
* We co-operate with tour operators from all over the world. For tour operator recommendations for destinations such as Greece, Italy, Egypt, Israel and France please e-mail us.
 Association of Turkish Travel Agencies
License number: A-776
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Tours from Istanbul

Istanbul, is the largest city of Turkey. Having population over 15 milion people. It is located on two continents as Asia and Europe. The strait of Boshorus separates continents from each other. There are 2 suspension bridges connecting the two continents.
A world known city, named as Constantinopolis by the Constatine the Roman Emperor in the 4th century. Taken over by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. A must see city before you die.
Below please find suggested itineraries design for cruise travellers. If you would like to make a combination of the sites just contact us. |
| |
Istanbul No.1
Half Day Highlights Tour of Istanbul (4 hours)
Meet with your guide in front of the Istanbul port passenger Terminal. Drive along the old city walls and under the ancient Roman aqueduct on the way to St Sophia, the splendid Church of Divine Wisdom built in the 4th century BC. St Sophia's dome was then the largest in the world. After several conquests and pillages, the building was converted into a mosque, but fell into disrepair as the centuries passed. The mosaics were uncovered in the 1900s and the church was dedicated as a Byzantine-Ottoman museum. Your next stop is at the Hipodrome. Nearby is the Blue Mosque, named for its richly adorned interior of magnificent Iznik tiles. Enjoy some time at the Grand Bazaar for some shopping.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Istanbul No.2
Bosphorus Cruise & Asian Side (8 hours)
After meeting with your guide, proceed through the commercial area passing Ottoman monuments to the famous Egyptian Spice Bazaar (closed on Sunday) for a short visit. Then take the local ferry to start an unforgetable excursion between two continents, Europe & Asia. The cruise takes you along the latest palaces of Ottomans, The Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi, as well as 19th and 20th century, beautiful wooden Kiosks. Mansions and modern villas which form the elegant section of the city. Enjoy the scenery. After lunch, a pleasant drive to the Asian part of Istanbul through suspension Bosphorus Bridge. Visit Beylerbeyi Palace. The palace was the famous summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans with its magnificent gardens and breathtaking richness. The Beylerbeyi Palace lying on the beautiful shores of the Bosphorus is fully furnished and it is a perfect example of the late Ottoman architecture. Continue to the highest hill of Istanbul called Camlica where you will enjoy a very impressive panoramic view of Istanbul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Istanbul No.3
Half Day Tour - Bosphorus Cruise (4 hours)
Experience a delightful, relaxing sightseeing on this sightseeing tour. After meeting with your guide, proceed through the commercial area passing Ottoman monuments to the famous Egyptian Spice Bazaar (closed on Sunday) for a short visit. Board the local ferry to start an unforgetable excursion between two continents, Europe & Asia. Take the opportunity to be acquainted with Istanbul`s past Ottoman palaces, wooden 19th century waterfront mansions, modern pleasure palaces and fortresses. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and the perfect opportunity for taking photographs along both shores of this fabled waterway. Cruise will end in Sariyer, a charming fishing village located on the Bosphorus near the Black Sea.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Istanbul No. 4
Fullday Highlights of Istanbul (8 hours)
Meet with your guide in front of the Istanbul port passenger Terminal. Drive along the old city walls and under the ancient Roman aqueduct on the way to view the best of Istanbul's stunning architecture and attractions. The impressive Hippodrome is your first stop. Then visit the Blue Mosque named for the vivid Iznik tiles which line its interior. Browse the amazing Topkapi Palace-official residence of the Ottoman Sultans-with courts, pavilions, mosques, fountains and a treasury. Finally, you will stop at the jewel in Turkey's Byzantine crown-the Museum of St Sophia. This splendid Church of Divine Wisdom was originally built in the 4th century AD and was lovingly restored in the 1900s, reflecting the true history of the glorious city of Istanbul. Enjoy some time at the Grand Bazaar for some shopping.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Istanbul No. 5
Church of Chora & Taksim (4 hours)
Cross over Galata Bridge, to visit the Church of Chora. A Byzantine Church dating back to 14th century. Here you will see remarkable mosaics displaying the life of Virgin Mary and Jesus Crist. Most of from apocrefal gospels. The building is breathtaking. Drive through Fener and Balat, neighborhoods midway up the Golden Horn, whole streets full of old wooden houses, churches, and synagogues date from Byzantine and Ottoman times. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides here at Fener. Eyup, a little further up, reflects Ottoman architecture. Continue to the famed Spice Market which is also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, sample spices and witness the local life.
Afterwards drive to Taksim. Walk on the main road of Istiklal Street. See the 19th century buildings, consulates, shops, restaurants, small snack bars, cinemas, etc...End your tour at Pera Palas Hotel, a late 19th century hotel which was built for the use of Orient Express passengers. Pera Palas had been frequented by well-known and highly-placed figures in the world such as: Agatha Christie, Edward V111 of England, Ataturk, Yehudi Menuhin, Marie Bell, Jacqueline Kennedy, Mata Hari Cicero....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Istanbul No. 6
Halfday Tour of Dolmabahce Palace & Mehter Concert (4hours)
This is an afternoon tour !
