Dolmabahce Palace
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[1.4 miles]
An extraordinarily opulent 19th-century palace that blends Ottoman architecture with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.
Best for ages: Any | £9
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Set on the Bosphorus, this large, five-star luxury retreat is set in an opulent 19th-century marble Ottoman residence, spilling out into several newer buildings.
The main palace building houses seven suites, popular among visiting royalty, heads of state and Hollywood stars.
The Ciragan Palace provides guests with every conceivable mod con – indoor and outdoor pools, a hammam, fitness centre, gardens, and even the occasional classical concert – alongside mesmerising views of the Asian side of town and the Bosphorus Bridge.
There’s a superb breakfast buffet, too – pricey, but could keep you going until the evening.
Lounging in the hotel’s heated infinity pool, watching ships sail down the Bosphorus strait, is a total luxury. After all, you are staying in a real Sultan’s palace.
The hotel is in an exclusive, peaceful setting on the European side of the water, with the sometimes busy Ciragan Caddesi separating it on the other side from Yildiz Park and a small mosque. There are Four Seasons and Radisson hotels on one side, and a university on the other. A ten-minute walk north will take you to the centre of pretty, waterfront Ortakoy.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[1.4 miles]
An extraordinarily opulent 19th-century palace that blends Ottoman architecture with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.
Best for ages: Any | £9
Istanbul , Marmara , Turkey[3.8 miles]
Experience an older, imperial Istanbul by enjoying traditional afternoon tea in a gilded, red-velvet salon at this famous 19th-century hotel.
Best for ages: 10+ | £8 | 1-2 hours
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[4.5 miles]
Built in 1459 to become 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.
Best for ages: 8+ | £17
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[4.5 miles]
Splendid Imperial palaces and gardens, built for the sultans, line the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, including the must-see Topkapi and Dolmabahce.
Best for ages: 8+ | £2
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[2.4 miles]
A fascinating and quirky military museum with an astonishing array of uniforms, weapons and battle standards. Upstairs, there is a room devoted to the revolutionary statesman Ataturk. Go around 3pm for an unforgettably weird re-creation of a 17th-century military band concert.
Best for ages: 13+ | £1
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[3.7 miles]
World-class collections of Ottoman art, tiles and ceramics – plus big-name travelling exhibitions – set in a former grand hotel.
Best for ages: 18+ | £2
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[3.9 miles]
A modern art museum housing the finest collection of modern and contemporary art in the country. The Modern’s temporary exhibits by Turkish and international artists – often organized in collaboration with MoMA (New York) and the Centre Pompidou (Paris) – are particularly exceptional.
Best for ages: 18+ | £4
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[5.5 miles]
One of the world’s finest collections of Islamic-influenced glassware, rugs, ceramics, metal work and ethnographic items.
Best for ages: 18+ | £4
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Marmara Region, Turkey
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.
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