Want to design your own custom tour of Istanbul? Ensar of Istanbulday will introduce you to the…read morehistory, the flavors and the charm of what makes Istanbul such an amazing city. Spread between two continents, Europe and Asia, it was challenging to decide what to see and do in a city that has so much to offer. We already had tours scheduled for the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Grand and Spice Bazaars, and a cruise on the Bosphorus. Ensar was so patient and gave our family a framework for two fantastic, and very different, days. On our first day, we visited royal palaces and more. It is important to know what is open and when to visit. We visited Dolmabahçe Palace (closed on Mondays) and Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays) on a Sunday. It was so nice to skip the lines and experience the palaces that defined very different Ottoman times at the beginning and towards the end of a very long empire. We also visited an underground mosque (Yeralti Camii), walked along İstiklal Caddesi, learned about water supply for the city at Taksim Square, and saw Sent Antuan Bazilikasi, the Roman Catholic Church where Pope John XXIII preached for a decade as the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey. Our second day focused more on the three religions that coexist in Istanbul. Started with a visit to Balat Ahrida Synagogue which predates the conquest of Istanbul in 1453. Amazing to visit a synagogue that has been in continuous use for around 600 years. Walking through the Balat Jewish Quarter, we were also able to see other synagogues, historic libraries, hospitals and even a doctor's office building. Meandering through the neighborhood led us to our next stop, Chora Church. This medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church is covered with some of the oldest and best preserved mosaics and frescoes in the world. Amazing to see the biblical story unfold in the stunning mosaic art. The next stop was the Ottoman imperial Süleymaniye Mosque and complex which attracts both visitors and worshippers. Designed by Mimar Sinan, it is an architectural masterpiece. This was definitely a highlight of the day. We also visited the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews and the Neve Shalom synagogue. Interesting to learn about the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish Sephardic Jews to the Ottoman empire. Took a ferry across the Bosphorus to see Bet Yaakov in the Kuzguncuk area on the Asian side. Interesting to see a synagogue, a mosque and a church within one block of each other. Throughout the day, it was fun to sample simit (Turkish bagels) from a red cart street vender, eat dondurma(Turkish ice cream) with a knife and a fork, and take a break at Cafe in Balat for a Turkish Tea. Loved how we were able to use transportation like the metro, trams, the funicular and ferries to see the city like a local. Ensar will definitely treat you like family as he shares the sights, sounds, history and delicious tastes of the beautiful city of Istanbul with you.

Fed up with lazy time on the beaches of Marmaris and with long tours fixed by local agencies to get…read moreme to the "doors" of sightseeings, I was finally lucky to find myself in the charming city nowadays called Istanbul. Of course there are many many things to see and to admire, especially in case you are at least a little bit interested in history. But the most important thing, at least for me... Istanbul has the particular and very unique magic which we chased with Ensar like without any noticed effort however thanks to his great and kind knowledge of this fantastic city. Switching from East to West side of its life, from past up to the present, from luxury restaurants to "Balik" (fish) bistros, astonished by such a place of interest as e.g. Hagia Sophia where gained humbleness changes in the night easily into the self-confidence in local low level pubs... Thanks Ensar! Missing all of it...

This is a must-see in Istanbul!…read more LOCATION It's in a different area than the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia so it takes a bit of a tram ride, but it's worth it. TIMING We were not prepared for the sheer size of this palace. Holy COW. We came midday with a few other things to do in the area, and could have left much more time to go slower but still very much enjoyed spending ~2 hours here. This palace is soooo huge, and they have different areas throughout the buildings with exhibitions and displays. See as many as you can! I recommend starting on the right side and working back and around from there. ATTRACTIONS Most of the attraction is the sheer magnificence of the interior decor and design in the palace: chandeliers, stunning rooms and spaces, and lots of art. NO PICS?!? The biggest bummer and reason for docking a star: NO PHOTOS?! You're telling me you're gonna show me the most magnificent castle and I can't take a pic?! That was a huge bummer. You can be sneaky but they do have guards everywhere. What's the harm in a little no-flash memory of the space? AMENITIES They have a cafe and a restaurant onsite, as well as restrooms and some gardens with benches to relax. You'll need it from walking around the massive palace!

