· Imperial Tour (Half-day)
The tour starts with the visit of Hippodrome, the spacious square known as "Square of Horses" gives only a faint idea of the magnificence of the Hippodrome in Byzantine times, when it was the center of the city's life. Inspired by the Circus Maximus in Rome, it was used to be a stadium for chariot racing and public activities.

After visiting Hippodrome, guests will proceed to Blue Mosque, where everything seems to float in the azure light reflected from the blue tiles, which give the mosque its name. There are 21.043 ceramic tiles from the town of Iznik, celebrated for the tile industry since the mid 15th century. Lilies, carnations, tulips and roses bloom in ageless stylised beauty, glowing in the light falling from 260 windows.

Last stop would be Haghia Sophia, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Its immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The beautiful decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics.


· A Private yacht cruise on the Bosphorous (Half-day)
The guests will be transferred to the nearby pier to board a privately chartered yacht which will take them to a fascinating cruise along the Bosphorus, that is considered to be one of the most beautiful and historical channels of the world, surrounded by fortresses and old wooden kiosks. The cruise will end in down town area around where the coaches will be waiting to take the guests back to their hotel.

The cruise takes around 2,5 hours and can be scheduled in the morning or in the afternoon with brunch, buffet lunch or cocktail on board.


· Treasures of Istanbul Tour (Half-day)
The tour will begin with a visit to the world famous Topkapı Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. It was here that the power politics of ruling an empire, stretching from the gates of Vienna to the Persian Gulf, were played off against a background of Harem intrigue. The jeweled turban crests, silken caftans and priceless Chinese porcelains of the palace bear witness to the grandeur of a bygone era. The porcelain collection is considered the finest anywhere outside china.

After visiting Topkapı Palace, guests will proceed to the Underground Cistern that is right in the heart of Sultanahmet district. It is a wonderful ancient underground chamber of 336 columns, built by Emperor Justinian in A.D 532 to store the imperial water supply. It is now immaculately clean with sturdy walkways throughout, made attractive with the touch of a tastefully piped music and a subtle light show. It has magic all of its own.


· Grand Bazaar & Spice Market - Shoppers Paradise (Half-day)
The tour will begin with the biggest covered bazaar -"Grand Bazaar"- in the orient housing more than 4500 shops selling an amazing and tempting array of gold jewelery, rugs, copper, silver and antiques under the same roof. After having a free time in the bazaar, guests will be transferred to the Spice Market where its pungent aromas tempt visitors to experiment with the brightly colored spices on display.


· Traditional Turkish Bath* (Half-day)
As no visit to Istanbul is complete without sampling a real Turkish Bath guests can join a trip to the Cagaloglu Hamami in the old town area which is among the best known and largest of the public baths of the city.

Built in 1741 by Sultan Mahmut, it follows the pattern of the old Roman Baths. The areas are divided between the men's and the women's sections. You enter a large hall with stalls where you may undress, put on wooden clogs and wrap yourself in a towel. From there you go in to the "cool room" where you perform the first part of the bath yourself, again in private cubicles. In the third, "hot room", there is a marble platform, where you may lie down and be massaged. This room also has marble basins along the wall from which you dip water and pour it over yourself. Fruit juices, tea and coffee can be offered after the treatment.

* It is possible to offer the bath as a supplement after "Imperial" or "Treasures of Istanbul" tour


· The Asian Side of Istanbul (Half-day)
The tour will start by a visit to Dolmabahce Palace. The rococo 19th century residence of the Ottoman sultans and the place where the founder of Modern Turkey, Ataturk died in 1938, the Dolmabahce Palace beautifully situated with a 600m frontage on the Bosphorus. It boasts an impressive ballroom and ornate Victorian furniture embodying Turkish assimilation of European culture.

After the tour, guests will have the opportunity to explore Ortakoy area and they will have the opportunity to have tea/coffee break at one of the coffee houses. The focus of the good life on the European shore, far from the buzz of Istanbul's commercial activity, is Ortakoy, that lies at the end of an avenue of plane trees directly beneath the Bosphorus Bridge. Today, the pretty seaside square, still a genial mix of old and new, has been well and truly discovered. The fish restaurant and cafes have been joined by a host of minimalist Californian-style bars, designer shops, art galleries, antique shops and fashion boutiques. At night, the narrow cobbled lanes are filled till early hours with a crowd that ranges from teenagers to people of fifty-plus. On Sundays the whole area is taken over by an outdoor flea market which also sells arts and crafts.

After having leisure time at Ortakoy area, guests will be transferred to Akmerkez - the reward winning shopping mall in Europe, where they will have the opportunity to purchase worldwide known brands for reasonable rates.


