Meet your guide at the Itimat Fabrika Satis yero/magazasi at the the entry gate of the Spice Market in the heart of Istanbul. From here you’ll take the local bus to Fener to discover Istanbul’s heritage. Travel by public bus to the colorful Fener/Balat district, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and at one time home to Istanbul’s Ottoman Orthodox and Jewish residents. See traces of Ottoman life, including wooden houses, mosques, churches, and synagogues, standing together and demonstrating the multicultural and religious ways of the Ottoman Empire. After walking along the cobblestoned streets of the Fener/Balat World Heritage area, you’ll continue along the historic Byzantine city walls that date to the 4th century A.D. and the time of Constantine the Great. See the exterior of the historic Eyüp mosque complex, a sacred area where pilgrims come to visit the mosques and the tombs of Muslim saints. From here you’ll take a short cable car ride up to the famous Pierre Loti Café, a popular meeting point for locals. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of Istanbul while sipping a drink in one of the cafés where French Poet Pierre Loti was inspired to write Aziyade, part biography and part love story about his escapades in Istanbul in the late 1800s. Walk back down to Eyüp to catch the local ferry for a cruise on the blue waters of the Golden Horn. See Ottoman houses, shipyards, the old and new Galata bridges, Ataturk Bridge, ancient city walls, mosques, churches, and other historic and modern sites. You’ll disembark at Karaköy Harbor, where the tour ends.

Start your tour with a ferry ride along the Golden Horn and see the skyline of Istanbul from this famous waterway. Learn from your guide as they explain the history of Constantinople, the conquest by the Ottomans, and the introduction of Jewish culture. Visit the extraordinary church of Mary Blachernae, and see the Ahrida Synagogue. Walk through the streets and markets of Balat through the splashes of color and the vibrancy of its street life. Take a break in this vibrant neighborhood and enjoy watching people in their everyday activities. End your tour in Fener after seeing the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, an essential part of this tour, as it is the most sacred site for the Orthodox people.

Meet your tour leader in the historical neighborhood of Balat, in the European side of the city. Choose your bike for the day then board the public boat to Uskudar. From the boat, admire views of the city skyline and take photos of Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Maiden Tower, Süleymaniye Mosque, Bosphorus Bridge, and more. Arrive in Uskudar, which is on the Asian side of the city. Hop on your bike and pedal to Fenerbahce Park, stopping along the way to take in the sights and listen to your guide share information about the area. Once you’ve worked up a sweat from the bike ride, enjoy a refreshing cup of Turkish tea or coffee at a local cafe and admire the view of Princes’ Islands while you relax. Jump back on your bike and pedal to Kadıköy Pier for a boat ride to Karakoy. Next, cross over the Golden Horn Bay via the Metro Bridge then head back towards the tour’s meeting point in Balat. Tours usually finish around 2 PM, depending on the group’s cycling tempo. Afterwards, spend the day exploring the vibrant streets of Balat at your own leisure, and enjoy some fresh, local cuisine from one of the many street-side food vendors. During the experience all of the metioned monuments are only to be seen from outside.

Istanbul has had a vibrant Jewish community for more than 1,000 years. After the Turkish conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmet II encouraged immigration to repopulate the city. Over half a million Jews persecuted in Spain and Portugal were encouraged to establish themselves within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. In Istanbul, the new immigrants settled mostly near Galata – a quarter on the northern bank of the Golden Horn – where a Jewish community had existed since the early days of the Ottoman Era in Istanbul. On this tour, you'll walk around Galata, exploring its intriguing streets full of colorful life. The tour includes synagogues, the Jewish Museum, Jewish Apartments, the amazing story of Abraham Kamondo, and other Jewish heritage sites. Monday – Friday:  Jewish Museum, Ashkenazi Synagogue, Schneidertemple Synagogue, and outer visits to Georgian Synagogue, Neve Shalom Synagogue, Italian Synagogue, Jewish Apartments, Kamondo Buildings.

Enjoy a Bosphorus cruise through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia, with a possibility to take photographs of marble palaces and ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture besides modern residential and luxurious apartments. See the Rumeli Fortress from the boat, a historical armament built by the Conqueror to control and protect the Bosphorus. It is a unique example of military architecture. Visit the Golden Horn by bus, the arm of the Bosphorus and a natural harbor of the historical peninsula separating the old and new parts of Istanbul where the first colonies settled during the Byzantine Empire. This was a residential area for Byzantine Jews, Italian traders, and other non-Muslim minorities. Drive along the traces of history in Balat and view the Bulgarian St Stephen Church, the Jewish Hospital (Or-Ahayim), the Fener Orthodox Patriarchate, and the 22-kilometer Byzantine City Wall, the strongest fortification of the Middle Ages. You then take a cable car ride to Pierre Loti coffee house.

