Istanbul Trip Overview
Travel back to the era of the Byzantine Empire with this half-day walking tour of the Galata hillside and nearby areas. Get picked up at your hotel in Istanbul with an air-conditioned vehicle, then depart for the Galata area, located at the northern shore of the majestic Golden Horn. Walk through the serene hillside, once filled with numerous orchards during the Byzantine era, and take in the gorgeous view of the Golden Horn, an inlet of water surrounded by skyscrapers and lush green forests. Check out the exterior of the Galata Tower, a medieval stone tower, and listen to stories from your guide about how the neighborhood became a Genoese colony from the 6th to the 15th century. Explore the narrow streets of Istanbul to visit famous churches and synagogues before stopping by the Camondo Steps, a famous pedestrian walkway in Bankalar Caddesi (Banks Street) that was built by the Camondo family circa 1870-1880.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours
Starts: Istanbul, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey
Travel back to the era of the Byzantine Empire with this half-day walking tour of the Galata hillside and nearby areas. Get picked up at your hotel in Istanbul with an air-conditioned vehicle, then depart for the Galata area, located at the northern shore of the majestic Golden Horn. Walk through the serene hillside, once filled with numerous orchards during the Byzantine era, and take in the gorgeous view of the Golden Horn, an inlet of water surrounded by skyscrapers and lush green forests. Check out the exterior of the Galata Tower, a medieval stone tower, and listen to stories from your guide about how the neighborhood became a Genoese colony from the 6th to the 15th century. Explore the narrow streets of Istanbul to visit famous churches and synagogues before stopping by the Camondo Steps, a famous pedestrian walkway in Bankalar Caddesi (Banks Street) that was built by the Camondo family circa 1870-1880.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Galata, Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey
Our tour will start with picking you up from your hotel and we’ll head to Galata with our guide. In the Byzantine period, the hillside – where Galata is today – was covered with orchards and was named Sykai (The Fig Orchard), or Peran en Sykais (The Fig Field on the Other Side), referring to the “other side” of the Golden Horn. It was in the Byzantine period that the area began to be called Galata and a fortress was built by Emperor Theodosius II. Galata was a Genoese colony from the 6th to 15th centuries. This walk is around the famous Galata Tower and covers the area, where we see many churches, synagogues, hospitals, bank buildings, ancient walls, schools. Stories, myths, and legends are a bonus from your guide.
Important Information
-This tour requires minimum 2 pax to operate.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Kamondo Stairs, Merkez Mah. Eminonu/Cagaloglu, Fatih, Istanbul Turkey
After Galata we’ll pay a visit to famaous Kamando Stairs. Contributing to this chain of contrasts is the Camondo Stairs – built at the end of the 19th century by the influential Sephardic banker family, the house of Camondo. Legend has it that the family had the stairs built so that their kids could take a shortcut on their way to school.
Important Information
-This tour requires minimum 2 pax to operate.
Duration: 1 hour
