Compare Taste of Istanbul by Intrepid Travel vs Exploring Istanbul by Peter Sommer Travels
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
4.5 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 3 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 1,055 | $ 3,538 |
| Price Per Day | $ 352 | $ 442 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A | N/A |
| Description |
Get a true taste of Istanbul – a city resplendent, enduring and diverse, truly forging itself as the world’s most spectacular intersection of cultures, cuisine and continents. Embark on a Short Break Adventure to get an essential Istanbul experience – exploring the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar. You’ll also get under the skin of the place, eating with a local family, sharing tea and nargile and finding spots hidden from the tourist eye. |
A large number of our guests over the years have enjoyed doing a tour of Istanbul before or after one of our gulet cruises. We are often asked to recommend hotels, restaurants, sites to see and local guides in this amazing city, Peter’s favourite metropolis in the world. So we thought we should use our extensive knowledge and contacts to create the definitive Istanbul tour, the very finest historical adventure and exploration of this vibrant and exotic city. “Richard’s ability to describe was really magnificent - his detailed expertise really added to our experience.” David Blank, Ohio, USA Your expert guide, Dr. Richard Bayliss, is a Byzantine specialist and passionate enthusiast. The many years he has spent leading archaeological projects in and around Istanbul have given him an intimate knowledge of the city throughout its history: from its roots as a small Greek town on the Bosphorus, via its reincarnation as Constantinople, opulent centre of the Byzantine Empire, to the teeming apital of the Ottoman Empire. It’s hard not to speak in superlatives when describing this epic cradle of civilisation. No other city in the world has been besieged so many times, so greatly was it coveted by peoples outside of its walls. Not only is Istanbul ancient, unlike any other city on earth it sits astride two continents. During its time as capital of the Ottoman Empire it was the most multicultural city in Europe, on whose streets more than a dozen languages were spoken, from Italian to Persian, Greek to Arabic, Armenian to Turkish. This city utilised its mercantile dominance over the narrow waterway that connects the Mediterranean and Black Sea to grow wealthy and enhance its political strength. These succeeding cultures have liberally endowed the city with beautiful symbols of imperial power, from its imposing fortifications to its serene places of worship. On this escorted Istanbul tour you will see such world-famous sites as Topkapı Palace, Haghia Sofia and the Blue Mosque through expert eyes, and compare them with some seldom-visited wonders that only the true connoisseurs of the city ever visit. We sample some of the best food that Istanbul has to offer, from the long-established cornerstones of Istanbul-cuisine to traditional local eateries that have raised the simplest of local dishes to a culinary art form. Our Istanbul tours allow you to immerse yourself in a city that has been shaped and moulded by some of the key cultures of the western and eastern worlds for over 3,000 years. |
Day 1 Istanbul
Hosgeldinz! Welcome to Istanbul, the only city in the world to straddle two continents. It’s no surprise that this vast metropolis is home to a beguiling mix of different cultures and traditions, blending the influences of both east and west. Your Short Break Adventure starts with a welcome meeting at 5 pm then it will continue with the Home Cooked Istanbul Urban Adventure, spending the evening mingling with the locals and enjoying some delicious food. Wander through the streets in the Sultanahmet district, and en route, meet a local family and sit together for a traditional meal. After you’ve eaten as much as you can handle, head to a local hangout to enjoy some killer views of the Marmara Sea. Find a comfortable spot to watch games of football, strike up conversation with the locals or get involved in a backgammon game. All of that people watching – you must be thirsty. Continue on to a local tea house for a drink and to partake in some nargile (also known as waterpipe or hookah) smoking. Sit back, relax and enjoy – you’ll be puffing like a local in no time. If you’re feeling like kicking on, your group leader will be able to recommend some hidden gems, but after your tea and nargile, you’re free to do as you please, or simply head back to your hotel.
Day 2 Istanbul
Do you think you can conquer Istanbul in one day? Well, wonder no more with an Istanbul Conquered Urban Adventure today. Ready? Let’s go. Begin with a dose of Hagia Sophia. This masterpiece of Byzantine architecture stands tall and proud in downtown Istanbul, holding within its walls more than 1500 years of Turkish history. This beautiful site is also somewhat of a chameleon — it has lived its long life as a church, a mosque, and now as a museum, and you may even recognise it from movies like From Russia With Love or Taken 2. Head across the plaza towards the jewel in the Istanbul crown: Sultan Ahmet I’s Blue Mosque. It is one of the most striking sights in Istanbul, with its blue-tiled walls, 260 windows, and six minarets – don’t forget to ask your guide the significance of those six spires. After checking out the ancient Hippodrome, take a break at a hidden café nearby for lunch, cracking jokes with locals and learn about daily life in Istanbul. Once you’re refuelled, continue on to Topkapi Palace, which overlooks the mighty Bosphorus strait, and gives an insight into the stories of the sultans who have lived here in centuries past. Now, time for a treat – head over to the Grand Bazaar to explore some of the 3000 shops, meeting the local characters and perfecting your haggling game. Stop in for a true Turkish coffee and shop the afternoon away. This evening, continue your own exploration of the city, perhaps heading to a harbourside seafood restaurant.
Day 3 Istanbul
Your Istanbul Short Break will come to end after breakfast this morning, however that doesn’t mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you’d like to continue soaking up all that Istanbul has to offer, why not spend an extra night or two here? If you wish to do so, we’ll be happy to book additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Day 1:
Our hotel is about 30 minutes from Istanbul’s Atatürk airport in the heart of the old city. Welcome drink and dinner.
Day 2:
We begin our historic tour of Istanbul with a stroll around some of the key sites of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. We visit the extraordinary Yerebatan Sarayı cistern, its vaults resting on a forest of columns, the Hippodrome, the Archaeological Museum, and the beautiful church of SS. Sergius and Bacchus, the prototype of the great Haghia Sophia.
Day 3:
A day out in the country, in Thrace. We head west out of the city, to visit two of Richard’s personal survey projects, the great aqueduct of Constantinople, the longest in the ancient world, and the Anastasian Wall, part of the city’s outer defences.
Day 4:
We head out to the walls of Constantinople, the mighty fortifications that kept besiegers at bay for centuries. We explore the beautiful little church of St. Saviour in Chora, housing some of the world’s finest Byzantine mosaics, and conclude with the Haghia Sophia itself, the greatest church in Christendom for almost a thousand years and one of the most spectacular buildings ever created.
Day 5:
We delve into Istanbul’s rich Ottoman legacy, walking around some of the city’s finest sights, including the great mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, the elegant Rustem Pasha Camii, and the lively streets and market areas between the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
Day 6:
We head out onto the water on a private boat and cruise up the Bosphorus, the vital waterway separating Europe and Asia, and linking the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, which gave Byzantium its strategic significance. We visit Rumeli Hisarı, the impressive Ottoman fortification built by Mehmet the Conqueror during his siege of Constantinople and the beautiful Sadberk Hanım Museum, a private cultural gem.
Day 7:
Our historic odyssey concludes as we discover some of the city’s best known and loved highlights. We visit Topkapı Palace, seat of the Sultans, their family and harem for centuries and the majestic Blue Mosque, built to rival the Haghia Sophia, still a place of worship whose silver dome and six minarets reflect the sun. In the afternoon we take tea and cake at the gloriously restored Pera Palace hotel, which first welcomed European travellers on the Orient Express.
Day 8:
Transfer to Istanbul’s Atatürk airport, about 30 minutes away.
