• Arrival in Istanbul in the morning.
• Transfer to the hotel by a comfortable minibus.
• We will live in the very center of the city
• After arriving at the hotel, we go to have lunch on the boardwalk

where local people dine – we immediately immerse ourselves in local life!

And we begin to get acquainted with the incredible city.

✅️We will visit the Basilica Cistern – a unique underground reservoir of Byzantine times. Semi-darkness, antique columns supporting arched vaults, illuminated by green or red mystical light, an atmosphere of mystery and huge marble heads of the Gorgon medusa. Let's start our journey with this grandiose experience!

✅️Next stop to the main square of Istanbul, Sultanahmet,

we will see the remains of the Roman Hippodrome,
🥖Then eat one of the most famous Istanbul specialties – simit, a bagel with sesame, visit the beautiful Blue Mosque (it was just opened after a long restoration, and the tiles on its walls of all shades of blue and blue shone again) and look into a couple of non-tourist, hidden in the bowels of the old city, but amazingly beautiful mosques – Mehmet Sokollu Pasha and Kuchuk Aya Sofia.

After sunset we will go to see St. Sophia – outside and inside. In the evening lights, this famous temple looks amazing!

We will have dinner with classic Turkish kebabs and traditional meze in one of the best "meat" establishments.

After breakfast we go to get acquainted with the main sultan's palace of Ottoman Turkey – Topkapi. Sultans have lived in it for 500 years! It was in it that all the events that you know about from the TV series "Magnificent Century" took place!

We will see its well–groomed park territories, visit inside – wherever restorers have reached, including, of course, in the residential part, in the Harem, take pictures against the background of all the most exquisite tiles, and look at Istanbul from several viewing platforms of the palace - because it stands on the very edge of the historical peninsula, and views from it opens magnificent!

We have lunch in the right place with Turkish pizza "pide" - a wood-burning oven has been in it since its opening, since the 1960s, and the master chef works so fast and makes such an enchantingly delicious dough that you want to eat everything!

In the afternoon, we cross the Galata Bridge to the other shore of the Golden Horn Bay and walk through the very colorful Karakey district with many charming bars and numerous graffiti, along the ultra-modern cruise port, Galataport and its Bosphorus embankment.

We take the funicular to Taksim Square, where the same red retro tram makes a circle, and go for a walk along the main walking street of Istanbul, Istiklal.

Here you can find all kinds of shops and restaurants, drink the perfect Turkish coffee in the best coffee shop in Istanbul, hidden in tricky alleys, look into the magnificent European Passages, taste a variety of delicious street food, and in the evening go down the narrow streets of musical instruments and souvenir shops to the slender beauty, Galata Tower, and climb it certainly at sunset, to hear the sounds of the azan from numerous mosques and see how the huge city lights up under your feet.

We will have dinner in one of the colorful establishments of the Beyoglu district. And with the most persistent, we will also go to taste Turkish wines in the popular local enoteka.

We have breakfast at the hotel.
And we go for a big walk along the Bosphorus.

We will take wine, the best Turkish sweets and bagels with us – we will feed the seagulls flying behind the ships, drink wine and look at the luxurious Bosporan mansions.

We will get almost to the very edge of the strait, to the Saryyer pier, located near the Third Bosphorus Bridge, already at the exit to the Black Sea.
Once upon a time there were fishing villages here, in the 30s of the last century these territories became part of Istanbul, but still Saryyer is considered an area of fresh Black Sea wind and fresh fish.
Of course, it's worth an hour and a half to go here by boat along the Bosphorus, surveying the picturesque surroundings, to explore the assortment of the local fish market right on the shore, watch fishing boats, wander through the streets between simple houses with stove heating and have lunch with the freshest catch in some nice restaurant by the water.


Later in the evening we will go along the Bosphorus in the opposite direction, but we will get to the Asian coast of Istanbul, and in fact – the most European in spirit and atmosphere of the area, Kadikoy, which is chosen for life by the Stambulites themselves, and where there are absolutely no tourists. We will walk through the Fashion hangout area there, look into the boutiques of local designers, visit the colorful local market, sit on the bar street for a glass of Turkish beer and certainly try the Michelin shawarma in a cool gastrobar.

In the evening, everyone will be able to enjoy a rest and refresh themselves in one of the famous Istanbul hammams.

