Byzantine and Ottoman architecture; mosques, churches, and synagogues; Turkish, Kurdish, and Arabic languages: school trips to Turkey offer a cultural experience like no other.
Istanbul - History School Trip
- 5 days
- +2
- Turkey
- Approx. 4hrs
- Istanbul sightseeing coach tour
- Bosphorus Strait boat cruise
- Sultanahmet guided tour
- Topkapi Palace
- Eyüp district
- The Church of St Anthony of Padua
For the latest travel advice, including passport and visa information, visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website
Sample itinerary
This sample itinerary is offered as a guideline. The trip focus, length and itinerary/activities can be tailored to meet your learning objectives.
- Day
Day 1 - Fly to Istanbul
Fly to Istanbul before transferring to your hotel by coach. Have dinner at the hotel before grabbing an early night and waking fresh for your first full day trip to Istanbul.
Day 2 - Sightseeing Tour and Bosphorus Strait Cruise
Start this morning by boarding the coach with your expert local guide and set out on your Istanbul cultural immersion. Learn about the faiths, customs, traditions, historic sites, religious monuments, and ways of life in this historic Turkish city. Highlights include the Old City Walls, the Yedikule Fortress, commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II and once a formidable royal dungeon, and the Porphyrogenitus Palace, a rare example of late 13th-century Byzantine secular architecture.
In the afternoon, there may be time to experience a cruise on the Bosphorus, taking in sights including the Dolmabahçe Palace, Rumeli Fortress, the Haydarpaşa Cemetery, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Ortaköy Mosque.
Return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 3 - Sultanahmet guided sightseeing tour
This morning, take a short coach trip to Sultanahmet for a guided sightseeing tour. With your guide, learn about the significance of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and the Blue Mosque, one of the most breathtaking and majestic Ottoman mosques. Pause at the German Fountain in Sultanahmet Square, constructed for the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit, and marvel at the Hippodrome, the circus that was the centre of Constantinople’s sporting and social calendar. Journey below street level to visit the Serefiye Cistern (Theodosius Cistern), the water store built by Roman Emperor Theodosius II.
Have lunch here in Fatih.
This afternoon, continue your tour of Sultanahmet’s religious sites. This area includes the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, Hagia Irene Church, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. Don’t miss the opportunity to grab a snack while exploring the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), the centre of the spice trade in Istanbul. Finish with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, once the main residence of the sultans.
Return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 4 - Eyüp district, Church of St Anthony of Padua
This morning’s focus is Islam. Take a short coach journey to the Eyüp district, where you will find the mosque complex that includes a mausoleum containing the burial site of Ebu Eyüp el-Ansari (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari), a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Next, visit the Süleymaniye Mosque, an imperial Ottoman mosque located on the Third Hill, offering incredible views.
After lunch, focus on Catholicism with a visit to the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, the Church of St Anthony of Padua. Alongside St Mary Draperis, it is one of the three Levantine parishes in Beyoglu. You can visit St Mary Draperis next before returning to the hotel to rest and have dinner.
Day 5 - Instanbul, flight home
Spend your final morning at leisure before transferring to the airport by coach for your flight home. Enjoy the memories made on this educational trip to Istanbul.
What’s included
Full TCBC support from the moment you book until you return home
Full itinerary flexibility to ensure the perfect tour for your students
We'll source the best available flights based on your school's location
You'll have all our necessary contact details to hand should the need arise
Knowledgeable TCBC guide ready to bring your walking tours to life
Detailed itinerary, with all entrance fees included, no hidden costs
Return flights, 1 item of either cabin/hold luggage per person, airport taxes and air passenger duty at current rates, ATOL Protection Contribution
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure. UK airport transfers upon request
Experienced local TCBC guide for your included walking tours
Coach for arrival/departure airport transfers and where stated in itinerary
4 nights' accommodation, with multi rooms for students and single rooms for teachers
Breakfasts and dinners at hotel or local restaurants. Lunches can be included too
All excursions as per your itinerary
No hidden costs on tour, everything clearly explained before departure
Details of your personally assigned 24-hour TCBC emergency contact
Free teacher place ratio of 1:10 but we can work to whichever ratio you require
Included in all tours, with Endsleigh Insurance, unless you expressly opt out
If you feel you have received excellent service, then our local guides and drivers will appreciate being tipped
Event availability isn't usually known at the time of booking. We will inform you of options and ticket prices closer to departure
Reasons to travel with us
We honestly believe we are the best in what we do. We'd love the opportunity to show you.
Safety & reliability
The safety of all our travellers is our number 1 priority. We have a robust Safety Management System in place to ensure that our tours are run to the high levels you expect.
Experience & expertise
We have years of experience in planning school tours. Our expertise lies in our organisational skills, attention to detail and an understanding of what you need to make your trip a success.
TCBC local guides
Our guides are our greatest assets and consistently lauded. Highly experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy, most are hand-picked and have worked with us for years.
Complete peace of mind
Our accreditations (ATOL, ABTA, STF, LOtC) provide you with the reliability, assurance and financial security expected from a specialist tour operator.
Customer
service
Our dedicated team is on hand to offer help and advice at every stage. We are positive you will be impressed with the high level of service you receive from us.
Flexibility & customisation
We customise every trip to suit your needs and offer maximum flexibility in planning your itinerary. We won’t rest until we get it right!
The personal touch
Getting to know our clients is very important to us. It’s very likely therefore that you’ll meet one or several of us at some point, either at school before departure or on the tour itself.
Total transparency
We include as much as possible in our quotes and are very transparent about what is and what is not included. There will be no hidden or surprise costs.
Pre-departure support
We understand how much work goes into planning a school trip. You will be dealing with the same people throughout the pre-departure process allowing us to respond quickly and accurately.
Repeat business
99.9% of teachers are so happy with our tours and our service that there is no need to travel with anyone else. We are confident you will feel the same way.
A great service provided from start to finish. Seamless organisation during the tour with high-quality guides and engaged pupils throughout. The girls were pretty much all engaged with the content of the tours and visits.
