Marmara Region

Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.

Where to go and what to see in Istanbul to get the most from your trip – a 4-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.

A masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, this world-renowned 6th-century marvel encapsulates the essence of the lost Ottoman Empire. Initially a cathedral, it’s now a museum as well as a functioning mosque – and a must-see in Istanbul.

Gorgeous beaches, glamorous ports and cultural thrills galore. Whether you’re looking for a luxury superyacht, a romantic sailing ship voyage or a cultural odyssey – the Med has it all.

An extraordinarily opulent 19th-century palace that blends Ottoman architecture with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.

The 15th and-16th century home of the Ottoman Sultans, this magnificently decadent palace is a perfectly preserved time capsule of life at the top in this most exotic of empires.

The greatest of Istanbul’s Ottoman mosques, beautifully decorated with thousands of handmade ceramic tiles, the Blue Mosque combines Byzantine elements with traditional Islamic architecture.

These magnificent granite and marble behemoths that dominate the city’s exotic skyline, painstakingly decorated with thousands of hand-made ceramic tiles, dazzle inside & out.

Splendid Imperial palaces and gardens, built for the sultans, line the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, including the must-see Topkapi and Dolmabahce.

Hypnotic and haunting, the traditional sema ceremony of the whirling dervishes dates back to the 13th century. Watch the dervishes whirl to the Sufi’s haunting, hypnotic music.