Our suggested itinerary features return scheduled flights to Istanbul, four nights at the 4* Hotel Amethyst in Istanbul, with a full programme of included excursions, all guided tours included and the services of a professional guide.
Tailor make this tour - call us on 020 7064 4970
Day 1 - Istanbul
Scheduled flight to Istanbul - transfer with our professional guide in our private executive coach to the 4* Hotel Amethyst in Istanbul’s historic city centre.
Day 2 - Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Church of St Saviour & the Golden Horn
Meet our guide for a tour of the old city - head to the Sultanahmet district in the heart of historic Old Istanbul to tour the Blue Mosque, the masterwork of the 17th century Ottoman architect Sedefkâr Mehmet Aga and, with its six minarets and a great cascade of domes, a great feature of the Istanbul skyline - Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years and the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, is today a museum of the old Turkish way of life - built in the 11th century and decorated in the 14th, the Church of St Saviour in Chora contains a wonderfully preserved collection of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes - cable car to Pier Loti with free time to enjoy tea and simit, traditional sesame seed bread, while enjoying an amazing view of the Golden Horn.
Day 3 - River Bosphorus cruise
Free day or optional trip to explore the Asian part of the city and enjoy a cruise on the River Bosphorus - board the boat at Sariyer, a charming fishing village where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea, and enjoy a perfect vantage point to see the Sultan’s palaces, Rumeli Fortress, the mansions and modern villas forming the elegant part of the city with lunch and a visit to the Spice Bazaar also included.
Day 4 - Hagia Sophia, Underground Cistern & Covered Bazaar
Full day in Istanbul with our guide - with its wide, flat dome the Byzantine masterpiece of Hagia Sophia was a daring engineering feat in the 6th century and architects still marvel at the building's many innovations - the Underground Cistern, built in the 6th century and re-discovered in 1545, supplied water throughout the city during the Byzantine and Ottoman times and was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace - the Covered Bazaar of Istanbul, with 60 alleyways and 3,000 shops, is the oldest and largest in the world.
Day 5 - Istanbul
Morning free in Istanbul before taking our scheduled flight home.
4* Istanbul hotel
Full programme of included excursions
Entrance fees included for included excursions
All guided tours included
Professional local guide
Scheduled flights to Istanbul
Executive coach in Turkey
One free place per 10 paying passengers
Guided tour of Istanbul
Blue Mosque
Topkapi Palace
Church of St Saviour & the Golden Horn
Hagia Sophia
Underground Cistern
Covered Bazaar in Istanbul
Optional
River Bosphorus cruise
Four nights on bed and breakfast basis at the 4* Hotel Amethyst in Istanbul. Centrally located and within walking distance of the Grand Bazaar, the hotel has a restaurant, lobby bar and spa centre and all rooms are en suite with air conditioning.
Single room supplement £119
Insurance
Optional River Bosphorus cruise
Gratuities
Visa fee on arrival
Remember this itinerary is just our suggestion. Tailor make this tour exclusively for your group to suit your members’ budget or preferences. You could:
- combine with stays in Kusadasi & Canakkale to visit Ephesus, Pergamon, Troy & Gallipoli
- visit Bursa on the slopes of Mount Olympus or Dolmabahce Palace, the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire
- stay on half board basis
- with fewer or different excursions
- for more (or fewer) days
- bring your own specialist lecturer
- include all gratuities
