Istanbul Signature

The Hilton Istanbul Bomonti is a 5-star deluxe property with modern amenties, upscale and spacious rooms and public areas. The hotel is the largest hotel in Istanbul with 829 rooms and 34 floors. In addition to the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the property offers a spa, 24 hour fitness center, rooftop bar and several dining areas. The highlight of the hotel is its location across from Bomontiada, a former historic beer factory turned into a large open-air complex full of restaurants, shops, an art gallery and concert hall. The property is also near Taksim Square (2km) and Dolmabahce Palace (4km).

Today you will visit Hippdrome Square, the scene of chariot races and the center of Byzantine civic life, St. Sophia Museum, the world's fourth largest church after St. Paul's in London, St. Peter's in Rome and Duomo in Milan, the Blue Mosque, known for its magnificent interior decoration with blue Iznik tiles, and the Grand Bazaar, the largest covered "souk" in the world grouping 4,400 shops under one single roof.

On this shared half day tour, you will drive to the pier in Eminonu for a short visit to historical Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar). This bazaar was built in 1664 as a part of Yeni Mosque complex situated nearby and is named Egyptian Bazaar because spices and herbs brought from or via Egypt were sold in it. Then, board a regular boat for the cruise along the Bosphorus, a narrow strait between the continents of Europe and Asia connecting Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. During the Byzantine and early Ottoman days, there was little settlement on both sides of the Bosphorus but as of the 18th century, it became the favorite place for the sultans and their entourage where they built their kiosks and waterside residence.

Catch an early flight to the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast, then drive south to the antique city of Ephesus. This is one of the world's richest and most rewarding archaeological sites with impressive ruins dating from the Classical Greek, Hellenistic, Roman and early Byzantine periods. Among the highlights of our tour of Ephesus will be the antique theatre, the famed Library of Celsus, the brothel, the vast Basilica of St. John, the Mosque of Isabey, the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and a group of recently excavated early Byzantine mansions that feature incredibly well-preserved floor mosaics and frescoes. Finally make a short pilgrimage to the House of the Virgin Mary, which stands high on a mountainside overlooking the Aegean Sea and the Greek island of Samos.

Today is totally free and at leisure. You can take advantage of any optional activities available or simply relax.