A Six-Day Getaway: Istanbul, Turkey

A Six-Day Getaway: Istanbul, Turkey
2011 DEPARTURE DATES: MARCH 30-APRIL 5, APRIL 6-12, APRIL 13-19, APRIL 20-26, NOVEMBER 2-8, NOVEMBER 9-15, NOVEMBER 16-22, NOVEMBER 23-29
Come and join us for a memorable journey to Istanbul – spectacular architecture, ancient fortifications, charming people, hearty local cuisine, where east meets the west. Travel with us on a fabulous vacation to Istanbul, Turkey!

Includes

Day-by-Day Itinerary

ROUND-TRIP AIR TRANSPORTATION; Round-trip flights from New York (JFK) or Washington Dulles Airport on Delta Airlines or similar carrier.
FOUR STAR ACCOMMODATIONS; Hotel accommodations for five nights, at the centrally located first class Adamar Hotel or similar including hotel tax and service charge.
SUPERB CUISINE; Seven meals including breakfast each day and two dinners .
WELCOME RECEPTION; Welcome to the Turkey cocktail party with hors d'oeuvres.
SIGHTSEEING TOUR PROGRAM; Full day tour of Istanbul included Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, full day Egyptian Market and Bosphorus Cruise and a half day Dolmabahçe Palace tour as well as optional tours available for purchase in Istanbul.
MEETING ROOMS; We have a meeting room available for one hours use on two separate days.
COMPLIMENTARY PLACES; We have complimentary places for faculty on all our group departures.
PROFESSIONAL TOUR MANAGER/HOST Services of a professional tour manager daily on the program upon arrival in Istanbul through departure.
FIRST CLASS MOTORCOACHES; First class motorcoaches and experienced drivers for all transfers, tours, and guided excursions.
LUGGAGE HANDLING AND TRANSFERS; Round-trip airport to hotel transfers including luggage handling for one checked bag per person.
LOCAL TAXES AND SERVICE CHARGES; These charges are on all included features and all applicable entrance fees and admission charges.
MARKETING PACKAGE; To assist in getting the message out we will provide brochures, e-brochures, Web PDF’s and Alumni brochure placement costs.
FUNDRAISING; All our group departures offer fundraising amounts for every paying passenger.
EXPERIENCE AND ADVICE; ABC Destinations holds over 45 years of experience in the travel industry offering assistance and advice in group travel programs.

FOR PRICING AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ABC DESTINATIONS AT 1-800-227-5858

Day 1: Depart New York (JFK) or Washington Dulles International Airport via Delta Airlines for Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 2: Arrive in Istanbul, the world’s only city located on two continents, Europe and Asia. Upon arrival, proceed to baggage claim area. After clearing customs, exit the airport and meet our guide and driver. Board our deluxe motor coach for a city orientation bus tour to see firsth and this ancient capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. After checking into our hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is at our leisure. Exploring the Sultanahmet is a good introduction to Istanbul. The sprawling Central Square is filled with many restaurants and cafes - a perfect place for people watching. Tonight includes a welcome cocktail party with a variety of Turkish hors d’oeuvres.

Day 3: Depart for a full-day historical tour of Istanbul. The entire city of Istanbul is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its strategic location on the Bosphorus Peninsula, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean has made Istanbul a major political, religious and artistic center for over 2,000 years. We will begin at St. Sophia Museum, located in the heart of Old Istanbul. First built in the 6th century, St. Sophia was once the largest Christian church in the world. Today St Sophia is neither a church nor a mosque but it is a museum. Next, visit the Topkapi Palace, the Imperial Residence of the Ottoman Sultans, with its priceless collections of artifacts, jewelry and rare porcelain. A museum since 1924, it has opulent rooms, fine art collections and jewelry including the 86-carat Spoonmaker's Diamond, the 5th largest in the world.We will continue on to the Blue Mosque, built during the Ottoman Empire’s Golden Age and famous for its stunning blue Iznik tiles, six minarets and the ancient Hippodrome of Constantine. Later visit the world-famous Grand Covered Bazaar, a fascinating labyrinth of streets and alleys with more than 4,000 shops. Return to hotel. Tonight we will have a welcome dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 4: After breakfast and a lecture, we will depart for a full-day Bosphorus & Asia Tour. We will visit the Egyptian Spice Market. Although smaller than the Grand Bazaar, the spice market has every kind of culinary delight under the Turkish Sun - countless kinds of spices, seasonings, teas and candy. Then we will cross the Bosphorus, the strait separating the European and the Asian parts of Istanbul, connecting the Marmara Sea at the south to the Black Sea in the north. Our boat tour offers beautiful views of the European and Asian shorelines. After lunch on your own (location arranged), we will cross to the Asian side to visit the Camlica Hill and imperial mansions where Ottoman Turks and Sultans lived. We will tour the Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans with its magnificent gardens. The Palace so impressed Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III who visited in 1869, that she had the guest room windows duplicated for her bedroom in the Tuilleries Palace in France. (Breakfast)

Day 5: This morning after breakfast we will have a lecture. After the lecture we will depart for a guided visit to Dolmabahce Palace. Built between 1843 and 1856 under the order of the Empire's 31st sultan at a cost five million Ottoman gold pounds (the equivalent of 35 tons of gold - over a billion dollars in today's prices), the Dolmabahçe Palace was home to six sultans from 1856 up until the abolishment of the Caliphate in 1924. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader of Turkey’s modern republic, used the Palace as a presidential house in summers and enacted some of this most important works here. Ataturk spent his last days and died here in 1938. The remainder of the day is at leisure and yours to enjoy. Tonight dinner is on your own. (Breakfast)

Day 6: This morning after breakfast spend the day at leisure or explore Istanbul on your own. You may want to revisit some of cultural landmarks you toured earlier in the week or take an optional tour; your guide can help arrange these for you. Don’t forget to bring some souvenirs for the folks back home. Tonight there will be a farewell dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7: Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy breakfast and then depart directly for the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

Please note: Though rare, it may be necessary to substitute hotels and adjust itineraries due to local conditions. Every attempt has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

*Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Prices per person based on double occupancy. Prices listed do not include U.S. and International airport taxes and fees of up to $350.00 which varies by travel program. These additional fees include the September 11th Security Fee of $2.50 per U.S. enplanement (up to $10.00 per round-trip); passenger facility charges of $4.50 per segment (up to $18.00 per round-trip); Immigration fee of $7.00 per person; travel facilities tax of $8.00 per direction; customs user fee of $5.50; APHIS user fee of $5.00; federal domestic segment fee of $3.60 per segment; and international transportation tax of $16.10 per arrival or departure.


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