LIBERTYVILLE, Illinois – “Turkey is currently a remarkable vacation bargain,” says, no less, budget travel expert, Arthur Frommer. Coincidentally, TourCrafters is offering a remarkable 5-day/4-night land-only Experience Istanbul package for US$449 until March 31. Just tack on some frequent-flyer mileage – easy enough in March – and take the family on a bargain-priced vacation of a lifetime. There are daily departures.

The package includes airport transfers, daily buffet breakfast, a day-and-a-half sightseeing tour, a cruise on the Bosphorus, museum fees (except the Toy Museum), local taxes and service charges, free WiFi, a toy for the kids, and four nights’ hotel accommodation. The hotel is the 4-star Arena, a beautifully-restored 19th century Ottoman stone mansion located in Sultanahmet, the most atmospheric and interesting part of the Old City.

The old part of this exotic East-meets-West metropolis is often called “the world’s biggest open-air museum.” Here you will see St. Sophia, the largest church in Christendom for a thousand years; Topkapi Palace, home of the sultans; and the famed Blue Mosque; among other architectural treasures. And, of course, there’s the Grand Bazaar, with its uncounted shops and stalls. But other neighborhoods boast hip nightspots, up-to-date design shops, and stunning restaurants with the freshest fish and delicious Turkish specialties, often with a fabulous view. A two-hour visit to the Toy Museum, across the Bosphorus on the Asian side of Istanbul, does not include the US$8 entrance fee but does include a topac, a complimentary Ottoman-style peg top, for the kids.

The price quoted is subject to availability and is per person, double occupancy. Single and triple rooms are also available. For additional information on this and other Spring Break packages, visit www.tourcrafters.it and click “Deal of the Week.” For reservations, call 800-482-5995.