4-Hour Istanbul Walking and Exploring Tour**Small group**

Get the most out of Istanbul in the company of an expert local guide. As we tour Istanbul, your guide will point out places to get the best local snacks and coffee, as well as show you the main points of interest along the way. You'll start this Istanbul walking tour by exploring Istanbul’s ancient Hippodrome. Following this, we’ll make our way to Divanyolu, a historical thoroughfare originally mapped out by Emperor Constantine in the early 300s AD. We’ll then wander through some of the backstreets of the Grand Bazaar, internationally known as the first-ever shopping mall and showcasing an incredible array of goods in its 4,000 shops (but we recommend you save your shopping for later when you have more time to explore at your leisure). We’ll also stop by the book bazaar, where the first printed book in Turkey was sold in 1729. Your Istanbul tour will then take you to the magnificent Suleymaniye Kulliyesi, where you’ll stop off at the original Turkish baths built as part of the mosque complex, and learn all about this ritual of times past. Your guide will give you a local insight into Islam before whisking you off to try Turkish tea in a tea house that has amazing views of the city. We’ll then pay a visit to the small and stunning Rustem Pasa Mosque - a highlight for sure! The first octagonal plan mosque by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, the interior is covered with some of the most exquisite iznik tiles ever produced. We’ll finish this Istanbul tour in the Spice Bazaar area, where your leader can direct you to a local lokanta (small restaurant) for lunch, or give you some more great Istanbul tips for you to make the most of the rest of your stay.