City break
Istanbul in six days, with two guided days and two free days
Five hotel nights, two classic sightseeing days and two free days with two different optional excursions: the Asian shore, and old and modern Europe.
Scheduled departure The services on this programme — vehicle, guide and visits — are shared with the other passengers on the same departure.
Key facts
- Duration 6 days / 5 nights
- Route Istanbul 1 destination
- Quotation Quotation within 24 business hours (72 business hours for groups and MICE)
- Recommended months April, May, September, October
- Departure type Scheduled departure
Overview
“Istanbul III” is the catalogue’s long city programme: five nights in town, the two classic sightseeing days on shared services and two consecutive free days, each with an optional excursion of its own. Day four can be given to the Asian shore — Çamlıca, Beylerbeyi, Kuzguncuk, Üsküdar and Kadıköy — and day five to old and modern Europe, which runs from Balat and Pierre Loti Hill to the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Karaköy and Galataport. Both are optional and quoted on request; anyone who does not want them has two whole days of their own, with the hotel and breakfast already booked. Arrival and departure transfers are private and the visits are shared with the other passengers on that departure. It is the length that works best when the client does not want a tour of Anatolia but to get to know one city: five nights are enough for both shores, both bazaars, the Bosphorus and still two mornings without a clock.
Route: Istanbul
- Physical level: Moderate
- Languages of the guided visits: Spanish, English
Highlights
- Five nights in the city: the length that allows both shores to be seen without stringing museum days together.
- The two classic guided days, consecutive and early in the programme: Sultanahmet on foot and the Bosphorus with Galata.
- Two consecutive free days, each with a different optional excursion: the Asian shore, and old and modern Europe.
- The Balat, Pierre Loti, Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Karaköy and Galataport route, which no shorter programme includes.
- Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern entrance fees included and pre-booked.
What is included and what is not
Included
- 5 nights’ accommodation in Istanbul in a 4* hotel, with breakfast.
- Private arrival and departure transfers between the airport and the hotel.
- The visits listed in the itinerary with a licensed guide.
- Entrance fees listed in the itinerary: Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
- Air-conditioned transport with wifi on board during the visits.
- Bottled water each day.
Not included
- Lunches and dinners: the programme runs on hotel breakfast only.
- The two optional excursions on days four and five — Asian Istanbul, and old and modern Europe — quoted on request.
- Entrance to Hagia Sophia: on this programme the monument is explained from outside.
- Going up the Galata Tower.
- Other optional excursions, also on request: a private yacht cruise on the Bosphorus and a Turkish Night in Istanbul with dinner on the Bosphorus.
- International flights (home country – Istanbul – home country).
- All drinks.
- Personal expenses (minibar, laundry, telephone, etc.).
- Tips for the guide, the driver and hotel and restaurant staff.
- Travel insurance, which we recommend with cancellation cover.
- Visa or electronic entry authorisation for Türkiye, depending on nationality.
Day by day itinerary
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Day 1
Arrival in Istanbul
Our team meets the passenger at the arrival airport and takes them to the hotel by private transfer. The city’s two airports are far from the centre and on different shores: Istanbul Airport (IST) lies to the north on the European side and is the major intercontinental hub; Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is in Pendik on the Asian side and handles much of the domestic traffic. The transfer is arranged around the flight time and road time depends on traffic: from IST to the Taksim area, by public transport, a realistic figure is sixty to seventy-five minutes with a change.
On a five-night programme the first day is not pushed: there are no visits and there is no need for any. What is worth doing is using the afternoon to settle into the hotel’s district and find the transport links, because the next two days are full ones and the rest of the programme involves a good deal of getting around independently.
If the flight lands in the small hours, the previous night can be booked or an early check-in requested; we arrange it and it is quoted with the programme.Notes for the day: Any change of flight or terminal must be notified in advance so the pick-up can be rearranged.
