Worldwide Tours: Turkey
Istanbul Tour
Istanbul by Night
This tour will pick you up from your hotel and take you for an evening out on the town driving though the city streets and viewing Istanbul’s magical skyline of domes and minarets. The next stop is to a famous night club where you will enjoy an “A-La-Carte” dinner while watching a Turkish floorshow, including belly dancers, folk dancers, and songs in many languages.
Tour of Ephesus
Duration: 8 hours
Your guide will meet you at the airport/harbor and take you to Ephesus, one of the most impressive and highly preserved archeological sites in the world. Spend the morning strolling through the streets, temples, and fountains of this ancient Metropolis. After lunch, visit the local archeological museum, The Basillica of St. John which is also a great shopping location and there will be time to indulge. Late afternoon, return to the harbor of Kusadasi to head back to your cruise ship or take a flight back to Istanbul. Please note that this trip can be combined with a trip to Pergamum which requires two days to be able to see it.
The Glorious Bosphorus
Duration: Half-day tour
This tour is organized to introduce you to the beauties of Bosphorus, the picturesque waterway separating Asia from Europe. Embarking the passenger ferry at Eminonu, you will sail past the Dolmabahce Palace and the Fortress of Rumelihisari, viewing the beautiful old wooden houses built on the shores of Bosphorus. You will disembark at Sariyer and visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum, which houses a small but comprehensive collection of artifacts from prehistoric to the late Ottoman Era.
Journey to a Dreamland - Cappadocia
Duration: 2-day trip
Take a trip to Cappadocia, the heart of Turkey to a dreamland of volcanic landscape eroded and sculpted by the forces of nature through the ages. Human beings carved their homes and shrines into the volcanic rock, creating entire villages and underground cities. Fly to Ankara where your guide will meet you at the airport and drive to Cappadocia. You will stay overnight in the area and the next day visit Goreme Valley, where early Christian communities carved their churches into the volcanic rock and decorated them with Frescones. Visit the picturesque villages of Avanos, Ushisar, and Zelve as well as the underground city of Kaymakli. Return to Ankara for the evening flight back to Istanbul.
Ottoman Treasures
Duration: Half-day tour
This tour will take you to the Topkapi Palace Museum, the imperial residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th until the 9th century. You will have the chance to see the jewelry, porcelain, miniature and textile collections, and various other objects of art that formally belonged to the Sultans. The tour will then take you to the Grand Bazaar, one of the most irresistible attractions of the city.
Bursa
Duration: 1-day trip
The trip to Bursa takes about three hours. Your tour includes visits to the Green Mosque and Mausoleum, The Grand Mosque, and the Old Silk Market. You will have lunch at a restaurant serving famous Bursa specialty, The Iskender Kebab. The fifth largest city of Turkey, Bursa was once the capital of Ottoman before they captured Istanbul. Originally called the Prusa after its founder, Prusias I (BC 228-185) the city was incorporated into the Roman Empire in BC 74. Prosperous under the Romans and early Byzantines, the city suffered badly from the Arab raids in the 7th and 8th centuries and was conquered in 1324 by the Ottomans. Bursa was always famous for its mineral springs, production of silk, and other textile products such as velvet and towels. Kaftans, and many valuable textile products were produced in the imperial workshops.
Istanbul: Europe and Asia
This tour will take you across the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia. You will drive up from the Camlica Hill for a superb panoramic view of Istanbul. Then the tour will continue to the Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans on the shores of Bosphorus followed by an orientation drive across the Bosphorus Bridge to your hotel.
Imperial Mosques and the Church of the Divine
Driving across the golden Ghorn over the Ataurk Bridge and passing the Aqueduct of Valens, this tour will take you to the Suleymaniye Mosques built in the 16th century by the famous architect Sinan. The tour will then proceed to the Blue Mosque and the old Hippodrome. The next stop will be St. Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. The route back to your hotel will take you along the harbor of the city and the famous Galata Bridge.
Special Tours of the Princess Islands
Duration: Full-day tour
Embarking the passenger ferry at Eminonu, this tour will begin with a short leisurely journey at sea. As you make your way to the islands, you will have a magnificent view of Istanbul’s magical skyline adorned by the domes and minarets of the imperial mosques. Stopping briefly at Kinali, Burgaz, and Heybeli islands, you will finally get off at Buyukada, the largest island. After touring the island by horse and carriage, lunch can be enjoyed at a seaside restaurant.