Turkey Tour

DAYS

DESTINATION

ITINERARY

• Departure from Lahore International Airport.
• Arrive at Istanbul airport and meet & assist at the airport.
• Transfer to Hotel by A/C coach. Check-in and freshen up.
• Overnight at Hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Full Day Istanbul Ottoman & Byzantine Relics Tour :
• 09:30 You will be transferred to Sultanahmet Area to begin our tour. The area maintained its importance in the Byzantine and Turkish eras. The baths, temples, religious, cultural, administrative and social centers were all in this district.
• 10:00 The tour will start with Hippodrome. The Hippodrome was shaped like a gigantic “U” and the imperial box, built like a balcony with four bronze horses on its roof, was situated on the eastern side. The original ground level of the Hippodrome was 4 or 5 meters lower than the present surface. Three monuments have remained to our day: the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the Walled Obelisk.
• 10:30 Next visit is to a Mosque. This imperial mosque is an example of classical Turkish architecture, and it is the only mosque that was originally built with six minarets. Although it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, its real name is Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Befitting his original profession, its architect Mehmet Aga decorated the interior fastidiously like a jeweler. The walls of the galleries surrounding the three sides of the interior chamber are decorated by over 20,000 exquisite Iznik tiles. The areas above the tiles and the inside of the domes are decorated with paintwork.
• 11:15 After that we will visit Hagia Sophia, which is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day. The church (called Ayasofya in Turkish) is erroneously known as Saint Sophia in the west. The basilica was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to Divine Wisdom.
• 13:00 Next stop is Topkapi Palace. First of all we will have indian lunch at Konyalı Restaurant  (excluding drinks)
• 14:00 After lunch, tour of palace will start. Topkapi is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day.  it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is a complex surrounded by 5 km of walls and occupies an area of 700,000 sq. m at the tip of the historical peninsula. The different tiles, woodwork and architectural styles displayed in Topkapi Palace reflects the development of Turkish art and the harmonious existence of differing styles over the centuries.
• 15:45 Transfer to Grand Covered Bazaar for shopping. The Grand in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops. It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like.
• 17:30 Return back to the hotel.
• Overnight at Hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• FULL DAY BOSPHORUS TOUR
• 09:30 This tour starts after breakfast, when you are picked up from the hotel by our guide.
• 10:00 Proceed to the mouth of the Golden Horn, to explore the bustling Egyptian Spice Market of 17th century origin – a colorful bazaar heaped with spices, Turkish sweets, dried foods and much more.
• 11:30 Next we take a Bosphorus Cruise Tour up Istanbul’s winding straits for a chance to relax and admire the shoreline of beautiful mosques, lavish palaces and decadent villas – you’ll see Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi Palaces, Ottoman summer mansions and Ortakoy mosque, the defensive Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge – one of the world’s largest suspension bridges, all alongside passing fishing boats, yachts.
• 13:30 Lunch break at Dolphin Fish Restaurant with great starters.
• 15:00 Finally, the last stop on this Bosphorus Tour will be The Dolmabahce Palace, a blend of various European architectural styles, was built between 1843-1856 by Karabet Balyan, the court architect of Sultan Abdulmecid. The Ottoman sultans had many palaces in all ages, but the Topkapi was the official residence until the completion of the Dolmabahce Palace. The three-storied palace built on a symmetrical plan has 285 rooms and 43 halls. There is a 600 m long quay along the sea and two monumental gates, one of them very ornate, on the land side. The palace has survived intact with its original decorations, furniture, and the silk carpets and curtains. It surpasses all other palaces in the world in wealth and magnificence. Rare handmade artifacts from Europe and the Far East’decorate every room in the palace. Brilliant crystal chandeliers, candelabras and fireplaces add to the lavish decor. In the Republican era, Atatürk used to reside in this palace when he visited Istanbul. He died here in 1938.
• 17:00 Drop off to hotel.
• Overnight at Hotel.

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• FULL  DAY PRINCESS ISLAND TOUR
• 09:30 Our destination is Buyukada, the largest of the island chain, but we will pass by four other islands on the way. All are famous for their mild climates, beautiful pine woods and beaches and Ottoman houses, and on all of them cars are banned. The preferred means of transportation is the charming horse-drawn carriage known as the phaeton, you may also rent bike and enjoy your ride. You will feel as though you have stepped back into a more leisured and gracious age, almost expecting gran. 19^th century ladies and gentlemen to come strolling down to the waterfront on an afternoon promenade.
• 15:30 Evening return to Istanbul and transfer to hotels.
• Overnight at Hotel.

• FULL DAY BURSA CITY TOUR
• 09:00 After early breakfast at the hotel, Check out & you will be transferred to Bursa City.
• 12:00 Arrival to Bursa. & Check in to Hotel.
• 13:30 After lunch, our tour will start with Green Mosque & Tomb. The mosque for the Complex of Mehmet I, known as Yesil (Green) Mosque, was built between 1491-1421. The interior of the mosque is decorated with a mosaic of blue green tiles on walls and ceiling of eyvans from which it gets its name.
• 14:30 Our tour will continue with Great Mosque. The construction of this biggest mosque of Bursa begun in 1379. It has a total number of  2 minarets and 20 domes.
• 15:00 After that we will visit Kozahan. This ancient shopping mall was the last stop of “Silk Road” in Anatolia. Today it is also famous with silk production.
• 16:00 Our last stop will be Muradiye area. We will visit the Tombs of Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi, who were the founders of Ottoman Empire.
• 17:15 Return back to Hotel.
• Overnight at Hotel.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Uludag (Olympos) Mountain Tour By Cable Car (Teleferik)
• Transfer from hotel to departure point of cable car (teleferik). Spectacular view on the cable car journey of 25 minutes. It is also possible to breathe freshness at two stop points during the short voyage in the cable car. Upon arrival to the Sarialan Plateau having a short walk throught the deep forest. Uludag is also an attractive mountain for trekking, climbing and for other health care facilities in summer, it is ideal place for all kind
• Overnight at Hotel.

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Morning at leisure.
• Later transfer to airport.
• Departure for Lahore.

“End of Exciting tour”