Istanbul Short Breaks

DAY 1 : Istanbul - Arrival Transfer

Description : You will meet with staff of Celsus Travel at the Ataturk Airport (or SAW Airport) and then transfer to your hotel in Istanbul. Today, you will have free day. Overnight Istanbul.

DAY 2 : Istanbul - Old City Tour

Description : Your tour guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel and you will drive to historical peninsula. Your tour will start with Hippodrome Square where used to take place for chariot races and the Byzantine riots during Roman & Byzantine period. Only a short walk away, reaches Hagia Sophia built in 532 AD by Roman Emperor Justinian I. and Blue Mosque, has its fame from its beautiful blue Iznik tiles. You will continue walking to Topkapi Palace, was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational center of the state. It was constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople. You will visit the Topkapi Palace including treasury and weapons section. After that, You will visit Grand Bazaar where is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul. (B - L)

DAY 3 : Istanbul - Best Museums of Istanbul Tour

Description : Picking up about from your hotel, you will visit first Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum This museum located in Sultanahmet Square in Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. Constructed in 1524, the building was formerly the palace of Pargali Ibrahim Pasha, who was the second grand vizier to Suleiman the Magnificent, and husband of the Sultan's sister, Hatice Sultan. The collection includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs as well as ethnographic displays on various cultures in Turkey, particularly nomad groups. These displays recreate rooms or dwellings from different time periods and regions. After visited this museum, you will continue to Buyuk Saray Mozaikleri Muzesi (The Great Palace Mosaic Museum). The museum located close to Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey, at Arasta Bazaar. The museum houses mosaics from the Byzantine period, unearthed at the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople. The last visit of tour will be to the Istanbul Archeology Museum. There is a group of three archeological museums located in the Eminonu district of Istanbul. It houses over one million objects that represent almost all of the eras and civilizations in world history. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul. (B - L)

DAY 4 : Istanbul - Golden Horn, Bosphorus Tour

Description : Picking up about from your hotel for the tour. The first stop is Suleymaniye Mosque, constructed by Architect Sinan by the order of Sultan Suleyman The Magnificient. This is the largest mosque complex of the city used as the Imperial Mosque and offer a gorgeous view over the Golden Horn. After the mosque, we will stop by Pierre Loti Hill named after the French Poet who gave the spot his name. There you will find a beatiful scenery of the city and peaceful location for taking a Turkish Tea. The next visit is to one of the oldest and most important churches in the city - The Church of Chora - representing fascinating wall paintings which tell the life of Christ in an historical order. Even though the building itself being small, the meaning was great for Byzantines as being founded at the borders of the city and welcoming the visitors. Today the environment is restored and this is a good place to spend time with local artisans and wooden houses. Driving along the city walls, the tour will end about 12.00 You will have a lunch break in a traditional Turkish Restaurant. Countinue to your trip with first Rustem Pasa Mosque, special with Ottoman tiles and then walk through the Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Market) built in 1664 and filled with the fragrance of the exotic East such as spices, dried fruits, turkish delights. The Bosphorus cruise by TurYol boat takes about 1.5 hour and you will see the most impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus including Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Maiden´s Tower, Bosphorus bridges, Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses and Ottoman Residences. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel. (B - L) - END OF SERVICES / The accommodation of that day is not included.