selection of Mezes at the renowned Ciya Sofrasi. You could also take a ferry to the Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara, alighting at Buyukada for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage followed by a seafood feast at one of the waterfront cafes.

Catch a bus or taxi to Pierre Loti and enjoy a cay at the cafe whilst taking in the spectacular view of the Golden Horn.

One cannot visit Istanbul without taking a cruise on the Bosphorus where palaces, lavish summer homes and the commanding Rumeli Fortress line it’s shores. Whether you decide on the morning/afternoon cruise or a shorter 2 hour option, you will not be disappointed.
For something completely different, catch the new Marmaray train and travel from the European side at Serkeci to Uskudar on the Asian side via a tunnel under the Bosphorus. Travel back to the European side via ferry for a breath of fresh air!

Museums:
There are many museums but the most popular are the Istanbul Modern in Tophane, Turkish and Islamic Arts in the Hippodrome, Archeological Museum adjacent to Topkapi Palace, Pera Museum in Beyoglu and the Chora Museum.

No visit to Turkey is complete without visiting a Hamam or Turkish Bath. Feel totally renewed and sweaky clean after a steam, vigorious scrub and wash with olive oil soap under ancient domed roofs.

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Topkapı Palace

The Topkapı Palace or the Seragliois a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was one of the maj ... Read More - Close

The Topkapı Palace or the Seragliois a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was one of the major residences of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years (1465–1856) of their 624-year reign.

As well as a royal residence, the palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments. It is now a museum and as such a major tourist attraction. It also contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed's cloak and sword. The Topkapı Palace is among the monuments contained within the "Historic Areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and is described under UNESCO's criterion iv as "the best example[s] of ensembles of palacesof the Ottoman period.

Blue Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is a historic mosque ... Read More - Close

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is a historic mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is still popularly used as a mosque.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former Christian patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and n ... Read More - Close

Hagia Sophia is a former Christian patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum (Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its construction in 537 until 1453, it served as an Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931. It was then secularized and opened as a museum on 1 February 1935

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city ... Read More - Close

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with ... Read More - Close

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors dailyIn 2014, it is listed No.1 among world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors.

Spice Market

There are several documents suggesting the name of the bazaar was first "New Bazaar". T ... Read More - Close

There are several documents suggesting the name of the bazaar was first "New Bazaar". The building was endowed to the foundation of the New Mosque, and got its name "Egyptian Bazaar" (Turkish: Mısır Çarşısı) because it was built with the revenues from the Ottoman eyalet of Egypt in 1660. The word mısır has a double meaning in Turkish: "Egypt" and "maize". This is why sometimes the name is wrongly translated as "Corn Bazaar". The bazaar was (and still is) the center for spice trade in Istanbul, but in the last years more and more shops of other type are replacing the spice shops.

Hagia Eirene Church

Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (Greek: Ἁγία Εἰρήνη, "Holy ... Read More - Close

Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (Greek: Ἁγία Εἰρήνη, "Holy Peace", Turkish: Aya İrini), sometimes known also as Saint Irene, is an Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It is open as a museum every day except Tuesday.

Aya Sergios ( Küçük Ayasofya - Litle Hagia Sophia )

The Küçük Ayasofya Mosque was originally constructed as a church located between ... Read More - Close

The Küçük Ayasofya Mosque was originally constructed as a church located between the Cankurtaran and Kadırga Neighborhoods of the Eminönü District by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565). The mosque, built in the year 530 CE, called the Church of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, was converted into a mosque during the reign of Sultan Bayezit II after the conquest of Istanbul by Darüssaade Ağası (overseer of the sultan’s harem), Hüseyin Ağa. After its convertion into a mosque, the zaviye (cell for meditation) around the atrium and Hüseyin Ağa’s tomb were built. 

The domed mosque, composed solely of stone and brick atop a square plan, was damaged by an earthquake twice during the years 1648 and 1763. Reparations followed in 1831. Furthermore, the nearby railway constructed in1860 has impaired further construction to a large extent. In addition, it is thought that the old minaret of the mosque was erected in Baroque style after the second half of the 18th century. However, it was later pulled down for an unknown reason in 1936, and the existing minaret was added to the mosque in 1955. The octagonal historical marble fountain in the atrium was later removed in 1938.