PAT LEE
The business class lounge for Turkish Airlines at Ataturk Airport is nothing like I’ve ever seen.
From a golf simulator, to a theatre, to the Turkish version of pizza pulled out of huge ovens or madeto-order Turkish ravioli, you could spend a good amount of time in the huge, two-level lounge.
And while that might be enticing, Turkish Airlines is hoping you’ll use your stopover to get out and explore its world-class home of Istanbul.
The airline offers two optional layover programs for both business class and all international passengers, which are designed to show off the best the ancient and vibrant city has to offer.
Business class passengers who arrive early in the morning and have layovers between seven and 24 hours can take the Istanbul Bosphorus Experience Breakfast Tour.
And what a tour it is as you are whisked from the airport to be transferred to a waiting yacht at Karakoy port to motor up the Bosphorus strait at sunrise with Asia on one side and Europe on the other.
Unfolding before you are stunning views of the historic Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Maiden’s Tower, eventually landing at the ultra-posh Ciragan Hotel Kempinski Istanbul, looking every bit the grand 7th-century palace it once was.
Be sure to wear a comfy outfit as you will be treated to the most amazing breakfast buffet at the hotel’s Laledan Restaurant, which features hundreds of Turkish delicacies.
The second layover program from Turkish Air, offered at no charge to any international passenger with a layover between six and 24 hours, is a guided tour of the vibrant, ancient city that includes a stop at a restaurant for a meal, and museum or other entrance fees.
Possible tour highlights could include the Hippodrome, where chariot races and athletic events took place during Roman times, or the Underground Cistern, the water source for both the Grand Palace of the Byzantine Emperors and for the Ottomans’Topkapi Palace. St. Sophia Museum, the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, could also be on the agenda, along with the famous 17th-century Blue Mosque, visible from kilometres away due to its great dome, six minarets and interior blue tiles.
Many visitors will want to wander the stalls in the Grand Bazaar, built in 1461 with its 64 covered wallkways and some 3,600 shops, or the Spice Bazaar – the “new bazaar” constructed in 1660.
In either shopping mecca, you can buy everything from lamps, to spices, to intricately woven carpets.
And Turkish Delight. Lots and lots of Turkish Delight.
Street venders will also tempt you with tasty delights like roasted chestnuts, pide (that Turkish pizza) or simit, a Turkish sesame bagel.
At the end of the tour, you are returned to the airport.
Istanbul is indeed a city worth exploring between flights.
NEED TO KNOW
Turkish Airlines: turkishairlines.com.
The Istanbul Bosphorus Experience Breakfast Tour for business class passengers is $270, bosphorus. turkishairlines.com/daily-tour/thebosphorus-experience-breakfast-tour.
For info on the tour for international passengers with layovers of six and 24 hours, see Touristanbul at turkishairlines.com/en-us/flights/flydifferent/touristanbul.
Published September 2018 in the Toronto Sun
