SultanahmetThe historic peninsula where Byzantium and the Ottomans meet gathers the fifteen-hundred-year-old Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace around a single square. The four thousand shops of the Grand Bazaar are a few steps away to close the day.
Galata & BeyogluGalata Tower opens up the whole city and the Golden Horn; moments later the nostalgic tram on Istiklal Avenue carries you into the lively streets of Beyoglu. This is the quarter that grew into post-Ottoman Istanbul's face turned towards Europe.
The Bosphorus & DolmabahceDolmabahce Palace, built in European splendour in the final Ottoman era, marks the place where the sultanate said its farewell. The Bosphorus cruise leaving from the palace quay lets you watch the city from the water, between bridges, waterfront mansions and two continents.
Kadikoy & Fener-BalatA ferry ride to the Asian side brings the Uskudar shoreline and the view of the Maiden's Tower, then the market streets of Kadikoy and the Moda seafront. On the Golden Horn, the colourful houses of Fener and Balat show the lesser-known, local texture of Istanbul.
