Hidden Constantinople – a private 3-day tour of 31 places no standard itinerary will show you
- Private tour
- 1 to 3 days
- Vehicle included
- Byzantium & the Bible
- No shopping stops
- Duration
- 1–3 days, around 7 hours each
- Vehicle
- with driver, included
- Languages
- Tours in 25 languages
- Pick-up
- from your hotel in the city centre
Highlights
- The Siloam Inscription from King Hezekiah's tunnel – the original is in Istanbul
- The warning inscription from the Temple in Jerusalem that barred Gentiles from entering
- Hagia Irene, where the Council of 381 completed the Creed
- The only Byzantine church that never became a mosque
- The city's oldest synagogue, with its ship-shaped reading platform
- The only surviving Byzantine palace and the walls of 1453
Description
Most visitors to Istanbul see the same five sights. This tour takes you where hardly any itinerary goes: to Byzantine churches behind high walls, to forgotten imperial palaces, to inscriptions from Jerusalem and to places where world history was made.
You put together your own programme. Each place has a set amount of time, and our system plans days of around seven hours from your selection. Choose just a few places and one day is enough. Choose all 31 and you have three full days.
At every place you will learn what is historically certain, what scholars still debate and what is legend. This way you experience Byzantine Constantinople, the biblical finds in the museum and Ottoman Istanbul with honesty and depth.
Your own vehicle with driver takes you comfortably from one district to the next. We never include shopping stops – no carpet shops, no jewellers, no commission-driven detours.
What we will see – your selection
Topkapı Palace grounds, Sultanahmet and Fatih
- Column of the GothsA Roman victory column, older than Constantinople itself.
- Museum of the Ancient Orient: Siloam Inscription, Treaty of Kadesh, Gezer CalendarThe inscription from King Hezekiah's tunnel, the Hittite peace treaty with Ramesses II and one of the oldest Hebrew texts.
- Archaeological Museum: Temple Warning Inscription from JerusalemThis Greek inscription forbade Gentiles, on pain of death, from entering the inner Temple courts.
- Hagia IreneHere the Creed was completed in 381. Never a mosque – under the Ottomans it served as an armoury.
- Binbirdirek Cisternexterior onlyA 4th/5th-century cistern with more than 200 columns.
- Sphendone of the HippodromeThe massive vaults beneath the curve of the ancient racecourse.
- Bucoleon Palaceexterior onlyThe sea façade of the Byzantine imperial palace, occupied by the Crusaders in 1204.
- Little Hagia SophiaJustinian's church, with its surviving dedicatory inscription to Justinian and Theodora.
- Sokollu Mehmed Pasha MosqueSinan's jewel, with Iznik tiles and four framed stone fragments venerated as pieces of the Kaaba.
- Forum of TheodosiusRemains of the triumphal arch of 393, with columns carved in a teardrop pattern.
- Myrelaion10th-century palace church and burial place of Emperor Romanos I.
- Kalenderhane MosqueA Byzantine church in which a fresco cycle of St Francis from the Crusader period was discovered.
- St PolyeuctusThe church of Princess Anicia Juliana, compared in its inscription to the Temple of Solomon.
- Column of MarcianA 5th-century emperor's honorific column, known in Ottoman times as the “Maiden's Stone”.
- Pantokrator MonasteryBurial church of the Komnenian emperors – three linked 12th-century churches.
- Lips MonasteryMonastery church of 907, later the burial place of the Palaiologan dynasty.
- Cistern of AsparA large open-air cistern dating from 459.
- Pammakaristosexterior onlySeat of the Patriarchate after 1453, famous for its mosaics.
Fener, Balat and the Land Walls
- Ecumenical PatriarchateSeat of the Patriarch. Its central gate has remained closed since 1821.
- St Mary of the MongolsThe only Byzantine church in Istanbul that never became a mosque.
- Bulgarian St Stephen ChurchA church made entirely of cast iron, brought from Vienna in prefabricated sections in 1898.
- Ahrida Synagogueweekday mornings, with permissionThe city's oldest synagogue, with its ship-shaped reading platform.
- Holy Spring of BlachernaeThe holy spring where the robe of the Virgin Mary was venerated – origin of the Akathist Hymn.
- Prisons of Anemas and the Land Walls of 1453exterior onlyByzantine dungeons in the walls and the section where the final battles for the city were fought.
- Tekfur PalaceThe only surviving Byzantine palace building in the city, now a museum.
- Eyüp SultanIstanbul's most important Islamic pilgrimage site.
On the Sea of Marmara
- Peribleptos MonasteryAn imperial foundation from around 1030, today an Armenian church.
- Stoudios MonasteryIstanbul's oldest surviving church, dating from the 5th century.
- Golden GateThe emperors' triumphal gate in the Land Walls, later bricked up.
The Great Palace Mosaic Museum is currently closed and therefore cannot be booked.
Included
- Private licensed tour guide in your language, around 7 hours per day
- Vehicle with driver for all booked days
- Pick-up from and return to your hotel in the city centre
- Planning of each day according to your choice of places
- Registration of synagogue visits with the Chief Rabbinate
Not included
- Admission fees and donations
- Lunch and drinks
- Flights and hotel
- Tips and personal expenses
Meeting point
We will pick you up from your hotel in central Istanbul and bring you back there at the end of each tour day. We will confirm the exact pick-up time when you book.
Important information
- The tour days run consecutively.
- The Ahrida Synagogue can only be visited on weekday mornings and with prior permission. For this we need copies of all participants' passports.
- Some places are currently under restoration and can only be seen from the outside. This is indicated for each place.
- Please cover shoulders and knees in mosques and churches; women should wear a headscarf in mosques. Visits are not possible during prayer times.
- Hagia Irene is closed on Tuesdays. We plan the days accordingly.
- Beware of bargain offers: many cheap tours are financed by sales commissions from carpet and jewellery shops. With us there are no shopping stops.
Deposit, cancellation and payment
- 30 % deposit on booking by PayPal or credit/debit card, the balance in cash on the first tour day.
- Cancellation charges: up to 30 days before 30 %, 29–15 days 50 %, 14–7 days 75 %, 6–1 days and no-shows 100 %.
- Rebookings are subject to a charge.
- We recommend taking out travel insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for Hidden Constantinople?
That depends on your selection. Each tour day lasts around seven hours. With all 31 places it is three full days; with a selection it is often one or two days. You will see the number of days straight away in the booking form.
How much does the private tour cost?
Per day, the guide costs €350 and the vehicle with driver €240 – €590 in total for up to three people. Each additional person costs €10 per day for the guide and €10 for the vehicle; children aged 3 to 12 cost €8 for the guide, infants €5.
Are admission fees included in the price?
No. You pay admission fees and donations separately. Many places, such as churches, mosques and the walls, do not charge admission.
Are there any shopping stops?
No, never. Carpet, jewellery or leather businesses are not part of our tours.
Can I visit the synagogue?
Yes, on weekday mornings with permission from the Chief Rabbinate. We take care of the registration; for this we need copies of all participants' passports.
Is the tour suitable for pilgrim and Bible study groups?
Very much so. The Siloam Inscription, the Temple warning inscription, the Council of 381 and the city's oldest churches make it a journey to the biblical and early Christian heritage of Istanbul.