Byzantine and Ottoman heritage walk

The historic peninsula holds 1,500 years of two empires within a square kilometre. We start early at the Hippodrome, before the crowds, and walk to Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque courtyard, with fast-track entry arranged in advance.

Groups are split into units of up to 20, each with a licensed guide and wireless headsets, so everyone hears clearly in busy spaces. Guides keep it to the stories that matter: how the dome was built, why the city changed hands in 1453, and what daily life looked like around the palace.

The walk ends with lunch on a terrace overlooking the Golden Horn or, for an extended programme, an afternoon at Topkapı Palace.