Itinerary

1. Bosphorus Cruise and Ottoman Splendours Tour

   • We will begin with a brief visit to the 17th-century Spice Bazaar, one of Istanbul’s most colourful, bustling attractions. 
   • Next, we will travel the Golden Horn on our way to an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. 
   • From our cruise boat, we will view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus’ wooded shores: mosques and a bridge that for a time was the world’s longest and Rumeli Hisari, a massive fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror in just three months as he prepared to take Istanbul. 
   • Also noteworthy on this tour are the 19th-century mansions of the Ottoman elite and the Sultans’ fanciful gingerbread palaces and hunting lodges.
   • Then, we will head to Topkapı Palace, from the 15th to the 19th century, the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. 
   • We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapı Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewellery, including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd largest in the world. It also possesses numerous Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably including one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics and many gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change colour in the presence of poison. 
   • We will also explore the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest feature of Topkapı Palace is its courtyards’ ancient trees; it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire.
   • Our next stop, Hagia Eirene, the Church of the Holy Peace, is one of the few churches in Istanbul that was never converted into a mosque, as it was used as an arsenal until the 19th century. Hagia Eirene reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple and has the distinction of being the first church built in Byzantium as it was converted into the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
   • From there, we will go to Gülhane Park, once a part of the outer gardens of Topkapı Palace, where the Edict of Gülhane, a declaration of rights and liberties, played an essential role in the modernisation of the Ottoman Empire. After the proclamation of the Republic, Gülhane Park was for many years home to the Istanbul Zoo.