Bosporus
You cannot think of Istanbul without thinking of the Bosporus and a must for all visitors to the city is a boat trip upon this famous river which separates Europe and Asia. From your vantage point on the waters you will see such a diverse view of the past and present. Modern hotels mix with yali, which are traditional wood villas, palaces, fortresses and little fishing villages. There are regular boat trips that meander across the water from Europe to Asia, and back again, and take about 6 hours in total.
The trip will take in the sights of the Dolmabaçhe Palace, many parks and the pavilions of the Yildiz Palace. Another sight to see is a grand hotel which was once the Çiragan Palace which was refurbished in the late 1800s by Sultan Abdülaziz and is said to be one of the most beautiful palaces in Istanbul with 300 metres of marble facade facing the river. Ortaköy is the place where artists display and sell their work along the street on a Sunday.
After passing beneath one of the longest bridges in the world you will see the Beylerberi Palace. Behind the palace Çamlica Hill rises to the highest point in Istanbul, where amongst the traditionally landscaped gardens you can gain one of the best panoramas of the city.
Over on the European side of Istanbul the contrast between old and new can be best seen in the old Ottoman wooden villas at Arnavutköy and the expensive properties of Bebek. On opposing sides of the Bosporus are two fortresses the Rumeli Hisari and the Anadolu Hisari. Just before coming to the Anadolu Hisari you see the Göksu Palace, otherwise known as the Küçüksu Palace. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge stands immediately after the two fortresses and provides the second link between the two continents. If you are visiting the city in April you must visit the beautiful Emirgan Park which is famous for its tulips, and where the annual tulip festival is held during this month. Despite Holland being known for tulips, the flowers originated in Turkey, and a stylized image of the tulip can be found all around you, from the Turkish tourist board logo right through to the traditional glasses which tea are served in.
With so much to see along the banks of this magical river, no trip to Istanbul would be complete without an excursion, either by day or night, along the Bosporus.