Istanbul: True Discovery Full-Day Tour and Cruise

Visit Dolmabahçe Palace, the richest palace of the entire Ottoman period, in the peaceful morning period before tour groups arrive. See the Bosphorus Bridge, one of the world's largest suspension bridges, linking Europe and Asia. This bridge overshadows Istanbul's traditional architecture. Next we climb a Bosphorus side hill by bus for a magnificent view that embraces the Bosphorus and old Istanbul. Pierre Loti Hill was named after the French novelist and naval officer Pierre Loti who visited Istanbul several times and stayed many years. Enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car all the way down the hill. We will also see Constantinople's great city walls, which were breached only twice in 1600 years; the first occurred in 1204 during the fourth Crusade. There will be time for some shopping before we head to our boat and the Black Sea. Lunch onboard will be an open buffet of seasonal salads, delicious hors d'oeuvre, chicken Shish Kebap, rice and fruit. During low season we serve lunch on the calm water of Golden Hom before heading up to the Black Sea. From the water we will see the legendary Rumeli fortress as well as where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea. We will stopover in Anadolu Kavagi, at the northern tip of the Bosphorus and the intersection of the Marmara and Black seas.