Istanbul Super Saver: Bosphorus Sightseeing Tour plus Istanbul by Night Turkish Food Tour

With this Istanbul Super Saver, you need to take your tours on two separate days and you can choose to enjoy them in the order that best suits your schedule.

Bosphorus Sightseeing Tour (8 Hours)Leave your central Istanbul hotel by coach and drive to the Spice Bazaar, otherwise known as the Egyptian Bazaar. As you travel, hear intriguing facts about Istanbul and the bazaar, including how it began operating in the 17th century.

Stroll around this aromatic souk past stalls selling spices, herbs, nuts, fruit and other foods. Stop to sample some treats and then follow your guide to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. Admire the stunning Iznik tiles that cover this 16th-century edifice both outside and in, and then continue to the banks of the Golden Horn.

Hop on to a sightseeing boat and cruise along this famous inlet, a narrow strait that cuts European Istanbul in two. Sail by landmarks such as the Aynalıkavak Palace, and then cruise the Bosphorus Strait passing sights including the Dolmabahçe Palace and the mansions of the city’s Asian side.

After your roughly 2.5-hour cruise, savor a 3-course lunch at an Asian-side waterfront (see Itinerary for a sample menu) and absorb the city views from Camlica Hill, Istanbul’s highest point. Lastly, cross the Bosphorus Bridge for an interior tour of the Dolmabahçe Palace, formerly home to the Ottoman sultans. Your tour then ends with a hotel drop-off.

Istanbul By Night Turkish Food Tour (5 Hours)Start with a pickup from your central Istanbul hotel and head into the city’s streets to discover its delicious East-meets-West cuisine. Feel your appetite building as your guide lifts the lid on local food staples and explains how, as Turkey’s gastronomic capital, Istanbul offers dizzying numbers of eateries, food stalls and meyhanes.

Make frequent stops at some of Istanbul’s hidden food spots, many popular with locals and unknown to tourists. Stop at a bakery to sample a simit bagel — a sticky treat coated in grape molasses and sesame seeds — and then try some authentic Turkish tea at a kiraathane (traditional coffee house).

Head inside a cook-your-own barbecue restaurant and grill your own kebab, sip on raki (local aniseed-flavored liquor), and then stroll down a bustling restaurant-lined street to your final stop, a lively meyhane.

Take a seat inside and enjoy the live music as you sample Turkish mezes and a bowl of tasty işkembe çorbasi (tripe) soup. Stay at this animated nightspot until late, enjoying a glass of raki and a Turkish coffee. Your evening ends with a hotel drop-off around 12:30am.

Please note: Depending on tour availability, you can choose which days and in what order you wish to take the tours.