Dolmabahçe Palace Tour & Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht

based on 21 reviews

Duration:5 hours (approx.)
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

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Enjoy the Ottoman architecture by visiting the Dolmabahçe palace, and learn about our glorious history. In this tour, you will get to have a look to the history by being where it happened. Our professional tour guide will make sure that you learn everything you want/need to know personally.

Then join our sunset cruise, which you will be on board an elegant yacht and enjoy the magnificent views as you nibble through snacks, lemonade and Turkish tea. As you pass through the heritage sites on Bosphorus, our guide will provide context. After a tiring day in the Istanbul, you can relax and enjoy the sunset from the best possible location on Bosphorus; the Maiden's tower. Enjoy the sunset above the Golden Horn as the Old Town turns into a silhouette.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Dolmabahce Palace
Our professional tour guide will explain the Dolmabahçe palace, an ottoman palace, and where our beloved leader passed away. The palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and is now a museum. We will tour the palace’s grand halls, lavish gardens, and opulent furnishings, learning about its fascinating history along the way.
2.
The Cıragan Palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdulaziz and designed by the architect Sarkis Balyan. It is located in the place of a former wooden summer palace built by Selim Ill in 1800. In the course of the palace's construction the wooden structure and the nearby Besiktas Mevlevihane were destroyed. Cıragan's construction was completed in 1871. The palace is made of marble and is spread out over a total area of 80,000 square meters. After Abdelaziz was deposed, he was imprisoned here for years together with his family. After Murat V was deposed, he was also imprisoned here in a similar fashion for 29 years with his family. After the declaration of the Second Constitutional Monarchy in 1908, the palace was used as the House of Parliament, however it was damaged by fire in 1910. The palace grounds were transferred to the Besiktas Sports Club and were used for some time as the Seref Stadium. Toward the beginning of the 1990's the palace was restored and reopened as a luxury hotel.
3. Ortakoy
Ortakoy is a neighborhood and district in the district of Beşiktas, on the European side of the Bosphorus. Ortakoy district, which consists of Ortakoy and Mecidiye districts, is a settlement established on the slopes along the valley opening to the coast. The northern border of the district, which is surrounded by Kurucesme, Ulus, Levazım, Balmumcu and Yildiz districts, is Defterdarburnu. Ortakoy Bazaar is lively at all hours of the day with its "intellectual market", souvenir shops, cafes, bars and restaurants inside the bazaar. But in the early hours of the morning, the market is a bit uninspiring. The movement starts after 10:00 am...
4. Bosphorus Bridge
The feet of the Bosphorus Bridge, one of the two suspension bridges on the Bosphorus, are located in Ortaköy on the European side and in Beylerbeyi on the Anatolian side. The Bosphorus Bridge, the first bridge built on the Bosphorus, provides access between the two sides of the city, together with the later Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and the ferries operating on the Bosphorus.
5. Bebek Sahili
Bebek is a historic Istanbul neighborhood, located on the European shores of the Bosporus, surrounded by Arnavutkoy, Etiler and Rumeli Hisari. The direct translation of the word Bebek is baby which is a reference to the neighborhood's attractive positioning on the Bosphorus. A popular residential district since the Ottoman rule, Bebek's population reflects the diverse society of the time. Today with its historical buildings such as Bogazici University and waterside mansions, with it's beautiful Bosphorus view and fancy restaurants.
6. Rumeli Fortress
Located in Sariyer, Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisari) was constructed directly across from the Anadolu Hisari (the Anatolian Fortress). Construction began in 1453 at the order of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror placing the fortress at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus. The construction was completed in the short span of three months. Before the conquest of Istanbul, it was used to protect against naval attacks. After the conquest it was used to as an inspection point for maritime traffic on the Bosphorus.
7. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
Istanbul's second bridge spanning the Bosphorus, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Koprusu) was built between Kavacik and Hisarustu. Construction began in 1986 and the bridge opened on the 3rd of July 1988. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge is the 14th largest steel suspension bridge in the world. Along with the Bosphorus Bridge and the city's ferries, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge carries a significant portion of Istanbul's trans-Bosphorus traffic. It has also become an unforgettable piece of the Istanbul skyline.
8. Anadolu Hisari Fort
The Anatolian Fortress (Anadolu Hisari) is located in in Beykoz (on the Asian Side), at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus. It was built in 1395 by Beyazit I and is made up of a citadel and its exterior castle walls. After the conquest of Istanbul, it lost much of its strategic importance and was converted into a military hospital. Over time the area around the castle became settled. Today waterfront houses and old mansions are dispersed among the castle's ruins. During restoration work which lasted from 1991-1993 it was converted into a museum however it is not open to the public. Today, Anadolu Hisari is an open-air museum but only outer walls can be visited, and the road passes just through it.
9. Kucuksu Pavilion
The Kucuk Su Palace, located on the Bosphorus coast road between Uskudar and Beykoz, is a small Ottoman summer palace ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecit. The palace was designed by the famous architect of the time, Nikogos Balyan. With its excellent view of the Bosphorus, Kucuksu attracted many Sultans during the Ottoman period who used the palace for relaxation. Because of the fine quality of furniture, paintings, carpets and the delicacy in details the small palace was opened as a museum during the Republican period.
10. Beylerbeyi Palace
The Beylerbeyi Palace (It means -Lord of Lords") is an Ottoman summer palace complex built in the 1860's on the shores of the Bosphorus. Today it lies right under the Bosphorus bridge. The building was designed by the well-known architect Sarkis Balyan and it combines elements of renaissance, baroque and other styles from both the East and West. The main building of the complex is a two-store construction, made of stone, on a high basement. The building was constructed on a land of about 2,500 square meters sits on a rectangular floor area. The South side of the Palace was organized as Imperial Mabeyn and The North side as Valide Sultan's Apartment. There is total 6 halls, 24 rooms, 1 hamam and 1 bathroom at two stores.
11. KIz Kulesi
The Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi) is a distinctive feature of the Bosporus skyline. Built on a tiny island located about 200m from the shore of Uskudar, the tower is the main subject to many legends. The most popular legend though is about a sultan and his daughter. An oracle prophesied that the sultan's daughter would be killed by a snake bite on her 18th birthday. The sultan decided to protect her from this misfortune and had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus, where she was put to live her life in secrecy and protection. Finally on her 18th birthday, the sultan brought her a basket of fruits as a birthday gift, not aware of the hidden snake inside. Upon reaching into the basket the princess got bitten by the snake and died in her father's arms as foreseen by the oracle. Referring to this legend the tower got its name: Maiden's tower.
12. Galata Tower
Built by Genoese in 1348, the nine-story tower is 66.90 meters, and it was the tallest building in the city when built. In the Ottoman Era, the tower has been used for different purposes such as a fire observatory and a jail. During its long history, the tower witnessed a lot, but the most striking occasion undoubtedly was in 1632, when Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi glided from the top of the Galata Tower across the Bosphorus to Uskudar with his self-constructed wings. During a storm in 1875, the conic roof of the tower was destroyed and was not restored during the rest of the Ottoman Era. In 1960s the conical cap has been restored and the wooden interior was replaced by a concrete structure. Since then, the tower is open to public. Today there is a restaurant and cafe on its upper floor. With its essential role in Istanbul's skyline, Galata Tower is the optimum spot to catch a panoramic view of Istanbul.
13. Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus, or Bosporus with its historical name, is a strait and international waterway that separates the continents of Asia and Europe and connects the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. The Bosphorus generally stretches in the northeast-southwest direction and divides the city of Istanbul into the European Side and the Anatolian Side.