A top sight in Istanbul. I liked the walk through that you do through the main building. There…read moreare no photos allowed but it's a huge palace like something you would see in Europe. Outside there are some beautiful views of the coast and city and lovely gardens to walk through. I bought my tickets that day it wasn't too long in the morning. Like any other place, you have to go through security and another line for tickets and then another to enter. It was my favorite place to visit. In the spring the tulips were nice.

This is the Mecca of Istanbul visitors! Hard to miss if you plan to check out the Blue Mosque…read moreor/and Hagia Sophia since this plaza is right in between them. It was April when we visited, so the trees where in bloom which is nice! The end of the tulips season well. The fountain is pretty, check out the mosaic fresca-s and details that decorate it! Plenty of benches around, ideal to grab a snack near by and sit here and enjoy it. Not an easy task because the area is crowded with lots of locals, tourists, even huge groups. Lots of photo ops here, everywhere you turn is a nice sight! A few restaurants around, as well as street vendors if you want to grab a simit, roasted chestnuts, corn or fresh squeezed juices for a snack break. Prices are higher than in other areas since it's such a touristy area, but oh well... when in Sultanahmet Square... you should expect it! Our hotel wasn't far, so we would the plaza to get around town since it leads you to the tram, shops and restaurants also! Try to visit in the evening, it gets way quieter and the buildings are beautiful lit up! Hard to miss, good area to check out, stroll, take a break in the action. This is the center of historic Istanbul, expect crowds, but try to enjoy the sights as well!

This large plaza is located between the Topaki Palace and the Blue Mosque…read more It quite litterally contains many of the top attractions in the Faith / Sultanament DIstrict. There are also a few parks, plus the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cisterna, The Hippodrome of Constantinople, et al. It is usually packed with people during the day but clears out at night. The fountain near the Hagia Sofia is not exactly the fountains at Bellagio but the color changes with the Mosques in the background are fun to watch. There also is a multitude of restarants, vendors, shops, ATM's and tram station nearby

So much to do....so little time. Istanbul is a gorgeous city, where the East meets West and results…read morein a multitude of colors, cultures and people... but conquering it within 48 hours is no mean challenge! Enter Walks in Istanbul. Our two day 'Highlights of Istanbul' tour with Walks in Istanbul and our guide Ebru was one of the best decisions we made during our short Istanbul trip. Here's the lowdown: Ebru gave us a precise directions on where to meet and the meeting point was easy to find. She also communicated with us two days before confirming the itinerary and other details. Ebru has a fantastic sense of humor, is warm and a virtual powerhouse when it comes to Istanbul. We loved our time with her - she was patient when we wanted to take a dozen pictures in the same spot, but also managed to herd us along and made sure we stuck to our schedule. We were a small of group of four and this was a really personalized tour, unlike being shepherded in a group of people on a shuttle or bus. We walked around Sultanahmet soaking in the sun and sights and took the tram/train when we had to get from point A to B. All this added to our experience of getting to know the city intimately and get a local flavor. On Day 1 of the tour we started with the Hippodrome and then visited the Ayasofya, followed by the Underground Cistern. After lunch we did the Bosphorus cruise and the Spice Bazaar. Day 2 was reserved for the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. My favorite parts of the tour with our guide were the Ayasofya, the Cistern, lunch at Hamdi restaurant and the Blue Mosque of course. Observations and comments: * We were given enough time to soak in both the Ayasofya and the Basilica Cistern and loved every minute of it. * The Blue Mosque felt a tad rushed (barely 15 minutes) and would have liked some more time to soak in the brilliance of this splendid piece of history. * Topkapi palace IMHO could have been a shorter visit - I felt dedicating 5 hours to it was a bit too much ...I understand it's an important pit stop, but I would have liked Ebru's expertise a bit more to navigate the complicated labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar. * At the end of each day Ebru left us at one bazaar - 1st day the tour ended at the Spice Bazaar & the next day at the Grand Bazaar. After giving tips and tricks to navigate both, most guides leave you to do your own thing. If you want more of their time or have specific questions - ask or make a list beforehand so you can maximize within the given time. * Lunch at Hamdi restaurant on Day 1 was excellent - the food, service and views were all beyond par. It was a great choice for vegetarians as well. * With a lot of other walking tour companies the entrance fee to major attractions and lunch is included. With Walks in Istanbul it's not. To sum up, none of this detracted us from enjoying or getting the complete essence of Istanbul's major highlights. While I was debating on which tour company to choose, I did email a few other before picking this one. Arzu, the owner and proprietor of this company was always prompt to respond and infinitely patient with all the hundred questions we had... she also sent in a detailed helpful list of 'Useful Hints to the City' and these small details went a long way. Splendid experience over all.

