New 'Exploring Istanbul' Tour Announced

Credit: Peter Sommer Travels

(Press Release) MONMOUTH, United Kingdom – Peter Sommer Travels is excited to announce its new Exploring Istanbul tour for 2026, an unmatched immersion in the great metropolis that has both influenced and been influenced by two continents over 3,000 years. Accompanied by an expert guide, see world-famous mosques, magnificent palaces, imposing fortifications and lesser-known wonders, and savor the cornerstones of Turkish cuisine and local dishes that have been elevated to culinary art. The seven-day Exploring Istanbul tour departs May 8, 2026, starting at £3,495 per person based on double occupancy. For more information about Peter Sommer Travels, call 855-443-3027 or visit https://www.petersommer.com/tours/istanbul-tour-turkey.

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“Istanbul is a city like no other – for millennia, its destiny lay in both the West and the East,” said Peter Sommer, founder of Peter Sommer Travels. “Having been besieged so many times and utilized its location to spread its political and mercantile dominance, it is today endowed with beautiful symbols from both worlds, from imperial architectural marvels to serene places of worship. Through our extensive knowledge and contacts, we’ve created a new historical and cultural exploration of this great center, truly the definitive Istanbul tour.”

Set on the narrow Bosphorus Strait connecting the Mediterranean and Black seas, Istanbul transformed the world of the Balkans and eastern Europe as the heart of Byzantium; during its time as capital of the Ottoman Empire, it was the most multicultural city in Europe, with more than a dozen languages spoken on its streets, from Italian to Greek, Arabic and Persian.

Among the highlights of the Exploring Istanbul tour are the enormous Hagia Sophia, the Great Church that’s now the Grand Mosque with wonderful mosaics in its upper galleries; the Süleymaniye Camii, masterpiece of the architect Sinan and the largest of the city’s newly built mosques from its Ottoman period; the less well-known Hagia Eirene, which is the oldest extant church that has never become a mosque; the sprawling Topkapı Palace, from which the Ottoman Empire was ruled in its greatest years of power; and the subterranean Yerebatan Saray cistern, where row upon row of Roman columns appear to recede into infinity.

The magnificent Archaeological Museum holds the Alexander Sarcophagus, Greek and Roman statuary, and more, while a private collection of archaeological pieces from across Turkey’s ancient past is housed at the Sadberk Hanım museum.

A boat tour into the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn takes in the Rumeli Hisar fortress rising from the shore and the Istanbul Naval Museum with its complete Ottoman galley, and a walking tour visits the Column of Emperor Constantine and the bustling Grand Bazaar. A stop at a carpet shop offers examples of the traditional Turkish rugmaking craft.

And culinary experiences include tea in the garden of Küçük Ayasofya or “Little Hagia Sofia” and amid Belle Époque elegance at the Pera Palace, the famed hotel that hosted passengers on the Orient Express, as well as the aromas and flavors of the 17th century Spice Bazaar.

Along the way, expert guide Professor Jim Crow will share his unparalleled knowledge of the city throughout its history. His years of leading archaeological projects there include research on the water supply of Byzantine Constantinople, fed by the longest aqueduct in the Roman Empire.

The Exploring Istanbul tour includes all accommodations and meals, excursions with expert guides, transportation by private minibus, entrance fees, airport transfers and more.
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