OFFER ID 1497266
The Signature Collection – A Hosted Sailing
Hosted Sailings offer Outstanding Value and Exclusive Amenities.
Choose ONE of the options below.
Venice: Splendours of Venice Walking Tour - 4 hours
Venice: Venice for Art Lovers Walking Tour - 4 hours
Venice: The Roman City of Verona - 7 hours
Venice: Lagoon Islands - 7 hours
Today you will be met by your local English-speaking guide for a full day excursion by private motor-boat to explore the Lagoon Islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Venice lies in the centre of a vast lagoon that stretches for about 30 miles from north to south, studded by numerous small islands, mostly deserted. This amazing environment is what drove the Venetians to establish their city here, a perfectly secure and inaccessible little world. Enjoy the beauty of a ride across the waters of the lagoon; visit the island of Murano, where glass has been made for over 700 years and where you can see the age-old techniques of glass blowing still in use today.
Continue to Torcello, to see the breathtaking mosaics in the Basilica di Santa Maria dell’Assunta, the oldest building on the lagoon. After a leisurely lunch (payable locally) you reach the island of Burano, a quaint and colourful fisherman island famous for its lace and charming architecture.
Highlights:
Start the walking tour with an exploration of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian which lies at the heart of Split, this palace was built in 295 BC. See Peristil Square where the Emperor made his speeches as well as the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor which been transformed into a Catholic church. After visiting the palace, immediately outside you will see many charming "piazzas". Explore the old town with its many interesting sights. At the end of the city tour you will also see Riva, a coastal walk with palm trees where you can relax in the sun and enjoy a beautiful view of the port and close-by islands.
Highlights:
Split: Krka Waterfalls & Trogir - 8 hours
Your English-speaking guide will take you in a private vehicle for a full day excursion (8 hours) to visit the Krka Waterfalls National Park first. You will tour the area of the waterfalls and take a boat ride to the isle of Visovac to visit the Franciscan Monastery. Proceed towards Trogir, a picturesque medieval town, including a visit to the Cathedral of St. Lawrence with its magnificent Romanesque portal. Return to your ship in Split after the tour.
Highlights:
Split: Salona, Split & Trogir - 8 hours
Enjoy a full day tour of the city of Split and the surrounding area by private vehicle with a qualified English-speaking guide. Your tour starts with a visit to the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian; this palace was first built in the 3rd century AD, and its outline still forms the heart of the old city today. Also see Peristil Square where Diocletian made his speeches, and the imperial mausoleum that has now been converted into a Catholic church. Outside the palace you will see many charming piazzas. At the end of this tour, you may visit Riva, a coastal walk with palm trees where you can relax in the sun and enjoy a beautiful view of the port and islands nearby.
This afternoon, your guide will take you to visit ancient Roman Salona, the largest archaeological site of Roman and Early Christian ruins in Croatia. You will also see the seven ‘Kaštela’; these buildings were fortifications built for protection from Turkish attacks. Finally you will visit Trogir, known as the ‘Jewel of the Adriatic’. The city is renowned for the beauty of its buildings and fortifications, and is considered to be the best preserved Romano-Gothic complex in Central Europe. Notable structures of Trogir are the City Hall, the C'ipiko Palace, the Loggia and St. Lawrence’s Cathedral whose portal is a masterpiece of medieval sculpture.
Highlights:
In the first part of this tour you will discover an ancient town with history full of interesting stories and legends. You will visit the most famous Split’s sights - Diocletian’s Palace, Underground halls, the Cathedral, Vestibul, Peristil and more. Just relax and enjoy a walk-through history with your guide. In the second part of your day –continue in a „gastro tone“ – enjoy in fine wine tasting. This gastro end of the day will sink in perfectly after a walking tour, just in time to refresh both you and your taste buds! You will proceed to a local wine bar with variety of different awarded wine and enjoy in couple of glasses of local Dalmatian wine. Nothing can compare to a moment of relaxing in a beautiful setting of the Old Town Split!
