Name: Epic Awesomeness in Istanbul (Future Interest List)
Location: İstanbul, Turkey

Cultured Travel

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100 reviews

Duration: 8 days

Group size: 16 - 26

Epic Awesomeness in Istanbul (Future Interest List)

İstanbul, Turkey

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Cultured Travel

Email address verified

100 reviews

$NaN

Duration: 8 days

Group size: 16 - 26

Breakfast
Breakfast is included daily in the hotel.
2 Dinners
Welcome and farewell dinners (a set menu as well as red and white wine are included at these meals)
Desserts
Nightly rooftop desserts and refreshments
Lodging
7 nights in the Magnura Palace hotel, located in the best (we may be a bit biased) location in all of Istanbul.
Daily Lectures
Lectures will be conducted daily by in house scholar and author of Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World, Thomas Madden, PhD.
Tour Guide
Local celebrity bilingual tour guide, Serif Yenen as applicable.
Site Entrances
As specified in the itinerary
Bosphorus Cruise
Full-day private yacht charter tour
Airport Transfers
Transfers to and from the Istanbul airport and the Magnaura Palace Hotel
Istanbul Tram Card
Istanbul tram card pre-loaded with funds to get your adventure started with ease
Audio Sets (Whispers)
Audio sets while on daily guided tours for optimal auditory experience
Tour Director
A Cultured Travel tour director will be with you and available for the duration of the tour

Food and Beverages
Snacks, lunch, and most dinners; all food and drink which are not part of the hotel breakfast, provided dinners, or lecture/yacht refreshments
Airfare
Airfare to Istanbul and the return trip are not included. Any transportation or lodging costs associated with air transfer to Istanbul or any associated parking fees are not included.
Optional Itinerary Items
Such as the Ottoman Cooking Class, Culinary Walking Tour, Turkish Wine Pairing, Ebru Marbling Art, Turkish Bath (Hamam)
Gratuity
Suggested amount of approximately $100 - $200 per person)
Passport fees
No visa is currently required. Should this change, any visa fees are not included.

Double Occupancy Standard Room

Single Occupancy Standard Room

Double Occupancy Deluxe Room

Single Occupancy Deluxe Room

Double Occupancy Deluxe Sea View Room

Single Occupancy Deluxe Seaview Room

Double Occupancy Corner Suite

Double Occupancy Top Floor Suite

By Mail / In Person Payment

Day 1 - Saturday
Day 1 - Saturday
Arrival and first Lecture
Arrive at your 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 at 7:30 p.m.
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Day 2 - Sunday
Day 2 - Sunday
Crossroads of the World
Start your day with a walking tour of the Via Egnatia and traversing through the Byzantine Underground exploring Ottoman architecture. Enjoy the fine art of Turkish carpets. Follow this with our daily lecture and our welcome dinner at the Deraliye Ottoman Cuisine Restaurant.
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Day 3 - Monday
Day 3 - Monday
Hagia Sophia
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. (Optional) Spend your afternoon exploring more off the beaten path sites and join us for an Ottoman Cooking Class at Deraliye. We will conclude the evening with our daily lecture.
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Day 4 - Tuesday
Day 4 - Tuesday
The Hippodrome
Explore the Hippodrome and join us on an optional Culinary tour. We'll head back to the hotel for the daily lecture. Conclude your evening with an optional Ebru marbling art event and take your own masterpiece home with you!
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Day 5 - Wednesday
Day 5 - Wednesday
The Majestic City
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 Turkish Bath and then head back to the hotel for our daily lecture.
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Day 6 - Thursday
Day 6 - Thursday
Suleymaniye Mosque
On your last full day exploring this amazing city, you will see the Suleymaniye Mosque, have the option of exploring and learning about Medieval Christianity, and wrap up the day with our evening lecture.
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Day 7 - Friday
Day 7 - Friday
The Bosphorus
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.
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Day 8 - Saturday
Day 8 - Saturday
Departure
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.
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Day 1 - Saturday

Arrival and first Lecture

Rarely do I say that it was a privilege to be part of a vacation but this was definitely that and more. The S.S. Karim is a national treasure, a floating museum and the last steam powered paddle wheel on the Nile. Sailing down the Nile in the company of an accomplished local egyptologist who enthusiastically took us through each archeological site that we stopped at was amazing. Our travel guide Jewel had everything in place and everything went smoothly. I would highly recommend Cultured Travel.

By Steve P for Egypt: Wonders of the Nile on Feb 21, 2026

This was the best travel experience of our lives.The group so compatible, great energy, wonderful companionship. The itinerary was matched by our guide Sami who was as articulate as he was knowledgeable. The Kerem was a jewel and the cuisine unmatched and bountiful. Anyone who would have the opportunity to travel with Cultured Travel would be so happy. Egypt is a not miss destination. We cannot thank Jewel enough for the best travel can offer. Cathy Baker and Stan Shapiro.

By Stanley S for Egypt: Wonders of the Nile on Feb 21, 2026

An incredible experience with top notch planning, coordination, communication and execution. All the things that make a service like Cultured Travel worth it's weight in gold. We feel so fortunate to have been introduced to them and included in this wonderful adventure!

By Rob A for Egypt: Wonders of the Nile on Feb 16, 2026

Jewel is AMAZING!! This Trip was so special, engaging, custom, unique, and fun. I learned SO much about Egypt and felt like I really got to see the best sites in the country. The SS Karim is a stunning antique boat and the staff there are next level. The food on the boat was also insanely gourmet and the chef incredibly charismatic. She takes so much care in her guests and the experience. If you are at all considering traveling to Egypt, this is the way to go.

By Robyn S for Egypt: Wonders of the Nile on Feb 14, 2026

Amazing fun filled trip with fabulous accommodations. We even learned about New Orleans along the way. There was so much to see and do. Highlights were the Laura Plantation visit and the Joan d’ Arc parade. Our guide Jewel was always up for adding in additional activities like an after dinner adventure to the music and night art market on Frenchmen’s street, and a ghost tour which was really more of a history tour. We showed up a day early and Jewel took us on a street car tour of the garden district with great stops for lunch, shopping and a roof top bar for my first Hurricane. . Also loved the front row seats at the Preservation Jazz Hall. I’m still singing those songs.

By Anna P for Bring on the Big Easy 2026 on Jan 17, 2026

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Epic Awesomeness in Istanbul (Future Interest List)

Epic Awesomeness in Istanbul (Future Interest List)

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