Tour overview
Istanbul is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. Its Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here. In the Sultanahmet district, the open-air, Roman-era Hippodrome was for centuries the site of chariot races, and Egyptian obelisks also remain. The iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia features a soaring 6th-century dome and rare Christian mosaics.
Included
- Airfare
- Local Transportation
- Accommodations
- Professional Guide
- Meals
Day 1
✈️ Airport VIP: Exclusive channel of Istanbul New Airport (accompanied by officials from the Antiquities Bureau)
🚁 Helicopter transfer: 15 minutes to fly over the Eurasian continental divide to the hotel
🏺 Welcome ceremony: Turkish bath palace (16th century marble hamam) gold leaf care
🍽️ Dinner: Neolokal (one Michelin star, Ottoman recipes reproduced with archaeology)
Day 2
👑 Morning
Topkapi Palace sunrise privilege (breakfast in the Sultan's throne room)
Special visit to the Royal Jewelry Vault (touch the 86-carat diamond)
⚔️ Afternoon
Turkish Military Museum private weapons class (test firing Ottoman muskets)
🌉 Night
Galata Tower private dinner (360-degree view of the Strait lights)
Day 3
⛵ Full-day private yacht tour (45m Feadship superyacht)
Diving at the Black Sea estuary (searching for Byzantine shipwrecks)
Chef cooking bluefin tuna on site
Private concert at Rumeli Castle (listening to classical music in a 15th century fortress)
Day 4
🏛️ Morning
Morning prayer experience at Hagia Sophia (imam chanting alone)
VIP channel of Basilica Cistern (champagne next to Medusa's stone column)
� Afternoon
Golden workshop in Grand Bazaar (casting Turkish scimitars with names)
🍯 Evening
Olfaction feast at Spice Market (perfumer customizes personal perfume)
Day 5
🚋 Morning
Charter a vintage tram to cross the Eurasia Bridge (waiters provide caviar breakfast)
🏺 Afternoon
Room 407 of the Pera Palace Hotel (afternoon tea at the place where Agatha wrote Murder on the Orient Express)
🎭 Night
Gelal al-Din Rumi backstage experience (dinner with dancers)
Day 6
🚤 Speedboat arrival: Buyukada Island (Istanbul's rich island)
🏡 Exclusive: 19th century Greek mansion (with private horse ranch)
🌲 Activities:
Forest carriage tour (with antique silverware picnic)
Byzantine monastery wine tasting
Day 7
🎨 Morning
Private exhibition at Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (local artists’ works can be purchased)
✈️ Afternoon
Helicopter tour (flying over the ruins of the Seven Cathedrals)
🥩 Dinner: Nusr-Et Salt Bae golden steak (served by the chef himself)
Day 8
🧿 Morning
Private prayer room at Suleymaniye Mosque (gift: a replica of the 18th century Quran)
✈️ Airport drop-off
"Ottoman Treasure Box" at the new airport luxury duty-free shop (goods packaged in antique boxes)
Kelly
Under the dome of the Blue Mosque, the sun shines through 260 stained windows and breaks into star spots. When I take off my shoes, I step on the warm carpet – I suddenly understand what it means to “catch the light of God while kneeling down.”
Eva
I climbed the spiral staircase of the Galata Tower until my legs were weak, but the moment I opened the top floor window, the wind from the Bosphorus blew away all my complaints – Europe on the left hand, Asia on the right hand.
Kate
The tram on Independence Avenue ding-donged past, and the old man in a suit and the girl in a headscarf were in the same frame. The red carriage was like a stitch that had been sewn for two centuries.
Angela
The moment I bit into the sesame bagel (Simit), the shouting of the street vendors automatically became the background music – the crispness bought for 3 lira, read the soul of Türkiye earlier than the museum ticket.
Linda
Turkish delight hidden deep in the spice market, the rose flavor sticks to your teeth, the boss blinks: “It’s so sweet that you need a cup of bitter coffee to balance it, right?”
Helen
At midnight, the speed of the Döner chef’s meat slicing is comparable to acrobatics, and the grease drips on the baked naan and sizzles – a sinful but worthwhile Islamic midnight snack.
Lily
On the ferry across Europe and Asia, seagulls chase bread crumbs, and a mother in a headscarf points to the minaret on the other side to her child – the “land bridge” in the geography textbook, now the ticket is 20 lira.