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Day 2
Classic Istanbul
A full day of about eight hours around the historic peninsula, with a licensed guide and on shared services. It is placed on the second day of the programme on purpose: it is the route that pays off most with rested legs, because it is nearly all on foot.
The day starts at the Roman Hippodrome — the Egyptian obelisk, the serpentine column and the German Fountain — and goes on to the Blue Mosque, whose interior is visited when it is open to visitors. Then Hagia Sophia, which on this programme is explained from the square and without a ticket, followed by Topkapi Palace with the entrance included: the courtyards, the pavilions and the terrace overlooking the Bosphorus. After the lunch break, at the passenger’s expense, the Basilica Cistern, also with the entrance included.
The day closes at the Grand Bazaar. It is worth telling the client not to try to do all their shopping here: the Spice Market comes on the third day and is better for tea, sweets and dried fruit, and the two free days leave time to go back to either without a guide.
It finishes in the middle of the afternoon in the Sultanahmet area.Notes for the day: Several hours on foot, on cobbled streets with some slopes. Entering the mosques means removing your shoes and covering shoulders and knees. Lunch is not included.
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Day 3
Istanbul’s jewels: the Bosphorus, Galata and the spices
The last guided day of the programme, some eight hours and on shared services. Where it sits matters: two free days follow, so the guide is not only showing the city but leaving the passenger able to cover it alone.
It starts at the Süleymaniye Mosque. The interior, Mimar Sinan’s work, is visited in full, but what organises the morning is the terrace of the complex: from there the Golden Horn, the bridge that crosses it and the mouth of the Bosphorus are all in view at once, and the city’s geography stops being a map.
Then comes the water. The Bosphorus trip runs on a shared scheduled boat and passes palaces, fortresses, small mosques and the timber houses that survive on both shores. It is the only point of the programme the weather can alter: the vessel and the route depend on the day’s operation and, in rough seas, the service can be suspended.
The afternoon fits three things into a short distance: the Galata Tower area, with a photo stop and without going up the tower, which is not included; İstiklal Avenue and its arcades; and the walk back across the Galata Bridge. The final point is the Spice Market, with a guided visit inside.
Lunch is at the passenger’s expense. The day ends in the middle of the afternoon in Galata or beside a public transport stop.Optional activities
- Turkish Night in Istanbul with dinner aboard a Bosphorus cruise
Notes for the day: The cruise operates on a shared scheduled boat; the route or the vessel may change because of weather. Lunch is not included.
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Day 4
Free day, or Asian Istanbul (optional excursion)
The first day with nothing scheduled. The hotel stays booked and so does breakfast; from there on, your client decides.
Anyone who would rather not organise anything has the cheapest and most rewarding plan in the city within reach: the ferry. Crossing to the other shore on a scheduled boat from Eminönü or from Karaköy costs the same as a city ticket, takes very little time and hands over the best view of the skyline of the historic peninsula.
And anyone who prefers the day settled can book the optional excursion to the Asian side, a full day with a licensed guide. It brings together five very different things: the panorama from Çamlıca Hill, the highest point in the city; Beylerbeyi Palace, an Ottoman summer residence built at the water’s edge; Kuzguncuk, where the mosque, the church and the synagogue share one street of colourful houses; the Üsküdar waterfront, directly opposite the Maiden’s Tower; and Kadıköy, with the food market and the fish bazaar that supply half the city.
The excursion is not part of the programme price. What it covers — vehicle, ferry and entrance fees — and its cost are confirmed in the quotation, as is hotel pick-up when the hotel is on the European side.
Meals: breakfast.Optional activities
- Asian Istanbul: Çamlıca, Beylerbeyi, Kuzguncuk, Üsküdar and Kadıköy, a full day with a licensed guide
- Traditional Turkish bath (hamam)
Notes for the day: The excursion combines vehicle, ferry and walking sections. Booking it with the programme is advisable: arranged locally, it depends on that day’s availability.
