About Istanbul

Magical Istanbul - 3,000 years old, spanning two continents and a crucible of cultures where east meets west - is a key Turkish homeport for cruise ships, and even those ‘just visiting’ usually spend a night as this wonderful city offers so much to see and do.

If this is your first visit, a tour of the main sights is a good introduction to the city’s treasures, which include the world-famous Blue Mosque and the equally impressive mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, the vibrant old city, the Grand Bazaar (a warren of narrow streets containing more than 4,000 shops, stalls, restaurants and artisans’ workshops) and the Topkapi Palace, famed for its jewels but which also has spectacular gardens.

Also worth seeing is the ancient Hippodrome - now an open-air museum. And a boat trip across the Bosphorus to view the minarets and grand palaces of the city’s skyline is an unforgettable experience.