8-Day Istanbul, Bursa and Yalova Culture Tour with Bosporus Cruise

• Arrive in Istanbul and get transferred to your hotel.

Overnight stay in Istanbul.

• See famous sights such as the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik tiles.

• Visit Hagia Sophia, officially known as the Holy Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

• Go to Topkapı Palace, a large museum east of the Fatih district.

• Afterwards, explore the Hippodrome, where chariot races and the Byzantine riots once took place.

• Then, spend some free time in the Grand Bazaar area, famous for its 3000-plus shops.

Overnight stay in Istanbul.

• Cruise on the Marmara Sea to the Princes' Islands, stopping at Büyükada, the popular summer resort with sandy beaches.

• Go for a relaxed tour of the island on horse-drawn carriages.

• In the evening, return to Istanbul city and transfer to your hotel.

• Enjoy the lovely countryside views during the ferry-boat journey via Yalova.

• Drive to Bursa, the former Ottoman capital. Climb to Uludağ, the legendary Mount Olympos, by Teleferik (cable car), and enjoy lunch on the mountainside before returning to Bursa city.

• Explore historical mosques and mausoleums, including:

  • The Ulucami (Grand Mosque), commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I to commemorate his great victory at the Battle of Nicopolis.

  • The Green Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Mehmed I, from the period when Bursa was the capital of the Ottoman Turks before they captured Constantinople in 1453.

  • The Green Mausoleum, the mausoleum of the fifth Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed I, built by Mehmed's son and successor Murad II in 1421.

  • The old Silk Market, one of the most visited sites in Bursa.

Overnight stay in Bursa. (Anatolia Hotel 4* BB)

• Spend a free day in Bursa city for shopping.

Overnight stay in Bursa. (Anatolia Hotel 4* BB)

• Transfer to Yalova city and spend your free time in the famous Yalova Thermal Baths.

• Depart by ferry-boat to Istanbul and stay overnight in Istanbul.

• Travel to the Bosporus and shop at the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar).

• Take a cruise ride on the Bosporus through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia, with the possibility to take photographs of marble palaces, ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture, modern residential buildings, and luxurious apartments. In the afternoon, visit Çamlıca Hill and a shopping center.

Overnight in Istanbul.

• After breakfast, get transferred to the airport to catch your return flight.