There are countless ways to visit Istanbul.

You could arrive on a cruise ship, rush through a few major sites, snap photos of the Hagia Sophia, and leave feeling as though you barely scratched the surface.

Or…

You could experience Istanbul the way it deserves to be experienced.

Our small-group journeys are intentionally designed for curious travelers who want more than surface-level tourism. We believe travel should inspire wonder, meaningful learning, authentic connection, and lasting friendships.

On this journey, you will experience:

Daily lectures with Professor Thomas Madden, PhD

Each evening, Professor Madden will bring the city to life through engaging lectures that provide historical context and deeper understanding of the places we explore together throughout the day.

Imagine standing inside the Hagia Sophia after learning the story of emperors, crusaders, conquest, and faith from one of the world’s leading historians.

This is history brought vividly to life.

Expert local guiding with Serif Yenen

One of Turkey’s most beloved historians and guides, Serif Yenen has spent decades helping travelers understand the heart and soul of Istanbul.

His warmth, knowledge, humor, and deep local relationships transform the experience from simply seeing Istanbul to truly understanding it.

There is no substitute for exploring a city alongside someone who genuinely knows and loves it.

A perfectly located boutique hotel

Location matters enormously in Istanbul.

That is why we stay at the beloved Magnaura Palace Hotel, ideally situated in the heart of Sultanahmet, with stunning vistas of the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Bosphorus.

Quite simply, there is no better home base for our adventure.

And after many tours together, the wonderful staff have become genuine friends. Returning to Istanbul feels less like checking into a hotel and more like being welcomed back.

Small group travel

No giant buses. No rushed schedules. No feeling lost in a crowd.

Our small-group approach allows for deeper connection, greater flexibility, meaningful conversations, and a far more personal experience.

Many of our travelers arrive as strangers and leave as lifelong friends.

A refined itinerary perfected over time

This is not our first Istanbul journey.

After years of experience leading tours here, we have carefully refined this itinerary.

Rather than overwhelming you with an exhausting pace, this journey has been intentionally designed to balance immersive touring, profound learning, free time, and unforgettable shared experiences.

You simply cannot replicate that kind of experience overnight.

Dr. Thomas Madden is Professor of History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. He is one of the nation’s leading historians of the medieval Mediterranean and the author of numerous acclaimed books, including Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World. We consider this book your pre-tour homework, although no tests will be given.

Most travelers visit Istanbul and admire beautiful buildings.

Professor Madden helps you understand why they matter.

Why did emperors pour fortunes into the Hagia Sophia?

How did Constantinople shape the course of Christianity?

What happened when empires collided?

How did the Ottoman world transform one of history’s greatest cities?

These are the kinds of questions that bring Istanbul alive in ways most travelers never experience.

Rather than simply seeing history, you will begin to understand it.

And perhaps even more importantly, Professor Madden has a remarkable gift for making history approachable, engaging, fascinating, and fun.

Whether you are a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the world, you will leave this trip with a deeper appreciation of one of history’s most important cities.

To truly understand Istanbul, you need more than history.

You need someone who knows its heartbeat.

We are incredibly fortunate to experience Istanbul alongside Serif Yenen, one of Turkey’s most beloved historians, authors, and cultural ambassadors.

For decades, Serif has helped travelers uncover the deeper story of Istanbul through his remarkable knowledge, warmth, humor, and deep love for his city.

But what makes Serif truly special is not simply what he knows.

It is how he shares it.

With Serif, Istanbul becomes personal.

A hidden detail in a mosque suddenly comes alive with meaning. A neighborhood becomes more than a place on a map. Conversations become stories, stories become memories, and memories become lasting connections.

After many tours together, Serif has become not only a trusted partner, but a dear friend. Our travelers consistently say that spending time with him becomes one of the highlights of the journey.

His warmth, generosity, and passion for Istanbul are unforgettable.

There is simply no substitute for exploring this extraordinary city with someone who genuinely knows and loves it.

And by the end of the journey, we suspect you will understand why we look forward to seeing him each time we return.

Istanbul has completely stolen my heart.

