ISTANBUL - ORTHODOX EASTER IN THE CAPITAL OF BYZANTIUM

April 18, 2025: Bucharest – Istanbul – Walking Tour of the Old Town – Sultanahmet

Arrival at Bucharest-Otopeni Henri Coandă Airport and meeting with the group escort at 6:00 AM for check-in on TAROM flight RO261, departing at 8:10 AM to Istanbul. Landing in Istanbul at 9:25 AM local time. Transfer to the hotel and walking tour of Istanbul – Sultanahmet area: Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern, Egyptian Obelisk, Hagia Sophia – entrance fees not included.

Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

April 19, 2025: Istanbul – Optional Visit to Topkapi Palace – Optional Easter Service

Breakfast. Free time for rest and leisure. Optional visit to Topkapi Palace. In the evening, you are invited to attend, optionally, the Easter Service at the Orthodox Church Aya Paraskevi in Istanbul.

Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

April 20, 2025: Istanbul – Optional Excursion to Princes’ Islands – Büyükada – Evening Optional Dinner Cruise on the Marmara Sea

Breakfast. Free time. Optional Princes’ Islands tour, with tram transport to the port and boarding a ferry to the final destination, Büyükada, where you will enjoy a pleasant buggy ride with electric carts and be served a delicious fish lunch. In the evening, optional Bosphorus Cruise with dinner included and an oriental show, celebrating Orthodox Easter Sunday.

Accommodation at a 4* hotel.

April 21, 2025: Istanbul – Free Day or Optional Excursion to Suleymaniye, Çamlıca Mosque, Television Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace – Return to Bucharest

Breakfast. Check-out from the rooms by 12:00 PM. Guests wishing to extend their stay may do so directly at the hotel reception, subject to availability. The cost of late check-out on the departure day is not included in the tour price and must be paid directly by the guests at the reception. Optional tour of Dolmabahçe Palace and two continents: a tour that includes visiting the last palace of the sultans, built in the 19th century by Ottoman architects Karabet and Nikogos Balyan over an area of 110,000 sq. m. The palace, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, passed away in 1938, became a museum in 1952. It houses a precious collection of European antiques, furniture, and chandeliers, displayed in 285 rooms and 46 halls. A brief stop is made at the tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent and his favorite Hürrem at Suleymaniye. In minutes, you’ll cross the Bosphorus via the bridge of the same name, connecting Europe and Asia, and ascend Çamlıca Hill for a panoramic view of the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea. Here, you’ll find the new Television Tower (optional entrance: €25/person) and the imposing new Çamlıca Mosque. Transfer from the hotel to the airport (approximately 35 km) and check-in for TAROM flight RO266, departing Istanbul at 11:15 PM local time. Arrival at Otopeni-Henri Coandă Airport at 12:30 AM local time on April 22, 2025.