All of our arrangements have been specially designed to incorporate a reason to travel and, for ease of choice, these have been categorised under the titles shown below.
4 nights from
£1275
Straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait, where the Rumeli and Anatolian fortresses guard the narrowest points of the 30km waterway, Istanbul wears its history like a string of pearls, each intriguing palace, castle, or place of worship leading to another; every century of its chequered past on display in its architecture; and all interlinked by the museums and galleries, tea gardens, tavernas, and Turkish coffeehouses of this heaving, hospitable, cosmopolitan city. Byzantine churches beg to be explored, for grandeur, fine frescoes, and mosaics. A multitude of magnificent mosques mark the sky with minarets and supply the city’s soundtrack of muezzin calls.
UNESCO World Heritage sites include the Roman Hippodrome, 6th-century Hagia Sophia, 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque, the astonishing Basilica Cistern, and Topkapi Palace, now a museum, the former residence of Ottoman Sultans bringing opulence to a level rarely seen and holding holy relics of the Prophet Muhammad. Our daily guided tours visit all of these, along with the formidable Yedicule Fortress, enormous Dolmabahçe Palace, and Istanbul’s inimitable bazaars; and a Bosphorus cruise and rooftop dinner each offer a special experience.
Enjoy a welcome drink in Istanbul at the famous ‘Orient-Express’ bar of the historic Pera Palas Hotel built in 1892. To round off the tour, enjoy a farewell rooftop dinner in the popular Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, with spectacular panoramic views.
Some visits are on foot with some uneven surfaces and inclines.
Extra nights are on request, please call to discuss your requirements
Hotel Arena
(per night) £54
Single supplement £43
Eresin Hotels Topkapi
(per night) £112
Single supplement £112
Air travel, UK departure taxes, overseas airport taxes, transfers, 4 nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily, 1 dinner, itinerary as described, services of guides and local representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.
Travel insurance, visa procurement, optional excursions, tipping, porterage, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.
Grand Tour of Turkey
A journey through the cities and the centuries, via coasts, peaks and plateaus, enjoy a comprehensive circling of significant sights, from Istanbul, at ‘the bridge of continents’, to ancient sites, intriguing culture and ethereal landscapes
Highlights of Turkey
Exceptional value for a journey of discovery from Istanbul to Ephesus via Troy, Pergamon and Bursa through ancient, Ottoman and Byzantine Turkey
