ISTANBUL

Join this fantastic tour and you will discover there is something special about Istanbul which is the city that embrace two continents, with one arm reaching out to Asia and the other to Europe. Through the city’s heart, the Bosphorus, course the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn.

Departures 20/05/11 Roma Fiumicino h/d 09:15 Istanbul Ataturk h/a 12:35 Turkish Airlines Economy 201,77 € 25/05/11 Istanbul Ataturk h/d 17:05 Roma Fiumicino h/a 20:30 Turkish Airlines Economy 141,30 € TRANSFER FROM Istanbul-Ataturk airport TO hotel Santa Sofia Centre 12€ p.p. TRANSFER FROM hotel Santa Sofia Centre TO Istanbul-Ataturk airport 12€ p.p.

Meeting at LEONARDO DA VINCI AIRPORT at 8:30 a.m. and departure for ISTANBUL at 9:15 a.m.. Arrival at ATATURK AIRPORT at 12:35 a.m. local time and transfer to Hotel Santa Sofia Our location, Sultanahmet district, is a quite central place. It is the heart of the old city center. Our rooms have the amazing view of the Golden Horn Sea and the Sophia district.

Santa Sophia Hotel has 40 elegantly designed rooms, all equipped with : air-conditioned minibar satellite TV electronic safe box direct dial telephone 24 hours room service private bathroom with shower and hairdryer Room Rates

The afternoon is free to explore the city, we suggest you to get to Eminönu waterfront, at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. Over the Golden Horn you can take a touristic ferry-boat which makes an interesting tour over the Bosphorus. Lunch free Afterward you might go to one of the famous Bazaar in Istanbul: the Spice Bazaar. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Then sightseeing tour of the most important mosque in Istanbul: Sultanahmet mosque (or Blue mosque). Next you will admire the historical Ayasofia museum, which is considered one of the finest architectural works in the world, originally built as a Christian church and after modified by the Ottoman empire and used nowadays as a museum.

Lunch at one of the typical Turkish restaurant where you can taste the delicious Turkish cuisine. In the afternoon you can go in the relaxing atmosphere of the basilica cistern museum also known as Yerebatan palace. At the time, it was the most important water storage area and it provided water to the whole city. Today is an exotic and unbelievable appearance that makes the cistern an irresistible attraction.

Dinner at the hotel. During the rest of the evening you can relax or explore the city by night on your own. OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

Breakfast at the hotel Take the underground and stop at Taksim square, where you will find the Ataturk cultural centre.It is a palace built in honour of Ataturk, who was, and currently is, the most important man in Turkey, that made Turkey independent. Lunch at Taksim square where there is a very nice restaurant called Divan Lokantasi which is in the centre of the square, enjoy your TURKISH MEAL!

Then if you will proceed to this street, you will find on your right the Ataturk museum, which was his house in 1942 and now it is a museum dedicated to him. Afterward we suggest you to come back to Taksim square and take a walk on the Bosphorus river and have dinner at an elegant restaurant called “Naz”. That is a very pretty restaurant located on the river, from where you can admire the beauty of ISTANBUL at NIGHT. Overnight at the hotel. After that, if you love shopping, go to Cumhurijet avenue, which is a long and very amazing street with a lot of shops, where you can also find typical Turkish clothes and Turkish objects, very nice to have in your own house.

Transfer from the hotel to ATATURK AIRPORT for your flight.