11 Days. 4N SARAJEVO 5* BB | 6N ISTANBUL 5* BB

About the destination: Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an estimated population of 369,534. The Sarajevo metropolitan area, including Sarajevo, East Sarajevo and surrounding municipalities, is inhabited by a significant number of people. In addition, it is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, the capital of the Republika Srpska entity, and the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Sarajevo is the leading political, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a prominent center of culture in the Balkans, with its region-wide influence in entertainment, media, fashion, and the arts. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Old Town. The cobbled streets, mosques and Oriental style shops at the heart of the city are a world away from Europe, and when the call-to-prayer starts, one could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually in the Middle East. • Latin Bridge. Across the street from this bridge was the location of the 28 June 1914 assassination of Archduke of the Austrian Hungarian empire Franz Ferdinand, the event that sparked the beginning of World War I. A memorial to the assassin Gavrilo Princip, his footprints carved in stone and mounted in the sidewalk, used to be here but this was removed during the 1992-1995 War. • Yellow Fortress. The small fortress provides a great view of the city. Walk through the war cemetery at the eastern end of the old town. Another way is to follow the river upstream. • Markale Market Place. Marked the start of NATO intervention and thereby end of the war after a bombing which took the life of some 40 people. The main entrance is located on Ferhadija and backs onto Mula Mustafe Baseskije. The street that runs between the two roads is called Gajevo. • Vrelo Bosne. The beginning of the river Bosna where the water is pure and ice cold. In less than 20 minutes on foot from the city centre, you are out in the countryside, with no suburbs in between: unique for a large city. • Bosnian Historical Museum. The moving display on the siege of Sarajevo is a must-see - if you are able to cope with the pictures of the maimed citizens after shelling of markets. And you will be heartbroken by the pictures drawn by children. • National Museum. Static displays of the natural and human history of Bosnia and Herzegovina - including an exhibition of traditional Turkish style homes of Sarajevo prevalent in the nineteenth century, an extensive collection of insects and stuffed mammals and a large geology section with samples from around the world and a number of meteorites.

About the destination: Istanbul's historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural legacy can be attributed to its ideal strategic location, spanning the Bosphorus straits that divide Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year history, the city (initially known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, and since 1930, Istanbul) has been a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is predominantly Turkish, with many of its residents being recent migrants from rural Turkey, drawn by the prospect of employment and career opportunities in this dynamic, rapidly expanding city. Although Istanbul is no longer the capital of the country, it remains Turkey's economic and cultural hub - a status emphasized by its designation as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the UNESCO World Heritage recognition of many of its key landmarks. These range from breathtaking Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs, to the pillars of Hellenistic temples and the remnants of enormous medieval city walls. However, Istanbul offers more than just Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has led to a thriving arts and music scene, with an abundance of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants, and designer fashion stores.