Istanbul in Depth 8 Days

You land in Istanbul and we meet you at the arrivals exit with a sign bearing your name. Private transfer to the hotel, about 50 minutes from the airport, with no waiting and no stops. At reception we hand you your travel documents and the assistance phone number, and we go through the plan for the coming days together. The rest of the day is free to get your first taste of the city at your own pace; if you arrive early, a first tea overlooking the Bosphorus is a must. Overnight in Istanbul.

We board a yacht all to ourselves and sail the Bosphorus for two hours — the strait that separates Europe from Asia and is barely 700 metres wide at its narrowest point: waterfront palaces, fortresses and the wooden mansions on both shores. Back on land, we step into the Spice Bazaar, built in 1664 next to the New Mosque. In the afternoon we cross to the Asian side: a stroll around Üsküdar and a visit to Beylerbeyi Palace, the sultans' white-marble summer residence, completed in 1865. Lunch included. Overnight in Istanbul.

We start at the ancient Hippodrome, the Roman circus on Sultanahmet Square where the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius still stands. A few steps away is the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and more than 20,000 İznik tiles. We cross the square to Hagia Sophia, the 6th-century Byzantine masterpiece whose 55-metre dome changed the history of architecture. We finish underground, in the Basilica Cistern: 336 columns and the two Medusa heads. Lunch included between visits. Overnight in Istanbul.

We devote the day to Asian Istanbul. We go up Çamlıca Hill, the city's highest viewpoint, with both continents and the Bosphorus at your feet, and visit Çamlıca Mosque, the largest in Türkiye, opened in 2019 with room for 63,000 worshippers. Then we head down to Kuzguncuk, an old Bosphorus village where a mosque, a church and a synagogue share the same street: colourful wooden houses, community gardens and neighbourhood cafés. Lunch included. Overnight in Istanbul.

We start the day above the Golden Horn: we go up Pierre Loti Hill, to the café from which the French writer used to gaze at the city, with one of the most serene views in Istanbul. We continue to Taksim Square and walk down İstiklal Avenue, a mile-long pedestrian street with its century-old red tram. We stop at the Pera Palace, the 1892 hotel built for Orient Express travellers, and finish by climbing the 14th-century Galata Tower: 67 metres high, with a 360-degree panorama. Lunch included. Overnight in Istanbul.

A day for two giants. In the morning, Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans for almost four centuries: courtyards, pavilions, the Treasury and the Harem, which is included — the part that truly tells the story of palace life. In the afternoon we get lost, methodically, in the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, with some 4,000 shops spread over more than 60 streets. Time for unhurried shopping, with your guide close by to help you haggle. Lunch included. Overnight in Istanbul.

The last full day, and the most relaxed: Balat and Fener, the old Greek and Jewish neighbourhoods on the Golden Horn. We walk among colourful houses and painted stairways, step into the Church of St George, seat of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate, and see the Bulgarian Church of St Stephen, built entirely of cast iron in 1898. The rest of the afternoon is yours: charming cafés, antique shops and workshops, with no clock to watch. Lunch included. Overnight in Istanbul.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast; we pick you up at the hotel four hours before your flight, the margin Istanbul Airport requires. Private transfer to the terminal and farewell. End of our services; Istanbul will be waiting for your return.