Cruises to Istanbul Turkey

Take part in the entertainment and night life at one of the finest night clubs in the city. Depart by motor coach and after a short drive through the illuminated streets of Istanbul you will arrive at one of the best known Night Club of Istanbul. Enjoy a variety of Turkish specialties while you are entertained by Turkish musicians, belly dancers and folk dancers, performing dances from different regions of Turkey. At the end of the show, join in the singing of popular and favourite songs. Board your motor coach and continue your sightseeing by night before returning back to the ship.

Begin the excursion with a sightseeing drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent. Continue around the mighty citywalls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it suffered over the centuries. In the Old City, the first visit will be to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in the Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of pilgrims start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik tiles from where it gets its name, the “Blue Mosque”. Walk to the world famous monument of Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can see the superb mosaics and the marble decorations. Return to the ship for lunch on board. After lunch continue the tour with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the “Spoonmaker’s Diamond”, the 7th biggest diamond in the world. During the tour you will also have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.
REMARKS
Shoulders and knees must be covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.

Begin the excursion with a drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent. Continue around the mighty city walls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it suffered over the centuries. In the Old City, the first visit will be to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in the Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of pilgrims start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik tiles from where it gets its name, the “Blue Mosque”. Walk to the famous Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can admire the superb mosaics and the marble decorations. Walk through the large gardens to Konyali Restaurant and experience typical Turkish cuisine. After lunch, the tour continues with a visit to the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the “Spoonmaker’s Diamond”, the 7th biggest diamond in the world. During the tour you will also have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.
REMARKS
Shoulders and knees must be covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.

Start the tour with a short drive through the modern city of Istanbul, crossing the Galata Bridge en route to the Golden Horn. The impressive Süleymaniye Mosque, built by Turkish architect Sinan and dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent, can be seen on the way. At the Golden Horn, take a short walk to the Cruise Boat Station where your private boat will be waiting for your exciting trip on the Bosphorus. You will sail past Dolmabahce and Ciragan Palaces built on the European shore, glide under the Bosphorus Bridge and past Beylerbeyi Palace, Anatolian Fortress and Kanlica on the Asian shore. You will have the chance to take amazing photographs sailing between these two continents.

This tour is designed to give you a glimpse of the best and the most famous monuments in Istanbul remaining from the Byzantine Empire era. Depart from the pier for an interesting tour of Istanbul with a city sightseeing drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent, built by the famous Turkish Architect, Sinan. Arrive at Chora Museum. This 11th century church of St. Savior in Chora is the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul after St. Sophia museum. There is a collection of fourteenth century frescoes, gold-inlaid mosaics and some of the World’s finest Byzantine paintings. Continue with a drive along the ancient Byzantine city walls to the Byzantine Hippodrome where the chariot races and celebrations in honour of the emperors, once took place during the Byzantine era. Visit the ancient church of St. Sergius and Bachus which belonged to the monastery of Hormisdas and was built as the result of a vow made by Justinian when he was on the point of being executed for conspiring against his predecessor. The tour continues with a visit to an Underground Cistern, consisting of a network of waterways built as far back as the third century B.C., to protect the city against long sieges. Continue to Balat area, another historical part of Istanbul, for lunch at the restaurant. After lunch, visit The Patriarchate which is located just 50 m away from the restaurant or just relax strolling along the Golden Horn. Drive to Rustem Pasha Mosque, located at Eminonu close to the Spice Market. This Mosque was built by Sinan in 1550 for Rustem Pasha, a grand vizier who married one of the daughters of Süleyman The Magnificent. Inside and on the façade you can see some beautiful Iznik faience. The Mihrab, completely covered with faience tiles and the Mimbar are particularly striking.
REMARKS
Includes visit to religious sites, knees and shoulders must be covered and shoes are not permitted in the mosques.