City of the Sultans

A 6 Day Tour of Istanbul
If you have only a short time, this is the perfect getaway. Your Six days are filled with enough exotic sights, sounds, scenes and scents to make it seem like weeks. We'll even provide you with the Lonely Planet guide to Istanbul so that you can explore the city on your own, as you like, in your free time! Arrive ANY DAY!
Private Tour-Private Guide - Private Air Conditioned Deluxe Sedan

Add Edirne the Earlier Capitalof the Mighty Ottomans

DAY 1 - ISTANBUL - Daily - Private Tour

Our local rep. meets your flight , or cruise line ( Oceania Cruises , Princess Cruises , Crystal Cruises or other Mediterranean cruises ), and escorts you to your hotel.

You're met by our representative, who sees you to your hotel, and answers any questions you may have about getting to know the city. As you ride into the great metropolis from the airport, two thousand years of history are revealed: towering Roman walls, ancient Byzantine churches, slender minarets framing the bulbous domes of graceful mosques. These ancient monuments float on the skyline of a bustling modern metropolis of ten million people. Welcome fruit basket in your room awaits you with our compliments.

DAY 2 - ISTANBUL (BLD)
The center of ancient Constantinople and Istanbul was on Seraglio Point, framed by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. We visit the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet III to challenge the architectural primacy of neighboring Sancta Sophia. We then walk next door to compare achievements in Justinian's great Sancta Sophia. Right behind Sancta Sophia is our next stop, sumptuous Topkapi Palace, the sultans seraglio for centuries, filled with breathtaking exhibits of priceless jewels, golden thrones, delicate colored tiles, and lavish court costumes. After lunch in a local restaurant ,we finish up in the bustling Grand Bazaar, where you can find jewelry, carpets, goat-hair rugs, hand-painted ceramics, copper and brass in labyrinthine streets holding nearly 4000 shops.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Istanbul l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening , by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town)

DAY 3 - BOSPHORUS (BL)
Istanbul's history was formed by the Bosphorus, the winding strait that separates Europe and Asia, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Now, as in ancient times, it is a maritime vital link between the countries bordering the Black Sea and those in the rest of the world. Today we take a leisurely cruise northward along this historic waterway. Along its shores are ranged palaces great and small-Topkapi, Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi, Küçüksu, Hünkar Iskelesi. Four great fortresses rise on the hills, reminding us that to control the Bosphorus was to control the destinies of nations. Our afternoon cruise (morning cruise for Oct-Apr season) of two continents, crossing from Europe to Asia and back, includes visits to the Navy's Museum (showing some magnificent boats used by the Ottoman Sultans), the Bosphorus Bridge, Çamlica Hill lookout, and stupendous Dolmabahçe Palace.

Lunch is included at a charming local restaurants . Hotel Room amenity : Complimentary Turkish Lokoom pastries

DAY 4 - ISTANBUL (B)
Istanbul is all yours, day at leisure, any way you like it.
Grab your Lonely Planet guidebook to Istanbul and stroll along the restored 19th-century thoroughfare of Istiklal Caddesi, once known as the Grand Rue de Péra. Search for spices and folk remedies in the Egyptian Bazaar. Admire the medieval mosaics in the city's many Byzantine churches. Shop in the chic boutiques around Taksim Square. Climb the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese six centuries ago, for a panoramic view of Old Istanbul.

Day 5 - Cooking class then tour : "Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque"
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:" (BL)

This morning we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . .Cooking Alaturka: Half-day Turkish Cooking Classes and Restaurant Learn How to Cook Authentic Turkish Foods in Between Visiting Istanbul’s Many Sights . classes are generally held from 10:30 to 14:30 . We prepare 5 typical Turkish dishes in a group of 6-10 persons and then have them for lunch in our restaurant. We have aprons at your disposal and you will get the recipes to take with you. Private classes are held as well
. ( supplement applies ). For private groups, evening classes can be considered as well, starting at 16:30, with dinner served from 19:00 to 21:00: Cooking with Chef : Eveline Zoutendijk

Cooking Classes in Istanbul

Later in the day : walking tour : We start with our guide in Karaköy where the foreign bankers and shipping companies had their headquarters, then take the Tünel up to istiklal Caddesi; stop in the whirling dervish tekke, and walk past the various old embassy buildings (now consulates), and point out the architecture. Stop for tea (included) at the famous Pera Palace Hotel.
Walk at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and have lunch in the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then walk up to Taksim Square and be picked up for the afternoon tour. In the afternoon the tour visit Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of Yildiz, and finish up with a visit to the Military History Museum in Harbiye in time to hear the "Mehter," or Ottoman military band (mid-afternoon).

DAY 6 - ISTANBUL- Departure (B)
There are many more things to see and do in this fascinating city, but they will have to wait for your next visit. After breakfast, our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight--until next time!

Rates per person in USD $
Private basis - Choose your own dates. Daily - Year Round

"City of the Sultans" starts every day in Istanbul . Rates are per person and do not include airfare.

Rate includes :

• All transfer are on a private basis .
  
• Private guided sightseeing including entrance fees.
  
• Meals as listed : B. L. D. : Preset menu continental breakfast, lunch, dinner .
  
• Hotel accommodation in the category of your choice, with tax included and service charges.

Rate doesn't include :

• International air fare.
• Visa Fee : in cash upon arrival, or from any of the Turkish Consulates
• Trip/travel insurance

• Istanbul sightseeing without the hotel : 4 days or 5 days  
  

• Add Kusadasi / Ephesus .
  

• Kusadasi Cruise Shore Excursion
  

• Click here for more details on Heritage*: Ottoman Mansion Style Boutique hotels.
  

• Click here for sailing the Mediterranean ( Blue Cruise) details
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  All of our transfers are always on a private basis !