Highlights:
Marvelous, one of a kind Split! Today’s tour will let you experience all the magical features this amazing city has, and let you fully explore all the best hidden parts of its cultural heritage. This pleasant stroll through the city along with your guide, will introduce you to magnificent Diocletian’s Palace which is an architectural masterpiece. After the Roman Empire disintegrated, the city gradually started to evolve and built itself outisde but also inside the palace. Today, you can see a bank or a mini market situated in some areas of the palace. The palace actually is Old Town Split and the other way around. You will also visit its underground halls, Vestibul, Peristil, the Cathedral and many more breath-taking sightseeing spots.
Highlights:
Tour Duration: up to 3h
Tour can operate: Morning or Evening
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: Light
Inclusions:
Not Included:
Split sightseeing and Foodie tour
This exclusive tour pairs amazing food with historical sightseeing. Do you sometime feel like numerous alleys filled with restaurants make it difficult to find the real authentic place to go to? Well, we have a solution for you today. You will be guided to visit the outstanding restaurants where passion, expertise and artisan food „collide“. This is a historic tour of the city with stops on the way (there are several stops, it is not just one meal). All dishes are preordered, and you will enjoy a comfortable sit-down tasting experience. You don’t have to eat before or after the tour as it is designed to be a full and satisfying meal. You will feel the positive energy of Mediterranean lifestyle.
Highlights:
Today you will get a chance to enjoy the most beautiful part of Krka National Park. Discover picturesque nature and waterfalls as well as one of the most important cultural values in central Dalmatia, the Visovac island with its monastery that has stood there since 1445. After you explore land portion of the National Park where old mills are, you will get a chance to enjoy in beautiful boat ride to Visovac Island, one of the most valuable natural and cultural values (boat ride is not private).
Highlights:
Split tour and Olive oil tasting
Discover one of the most famous Croatian products – precious „liquid gold“ – olive oil! In the first part of this tour you will discover an ancient town with history full of interesting stories and legends. During the tour you will see the most famous Split’s sights like Diocletian’s Palace, Underground halls, the Cathedral, Vestibul, Peristil and many more. Just relax and enjoy a walk-through history with your guide. In the second part of your day –continue in a „gastro tone“ – enjoy in a tasting of five olive oils. Postira Brac, San Canzian, Brachia and two other flavoured sorts paired with fleur de sal, aged red wine vinegar, homemahe bread, green olive tapenade, salted anchovies and skuta cheese drizzled in honey and dry fig jam.
Highlights:
Sightseeing of Split and Trogir
Today you will discover all the marvels of the UNESCO protected town of Trogir. Take a walk through the narrow streets that will take you back in history as you pass stone houses, churches, palaces, monasteries and the city walls. One of many things you will get to see will be the St. Lawrence Cathedral and its Romanesque portal created by a local artist Radovan in the 13th century. Afterwards you will be transferred back to Split for a private sightseeing of this charming Mediterranean town. Enjoy discovering another ancient town, full of interesting stories. During the tour you will see the most famous Split’s sights like Diocletian’s Palace, its Underground halls, The Cathedral, Vestibul, Peristil and many more.
Highlights:
Split tour with emphases on Jewish heritage
Today, you will start an interesting exploration of unique city of Split, with a private guide. This sightseeing tour will focus on the history of Jewish heritage in Split. Not only will you enjoy the monuments of great importance but also listen to interesting stories about the little people, and their lives. You will visit the old synagogue that was built in the 16th century, in a part of the town that was once Jewish ghetto. Along the way you will learn about Jewish people who owned various establishments and influenced the development of the city in a great way. You will then proceed to Marjan hill, just 10 minutes walk from the city centre, where you will visit old Jewish cemetery, that will be unlocked for you to explore.
