ISTANBUL NEW YEAR 2025 IN THE HEART OF BYZANTIUM

30.12.2025 Bucharest–Istanbul–Walking tour of the old area - Sultanahmet

Meet at Bucharest Henri Coanda Airport at 06:00 in the morning with the group escort for boarding TAROM flight RO261, departing at 08:10 to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul at 09:25 local time. Transfer to the hotel and walking tour of Istanbul - Sultanahmet area: Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, Egyptian Obelisk, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace (entrance fees not included). Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

31.12.2024 Istanbul – A day dedicated to the Bosphorus: Daytime cruise and palaces, followed by a festive New Year’s Eve dinner on the waters of the Sea of Marmara.

Breakfast. Free time or an optional daytime Bosphorus cruise, with a visit to a leather factory and the Egyptian Bazaar. There will be a brief stop at the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent, followed by a walk through the historic center to board the cruise ship at Galata Port. You have the chance to sail through the Bosphorus Strait, which separates the two continents, Europe and Asia, and connects the waters of the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. From the ship, you can admire along the Bosphorus: Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Ciragan Palace, residential neighborhoods with villas and wooden mansions, Rumeli Fortress, the two bridges, the Orthodox Patriarchate in Phanar, and the 22 km long Byzantine defensive wall, which represented the strongest fortification of the medieval era. A stop will also be made for free time to visit the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, built between 1597 and 1664 and considered the second oldest covered bazaar in Istanbul. Accommodation at a 4* hotel.Optional: New Year’s Eve Festive Dinner – Bosphorus cruise with an oriental show, dinner, and local drinks included – option upon registration. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!

01.01.2025 Istanbul – Visit to Topkapi Palace – Traditional oriental dinner

Breakfast. Free time for rest and walking. Optional visit to Topkapi Palace. In the evening, we propose an optional oriental dinner with traditional music and dance. Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

02.01.2025 Istanbul – Dolmabahce Palace - Buyukada – Sea of Marmara

Breakfast. Free time. Optional, weather permitting, tour of the Princes' Islands - Buyukada, with transport by tram to the port and boarding a ferry to Buyukada, where you can enjoy a pleasant ride with buggies – electric cars and where a tasty fish lunch awaits you. Alternatively, we suggest the tour of Dolmabahce Palace and two continents, a half-day tour that includes visiting the last palace of the sultans, built in the 19th century by Ottoman architects Karabet and Nikogos Balyan on an area of 110,000 square meters, the place where the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, passed away in 1938. Since 1952, the palace has become a museum, housing a precious collection of European antiques, furniture, and chandeliers in 285 rooms and 46 halls. In a few minutes, you will have the chance to cross the Bosphorus on the bridge of the same name, which connects the two continents, and ascend to Camlica Hill, where you have a complete panorama of the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, and where the new television tower is located. Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

03.01.2025 Istanbul – Free day for rest and shopping

Breakfast. Check-out at 12:00. Those wishing to extend their stay will do so directly at the hotel reception with the help of the escort and local partner, if the hotel has availability. The cost of extending accommodation on the day of departure is not included in the tour price and is to be paid personally by tourists at the hotel reception. In the evening, transfer from the hotel to the airport (approximately 35 km). Check-in at the airport 3 hours prior to boarding TAROM flight RO262, departing to Bucharest at 23:15 local time.04.01.2025 Istanbul-BucharestArrival at Otopeni-Henri Coanda at 00:30 local time.

Optional Excursions – Informative Prices

For a minimum of 20 participants (due to inflation in Turkey, prices may change before the group's departure):

• Bosphorus Cruise and Palaces - Informative price per person for a minimum of 20 paying participants: €65/person.
• Traditional oriental dinner: €55/person.
• Dolmabahce Palace and surroundings - Informative price per person for a minimum of 20 participants: €55, entrance to the palace and harem not included.
• Princes' Island – Buyukada - Informative price per person for a minimum of 20 participants: €55/person.