ISTANBUL at its BEST (2)
DAY 1 - ISTANBUL
UTS Representative will meet you at the gate of the plane (with a sign reading your names) and you will be assisted during the passport formalities and escorted through the customs. There will be no lines except for the luggage. (EX: TBA)
And at the exit gate of the customs, United Travel’s officially licensed English Speaking representative will meet you to escort you to your hotel.
DAY 2 - ISTANBUL
Your private guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel at 9 am for your private sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
Your private tour will start with a visit to Topkapi
Palace- which was the center of Ottoman government and the court, the Turks
ruled most of Europe and the Middle East from here. Covering the prime property
on the peninsula, the court-defined grounds of the Palace express in the
architectural sense the Ottoman ideal of the perfect life balanced between its
formative components. Explore the Harem
Section, breath-taking grounds, domes, porticos, terraces and great halls
of the Palace, marvel at its exhibits of costumes, Chinaware, jewels and
manuscripts, gaze at its marble and tile covered walls, royal chambers and
gardens of tulips and roses, its views of the Sea, the Bosphorus and the Golden
Horn.
Lunch will be served at one of UTS’s recommended local/select
restaurants close to the sights, at your
own cost.
Next visits will be to the Roman Hippodrome and Blue Mosque- the masterpiece of 17th century Ottoman Architecture, famous for its unique handmade original Iznik Tiles impressing the guests with their rich dominant blue colors and oriental patterns. They have become collectors’ items today, auctioned at celebrated houses like the Sotheby’s.
The last visit of the day will be to the Grand Covered Bazaar. No bazaar, however, is more dazzling than the Grand Covered Bazaar, built in 1461 and in service ever since. Along with magnificent mosque complexes, the mother of all bazaars was a monument to the ‘Rise of Istanbul’- the great master plan of the Turks for the rejuvenation and reanimation of an old imperial capital. It contains 3,500 shops employing more than 20,000 people all under one roof. Everything imaginable is for sale, gold and silver jewelry, rugs, carpets, antiques, tiles, leather, souvenirs, but just seeing and experiencing this mother of all bazaars is worth the trip.
At the end of the tour, you will be escorted to your hotel by 4:30 pm.
Your private guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel at 9 am for your private sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
You will then continue to the Old Town of Istanbul to visit the World famous Hagia Sophia which is one of the most extraordinary constructions in the history of architecture. The awesome building inspired countless generations by its colossal definition of what the ideal interior space in a domed basilica should be and with its innovations in weight-support and construction techniques.
The last visit
will be to the Spice Market- for a “true taste” of culture
mosaics in Istanbul! Originally devoted to spices and herbs, it now sells a
great variety of goods in 88 vaulted rooms. You enter from a large city square
and see before you a lengthy, tunnel-like building with 19 stalls on each side.
At the end, the 'tunnel' turns left 90 degrees where an even longer building
stretches away, containing the other 50 stalls.
You will be met by your
dedicated guide at the lobby of your hotel at 9 am for your private
sightseeing tour of Istanbul.
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Istanbul Cruise Pier to board on your ship by 1 pm.
To book this tour, please contact UTS – Turkey Team