Highlights:
This unique tour will leave a memorable culinary experience in the preparation and tasting of the Poljicki soparnik. On this tour you will visit some of the most important sites of the Republic of Poljica and the city of Omis. Driving through the rural countryside, you will stop at a local family farm and participate in preparing this local delight Soparnik followed by a tasting in a beautiful green surrounding. In 2007 Poljicki soparnik was listed by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture as a protected intangible cultural heritage. Together with your guide you will continue to visit the historic little town Omis. This charming city will enchant you with its narrow streets, old churches and the impressive city fortress Mirabella.
Highlights:
This exciting tour will first lead you through the most interesting ancient locations in Split and then through the city of Salona. This combination will show you the details of everyday life back in the times of Roman Empire. Split, headquarters of Diocletian’s retirement palace, has so much to offer regarding historical monuments. You will visit all of them and explore off the beaten track. Later, you will visit Salona, once an important locus of Roman culture and a capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It was a very modern city for its time, containing forum, theatres, amphitheatres, public baths and aquaducts. This guided tour is a great way to understand the wider picture of Dalmatian province at the time of the Romans.
Highlights:
Bari: Polignano a Mare & Monopoli - 5 hours
Today you will have the chance to visit Polignano a Mare, a shining gem on the coast of the Valle d’Itria, perched atop a 20 metre-high limestone cliff above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic.
Continue to Monopoli, whose history has been thoroughly influenced by its east-facing position and its fortified sea-front walls and castle. Visit the colourful street market, the cathedral and the elegant bell tower that is over 60 metres high, completely dominating the town below.
Walk down the sea front promenade, where you will visit the church of Santa Maria della Zaffira and take a look at Monopoli’s harbour with it’s fishermen mending their nets or unloading the day's catch.
Highlights:
Bari: Locorotondo & Alberobello - 5 hours
You will visit Locorotondo where you will see the architecture typical of the region with white-washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches. The town also features several community squares, each of which are built on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular views.
Afterwards you will visit Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alberobello represents the heart of the Itria Valley. The city was founded in the 15th-century by the Counts of Acquaviva. The image of the trullo in Alberobello has always been associated with Puglia, where the deep roots of Alberobello act as one of the most typical expressions of the area. The trullo is a construction with a central round or square base of dry stone and at its summit a cone-shaped roof.
Highlights:
Bari: Ancient Matera - 8 hours
Spend a full day soaking up the unique ambience of Matera. Venture down the steep streets that crisscross Barisano and Caveoso, the two districts of Matera's sassi (literally the "stones"). Visit a house furnished as it would have been when as many as ten people lived with their animals in one or two rooms. Explore the chiese rupestri, or rock churches, some of which still have their original fresco decorations. After lunch on your own, head out on an easy hike along the opposite ridge of the ravine on which Matera is built and discover some of the rock churches that dot the countryside.
Please note: Matera involves steep walking
Highlights:
Bari: Highlights of Puglia & Cheese Tasting - 8 hours
Today you will meet your English-speaking guide for a full day excursion of “Valle d’Itria”. You will visit Alberobello which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded in the 15th-century by the Counts of Acquaviva. The image of the trullo in Alberobello has always been associated with Puglia. The trullo is a construction with a central round or square base of dry stone and a con-shaped roof.
Afterwards you will visit Locorotondo where you will see the architecture typical of the region with white-washed, stone buildings with cool, shaded, cave-like interiors, narrow streets and churches. The town also features several community squares, each of which are built on the edge of the hill allowing for some spectacular views.
Next visit to a local cheese production where you will see the different phases of how different cheeses are made. After the visit you will enjoy an informal cheese tasting with a buffet where you will taste the local products.
Finally, visit Polignano a Mare, shining gem on the coast of the Valle d’Itria, perched atop a 20 metre-high limestone cliff above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare truly lives up to its name and literally could not be any more ‘at sea’!
Highlights:
2024 Argostoli Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Argostoli Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Highlights of Kefalonia
Upon your arrival in Argostoli port, your luxury car will be waiting for you to begin your exciting tour.