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Day 5
Free day, or old and modern Europe (optional excursion)
The second free day, with a different optional excursion from the day before: this one stays on the European shore and covers what the classic route leaves out.
It begins in Balat, the Golden Horn district known for its multicultural heritage, with its colourful houses, steep lanes and the old Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities still legible in the façades. It then climbs Pierre Loti Hill, with views over the estuary and the city spread out below. The route continues at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, devoted to industrial and transport history, which is the visit that tends to surprise anyone travelling with children or with someone who has had their fill of mosques. Next comes Karaköy, one of the city’s liveliest districts, and the day ends at Galataport, the new port and waterfront promenade where the cruise ships dock.
It is a full-day excursion with a licensed guide and is not included in the programme price: it is quoted on request, with the detail of what it covers.
If your client prefers the day loose, this is the best moment for the Grand Bazaar without a guide, for a hamam, or for crossing over to the Asian shore again independently.
Meals: breakfast.Optional activities
- Old and modern Europe: Balat, Pierre Loti Hill, the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Karaköy and Galataport, a full day with a licensed guide
Notes for the day: Balat and Pierre Loti involve steep slopes and cobbled streets. The Rahmi M. Koç Museum has a weekly closing day, so the excursion is adjusted to the opening calendar for that date.
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Day 6
Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and, depending on the flight, some free time. Private transfer to the relevant airport — IST or SAW — and the end of our services.
The usual two warnings: the pick-up is calculated around the flight time and with Istanbul traffic it can be a good deal earlier than the passenger expects, especially when the flight leaves from the airport on the other shore; and if the flight is at night, late check-out or one more night can be requested, both arranged and quoted separately.
Of the four city programmes in the catalogue, this is the one that extends best. With five nights the client has already seen Istanbul, so the natural move is to add a second region rather than more days in the same city: Cappadocia by domestic flight, a little over an hour, or the Aegean by road. Tell us the cities and the dates and we will prepare the quotation for the whole trip.
Expected hotels
| City | Nights | Category | Hotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 5 | 4* | Nippon Hotel Taksim · Elite World Hotel Taksim · Taksim Gönen Hotel · Ramada by Wyndham Hotel Taksim · Point Hotel · Ramada Grand Bazaar Laleli · Byzantium Hotel · 10 Karaköyor similar |
Hotels as listed or similar; the final confirmation is given in the quotation.
How the rate is calculated
Rate tailored to the season, the hotel category and the number of travellers. Request a quotation.
Departures
Scheduled departure
The services on this programme — vehicle, guide and visits — are shared with the other passengers on the same departure.
The exact dates of each departure are confirmed in the quotation, together with hotel and domestic-flight availability.
Operational notes
- The order of the visits may change according to opening hours, traffic and the day’s operation. The content of the programme and the level of the contracted services stay the same.
- Mosques require shoes to be removed and shoulders and knees covered; women are required to cover their hair. Bringing your own scarf is advisable, although the busiest mosques usually lend one at the entrance.
- Working mosques close to visitors during the five daily prayers and, in particular, around the Friday midday prayer. When a visit coincides, the commentary is given outside or the day is reordered.
- Museums and palaces may have a weekly closing day and different summer and winter opening hours. The final itinerary is adjusted to the opening calendar in force on the travel dates.
- During the religious holidays (Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, whose dates move with the lunar calendar) museum and shop hours change and the monuments get busier.
- Our local team in Istanbul looks after the passengers throughout their stay, with an emergency line operating 24 hours a day.
- Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the return date. The electronic visa, where nationality requires one, is applied for at evisa.gov.tr. Checking entry requirements and carrying valid documents is the traveller’s responsibility.
- Much of the programme is covered on foot, on cobbled streets and slopes in Sultanahmet, Galata and along the Bosphorus shores. Moderate walking level; comfortable shoes are recommended.
- On scheduled programmes the itineraries may be adjusted according to local operating conditions. In Istanbul, some legs are covered by public transport or on foot depending on traffic, which is often the fastest way to move around the historic peninsula.
