A FANTASTIC WEEKEND ESCAPE
A FANTASTIC "WEEKEND ESCAPE" to ISTANBUL
DAY 1 - ISTANBUL
UTS Representative will meet you at the exit gate of the customs, United Travel’s for your private transfer 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.
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.
Your private tour will start with a visit to 6th century Underground Cistern- perhaps the most unusual structure in Istanbul, exhibits the engineering marvels that solved water supply problems. Originally, Constantine built this vast underground space in the early-4C as the water reservoir for the Imperial Palace, and it was later enlarged under Justinian in 532.
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.
At the end of the tour, you will be escorted to your hotel by 4:30 pm.
DAY 3 - ISTANBUL
Your private guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel at 9 am for another 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.
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.
Lunch will be served at one of UTS’s recommended
local/select restaurants close to the sights, at your own cost.
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.
DAY 4 - ISTANBUL
UTS’s English speaking representative will meet you at the lobby of the hotel 3 hours prior to your international departure flight time for your private transfer to Istanbul Airport.
To book this tour, please contact UTS – Turkey Team