Istanbul tour

Departure from Italy and arrival at Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) or Istanbul (IST) airport, followed by transfer to the chosen hotel. Dinner at leisure and overnight stay.

Culture

60%

Relax

50%

Food

40%

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to explore and enjoy the city at your own pace. Dinner at leisure and overnight stay.

Culture

60%

History

50%

Adventure

40%

Food

30%

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a half-day Golden Horn tour. We will start by visiting the St. Stephen Bulgarian Church, an Orthodox church located in Turkey, linked to the struggle for ecclesiastical independence in the 1830s–1840s and the only iron Orthodox church in the world. We will then head to the picturesque and colorful Fener and Balat districts, UNESCO-protected and considered the earliest settlements of ancient Constantinople. Here, you will visit the St. George Cathedral, seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate since the 15th century. Formerly a convent for Orthodox nuns, it became the patriarchal seat under Patriarch Matthew II (1598–1601). This sacred place remains the spiritual heart of the Orthodox Church. Next, we will visit the Spice Bazaar (or Egyptian Bazaar), built in the 18th century, one of the largest and most charming markets in Istanbul. Walking through its lively corridors, you will be immersed in an explosion of scents, colors, and flavors: oriental spices, Turkish sweets, aromatic teas, and local dried fruits. (*) Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel.

* Optional excursion (extra cost): continue to the ancient Monastery of Christ Pantocrator, now transformed into the Zeyrek Mosque. Commissioned by Empress Irene Comnena and expanded by her husband John II Comnenus, the complex originally included two churches and a funerary chapel of the Comnenus and Palaiologos dynasties, an extraordinary example of Byzantine architecture. Then, visit the Valens Aqueduct, completed in 378 AD to supply water to the imperial palace. Finally, admire the Suleiman Mosque, built between 1550 and 1557 by Mimar Sinan, considered the most beautiful of the imperial mosques. Its harmonious domes and majestic courtyard offer a unique experience of Ottoman spirituality and architecture.

Culture

40%

History

50%

Relax

20%

Food

40%

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for the "Imperial" tour of Istanbul. Begin at the ancient Hippodrome, the heart of the Byzantine era, where chariot races once took place, admiring the obelisks and the famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque. Continue with a visit to the Basilica Cistern, built under Emperor Justinian I in 532, a symbol of the most prosperous period of the Eastern Roman Empire. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, visit the Imperial Topkapi Palace (Harem section excluded), the residence of the sultans for almost four centuries. Its architecture, with magnificent decorations and furnishings, showcases the power and grandeur of the Ottoman Empire. Continue with an external visit to Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, and enjoy free time at the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul’s most famous covered market. (*) Return to the hotel, dinner on your own, and overnight stay.

* Optional excursion (with supplement) available: a Bosphorus boat cruise to admire the unique panorama of the European and Asian sides of the city, with its iconic palaces, mosques, and fortresses.

Breakfast at the hotel. At the scheduled time, transfer to Istanbul Airport (SAW/IST) for your return flight to Italy.