The first stop of the tour will begin in the mesmerizing cave of Drogarati. Here, you will walk through the hundred-year-old cave which is filled with stalactites and has great acoustics.
The next stop of the tour will be an island highlight, Melissani Lake, with the immaculate beauty of its crystal-clear waters. Also enjoy a boat ride in a cave also known as the cave of the nymphs. This truly is one of the best experiences someone can have in Kefalonia.
Your last stop is a photo stop above the world-famous beach of Myrtos. Surrounded by lavish scenery this beach is voted year after year as one of the best beaches in the world! Get your camera ready to snap the perfect picture with this world-famous background.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
No information currently available.
2024 Chania Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Chania Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Olive & Wine
This tour will take you through scenic countryside and offer a journey in the island's farming and culinary trails with an intimate perspective of today’s Crete. Visits will include an estate producing olive oil, a local winery, and a rustic family-run eatery.
Biolea, your first stop, is an ecological prototype farm cultivated by 6th generation owners that promote the traditional way of organic olive oil production – olive oil is stone milled and cold pressed. You will be guided around their premises and have an olive-oil tasting.
Continuing your exploration through a verdant landscape with orange and olive groves, you will visit a quaint winery, the realization of a lifelong dream of a Greek-American owner, who was born and raised in this small village. Escorted by an expert, you will navigate around the grounds and then taste their excellent wines, accompanied by local snacks.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Athens Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Greece a la Carte
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Athens Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Greece a la Carte
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Condensed Athens, Acropolis & Acropolis Museum
Start the tour with a 40-minute drive through the city’s most famous sites: the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the ex-Royal Palace of the Parliament building, the Monument of the Unknown Soldier guarded by the Evzones, and the glorious 1896 Olympic Stadium (from outside).
Continue with a visit to the Acropolis’ principal buildings: Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the Parthenon Temple. Walk across to the breathtaking Acropolis Museum, where archaeological findings from the Acropolis are displayed.
Enjoy the view from the terrace, and maybe a drink, before your transfer back to the cruise ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Santorini Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Santorini Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Fira Town and Santorini’s Traditional Villages
On this tour, you will visit the most important and famous sites of Santorini. Starting from the Old Port of Fira (Gialos), you will access, by Cable Car, Fira Village, the capital of the island, for a short walk through the scenic alleys. This vibrant center, located on the western edge of the island, is a combination of natural beauty, social life, nightlife, and shopping, where you can feel the liveliness of Santorini and where all the action takes place. A ravishing place because of its Caldera view that leaves visitors speechless anytime of the day.
The next destination is world famous for its sunset and the best conserved village of the island, Oia. On the north side of Santorini and built on the Caldera slope, this place provides a peaceful and idyllic ambiance, combining the best architectural samples of the island, charming narrow paths, galleries, atmospheric cafes and spectacular views of the Caldera and the Volcano.
Continuing, enjoy walking tour to the traditional and serene village of Megalochori, one of the most picturesque villages on Santorini. Home to historical mansions and old traditional houses, pirate hideaway and wine Canavas, it has a history of merchants and wealthy land barons exporting Vinsanto wine that the island still produces. The last stop of the tour, the winery, is where you will discover the wine heritage of the island and you will enjoy your lunch accompanied by traditional liqueurs.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Rhodes Customize Your Day Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Rhodes Local Highlights Option - 4 Hours - Provided by Travelive
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
Rhodes Panoramic City Tour & Medieval Town
Discover the highlights of ancient and modern-day Rhodes during this picturesque orientation tour of the city. Depart with a scenic drive through the modern areas of Rhodes. As you pass by the Mandraki Esplanade, you will see the government buildings, Church of Annunciation built 1925, a replica of the Old Church of the Knights of St John, and the deer statues at the entrance of Mandraki port. Your driver will then continue up to Monte Smith for panoramic views and photo opportunities of Rhodes and the Aegean Sea. View from the distance the Acropolis of Rhodes with its Ancient stadium nearby built 2 nd Century BC.
