Istanbul Highlights 8 Day Tour

A tour that shows the best of Istanbul’s varied and fascinating history. You will tour in the city
visiting some of the icons of Istanbul’s history, including Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. You
will cruise the cities famous river, The Bosphorus, taking in all the different locations from a totally
new angle. There will be excursions outside the city of Istanbul, however, they are part of the
region and have their own fascinating histories. Princess Island is a small island off the shore of
Istanbul that used to be the destination of exiled royalty members. Bursa City is famous for being
a 'green' city, during the Ottoman era a mosque was built and decorated in unique green tiles since
the city has kept this colouration.

Your tour is not all history and sightseeing, you have the time to enjoy a Turkish water park just
outside Istanbul. Here you have free time to try different water rides as well as other activities.
Your final tour will take you on a natural adventure to the regions of Sapanca and Masukiye. Here
there is only a small amount of human alteration and the hiking paths will leave you speechless in
the natural wonder.

Day 1
Welcome to Istanbul, Turkey D
Welcome to Turkey!

You will be greeted at the airport and our transfer will take you to your hotel.

Day 2
Istanbul Old City Tour BLD
Today you will be visiting the most iconic landmarks in the old city of Istanbul. Topkapi Palace is
a famous destination, and iconic for the history of Turkey. This palace was the administrative
centre of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years, which was one of the furthest reaching
empires in the world.
Aya Sofya, Hagia Sophia, has been well knowing and used by both Christian and Muslims.
Originally it was built as a Byzantium church, however, when the Ottoman Empire conquered
Constantinople they repurposed it to a mosque. To make it fit with the traditional mosque the
Sultan order four minarets and a dome added, although this was unusual due to it standing on
squared off pillars to distribute weight evenly.
The Blue Mosque is both an active place of worship and a beautiful tourist destination. Being
larger than most mosques it has six minarets and a series of domes which highlights the
difference between modern and classical mosque styles. Outside in an open park, you will
find Obelisks marking an area that was once a Hippodrome where the Byzantine people would
have held competitions, primarily chariot races. The Grand Bazaar is a must-see for a traditional
Turkish market shopping, with 4399 shops, 2195 stalls, 497 workshops and 18 fountains it offers
something for everyone to find.

Our recommendation:
After the day's tour ends and you have your own free time, we recommend also visiting the Spice
Bazaar to enjoy the sights and smells of Turkish tea, spices, and candies. You will be on your
own here as its not part of your tour package, but you will have plenty of time and can make your
own way back to your hotel.

Important Notes:
Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
Blue Mosque due to prayers on Fridays we are unable to enter
Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays
Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays
Overnight Istanbul

Day 3
Two Continent Cruise & Dolmabahce Palace BLD
Today you will cruise the Bosphorus.

The Bosphorus River, unique to be the crossing point of two continents within a singular city.
This river sails past some of the most iconic and beautiful landmarks.
Rumeli Fortress was built by Mehmet the II while he prepared to besiege Constantinople, which
makes this even more impressive is that it was built in four months by 3000 labourers and
stonemasons. Now its crenulated walls now are a popular photo opportunity. Dolmabahce
Palace was built 1611-1614, previously to the modern build there was a timber palace called ‘the
Besiktas palace’. The modern palace was built after a fire destroyed the previous one and it was
deemed a good location to the city with river views.

Pierre Loti Hill offers a panoramic view of Istanbul, take the cable car to the top of the hill and
gaze into the distance at places like the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, Historical Peninsula
and islands.
The Bosphorus Bridge is one of many bridges linking the Asian and European continents.
However, this bridge is also special due to it being the 4th largest in Europe and the 7th in the
world.

Important Note:
Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays, therefore on this day only, the tour will begin 2
hours later (11:30 am departure) on Mondays.
Dolmabahce Palace, Kucuksu Palace, and Pierre Loti Hill are the only sights you will tour by foot.
The other sights will be seen from the boat or bus.

Overnight Istanbul.

Day 4
Princess Island Tour BLD
Today you will visit the Princess Islands a tour of their beauty.

Princess Islands offer an unusual way to tour some of the sites, while also offering beautiful
scenery all around. You will see the enduring Church of St. George, Aya Yorgi in Turkish. This
church was badly damaged in 1941 but was restoration began in 1989 and was reopened in
1991 and now offers Sunday mass but is also open to visitors every day. You will also see
the Agios Dimitrios Church, and the Hamidiye Mosque.

This island has a unique form of transport for sightseeing, horse-drawn carriage. In the afternoon
the carriages take you on a tour of the island, allowing for a relaxing a traditional way of seeing
the sights.

Day 5
Bursa Day Tour BLD
Today your holiday takes you to the historical city of Bursa.

Your day will begin with a ferry to Yalova and continues to the City of Bursa by luxury coach. The
city of Bursa was the first capital the Ottoman empire had. Here you will see sights which have
aided give the name ‘Green Bursa’ to the city. The Green Mosque was built by Sultan Mehmet I,
he commissioned a green decorative mosque which master artisans were brought in to do
details such as the handcrafted and decorated tiles. His Successor Mehmet II built
a Green Mausoleum in keeping with his predecessor’s ideas and created one of the most
ornate tombs.
Koza Han is a small market that is famous for being part of the Silk Road markets. Here they
took and made silk items that were sold in the shops within. Modern times still sees some of
these silk shops in operation but few than in the past, the central square is an ideal place to get a
feeling for local life.

A tour is not complete without a breathtaking view, and Bursa does not disappoint. A leisurely
cable car ride up the slopes of the local Mt Uludag offers views of the whole city as well as the
surrounding area.

Day 6
Vialand Theme Park BD
Today is a fun-filled day at Vialand Theme park.

During a holiday everyone needs a chance to sit back and have some fun, at Vialand Theme
park you can enjoy over 50 amusement activities, including attraction such as Viking, Crazy
River and Dungeon. They also have a shopping area with about 250 shop and boutique choices
to enjoy a full day of fun.

Day 7
Sapanca and Masukiye Tour BLD
Today you will get a chance to get away from the big lights of the city by
visiting Sapanca and Masukiye.

Today is all about enjoying the fresh air and nature. Sapanca Lake offers scenic tours in a
stunning landscape between Adapazarai Meadow and the Gulf of Izmit, with mountains all
around offer a quiet retreat from the busy city. The lakeside is one of the favourite walking paths
for people coming from Istanbul.

Darica Zoo is Istanbul's biggest zoo with almost 200 different species of animals and thousands
of plant species. Here you will see mammals, reptiles as well as around 19 different fish species.
There are also over 100 types of birds, offering the largest collection of animals in Istanbul in one
place.

Masukiye village has become famous for its location and its food, with traditional wholes food,
with the chance to eat under a waterfall surrounded by picturesque mountains there is nowhere
else like it on the tour. Kartepe Mountain offers wonderful hiking and photo opportunity as you
walk you will have an outstanding view of the Sapanca lake below.

Day 8
Fond Farewells B
Today you will be returned to the airport as your adventure of Istanbul has come to an end. We
hope you have enjoyed the experience and wish to travel with us again.