Program

Day 1: Larnaca - Thessaloniki - Kavala - Porto Lagos - Komotini
Gathering at Larnaca airport and flight to Thessaloniki. Arrival and departure for Kavala where we will have free time for lunch and sightseeing. Then we will stop at Lake Vistonida and the picturesque Porto Lagos with Panagia Pantanassa and the church of Agios Nikolaos, which are located in the lagoon on two islets and which leads us to them by a wooden bridge. Arrival in Komotini late in the afternoon. Check-in at the hotel and free time.

Day 2: Komotini - Kipon Border Station - Constantinople - Baloukli Holy Spring - Byzantine Walls - Panagia of Vlachernae
Breakfast and departure early in the morning for the Evros border station. Passport control and departure for Constantinople. We will start with the Holy Virgin of Baloukliotissa and the legend of the monk and the fish in the mandato of the Fall of the City. Alongside the Byzantine land walls of Theodosius we will go to the Virgin of Blachernae, here the "Akathistos Hymn" was sung. We continue to our hotel and check in. Free time for dinner at the restaurants of Pera.

Day 3: Prigkiponissa (Halki and Prigkipo) - Ortakoi
Breakfast and we depart for the Bostanci pier, after first crossing the famous first suspension bridge of the Bosphorus and we will find ourselves on the Asian side of Constantinople. Arrival in Bostanci and boarding the boat for the island of Halki, where we will visit the Holy Trinity and the homonymous Theological School at the top of the "Hill of Hope" and a tour of the school. Then the boat will take us to Prigkipo, where we will stroll through its picturesque alleys with country houses and flowering gardens. At noon we suggest lunch at a seaside tavern with delicious meze and seafood. On our return we will cross the famous Baghdad Avenue - the most beautiful and most modern and expensive street on the Asian side - we will cross the bridge and we will come back to Europe to visit the seaside, picturesque village of Ortakoi, the most beloved part of the City. Free time for a drink and a walk and we return to our hotel. Overnight.

Day 4: Hippodrome - Blue Mosque - Hagia Sophia - Topkapi - Basilica Cistern - Covered Market
After breakfast we will get to know the most important Byzantine and Ottoman sights. We will start from the Hippodrome, we will see the imposing Blue Mosque with its impressive six minarets and the magnificent Church of Hagia Sophia with its enormous dome. We continue to the famous Topkapi Palace, a unique museum with sultanic weapons, jewelry and costumes of incredible luxury. Free time for lunch and we continue to the Basilica Cistern (aqueduct), which is one of the most impressive sights of the city. Then we will walk to the famous Great Covered Market, today it has 100 alleys and 4,000 fancy little shops. Free time to explore and do your shopping, late afternoon we return to our hotel.

Day 5: Walking tour of Pera - Bosphorus Cruise - Egyptian Market
After breakfast we will walk to the Great Street of Pera, which is one of the most famous streets of the city with a length of about 3 km, full of shops. We will start from Taksim Square and end up in Galata, on the way we will see many historical buildings such as the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Sismanoglio Mansion, the Flower Gallery, the Galata Lyceum. Then we will board a boat for a cruise on the waters of the Bosphorus. We will see the beautiful seaside buildings of the Turkish aristocracy, the Dolmabahce Palaces, Siragan Saray, a former Ottoman palace and now a hotel. On the Asian side we will see Kucuk Su and the imperial Ottoman residence of Sultan Beylerbey, built between 1861-1865, the suspension bridges and the Rumelia fortress. Return to Eminonu and free time in the famous Egyptian market or Spice market. Return to our hotel. For the evening we recommend a walk in the elegant Nisantasi, famous for its flashy shop windows, well-kept streets, fine restaurants and elegant cafes, which is a magnet for the city's elite.

Day 6: Constantinople - Patriarchate - Great School of the Nation - Komotini
Breakfast and we depart for the Orthodox Patriarchate, we will see the Closed Gate, the martyrdom site of Patriarch Gregory V, the Patriarchal House and we will worship at the patriarchal church of Agios Georgios, admiring the gilded old wooden carved iconostasis, the rare icon of Panagia Pammakaristos and other holy relics. Then we will wander around the Phanar to find ourselves at the Great School of the Nation. Early in the afternoon we say goodbye to Constantinople heading to the Kipoi border station for passport control and departure for Komotini. Arrival late in the evening and overnight stay.

Day 7: Komotini - Xanthi - Thessaloniki - Larnaca
Breakfast, tour of Komotini and departure for the old town of Xanthi with its picturesque alleys and beautiful mansions. Free time for lunch and we continue to Thessaloniki airport. Flight to Larnaca with beautiful memories and another dream coming true.