Next, you will continue to Rhodes Medieval City. Once your car reaches the Gate d’Amboise, you will disembark and proceed to the Grand Masters Palace for a guided walking tour. The Palace was built in the 14 th Century A.D., destroyed in 1856, and rebuilt in 1939 by the Italians to accommodate the King of Italy, Emmanuel 11 and Mussolini.
You will then walk down the Street of the Knights, where you will see the many inns once occupied by the crusaders. At the end of the street, you will arrive at the Archaeological Museum, formerly the Knights Hospital. The museum was built in 1440 A.D. and is the most well-preserved building in the Old City.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
Bodrum Port - Private Culinary Experience (Full Day Tour)
Bodrum and Halicarnassus - 4 hours
An English speaking officially licensed lecturer/guide will meet the guests at the exit of the cruise pier at 09:00 am for a private sightseeing tour of Bodrum.
The private tour will start with a visit to the Bodrum Castle built as the Castle of St. Peter by the crusader Knights in 1402. Located between the two bays that surround the town, this outstanding structure was built to defend the region of Southeastern Aegean. The fortress has beautiful gardens, housing the world-renowned Underwater Sea Museum.
Continue to the 4th C. BC Tomb of King Mausoleum in nearby Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The tour may end in the town at the guests’ hotel by 1.30 pm, or may continue for lunch at one of the small local restaurants by the yacht marina of Bodrum and possible shopping at the town’s local marketplace.
Added Value:
Tour can operate: Mornings or afternoons
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Physical Activity Level: High
Included: Transportation by a cheaffeur driven a/c private vehicle, an officially licensed bilingual private lecturer/guide, entrance fees to the sites/museums
Not Included: Gratuities to the guide and driver, meals and personal expenses
2024 Kusadasi Customize Your Day Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Kusadasi Local Highlights Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the terminal building at the port for a full day’s private sightseeing.
First, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where the Virgin is said to have lived the last years of her life. The building was rediscovered in the late 19 th Century by Lazartis from Smyrna based on the vision of a German nun. The site is officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church and visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
Next, you will visit Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous throughout the ancient world for its Temple of Artemis. You will first visit the Odeon Theatre where state affairs used to be held. Then, view the Hadrian Temple, it was dedicated in 118 AD to Hadrian, Artemis, and the people of Ephesus but greatly reconstructed in the 4 th Century. This impressive Corinthian style temple has beautiful reliefs on the porch. According to the belief of the Ephesians, the Medusa head on the porch would protect the city from its enemies.
The Terrace Houses (Villas) on Curetes street belonged to the rich people of Ephesus. Many of them were three-storied and had peristyles surrounded by rooms without windows but included frescoes and mosaics of mythological scenes. Some of the frescoes were scenes from the comedies of Menander and the tragedies of Euripides. They were luxuriously furnished private houses with fountains and central heating. Between the street and houses was a portico with a mosaic floor behind which were shops.
The Celsus Library is a Roman mausoleum and library built in the early 2 nd Century AD. The Library of Celsus was commissioned by the Julius as a mausoleum for his father, Roman governor of the Asian Provinces. It is one of the most beautifully reconstructed buildings in Ephesus, it has become an icon of the ancient city.
The Great Theatre dates to the Hellenistic period. It is one of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus, which has a capacity of 25,000 seats. The theatre was used for concerts, plays and religious, political, and philosophical discussions and for gladiator and animal fights. Marble Road runs between the Library of Celsus and the theater and is a part of the sacred walkway.
Lunch suggested at a local restaurant.
After your lunch, you will visit the Ephesus Museum. Many of the artifacts displayed here were found in Ephesus and other ancient sites in the region. Highlights include the fresco of Socrates, statues and heads of Eros, crosses, coins, and the works of the 1 st Century AD. Such as glass trays and theatrical masks, and much more.
