ITINERARY 03 – EUROPE

Upon arrival in Istanbul (Ataturk Airport), the city of two continents, you will be greeted by our representative with Turkish hospitality & accompanied during your transfer to the hotel (Check-In 13:00), where you will be briefed by your travel consultant. Overnight in Istanbul.

Your day will commence with a visit to the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome where you will tour the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Fountain of Wilhelm II, the elegant Blue Mosque famous with its heavenly six minarets and the Hagia Sophia Museum, built during the reign of Emperor Theodosius and burned down in the fire of Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. Just before lunch break, you will visit the Caferaga Medresesi. After lunch break at local restaurant, you will visit the Topkapi Palace (excluding harem), residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. Overnight in Istanbul.

Meet your guide at hotel lobby for a short drive to Spice Market, Egyptian Bazaar heaped with various sweets & spices is one of the world’s largest spice bazaars since 1665. Soon after, you will visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque. Then embark on the Bosphorus ferry for an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. After lunch break, day tour will continue with driving across the first Bosphorus Bridge & head for the summit of Camlica Hill, which offers 360° panoramic views of Istanbul overlooking the Sea of Marmara. We lastly visit Beylerbeyi Palace and driving back to Europe over the Bosphorus Bridge. Overnight in Istanbul.

Meet your guide to for your full day tour, escaping the bustle of Istanbul for the day. Start the day by boarding a ferry bound for the charming Princes’ Islands, your destination, Buyukkada, the largest of the island chain, passing by four other islands during the trip. The islands are famous for their mild climates, lush vegetation, ornate Ottoman houses and for being vehicle-free. The preferred means of transport is the charming horse-drawn carriage known as the Phaeton, which you will use on your trip around Buyukada, passing by elegant mansions draped in brilliant purple bougainvilleas. Feel as though you have stepped back in time to a more peaceful and graceful era.  You can feel the 19th century grandeur that adorned the waterfront on your leisurely stroll along the promenade. Lunch will be at one of the many exceptional traditional fish-restaurants on the waterfront, with time to gaze across the water at the Asian shore of Istanbul, so close, yet feels a world away. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel , you will be picked up and transferred to airport for your outbound flight.