Drive to the Dolmabahce Palace, a blend of many European architectural styles. See the famous silk and wool carpets of Hereke, some of the finest examples of the Turkish art of carpet weaving, cover the floors. Rare handmade object d'art from Europe and the Far East decorate every room in the palace. Brilliant crystal chandeliers, candelabras, and fireplaces add to the lavish d�cor. After a visit to the palace, you will continue to the Military Museum established in 1826 to house the large collection of armor, weapons, tents, paintings, photographs, and a piece of the chain used by the Byzantines in order to protect the Golden Horn. Pieces date from the era of the Conquest of Istanbul to the era of Sultan Ahmet III. After a brief visit inside the museum, you will watch the Performance of the Ottoman Military Band (the performance lasts approximately 20 minutes). During the battles the Mehter (the name given to Ottoman Military Band) would create a tremendous din with mounted timpani, horns, and bagpipes adding to the blunderbuss and cannon as the Ottomans marched through the Balkans into Central Europe. When retreating from the battles, they left many of their instruments behind, and these eventually found their way into the orchestrations of such illustrious composers as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and even John Phillip Sousa.
* For the reservation, kindly advise us the following:
- Your Full Name
- Number of people in your party
- Date of Arrival
- Name of the Cruise Ship
- Time to start the tour
- Tour code or name
|
|



|
I wanted to drop
you a fast note to thank you for the two days of touring that you arranged
for us in Istanbul and Ephesus on October 15 and 18. We returned last night
from our three week journey, and I am just now able to write to
you.
Pat Atherton
Insignia Oceania Cruises
-------------------------
We are now back
from our trip, and I wanted to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed the
tours that you arranged for us in both Istanbul and Kusadasi. I will gladly
recommend your services, and we wish to thank the very knowledgeable and
professional guides you arranged us.
Martin
King Royal Princess Princess Cruise
Line
--------------------------
Just a wonderful
reminder of the wonderful time we had with you. It was delightful meeting
you and the dinner was like none other we have ever had. You were so
gracious and we certainly appreciated all you did to make our trip to Turkey
so terrific.
Jolton
Family Wind Spirit Wind Star Cruise Line
---------------------- Tour was great. The
driver, Oughz (spelling ??) (name is in our cabin) was great. We had very
nice talk on the way. Willl definitely recommend your service when we get
back and on the internet. Thank you very much for arragning this
tour
Stan Vermeers
Nautica Oceania Cruise Line
--------------------- We will highly recommend your
services. Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgable. Thanks for the
superior service.
Melissa Kimble Insignia Oceania Cruise
Line
--------------------- We were all pleased with our
tour of Ephesus and Kusadasi. Ayshayn (spelling?) did a marvelous job. She
was very knowledgeable and articulate, with a wonderful command of the
English language. We would all be very happy to recommend your company
to Jennifer Cleeton Seabourn
Spirit Seabourn Cruise Line
------------------- We were most pleased with the
services of your tour company. Both Oz and Erol were true professionals who
knew exactly what to take us to see and what to tell us about. They were
both delightful.
Joanne and Alan Feldman Seven Seas
Voyager Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Line
------------------
We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip and think that Hankan
(or similar - Im very bad at remembering names!) was the best guide we have
had. He was very, very informative and took great care to ensure we kept out
of the hot sun as much as possible.
Julie Dofort Wind Spirit Wind Star
Cruises
------------------
Thank you for your wonderful service. Your guide was
very professional and knowledgable, and we had an amazing time touring
Ancient Ephesus with him! Wed definitely recommend him to anyone we know who
will be travelling to Turkey. Rudy Gonzalez Wind
Star Wind Star Cruise Line
--------------------
I was very pleased with the tour. Thank you for all your
help. I will be sending notes to Cruise Critic.com recommending your
services. Melinda Steffey. Star
Princess Princess Cruise Line
-------------------- We just returned from our cruise
this morning. I plan to post cruise reviews on several boards and will say
that our tour of Ephesus with Mr. Oz ( I apologize for the bad spelling) was
the very best excursion of our entire trip.
Ashley Richardson Emerald Princess Princess Cruise
Line
-------------------
I wanted
to take this opportunity to express my deep satisfaction. We just returned
from an East Mediterrean cruise on Legend of the Seas. You arranged for
our private tours in Ephesus. The guide we had on the trip was
very knowledgable, personable and very accomodating to our needs. Your
prices beat the cruise ship everytime and we had our own private van for
four which was such a treat. We were able to stay as long as we wanted at
each site and walked at our own pace. We never felt rushed!!
I have
recommended you to all my friends and travel agent. We plan to return
someday to your spectacular country on a land tour so we can
concentrate on Turkey which has so very much to offer its visitors. We
will definitely be contacting you for our future plans. I wish you
continued success in your endeavors. Keep up the great work!!
Wilf
Rothstein
Legend of the Seas
Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line
----------------------------------
Greetings. Just to say
thank you very much for organising our tour. We had a wonderful time in your
beautiful country and would just like to say
that our guide and driver were superb, courteous, very
reliable and exceedingly helpful for our mission – filming at relevant
places in Ephesus. I would highly recommend you to anybody. So many
thanks again.
David Wilde
Brilliance of the
Seas
Royal Caribbean Cruise
Line
May
2007
-------------------------
Just wanted to thank you
and your professional guide for a wonderful tour….We will continue to refer
your services and try other guides in different regions. Professional,
knowledgeable, courteous and efficient
Larry
Goldberg
Galaxy
Celebrity Cruises
Sept.
2007
--------------
I wanted to let you know
what a great tour we had to Ephesus. Our tour guide was fantastic and he
brought everything to life! I can't remember his name but it started with a
S.
Elizabeth
Desmond
Cristal
Louise Cruise
Line
August
2007
-----------------------
We just got back
Friday needing some sleep after the conclusion of our cruise. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to you and your
excellent and knowledgeable guides for giving us an interesting experience
of Turkey. Both were wonderful and real prefessionals and gave us a
well-conducted tour. Although we did not really explore Kusadasi and
Istanbul especially, more extensively, because of time constraints my group
was satisfied and has a new knowledge about your wonderful country.
|