ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Istanbul embraces two continents: one arm reaching out to Asia, the other to Europe. We will board our boat from the Golden Horn – a horn-shaped estuary dividing European Istanbul.

Istanbul embraces two continents: one arm reaching out to Asia, the other to Europe. We will board our boat from the Golden Horn – a horn-shaped estuary dividing European Istanbul. One of the best natural harbours in the world, the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests were centred here. The Old Galata Bridge is a floating bridge and was the main connection across the Golden Horn, joining the two halves of European Istanbul. There were once restaurants and shops below the road deck, near the waterline, but they were destroyed by fire and gradually a new bridge has been built. The new one is a conventional bridge built on pilings. Our journey on the Bosphorus will take us past the famous 19th century Dolmabahce Palace – the façade of which stretches for 600 metres (2,000 feet) along the European shore – and also the Ciragan Palace, now restored as a grand Hotel. Next we shall pass the Ataturk Bridge, which connected the two continents for the first time, before we come across the walls of the Rumeli Fortress. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge straddles the waterway just past the Fortress and from this point we will cross the Bosphorus, from where the Bosphorus runs into the Black Sea. Now on the Asian side we will see the Anadolu Fortress, and the Beylerbeyi Palace – a fantasy in white marble amid magnolia-filled gardens. It was used as the Sultan’s summer residence and was offered to the most distinguished foreign dignitaries during their visits. Behind the palace rises Camlica Hill, the highest point of Istanbul. Opposite the palace, the wooden Ottoman villas contrast with the luxurious modern apartments. We will enjoy the many views from the boat on our way back to the old city, where we will board our coach for the journey back to our ship.

Please note that although this tour is a sightseeing tour from the boat, there is walking from the coaches to the pier where we will embark and also when we disembark the boat there will be an approximate 5 minute walk in order to re-join our coaches. The walking may be over uneven ground and there are steps to negotiate in order to board and disembark the boat. We recommend taking warm clothing, as the wind can be quite chilly.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 CANARIES & MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES