You and your family will arrive in Istanbul and we will take you by private transfer to your hotel where you can relax after your long journey and prepare yourself for a full-day tour of the city of Istanbul the next day.

After breakfast, we will see the sites of the amazing ancient city of Istanbul,  with a population of 14 million people, is the eighth biggest city in the world. A combination of old and new, Asia and Europe, it remains one of the most fascinating cities to explore. These are some of the wonderful sites that you will see whilst in Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace
As the administrative centre, for nearly 400 years, for the Ottoman Empire, which was one of the greatest empires of the world, Topkapi Palace is certainly the most important historical site to be visited in Istanbul. It is also one of the most frequently visited museums in Europe with more than 2.5 million visitors per year. In 1461, less than ten years after the Conquest, Fatih Mehmet ordered the construction of Topkapi Sarayi a palace that would be known as Dar-us Saadet, the “House of Felicity”. Topkapi Sarayi remained the seat of the Ottoman Sultans until 1868 when Abdülmecit I moved to the European-style Dolmabahçe Palace farther up the Bosphorus. (Closed on Tuesdays)

Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar was built at the command of Fatih Mehmet shortly after the Conquest. It contains 4399 shops, 2195 workshops, 497 stalls, and 18 fountains (Closed on Sundays)

Blue Mosque
A magnificent series of domes and semi-domes, six slender minarets sprouting from the corners of the mosque, a spacious courtyard, and finally it is grand yet elegant proportions make the Blue Mosque one of the architectural marvels of the world.

Hippodrome and Obelisks
The ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civic life, stands in the open space in front of the Blue Mosque.

Hagia Sophia and Museum
Hagia Sophia was built at the command of Emperor Justinian in the years 532 to 537. The courtyard of Haghia Sophia contains a number of minor but fascinating Ottoman structures.

In the late afternoon after your tour, we will take you back to your hotel by private transfer. 

Our recommendation:
After the day's tour ends and you have your own free time, we recommend also visiting the Spice Bazaar to enjoy the sights and smells of Turkish tea, spices, and candies. You will be on your own here as its not part of your tour package, but you will have plenty of time and can make your own way back to your hotel.

Important Notes:
-The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
-Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays
-Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday
-Blue Mosque Entrance is limited on Fridays due to prayers, therefore we are unable to enter on Fridays.

We provide pickups from hotels in central areas in the following vicinities:
Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Laleli, Aksaray, Taksim area. Pickup from anywhere outside these areas may incur an extra charge. Please speak to our crew if you have any questions.

Again after a relaxed start, we will head to the Dolmabahce Palace at the waters edge where we will begin our Boat cruise of the Bosphorus this is a great way to see more sites of the city sailing past Maidens Tower, you will also see from the water the best view of the old walls of the city of Constantinople we will also take a short break and hop off the boat at the beautiful historical building of Kucuksu Palace built by Sultan Abdulmecid. We will return to our cruise and see many other landmarks of the city including Rumeli Castle,  Ciragan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Ortakoy Mosque you will also sail under the world-famous Bosphorus Bridge.
We will then take a bus tour of the Sultan Ahmed district and visit Piere Loti hill where we will take the cable car to the top to experience the incredible view over the city we then travel by bus to back to the heart of the old city.

Important Note: Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays and the tour will start two hours later on this day.
Dolmabahce Palace, Kucuksu Palace, and Pierre Loti Hill are the only sights you will tour by foot. The other sights will be seen from the boat or bus.

After the tour ends we will take you back to your accommodation.

This morning after breakfast we will travel a little way south of the city to the beautiful natural lake area of Sapanca surrounded by greenery and the sound of the birds. The freshwater lake is approximately 42 kilometres square and you will have the optional choice to try pedal boating on the lake, a little later we will drive to the south of the Sapanca area and visit the village of Masukiye where we will have lunch and visit the waterfalls
Through the winter months November – March after the waterfalls at Masukiye we will then move on to Kartepe high above Sapanca lake, reachable by cable car in winter this is an amazing ski resort and the views are just breathtaking.
Through the summer months from April – October on our way back from the Masukiye Waterfalls we will visit the Zoo a fun time for children and the whole family to learn about and see many different species of animal. We then return to the Hotel.

Today's part of your Istanbul Family Fun Tour will be high energy and adventure as we take you to Vialand Theme Park and shopping mall, The theme park is huge and can accommodate over 13 thousand people with rides for all ages it is the perfect place for the whole family to have some fun there is also a great shopping mall at the park so there really is something for everyone. Today's tour does not include lunch but as there are so many different types of eating experiences in the park, everyone is catered for. The park closes at 18:00 pm and we will transfer you back for a restful night in your hotel.

Today's part of your Istanbul experience is again an adventure that the whole family will love, after breakfast, we will drive you to the Istanbul Aquarium one of the largest in the world the Aquarium opened in 2011 and has so much to see from the diverse sea life to a 5D cinema experience. You will also be able to spend some free time at the Aqua Florya shopping mall with themes and leisure activities the mall is almost a theme park itself.

On your last day with us, after breakfast, we will drive you by private transfer to the airport. We truly hope this 7 day Family Fun Tour of Istanbul has been a great experience for your whole family.