Ole Espana and Istanbul

Flamenco Dance Clubs , Costa Del Sol Beaches, the Museums in Madrid and more. Spain in one week.
Plus Istanbul City of the Sultans in 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 weekly on Wednesday in Istanbul - Year Round

Compare with Istanbul only : 4 days or 5 days  
Add Cappadoccia , or Kusadasi / Ephesus
Cruise from Turkey to Greece

DAY 1 - ISTANBUL - Tuesday

Our staff 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 - Wednesday (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 entrance tickets to the Harem's Quarter

Topkape Palace in Istanbul

DAY 3 - BOSPHORUS - Thursday (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.

Hotel Room amenity : Complimentary Turkish Lokoom pastries

DAY 4 - ISTANBUL- Friday (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 - "Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque" - Saturday
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:" (BL)

Morning 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- MADRID - Sunday (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 flight to Madrid
Arrival at Madrid Barajas Airport. Our local rep will escort you to your hotel.

Llegada al aeropuerto de Barajas. Traslado al hotel Alojamiento. Resto del día libre para ir conociendo por su cuenta esta cosmpolita ciudad. Recuerdo que en Madrid encontrara " todo" : Las tascas con sus tipicas " tapas" y " vinitos" , gastronomia , teatro , su famosa vida nocturna . Cultura y diversion, decida a su gusto.

Day 7- Tour Madrid (B)
Monday
Breakfast at the hotel. Then morning half day tour of Madrid:
Get set for views of Madrid from a variety of perspectives. Our itinerary will take you from the Bourbon to the Austrian, Isabeline and modern quarters of the capital, reflecting the history and influences that have shaped the nation.

Our neighborhood meanderings conclude in the Moorish Quarter (Barrio de la Morería), replete with fine town houses (Mesones) and tradition. But that's just the start.

We'll view the signature squares of Madrid, Oriente, España, Puerta del Sol, Cibeles, Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, and Atocha, each with its own character, ranging from elegant to workaday to frenzied. We'll travel along the famed thoroughfares, including the Gran Vía. And of course, we'll see Retiro Park, and the classic Bullring of the glory days of bullfighting, and a soccer stadium and modern quarters that rival any in Europe. The tour will conclude at the terminal, at Oriente Square.

The tour uses deluxe motorcoaches and certified tour guides, who provide full interpretation of our city, its history, monuments, characteristics, and of our own peculiarities and customs. It's a discovery ! The afternoon is at leisure

Desayuno y alojamiento. . Por la mañana visita panorámica que contempla los variados contrastes que Madrid ofrece a sus visitantes, Ciudad Universitaria , Parque del Oeste, Casa de Campo , Barrio de la Moreia , Plaza de Oriente , Plaza de Espana , Puente del Sol , Neptuno , Cibeles , Puerta de Alcala , Plaza de Toroes, etc. Tarde libre para seguir disfrutando por su cuenta de esta cosmpolita ciudad .

DAY 8 . MADRID - CORDOBA - SEVILLE Tuesday (Breakfast , Dinner)
We meet up at the hotel to escort you this morning to the coach terminal in Oriente Square in Madrid and set out by 9 a.m., making the most of our time aboard to introduce ourselves to each other and learn more about what lies ahead. Our route takes us into La Mancha, the landscape of romance and adventure where Don Quixote tilted at windmills. We’ll wind across hills and down into irrigated valleys, to Puerto Lápice, a town lost in time, looking much as it did in the seventeenth century. We might even espy the establishment where an innkeeper conferred knighthood upon Don Quixote. Then we’ll pass onward through the region of Valdepeñas, where fine Tempranillo grapes are grown, and cross the Canyon of Despeñaperros, and pass through the town of Bailén on our way to Cordoba. Here we’ll visit the famous Mosque, one of the most notable in the days of Moorish rule. Then we’ll continue onward to Andalusia, where dinner and comfortable beds await us in Seville.

