Day 01
Bosphorus Cruise, Çamlıca Hill and Beylerbeyi Palace
- Morning Bosphorus Cruise
- We will begin with a brief visit to the 17th-century Spice Bazaar, one of Istanbul's most colourful and bustling attractions.
- Next, we will travel along the Golden Horn on our way to an unforgettable cruise on the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul and links Europe and Asia.
- From our cruise boat, we will view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus' wooded shores: mosques, a bridge that was once the world's longest, and Rumeli Hisarı, 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.
- Asia and Beylerbeyi Palace
- We will start by driving across the Bosphorus Bridge, once the world's longest suspension bridge, and head to the summit of Çamlıca Hill for panoramic views of Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara, and the Princes' Islands.
- Our next stop is the Grand Çamlıca Mosque, the largest mosque in Turkey, which opened in 2019 and was designed by two female architects, Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu.
- A short drive brings us to the Palace of Beylerbeyi on the shore of the Bosphorus. Perhaps the most elegant late Ottoman palace, Beylerbeyi boasts six sumptuously furnished reception halls with Bohemian crystal chandeliers and Sèvres and Chinese vases, including a main salon with an indoor fountain.
- The sultans' guests at the palace included Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia, and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. (Every day except Mondays)
