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Rick Steves' Europe

Istanbul

Season 5 Episode 512

Where Europe comes face to face with Asia, we’ll explore the fascinating city of Istanbul. We’ll lose our way in the Grand Bazaar, munch our way through the famously fragrant Spice Market. We’ll follow the fall of the ancient capital of Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city’s ancient wall, and wander among the treasures of the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace.

Available Until
2/1/2026
Airdates
Tuesday Jan 27, 6:30 PM PST on PBS SoCal Plus
Support Provided By
Season
London: Yesterday and Today
25:34
Hyde Park; British Museum; trendy East End; afternoon tea; revitalized industrial zones.
London: A Royal Tour
25:34
Buckingham Palace; Parliament and Churchill War Rooms; Portrait Gallery; Tower of London.
Istanbul: Turkish Delights
25:35
Bosphorus cruise; Grand Bazaar; Golden Horn; Whirling Dervishes; Taksim Square.
Istanbul: Capital of Emperors and Sultans
25:34
The Hippodrome; a Turkish bath; Blue Mosque; Hagia Sophia; Spice Market; Topkapı Palace.
Paris of the Parisians
25:34
Highlights of Paris: Eiffel Tower; Seine cruise; neighborhood markets, a nighttime joyride.
Burgundy: Gourmet Barge Cruise
25:34
Rivers and canals of France’s Burgundy region; gourmet meals; fine wine, natural beauty.
Italy’s Highlights
27:10
Seductive Venice; cultured Florence; charming hill towns; eternal Rome; Naples; Sicily.
Poland’s Warsaw and Gdańsk
25:33
Warsaw's heavy history and lively bustle; red-brick Toruń; Malbork Castle; maritime Gdańsk.
Kraków: Poland’s Historic Capital
24:56
Kraków's grand square, Wawel Castle, communist-era Nowa Huta; sobering Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Iceland’s Ring Road
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25:34
The ultimate road trip; Lake Mývatn; Eastfjords; lagoons and waterfalls; Westman Islands.
Iceland’s Reykjavík and the Golden Circle
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25:38
The vibrant capital; Blue Lagoon; Golden Circle's majestic nature; Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Rick Steves’ Europe: Art of the 20th Century
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25:16
The turbulent century and its rule-breaking art—Picasso, Surrealism and edgy architecture.
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