The Bridge of Cultures: Istanbul & Çanakkale Premium Tour

Tour highlights

• Two straits, one route
• Private Bosphorus boat trip
• The moving Gallipoli Peninsula
• UNESCO World Heritage Troy
• Ottoman splendour: Topkapı and Dolmabahçe

Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Germany – Istanbul

   Scheduled flights from various points in Europe bring us to Istanbul. After the welcome at the airport, our private coach takes us to the hotel. Once the rooms have been allocated, our guide gives a short briefing on the programme, followed by free time. Overnight at our hotel.

2. Day 2

   ISTANBUL – THE HISTORIC PENINSULA

   We begin the day at Topkapı Palace – a comprehensive tour taking in the Treasury, the Chamber of the Sacred Relics, the Harem and the palace gardens. Hagia Sophia follows, and after the lunch break the Basilica Cistern and the Hippodrome square with the Obelisk and the Serpent Column. We round off the day at the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque and the Archaeological Museum. Topkapı Palace · Hagia Sophia · Basilica Cistern · Blue Mosque · Archaeological Museum

3. Day 3

   SÜLEYMANIYE, FATIH AND EYÜP

   After breakfast we taste the famous boza, a traditional fermented millet drink, in Vefa, then visit the Süleymaniye Mosque and the tombs of Suleiman the Magnificent and Hürrem Sultan. Next comes the Fatih Mosque. In the afternoon we visit the Tomb of Eyüp Sultan and take the cable car up to Pierre Loti Hill, where we pause for tea with an incomparable view over the Golden Horn. Süleymaniye Mosque · Tombs of Suleiman and Hürrem · Fatih Mosque · Eyüp Sultan · Pierre Loti Hill

4. Day 4

   ISTANBUL – DOLMABAHÇE, THE BOSPHORUS AND ISTIKLAL

   After breakfast we visit Dolmabahçe Palace. Our walking tour then takes us to the New Mosque and the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü. In the afternoon we set out on a Bosphorus boat trip, watching the waterfront mansions of Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Bebek, Rumeli Hisarı, Emirgan and Yeniköy pass by from the water. After the boat trip we see Taksim Square, İstiklal Avenue and the Galata Tower, then ride the historic Tünel funicular down to Karaköy. In the late afternoon we set off towards Çanakkale and check into our hotel in the evening. Dolmabahçe Palace · New Mosque · Spice Bazaar · Bosphorus cruise · Taksim Square · İstiklal Avenue · Galata Tower

5. Day 5

   ÇANAKKALE – GALLIPOLI PENINSULA MEMORIALS

   We cross the Dardanelles by ferry, with magnificent views, to the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site. Our tour begins at Kilitbahir Castle, continuing to the Namazgâh Bastion and the Rumeli Mecidiye Bastion, where Corporal Seyit performed his celebrated act of heroism. After the Şahindere Field Dressing Station Cemetery and the 1915 Red Crescent Hospital reconstruction site, we break for lunch with free time in the village of Alçıtepe. We then continue this moving journey at the Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial, the 57th Regiment Cemetery and Anzac Cove, ending the day in the historic trenches of Chunuk Bair. Kilitbahir Castle and Namazgâh Bastion (panoramic) · Rumeli Mecidiye Bastion · Şahindere Cemetery · Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial · 57th Regiment Cemetery · Chunuk Bair · 1915 Red Crescent Hospital reconstruction site

6. Day 6

   TROY, ÇANAKKALE CITY CENTRE AND THE FLIGHT HOME

   In the morning we visit the ancient city of Troy, the setting of Homer's Iliad and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and see the Trojan Horse. After our photographs we visit the Troy Museum, winner of numerous national and international awards. We then head into the centre of Çanakkale for Çimenlik Castle and the Naval Museum, followed by a short stroll through the Aynalı Bazaar and along the Kordon waterfront. A transfer to the airport and our return flight to Europe bring the tour to a close. Ancient city of Troy · Troy Museum · Aynalı Bazaar · Kordon · Airport transfer

Boarding points

• Dortmund

Additional boarding points along the route are available on request.

Impressions