Explore Istanbul according to your own interests on a tailor-made sightseeing tour. Meet your guide at your hotel or port and work together to create an itinerary that suits you best, leaving you satisfied that you have seen all of Istanbul. On 1st day, marvel at monuments from the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, such as Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia and Byzantine Cistern. On 2nd day, take the public ferry to Bosphorus to see both Istanbul’s European and Asian sides. From here, visit Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Galata area and the Spice Market. On 3rd day, guide takes you on a walk through the streets of Fener-Balat neighboorhood. Enjoy a cable car ride and soak up views of Pierre Loti Hill, then visit Iron Church, and see the Suleymaniye Mosque. You can create your own itinerary with your tour guide on tour day, to have an idea, here you can see our suggested tour itineraries are below; Day 1 - Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome Square, Byzantine Cistern, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Irene Church, Sogukcesme Street, Grand Bazaar Day 2 - Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise, Dolmabahce Palace, Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, Cicek Passage, Galata Tower (from outside) Day 3 - Suleymaniye Mosque, Fener and Balat Districts, St. Stephen Church (Iron Church), Pierre Lotti Panoramic Hill, Rahmi Koc Museum (or alternative options)

Back during the Byzantine and Ottoman eras, the Golden Horn was primarily used as a trading port and a residential area populated by Spanish, Armenians, and Greeks. Today, the Golden Horn (aptly named due to its horn shape) is known as one of the world’s best natural harbors, with stunning views and rich, historical sites. This half-day tour will start in the afternoon in front of Mado Karakoy. From there, you’ll take the ferry to Fener and visit St. George’s Cathedral, a neo-classical church that dates back to the 16th century. Admire the cathedral’s lavish interiors before heading to Balak Antik Cafe. Whip out your phone and camera as you take in the highly Instagrammable and colorful cafe decorations. Feel free to order a coffee or snack before strolling along to see the colorful Balat houses. These 200+ year-old residential houses are famous for their bright hues in a variety of rainbow colors. Up next, visit Ahrida Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in Istanbul. Marvel at the fascinating Ottoman Baroque architecture and learn how this synagogue remains a glorious example of the rich history of Turkish Jews in the area. From there, board a ferry and head to Eyup where you’ll take a cable car ride to Pierre Loti Hill. Named after a famous French writer, the Pierre Loti Cafe is known for its breathtaking views of the cape. Take in the stunning views of the golden horn and order a drink or two before heading back and taking the ferry to Karakoy.

From the Golden Horn to the arm of the Boshorous you will experience the beautiful sights of the historical peninsula which separates the old and new parts of Istanbul. You will be a part of history as you take an in-depth look at the residential areas for Byzantine Jews, Italian traders and other non-Muslim minorities. Get a true sense of the history behind the Balat and the Metal Church. Stop at the sights of St. Stephen the Bulgarian, and get a glimpse of what life was really like at the Jewish Hospital. You can take a break from the historic sights by taking a stroll along the Byzantine City Walls. Another charming feature of the tour is the array of colorful shops that you will see at the Spice Bazaar. We'll make a stop at the stalls selling fruits, vegetables and flowers. After enjoying the variety of shops, the tour takes you to the Bosphorus Cruise and through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia. Marble palaces, ancient wooden villas and the sights of the luxurious residential apartments provide the perfect photo opportunity. From here it is on to Rumell Fortress by boat, where the historical armament can be viewed clearly from the boat. The armament is a unique example of military architecture, and was built by the conqueror to control and protect the Bosphorus. If time permits, the tour will also take you on to visit a leather showroom.

This particular tour includes some of the unique places in the city but also which are difficult to visit on your own. The tour will take you to the roots of historic Istanbul with visits to the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian monuments. You will meet with your guide at 09.00 am at your hotel reception. The first stop is Suleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and constructed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan. Construction began in 1550, and the mosque was finished in 1557. The mosque is partly modeled on the style of a Byzantine basilica, particularly the Hagia Sophia, which was perhaps a conscious move by the sultan to create a continuity and a symbolic connection with the city's past. After the mosque, we will have a tea-coffee break at Kadinlar Pazari under the shadow of the aqueduct of Valens. An authentic square filled with "buryan kebab" restaurants. Walking along the aqueduct will end at one of the oldest and most influential churches, now a mosque in the city, Zeyrek Mosque or Monastery of the Pantocrator, A unique combination of two former Eastern Orthodox churches and a chapel. The Zeyrek Mosque is the second largest religious edifice after the Hagia Sophia, built by the Byzantines remaining in Istanbul. The next stop will be the Gul Mosque; Gul Mosque started life as the 11th-century Church of St Theodosia and was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans. We will then continue to the beautiful districts of Fener and Balat to discover the Aya Nikola Greek Orthodox Church before visiting the Fener Orthodox Patriarchate. The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is one of the fifteen autocephalous churches that compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 1586 the Ecumenical Patriarchate has had its headquarters in the relatively modest Church of St George in the Fener district of Istanbul. Afterward, enjoy a break from sightseeing to have a drink. We will then wander around the labyrinth cobblestone streets of Balat to see Phanar Greek Orthodox College, this Fener landmark, known locally as Kirmizi Mektep for its castellated red-brick facade, still functions as a Greek school. Then we will visit Saint Mary of the Mongols, an Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul. It is the only Byzantine church of Constantinople that has never been converted to a mosque, always remaining open to the Greek Orthodox Church. Please note that some visits will be only panoramic from outside because of the restoration works.

Join us on a small group tour of Istanbul that takes you to some of the city's most iconic and interesting sights. We will begin our tour at the Binbirdirek Cistern, an underground chamber that was once used to store water for the city. This fascinating site offers a glimpse into Istanbul's history and is a great place to take some unique photos. Next, we will visit the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. Here, you can browse and shop for souvenirs and traditional Turkish goods, and perhaps haggle with the vendors for the best price. After some time at the Grand Bazaar, we will make our way to the Suleymaniye Mosque, a grand and ornate place of worship that is a key landmark in Istanbul. We will learn about the mosque's history and architecture, and have the opportunity to observe the local Muslim community as they go about their daily prayers. Next, we will head to the Spice Market, where you can sample and purchase a variety of aromatic spices and other ingredients that are used in Turkish cuisine. This colorful and lively market is a great place to immerse yourself in the sights and smells of Istanbul.