- On scheduled tours passengers must keep strictly to the stated times: the vehicle and the guide serve the whole group on that departure and cannot wait indefinitely.
- Seats in the vehicle are not numbered and daily rotation is recommended. In high season, some legs may be shared with other groups working in the same language.
- The Bosphorus cruise operates on a shared scheduled boat. The route or the vessel may change because of weather and, exceptionally, the service can be suspended in rough seas.
Best time to travel
Recommended months: April, May, September, October
Istanbul can be visited all year round. April and May, and September and October, are the ideal months: mild temperatures, which suit a programme covered largely on foot. July and August are hot and humid. From November to February, the low season, the monuments are free of queues, the days are shorter and the weather is cold and wet; the Bosphorus cruise still operates, with changes of route or vessel when the weather requires them.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Are the two excursions on the free days included?
No. Days four and five are free days, with the hotel and breakfast booked, and the two excursions — Asian Istanbul, and old and modern Europe — are optional and paid. Both are full days with a licensed guide and are quoted on request. They can be booked with the programme or locally through our team; with the programme is safer, because locally they depend on that day’s availability.
Do we go inside Hagia Sophia?
Not on this programme: it is explained from outside and its entrance fee is not included. Hagia Sophia is now a working mosque, with a separate tourist route through the upper galleries for foreign visitors, which closes during prayer times. If your client wants to go in, mention it in the request and we add it to the quotation.
Which entrance fees are included?
Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern, which are the ones the itinerary marks as included. The rest are exterior visits, panoramic stops or places with free access, such as the mosques. Going up the Galata Tower is not included.
Are five nights too many for a single city?
It depends on the client. Five nights cover both shores, both bazaars, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn districts without rushing, and leave two days to return to whatever they liked. If the traveller prefers to spread the days, the same core itinerary exists in three- and four-night versions, and Istanbul connects with Cappadocia by domestic flight.
What does it mean that the programme is scheduled?
It means the visits in the itinerary are operated on shared services: the vehicle, the licensed guide and the route are the same for every passenger on that departure. The programme runs continuously and can start on any day of the year; the exact date is confirmed in the quotation. The airport transfers are private.
How long does a quotation take?
We reply within 24 business hours for individual travel and private tours and within 72 business hours for groups, once dates, passenger numbers and hotel category are confirmed.
Is this the “Istanbul III” programme from the 2027 catalogue?
Yes. It corresponds to “Istanbul III”, 6 days and 5 nights, in our 2027 trade catalogue.
Is a triple room available?
Yes, on request and subject to availability. It usually consists of two standard beds plus an extra bed. With two adults and two children, please note that most hotels in Turkey do not take four people in a standard room: in that case we look for a family room, two connecting rooms or a second room.
Booking conditions
- Deposit
- 30% of the total when the booking is confirmed. For bookings made 30 days or less before departure, the full amount at confirmation.
- Balance
- The remaining 70%, no later than 31 days before departure.
- Payment methods
- Bank transfer or credit card. Card payments carry a 3% surcharge; charges applied by the issuing bank are borne by the client.
- Cancellations
- More than 90 days before departure: handling fee only, plus penalties on services already issued · 89–61 days: 25% · 60–31 days: 50% · 30 days or less and no-show: 100%. Reductions in places follow the same scale. Refunds within 10–14 business days of written cancellation.
Credentials
- Legal name
- Colorido Tours Turkey Turizm Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
- TÜRSAB licence
- A-12116
- Office
- Istanbul
- Operating scope
- Turkey only. Egypt, Jordan and the Greek islands only as extensions of a Turkey itinerary.
- Guides
- Licensed guides in Spanish and English
- 24/7 emergency line during the trip
- +90 544 533 53 55
- Who handles your request
- Your request is handled by our reservations team, and the same person follows the file from quotation through to operation on the ground.