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Posted By : Sundip_P
Celil was a brilliant guide. We had the pleasure of his company for both parts of this tour. Very knowledgeable. Cruise team were great too. Thank you to you all.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-08 18:04:00

Posted By : AkhilP103
Tour with Cecil was really great! If you want a detailed tour that focuses on important points at the palace this is the one!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-14 13:09:18

Posted By : pruec776
Our guide, Jello was very informative and really knew his stuff on the Palace and Bosphorus. We enjoyed our time with Jello, a very friendly guide.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-21 12:42:45

Posted By : G4496RHdianar
The views amazing and the service perfect with food and beverages. I would repeat it!!!
Perfect to learn about Istanbul culture and take the best fotos
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Posted On : 2024-04-20 12:14:43

Posted By : rehanar2021
Amazing! We learned so much. Would have been great to have started with this at the beginning of our trip. Everyone was super hospitable.
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Posted On : 2024-04-20 12:04:53

Posted By : andreasV4775AS
It was a good choice to evaluate our short time in Istanbul. Thank you sweet team. Thank you guide . We were very pleased with your explanation.
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Posted On : 2024-03-02 04:25:08

Posted By : velens2024
This was a great palace tour and we learned so much about history of Turks. Our guide was great and attentive. Sunset cruise was magnificent.
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Posted On : 2024-02-02 05:31:37

Posted By : duhan_2024
a must do activity in istanbul especially if you are travelling alone the guide spoke fluent englısh. nur was a great host. the dolphins also seemed to have a preapred a show for us.
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Posted On : 2024-01-19 09:25:54

Posted By : Sarahwillams12
With a group of 12 people we participated in this trip. As a family of ATATURK enthusiasts, we were very pleaced with this trip and the we had the opportunity to see all of Istanbul by boat. Thanks to Nur for helping us.
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Posted On : 2024-01-18 12:40:27

Posted By : 305Christenricks
A must do Istanbul activity where we spend are time to the fullest. That was awesome!!! I highly recommend it.
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Posted On : 2024-01-18 12:31:58

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Tickets

Dolmabahçe Palace Tour & Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Dolmabahce Palace

2.

3. Ortakoy

4. Bosphorus Bridge

5. Bebek Sahili

6. Rumeli Fortress

7. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge

8. Anadolu Hisari Fort

9. Kucuksu Pavilion

10. Beylerbeyi Palace

11. KIz Kulesi

12. Galata Tower

13. Bosphorus Strait

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Partner Resources

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Travel

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Adventure

Contact

Retrieving available

Tickets

Dolmabahçe Palace Tour & Sunset Cruise on Luxury Yacht

WHAT'S INCLUDED ⟱

WHAT TO EXPECT ⟱

1. Dolmabahce Palace

2.

3. Ortakoy

4. Bosphorus Bridge

5. Bebek Sahili

6. Rumeli Fortress

7. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge

8. Anadolu Hisari Fort

9. Kucuksu Pavilion

10. Beylerbeyi Palace

11. KIz Kulesi

12. Galata Tower

13. Bosphorus Strait

ADDITIONAL INFO ⟱

CANCELLATION POLICY ⟱

Partner Resources

How it works

Travel

Insurance

Adventure

Contact

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY