$ 320
Per Person
Istanbul travel guide It may be a cliché to describe the city as east meets west, but it’s none the less true for all that. Istanbul is the only city in the world that quite literally straddles two continents, with one side of the Bosphorus strait in Europe and the other in Asia. Not surprisingly the city’s culture exactly reflects that divide, being an intoxicating mix of Western and Middle Eastern cultur. Most visitors to Istanbul concentrate their attentions on what is called the Historic Peninsula, the triangle of land at the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara where first the Greeks and then – much later – the Ottomans built their cities. Here it’s just about possible to forget about modernity and revel in a dream of ancient splendour. Visit superb mosques such as Aya Sofya and the fabulous Topkapi Palace
