BOSPHORUS CRUISE & TWO CONTINENTS TOUR

 First we will visit the Dolmabahçe Palace, a beautiful Ottoman Palace. Then, we will drive through the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects Europe and Asia. Our first stop in the Asian side, will be Camlica Hill, where you can enjoy the stunning view and with a cup of tea. On the way back to European side , before visiting the Fener Greek Patriarchate you will pass by the Golden Horn and see the oldest parts of the city. After lunch you will discover the Bosphorus and the Spice Market, and by the end you will have great memories to take home

This tour is a full day tour and departs every day.

07:45 - 08:15  Pick up from your hotel and drive to the meeting point to depart for the tour

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• Spice Market
• Architect Kazim Aga built the Spice Bazaar in 1664. With its eighty six shops packed full of herbs, spices, fresh, preserved and dried food, the Spice Bazaar is a vibrant and fragrant celebration of all things delicious. Shops sell everything from olives, cheeses, Turkish Delight, teas, to scarves, lanterns and Nargile. Rustempasha Mosque The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for the grand vizier Rüstem Pasha (the husband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the Magnificent by Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana), Mihrimah Sultan). Rüstem Pasha died in July 1561 and the mosque was built after his death from around 1561 until 1563. The mosque complex hosts now a religious school.

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• Bosphorus Cruise
• Joining a Bosphorus Cruise is one of the best ways to discover Istanbul. From the Bosphorus, you can see the whole city from a new perspective. Travel between two continents and get marvelled by the views.

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• Rumeli Fortress ( from the sea )
• Rumelihisarı (also known as Rumelian Castle and Roumeli Hissar Castle) is a fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey, on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus. It gives the name of the quarter around it. It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before his army’s conquest of Constantinople.[1] The three great towers were named after three of Mehmed II’s viziers: Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built the large tower next to the gate; Zağanos Pasha, who built the south tower; and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.

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• Ortakoy ( No Stop )
• Ortakoy (literally Middle Village in Turkish) is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus. Ortakoy was a cosmopolitan area during the Ottoman era and the first decades of the Turkish Republic, with communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews. Today the neighbourhood still hosts many different religious (Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other Christian) structures. It is also a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants.

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• Bosphorus Bridge
• Get the unique chance to drive from Europe to Asia with a breath-taking view of the Bosphorus. This was the first bridge to connect both continents and it was open on the 30th of October, 1973. It took 3 years to be finished. Lunch (at the top of Camlica Hill)

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• Camlica Hill
• The highest point of Istanbul has an absolutely magnificent view to offer, which makes it well worth the drive. It gives you a unique chance to view entire city in a single picture. A lovely cafe stands on the top and you can enjoy a cup of tea and a delicious Simit, while looking at Istanbul.

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• Dolmabahce Palace
• (Closed on Mondays, replaced with Galata Tower)
• This is one of the most impressive palaces that you will ever visit. The main palace was built by the leading Ottoman architects of the era, Karabet and Nikogos Balyan, and consists of three parts: the Imperial Mabeyn (State Apartments), Muayede Salon (Ceremonial Hall) and the Imperial Harem.