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Istanbul, Turkey
The race: With its serpentine and undulating counterclockwise track, Istanbul Park, built in 2005, is already considered one of the top circuits in Formula One. Spinouts are frequent occurrences at the newly famous turns 8 and 1 (a.k.a. the Turkish corkscrew), so it is worth spending $3,700 to get a bird’s-eye view of the race (May 9 to 11). That package also includes access to the circuit, breakfast and lunch, open bar, and pit-lane walkabouts (turkeygrandprix.com). Lodging: Perfectly located in the Sultanahmet, the historic quarter of the city, and within walking distance of the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar, the Four Seasons offers doubles from $915, with a four-night minimum during race week (fourseasons.com). And considering that driving in Turkey is more dangerous than getting behind the wheel of a 1,000-horsepower race car, it might be a good idea to have the hotel book you a round-trip helicopter flight to the Grand Prix (from $3,150, plus tax and landing fees). Off-track excitement: To see the city’s incredible Ottoman architecture by water, hire a private, guided sailboat cruise on the Bosphorus from Concierge of Istanbul (from $1,200; concierge-of-istanbul.com). Turkey is also one of Europe’s rafting hot spots. Book a guided, one-day rafting trip from Istanbul on the Class III rapids of the Melen River (izmirtour.com or bukla.com).
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