Desayuno y salida hacia Aranjuez. Ocana y Puerto Lapice, entrando en la magica tierra manchega , escenario de las aventuras del Quijote , prosiguiendo por el Paso de Depenaperros , para entrar en Andalucia. Llegada a Córdoba. Almuerzo. Visita de su famosa Mezquita , claro exponente de la cultura arabe en Espana . Continuacion del viaje por Ecija y Carmona , para leegar finalmente a a Sevilla. Cena y alojamiento.

DAY 9 . SEVILLE, (Breakfast , Lunch ) Wednesday
We’ll stay all day in Seville, where the Moors have left their mark in whitewashed houses, tile roofs, graceful archways, and a warren of intimate lanes with surprises at every turn. Our visit will take us to the monumental and stunning tower of La Giralda, the Cathedral that once echoed with daily calls to prayer, and the Palace of the Alcazar, with its delicately carved stonework and pleasure gardens that still delight. Your afternoon is free to wander the alleyways of Seville on your own, and perhaps to stop in and sample the tapas at an inviting establishment.

Desayuno, almuerzo y alojamiento. Visita monumental y panorámica de la ciudad: La Catedral , o Casa de Pilatos, Barrio de Sta. Cruz , Plaza de Esapana . Tarde libre.

DAY 10 . SEVILLE - JEREZ - CADIZ - VEJER - COSTA DEL SOL - Thursday
Breakfast, Dinner .
Departure to Jerez where an important wine cellar will be visited. Continuation through Cadiz. Panoramic sightseeing. Departure to Vejer. Lunch. The posibility to make an optional visit to Gibraltar. Departure to Costa del Sol. Dinner and overnight.
Desayuno y salida hacia Jerez. Visita de unas típicas bodegas de vino . Continuación hacia Cádiz . Recorrido panorámico. Salida hacia Vejer de la Frontera. Almuerzo. Posibilidad de realizar una visita opcional de Gibraltar. Por la tarde, salida a la Costa del Sol. Cena y alojamiento.

DAY 11. COSTA DEL SOL - GRANADA Friday ( Breakfast , Dinner )
Take your time! We’ve built an extra day into this itinerary to allow you to explore Granada independently. Perhaps you’ll return to the fabled Alhambra for a stroll through its fantastical gardens. Or, you can wander the Albaicin, the last quarter of the city occupied by the Moors, with its charming maze of alleys lined with houses with secret patios. According to whim and interest, you’ll visit the museum of composer Manuel de Falla, or the Fine Arts or Archaeology museum, or spend your day café-sitting and shopping. We’ll be pleased to arrange a tour, if you wish, from a number of options.
Desayuno. Tiempo libre. A media mañana, salida en direccion a Loja y Santa Fe , para llegar a Granada, al pie de Sierra Nevada. Cena y alojamiento.

DAY 12. GRANADA - MADRID Saturday ( B)
Breakfast and visit Alhambra and its Gardens of Generalife.
Afternoon will see us back aboard the coach, on our way to Madrid and your hotel.
Desayuno. Durante la manana se realizara la visita de La Alhambra , monumento senero de la ciudad , que se halla situada sobre una alta colina en la margen del rio Darro; Jardines del Generalife , que son el complemento de La Alhambra , fue en otro tiempo residencia de placer de los reyes moros. Salida y almuerzo en ruta. Por la tarde, salida hacia Madrid. Alojamiento.

DAY 13 - RETURN HOME (B) - Monday
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home , hasta luego.

Rates per person in USD $ - Group touring

Rate includes :

• All transfers as per itinerary .
• One way air fare Istanbul Madrid , in economy class , tax included
• Guided sightseeing including entrance fees.
• Meals as listed : B. L. D. : Preset menu : continental breakfast, lunch, dinner , as listed on each day .
• Hotel accommodation as listed, including tax and service charge.

Rate doesn't include :

• International air fare from/to your home country
• Visa Fee for Turkey : cash upon arrival, , or from any of the Turkish Consulates
• Trip/travel insurance, please ask us for the flyer .
• Tips
  
  
  
  

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Sunken Palace- Underground Cistern-Istanbul