Then, your tour will continue to the ruins of the Basilica of St John. The Basilica had a cruciform plan with four domes along its longitudinal axis and a pair flanking the central dome to form the arm of the cross. Under the central dome was the grave of St John.
At the end of your tour, you can return to Kusadasi for some shopping in town or visit one of the carpet villages along the way before embarking on the ship. If you are not interested in shopping, please advise your guide that you would like to return directly to the ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
No information currently available.
2024 Istanbul Customize Your Day Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests have the flexibility to customize their day to explore as they wish. Guests may advise their Private Guide on the day of the tour where they would like to go. Please plan ahead to secure any necessary reservations or entrance tickets for your guests' planned stops. *
Included:
Excluded:
*Mileage restrictions may apply.
**Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
2024 Istanbul Local Highlights Option - 8 Hours - Provided by Sea Song Tours
Guests will enjoy a pre-arranged sightseeing itinerary with a Private Car and Guide to explore the following destination highlights.
You will meet your professional guide, holding a name sign, outside of the terminal building at the port for a full day of private sightseeing.
Your private tour of Istanbul starts with a visit to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire. Istanbul's Byzantine Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots throughout 500 years of Ottoman history as well. This was the largest hippodrome of the ancient world with a design that was conceptually based on the Circus Maximus in Rome. You will see Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, and Constantine Column, which are remnants from the original Hippodrome.
You will take a short walk to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616, it is a triumph of harmony, proportion, and elegance. The mosque was a part of a complex also including, tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath. Its colourful 260 windows enables the sunlight to reach inside. This makes the interior unusually light. The blue Iznik Tiles covering the walls have given the mosque its popular name.
After a short walk, you’ll enter the awe-inspiring Topkapi Palace Museum, royal residence of the Ottoman sultans for the better part of four centuries. There are four main courtyards which contain extensive gardens, pavilions, fountains, royal gates, divans, kitchens, library, and mosques. Steps away, a visit to the Harem section offers a revealing look into how the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived in private.
Lunch is suggested at the Seasons Restaurant which serves international cuisine.
Next, you will visit one of the greatest buildings in the world: St Sophia Mosque, it was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian (AD 537) and remained the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II who ordered to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.
Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar. It is the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops. A variety of Turkish Handicrafts, Oriental carpets, rare jewels, and inexpensive souvenirs all sold in small shops next to each other. The streets are named according to the trades, such as gold and silver sellers, carpet sellers, booksellers, etc. The most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar.
At the end of your sightseeing, you will return to your ship.
Included:
Excluded:
*Gratuities have been prepaid. Additional gratuities are at the guest’s discretion.
Oceanview
Single Guest Room with Ocean View [ SGWF ]
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Double Guest Room with Ocean View [ CSWM ]
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Double Guest Room with Ocean View [ CSWF ]
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Balcony
Double Guest Room with Veranda [ CSVM ]
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Double Guest Room with Veranda [ CSVF ]
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Suite
Crystal Penthouse Suite [ CHV4 ]
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Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite [ RYVM ]
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Junior Crystal Penthouse Suite [ RYVF ]
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Aquamarine Ocean View Suite
Category SSWM
up to 323 sq. ft.
Aquamarine Veranda Suite [ SSVF ]
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Cruise port, security and handling fees of $700, transfers, airfare, government fees and taxes are included for all guests.
COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES & AMENITIES
*Includes select beverages. **One complimentary reservation in each specialty restaurant is included on sailings of 11 days or less, two reservations on sailings between 12 and 22 days, three reservations on sailings 23 days or more, and unlimited reservations for all full World Cruise guests. Additional reservations above the complimentary allotment will be $50 USD per person. Crystal expressly reserves the right to make modifications, revisions, and changes to the complimentary services and amenities at its sole and absolute discretion. For full terms & conditions, contact your Preferred Travel Advisor.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
The Travel Address
2069 W. Bullard Avenue
Fresno, CA 93711
United States
800-350-8747