There is simply nowhere else in the world quite like it.

Every time we return, I find myself falling in love with it all over again: the history, the warmth of the people, the incredible food, the breathtaking views, and the feeling that every street corner has a story to tell.

One of the things I treasure most about this journey is that after so many tours, Istanbul feels deeply personal to us. The hotel staff welcome us like old friends. Serif has become like family. We have built genuine relationships with wonderful people throughout the city, and it changes the experience in ways that are hard to put into words.

This trip is also incredibly special because of Professor Madden. To walk through Istanbul with one of the world’s leading historians while learning about the incredible events that shaped this city is something truly unforgettable.

Perhaps one of my favorite things of all is watching others fall in love with Istanbul.

It happens every single time.

People arrive curious.

They leave amazed.

Many leave saying they cannot believe they waited so long to experience it.

We genuinely cannot wait to share this incredible city with you.

— Jewel

You will be greeted just outside of baggage claim at the Istanbul airport and will be driver to our home away from home, the Magnaura Palace Hotel. Arrive at our hotel right in Sultanahmet Square with vistas of the Bosphorus, the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia. Settle in and then join us for our first lecture with Professor Madden entitled From Byzantion to Constantinople: The Genius of Constantine the Great at 7:30PM.

We will kick off our first full day in Istanbul with a brief orientation at the hotel by our guide, Serif Yenen. Starting off our walking tour, we will go to the Seven Hills Hotel Terrace for an overview and then visit the underground ruins of the Byzantine Magnaura Palace. We will pass by the Hagia Sophia (much more time will be spent here later). After purchasing entry tickets, we will descend into the Basilica Cistern, one of a multitude of ancient underground Byzantine water-storage facilities (and one of several open to the public). Next, we will walk to the Milion, Constantine’s “mile marker 0” at the start of the 700-mile ancient Roman Via Egnatia (2nd century BC).

Enjoy the fine art of Turkish carpets. Follow this with our daily lecture with Professor Madden entitled Justinian and Theodora.

We will finish our day with our welcome dinner at the Deraliye Ottoman Cuisine Restaurant. 

Enjoy a tour of the Hagia Sophia, a building so large and so impressive that Justinian the I drained most of the treasury of Roman Empire to build it in the 6th century AD. Break away and explore on your own, or spend your afternoon exploring more off the beaten path sites with our guide, Serif Yenen. (Optional $) Join us for an Ottoman Cooking Class at Deraliye towards evening. We will conclude with our daily lecture entitled At the Games: The Blues, the Greens, and the Chariots of the Hippodrome. 

Explore the Hippodrome area as well as the Nakkas Cister and the Church of Sants Sergius and Bacchus (known as Little Hagia Sophia). Then, join us on an optional street food walking tour with Serif Yenen (additional charge and advance registration apply to this optional tour).

We'll head back to the hotel for the daily lecture which will be entitled The Coming of the Crusaders: Enrico Dandalo and the Fourth Crusade.

Conclude your evening with an optional (additional charge and advance registration apply to this optional event) Ebru marbling art event and take your own masterpiece home with you! 

Tour the Topkapi Palace where you will see what wealth beyond your wildest dreams looked like throughout the centuries. In the afternoon, enjoy an optional (advance registration required) Turkish Bath in the same baths used by royalty in the 1400s. Later on, it's back to the hotel for our daily lecture. Today's topic is Changing Empires: Constantine Xi, Mehmet II, and the 1453 Conquest of Contantinople.

On your last full day exploring this amazing city, you will see the Suleymaniye Mosque, a true masterpiece of architet Sinan. Then have the option of exploring more with Serif Yenen and learning about Medieval Christianity. We will wrap up the day with our lecture which today will be The Ottoman Golden Age; Sulieman the Magnificent and Hurrem/Roxelana.

This will be an experience like no other. Enjoy your day with friends while cruising on a private yacht through the Bosphorus. Our evening will conclude with a farewell dinner at the Seven Hills Restaurant.

Now that you have experience this city once, we know you will be craving to come back. You won't be able to wait to tell all of your friends back home what an amazing place it is and how they must visit.