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This was by far my favorite activity I did while I was in Istanbul. I went for the full Ab-i Hayat…read morepackage, but they were doing a special of 10% off appts before 1:00 pm so it ended up being $315 dollars. My partner in the process was Selda and she was AMAZING!!! Honestly she made the entire experience. She was respectful but funny and really helped me feel confident and lose my nervousness since it was my first time and I had no idea what to expect. They also gave me a full bar of their soap plus a Turkish towel in a cute bag. After the "wet" portion of the experience, before the oil massage upstairs, I sat in a nice little relaxing area and was brought some sherbet tea, water, and Turkish delight while I rested. Services i got: - Traditional full body scrubbing in the warmest quarter. - Organic Lavender Extract and Sea Salt Refreshing hand and foot peeling. - full body clay mask. - Relaxing bubble wash ritual on the warm marble stone. - Hair wash ritual with redbud scented shampoo. - Aromatherapy Massage with redbud scented oil in the private massage room. - Fresh and dried fruits to finish off the experience. Overall the entire experience took about 2.5 hours and left me feeling so refreshed.

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER! This is seriously a MUST in Istanbul. You will not be disappointed…read more I did a decent amount of research on the best hammam to try in Istanbul, and there's a reason this is so beloved. LOCATION This is prime location near Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque, and this hammam building itself has a TON of history. It's stunning! OFFERINGS They do massages as well, but the main thing here is the hammam experience. If you don't know, it's a communal style body washing experience that typically means washing on hot marble stone with running water sinks, being soap-foam massaged and scrubbed by an attendant, and bathhouse style ambiance. PRICE They have tiered pricing options from 110-330 euros, and we opted for something in the middle that included the hammam experience being scrubbed and bubble soap foam massaged by the attendant, a face mask and hair wash, and treats post-experience. EXPERIENCE This was pure luxury! You start in the stunning lounge area and get changed into the robe in the changing rooms that have a traditional look. The space is large and even with a few others during the same time and an attendant, it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable at all. It started with being washed and washing myself, then a face mask, then a face mask and hair wash + scrub with a sandpaper-like glove by the attendant in a more private section. Then, I came out to the main area on the central marble slab for the soap foam massage which was amazing - I've never felt more exfoliated and clean! I ended with a face mask sheet and treats including sherbet drink, tea and Turkish delight in the main room. I got to take home the soap and scrubber glove complimentary as well. A treat from start to finish!

You can't miss this passageway! There is a nice stained glass design above the entrance on…read moreIstaklal Street. Cool little arcade full of restaurants (a few shops too). I heard from a tour guide that Russian Emigres got permission to sell flowers in this arcade a hundred years ago or so. The word Çiçek means flower in Turkish. The restaurants are traditional meyhane, which is a Persian word which means something like 'wine house'. In short, there are pubs there. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.

An insightful and informative thread. We had an excellent three-day private and guided tours of…read moreIstanbul with our knowledgeable and friendly guide Furkan. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the city .

My girlfriend and I had a wonderful almost 7 hours culinary walk in the European and Asian side of…read moreIstanbul and we enjoyed every minute of it. We strongly recommend the private and guided Istanbul food tour more than anything. It is a great pick with tens of delicious stops, and excellent value for money considering the amount of the food we tasted with an amazing guide Furkan. He has tremendous energy and you just knew he is so passionate about Istanbul and his job. We didn't know what to expect when we book the the tour however, Furkan made the day so easy and enjoyable. We couldn't have asked for a better guide and experience. It was such a pleasure to have been able to tour Istanbul with Furkan.