Dolmabahce Palace & Grand Bazaar

This exclusive tour is an opportunity to travel in a small group to see the latest palace of Istanbul as well as enjoy some shopping in the bazaar and exploration in the new city. Start your day with the highlight of the tour, Dolmabahce Palace, through the Imperial gate. Built in 1856, the palace sits on 62 acres and consists of 285 rooms and 46 halls. The most notable sites include the crystal staircase made of Baccarat crystal and the ceremonial hall which was designed to hold 2,500 people. Then, continue to the Grand BazaarYou'll have the chance to explore the exotic atmosphere of the covered part for a brief period of time. You'll also have the opportunity to visit the open and modern section of the Grand Bazaar which offers the best artworks and most reliable shopping. During your time around the bazaar, you'll stop at the modern section where you’ll enjoy local snacks and a presentation of carpets, leather or jewelry, followed by time for shopping. Conclude your day in Taksim, where the city is alive and bustling 24 hours a day. Some free time will be given for your own exploration as well as lunch.

Note: Not available for Norwegian Spirit sailings of July 10th, July 22nd, August 3rd, August 15th, August 27th and September 8th or for Norwegian Jade winter sailings. This tour is conducted in small groups and requires a minimum number of participants to operate. Please expect differences in tour durations due to traffic conditions. On Sundays, the Grand Bazaar closes and only the shops of the outer bazaar remain open, therefore the visit to the Grand Bazaar may be replaced with the Spice Bazaar. There is approximately 1 1/2 miles of walking over uneven surfaces and some inclines on this tour. This tour will be subject to national and religious festive days due to the closure of the sites and venues during the month of Ramadan from July 9th, 2013 through August 7th, 2013, including the Festival Period of Ramadan from August 8th, 2013 to August 10th, 2013.