We have breakfast at the hotel.
We are going to the Church of the Keys to make wishes. This is a very special place, the Byzantine church, where representatives of absolutely all faiths go, and where there is a special atmosphere. The thing is that the wishes made in this church always come true.
Then we will visit the Istanbul cafe, which has been operating continuously since the 19th century and try a unique gastronomic specialty — boza!

Then our way lies to the magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque, built for Sultan Suleiman by the best architect of all Ottoman times, Mimar Sinan, on one of the Istanbul hills, from where a magical view of the city opens. Here, near the mosque, the Sultan himself and his beloved wife Hurrem (Roksolana) are buried in two exquisite mausoleums.

Then we will dive into the wilds of the bazaar rows, have lunch in the right "meat" place, try the coolest Turkish dessert "kunefe" and do a gastronomic shopping. We will definitely take a look at the incredibly beautiful Rustem Pasha Mosque, the most elegant mosque in Istanbul.

Attention! On request, a photo shoot in costumes on the roof of one of the old inns with a magnificent view of Istanbul is possible on this day. The photographer and costumes are paid separately.

In the late afternoon, we dive headlong into the amazing areas of Fener and Balat – the most instagrammed areas of Istanbul, once inhabited by Greeks and Jews, and now popular with local youth, with many hippster cafes and whole streets of antique shops.

We will definitely have coffee there in the famous cafe with seals and antiques. Consider the Greek Lyceum — the most mysterious building in Istanbul, a luxurious red brick castle towering over the Golden Horn Bay.
In the evening we will return to our marina and have dinner at the famous gastronomic restaurant with a magnificent view of the Bosphorus.

If you dreamed of flying in a hot air balloon, then this is the day when your dream can become a reality!

• Early rise.

A special transfer will take you to the place where the balloons are being prepared for takeoff. Hot air balloon flight (Paid separately. Cost from 240 euros/person)
Then you will return to the hotel for a wonderful Turkish breakfast.

• 8.00-10.00 Breakfast at the hotel
• 10.00 Guided tour by minibus.

First of all, we will go to the foot of the Ortahisar fortress. This is one of the most beautiful places in Cappadocia – a rock like a tower, with numerous caves and passages inside.

Then we will see the Rock Temple without restoration, the Valley of Imagination, where everyone will find "his" figure among the rocks, and visit Avanchos-the center of pottery and carpet weaving. We will learn about the traditions of the production of ceramics and carpets in this region, get acquainted with the original patterns.

We will have lunch with hearty dishes of Turkish cuisine.

And we will go further – to the observation deck of the Valley of Love, and then to the Valley of Pashabag, which is also the Valley of Fairies.

And finally, we will visit the Zelve Open-air Museum. It is not known when the rock dwellings in Zelva were first inhabited, but it was an important settlement between the 9th and 13th centuries. This cave complex was finally emptied in the 60s of the last century.

• 5 p.m Return to the hotel

Free time.
At sunset, you can ride camels or quad bikes (optional, from 50 euros / person)
Or arrange a picnic in the valley (optional, cost 80-100 euros / person).

If desired, in the morning you can have a great romantic breakfast in nature against the background of balloons. This is a fantastic sight and your best and most instagrammed photos! (extra charge, 60 euros/person)

Or just have breakfast at the hotel.

• 10.00 a.m. Guided tour by minibus

We will start this day from the foot of the Ukhchisar fortress. This 60-meter high rock, rising 1400 m above sea level, can be seen from many points of Cappadocia, it is one of the symbols of this region.

Then we will visit the underground city of Kaymakly. This is one of the largest underground cities found in Cappadocia, it served as a refuge for early Christians fleeing persecution. Kaymakly has 8 levels, halls, tunnels, ventilation shafts and reservoirs at the very bottom. At the same time, 15 thousand people could live in this city!

Then we will go to the Soganli Valley, an amazing place, not yet too visited by tourists. It is in it that the largest number of early Christian churches and well-preserved frescoes on their walls have been found. It is here that the famous Church with a dome is located – the most beautiful of the Cappadocian rock churches.

• Village lunch. We will have lunch with traditional dishes of local cuisine.

Then we will see another magnificent place – Pigeon Valley. Its name comes from the thousands of pigeons that lived on this territory, and the locals built pigeon houses for them.

We will visit the workshop where onyx products are made, we will choose handmade jewelry for ourselves.

And at the end of this tour, we can stop by the local winemakers for a tasting of Cappadocian wines (optional).

• 5 p.m. Return to the hotel.

In the evening, for those who wish, you can also organize a horse ride along a beautiful route (optional, 40-80 euros / person, depending on whether a group tour or an individual).