Day 3. Istanbul
Overnight – Ciragan Palace Kempinski
After breakfast you will visit one of the most opulent palaces on our planet, the Dolmabahçe Palace. This incredible waterfront estate compares with Versailles and Buckingham Palace for the treasures and luxuries found within, but has a better location on the magnificent Bosphorus Strait. The 484,376 sq ft structure was completed in 1856 after 13 years of the Sultan pouring untold wealth into its construction. Pointing out its highlights alone would take many pages – maybe the fact that 14 tons of pure gold were used to gild the ceilings of the palace offers an idea of the decadent lifestyle of the Ottoman Sultans.
Return to your nearby hotel and you are assisted in boarding your private yacht. For the next couple of hours, you will cruise on the Bosphorus as your Guide points out interesting historical and other sites. The cruise will first skirt the European side of Istanbul and then turn around and go by the Asian side. There are multiple photo opportunities during the cruise, both of the attractions on land, as well as the multiple bridges that span the strait. You will disembark at Kadikoy on the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul.
Relics dating as far back as 5000 BC have been found here, and Chalcedon, as it was known at the time when the existing settlement here started, was originally settled by the Greeks in 685 BC, about 18 years before Byzantium (Istanbul) was established on the European side. You can break for a late lunch upon arrival, and dine at one of Istanbul’s most famous Turkish cuisine restaurants, the Ciya Sofrasi. Your Guide and the restaurant staff will make suggestions based on your preferences and you can experience food from a large selection of delicious vegetarian and nonvegetarian options that all taste like they were home cooked.
After lunch you will explore the fascinating area around the restaurant and watch the locals as they go about their daily lives. The Kadikoy Produce Market is where locals from all over Istanbul come to eat and shop for fresh ingredients of all kinds. You will walk though this and other bazaars this afternoon, visit the famous and historic Kadikoy Bull Statue for a photo opportunity, and then there is an option to enjoy a break at a famous local coffee shop. In the late afternoon you are driven back to your hotel before the evening rush hour really takes off.
After breakfast you will visit one of the most opulent palaces on our planet, the Dolmabahçe Palace. This incredible waterfront estate compares with Versailles and Buckingham Palace for the treasures and luxuries found within, but has a better location on the magnificent Bosphorus Strait. The 484,376 sq ft structure was completed in 1856 after 13 years of the Sultan pouring untold wealth into its construction. Pointing out its highlights alone would take many pages – maybe the fact that 14 tons of pure gold were used to gild the ceilings of the palace offers an idea of the decadent lifestyle of the Ottoman Sultans.
Return to your nearby hotel and you are assisted in boarding your private yacht. For the next couple of hours, you will cruise on the Bosphorus as your Guide points out interesting historical and other sites. The cruise will first skirt the European side of Istanbul and then turn around and go by the Asian side. There are multiple photo opportunities during the cruise, both of the attractions on land, as well as the multiple bridges that span the strait. You will disembark at Kadikoy on the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul.
Relics dating as far back as 5000 BC have been found here, and Chalcedon, as it was known at the time when the existing settlement here started, was originally settled by the Greeks in 685 BC, about 18 years before Byzantium (Istanbul) was established on the European side. You can break for a late lunch upon arrival, and dine at one of Istanbul’s most famous Turkish cuisine restaurants, the Ciya Sofrasi. Your Guide and the restaurant staff will make suggestions based on your preferences and you can experience food from a large selection of delicious vegetarian and nonvegetarian options that all taste like they were home cooked.
After lunch you will explore the fascinating area around the restaurant and watch the locals as they go about their daily lives. The Kadikoy Produce Market is where locals from all over Istanbul come to eat and shop for fresh ingredients of all kinds. You will walk though this and other bazaars this afternoon, visit the famous and historic Kadikoy Bull Statue for a photo opportunity, and then there is an option to enjoy a break at a famous local coffee shop. In the late afternoon you are driven back to your hotel before the evening rush hour really takes off.