8-Day Istanbul Family Tour

A full day in the historic old city. You visit the Blue Mosque, famed for its cascade of domes and blue İznik tiles, and walk the ancient Hippodrome to see the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. After a lunch break you explore the Grand and Spice Bazaars, a feast of colours, aromas and souvenirs. (If your visit falls on a Monday or Tuesday, when Hagia Sophia or Topkapı are closed, the Basilica Cistern is visited instead.) Overnight in Istanbul.

Theme Park (Breakfast) Today is all about fun. You head to Isfanbul (formerly Vialand), Turkey's first modern theme park, set over a vast site with more than fifty attractions — from a high-speed launch coaster and a water coaster to gentle carousels, mini-cars and 3D cinemas for younger children. The park re-creates scenes from old Istanbul and has a large shopping mall alongside. You return to your hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast you visit the Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium, the first giant aquarium in Turkey, with twenty-nine themed tanks representing seas from the Mediterranean and Aegean to tropical oceans. The children can watch sharks, giant rays, piranhas and octopuses, then walk through the 80-metre acrylic underwater tunnel and enjoy the 270-degree observation deck. You return to your hotel in the afternoon. Overnight in Istanbul.

Enjoy a cruise across the Marmara Sea to the Princes' Islands, admiring Topkapı Palace, the Maiden's Tower and the Üsküdar shore from the water. You step ashore on Büyükada, the largest island and once the summer retreat of Byzantine princes, where cars give way to bicycles and electric buggies amid pine woods and sandy beaches. There is free time to relax before cruising back to the city. Overnight in Istanbul.

This morning you visit Miniatürk, the world's largest miniature park, where 105 models at 1/25 scale recreate the great monuments of Istanbul, Anatolia and the former Ottoman lands, including the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. You then head up to Pierre Loti Hill above the Eyüp district for one of the finest views of the Golden Horn, before time at a modern shopping centre. Overnight in Istanbul.

A classic Bosphorus boat trip along the strait that divides Europe and Asia, lined with old wooden mansions, marble palaces and fortresses. From the water you see Dolmabahçe Palace, the imperial pavilions of Yıldız Park, Çırağan Palace, the artists' square at Ortaköy and the mighty Rumeli Fortress built by Mehmed the Conqueror. There is time for shopping before returning to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast and hotel check-out you are transferred privately to Istanbul Airport in good time for your onward flight, bringing your family week in Istanbul to a close.