· Classical Istanbul (Full-day)
The tour will start with a visit to Topkapi Palace. After visiting Topkapi Palace, the group will proceed to Suleymaniye Mosque. The Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, where he and his wife, Hurrem Sultan (Roxelane), are buried, is considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul. It was built between 1550 and 1557 by the famous architect Sinan whose wish was to surpass the builders of Haghia Sophia. Standing on a hill, it is conspicuous by its great size, emphasized by the four minarets rising one from each corner of the courtyard. Inside, the mihrab (prayer niche) and the mimber (pulpit) are of finely carved white marble, and there are fine stained glass windows. Adjoining the mosque were theological schools, a school of medicine, a soup kitchen and hospice for the poor, a caravanserai and a Turkish bath.

The next stop will be St. Chora Church. The 11th century church of St. Saviour in Chora is, after Haghia Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul. The walls are decorated with superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics on a gold background. These influenced the European Renaissance. The church is a remarkable museum of Byzantine art. Here you will find a quiet, carefully tended garden facing old wooden houses, where you can enjoy tea or coffee.

Lunch will be served at Asitane Restaurant located right next to St. Chora. Nouvelle Ottoman cuisine is accompanied by classical Turkish Music in a historical setting beside the venerable St.Saviour in Chora Museum.

The elegant restaurant offers to the residents of Istanbul as well as hotel guests a fine chance of coming into memorable contact with the Turkish Art of cooking. Gourmet specialties dating back to the Ottoman era are featured in the menu along with contemporary dishes. The garden adds a cool touch to the pleasures of wining and dining at the Asitane Restaurant.

The tour will end with a tea/coffee break at Café Pierre Lotti. Having a magnificent view of the Golden Horn, the cafe is located high above a hill. It has been called by the name of a French author; Pierre Loti. Pierre Loti, (1850-1923) was one of the few writers who came into prominence and enjoyed an outstanding success during his lifetime. His real name was Julien Viaud and as a naval officer he had opportunity of visiting many foreign countries. Turkey seems to have had a very special attraction for him. During his visits to Turkey, Loti dressed and acted like a Turk, with a fez upon his head and a rosary in his hand, he roamed in the intricate streets of Istanbul, rested in coffeehouses smoking a gurgling pipe, or sipping a cup of thick Turkish Coffee. He liked to stroll around the mosques of Fatih or Selim but Eyüp was his favourite place. He frequented this cafe, admiring the magnificent panorama of the Golden Horn, absorbing the quiet and peaceful atmosphere that reigned there. No one knows exactly how or where it started but the place has been called after him ever since: Pierre Loti Kahvesi.


· Princess Islands (Full-day)
The group will embark the boat for a cruise to Buyukada -the biggest of the Princess Islands-. The cruise takes approximately 1,5 hours. Buyukada, still known as Principio, the isle of the Prince, by many people, is the biggest of Istanbul islands, which were called the Princes' Islands by the Byzantines owing to the fact that princes and deposed emperors were often exiled there. Buyukada is a heaven for those looking for relief from choking traffic fumes and the exhausting daily life of Istanbul.

Buyukada is not very big -two and a half miles long and only half a mile wide- but it is beautiful. With sweeping views and an abundance of natural beauty all of its own, Buyukada even today preserves a special atmosphere that is evocative of the days of the Byzantine era. Stately villas, long past the days of their former glory stand in lush gardens where the air is heavy with the scent of the flowers and blossoms that so richly decorate every corner of the island. The environment, therefore, is protected against air pollution, noise and fumes. Visitors who want to travel round the island are offered either "grand" or "mini" phaeton tours. The "mini tour" takes visitors as far as Isa Tepesi or the Hill of Christos. Here there are some wonderful views and the slopes of the hill are covered with flowers and fruit trees. The "grand tour" offers a longer ride through mostly wooded areas. Both of the two big hills on the island once had thriving monasteries on them, which have long since fallen into ruins.

When the group disembarks at the pier of Buyukada, they will have a "grand tour" around the island by horse-drawn carriages since they do not have any motor vehicles on the island. The phaeton, a four-wheeled carriage drawn by horses is the main means of transportation on the island. It is the joy of children to hear the wheels crunching on the road, and riding around in them is a leisurely pastime for adults. Phaetons were introduced to Turkish urban life in the second half of the 19th century after Sultan Abdulaziz and high officials began to use phaetons to participate in official ceremonies. Buyukada embraced them, and today these ancient vehicles are part and parcel of the easygoing way of life on old Princippio and the other islands in the group.

The group will visit Aya Yorgi church on the top of the islands. The old monastery of St. George (Aya Yorgi) is on the summit of a hill, which is not accessible by carriage. The guests will climb up to reach the monastery with its small church of a later date and a graveyard. Around the hill of St. George are several tiny coves that are all worth the effort of visiting.

After visiting Aya Yorgi, the group will have lunch at a typical local restaurant. After lunch the group will have leisure time on the island. At late afternoon the group will embark the boat.