Backstreets of Istanbul

In evidenza

Incluso

Itinerario

1. The tour starts in Balat, exploring the Golden Horn side of the historical peninsula. Balat was – and still is – a unique neighborhood where the Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Jews have been living together as friends and neighbors since the days of the Ottoman Empire. Its identity is mainly unchanged, with old-style, narrow, colorful houses, each 3 to 4 stories, shops on the first floor, along the narrow streets. There are even some "ghost houses" waiting to be discovered. You can see clothes boasting a rainbow of colors, hung to dry between balconies of opposite houses, and the inhabitants of Balat are in no way less colorful than what they wear.

   3 h

2. If you can find the hidden street, you walk down long stairs called the “French passage,” full of colors and some statues. There, you will find Nobel Laureate Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk’s contemporary museum named after his novel “The Museum of Innocence.” Admission fee: 30 TRY/per person

   2 h

3. İstanbul is simultaneously a historical and modern city that offers the best for every taste. You start your second day of the tour by drinking your morning coffee, at a restaurant with a breathtaking view of Bosphorus, in the trendy "high society" neighborhood of "Bebek." You will sit in Europe, looking at Asia: a unique experience. Then you walk along the Bosphorus, hop on a taxi, and reach to discover the chic streets of sophisticated Nisantasi, which is constantly buzzing with shoppers hanging around elegant cafés and classy boutiques—another trendy and modern part of Istanbul. We will find many upscale clothes and jewelry, home textile shops, and restaurants there. This place is the heart of contemporary life in İstanbul, where many celebrities congregate.

   2 h

4. Istanbul has always been a major trade center of the world; since the city is the main junction point where sea and land routes intersect. Stepping into the Grand Bazaar feels like a journey in time, which takes you back to the golden age of the Ottoman Empire with all artisans, work, and shop owners hassling to sell the best of their products. Not only inexpensive touristic souvenirs but also upscale well-known family stores of jewelry, leather, antiques, art, replicas, ceramics, towels, home textiles, and more than you can imagine. Grand Bazaar, the oldest and most extensive "shopping mall" in the world, has 22 gates and 4000 shops. It first opened in 1461!

   2 h

Cancellazione

Cancellazione gratuita fino a 24 ore prima dell’inizio, con rimborso totale.

Da sapere prima di partire

How it compares in Istanbul

• Its from-price is 190% above the median of the 3649 experiences we list in Istanbul.
• It is longer than most of them.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Istanbul

Istanbul sorge tra Europa e Asia sulle rive del Bosforo, con monumenti bizantini e ottomani, bazar affollati e traghetti tra due continenti.

La penisola storica racchiude i monumenti più grandi. Santa Sofia, la Moschea Blu e l'Ippodromo si fronteggiano a Sultanahmet, la Cisterna Basilica si trova sotto le strade e il Palazzo di Topkapı si estende sulla collina sopra il Corno d'Oro. A pochi passi, il Gran Bazar e il Bazar delle Spezie commerciano da secoli, e la Moschea di Solimano, opera del grande architetto ottomano Sinan, corona uno dei sette colli della città.

Top-ranked sights in Istanbul: Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi), Bosphorus, Bosphorus Bridge (Bogazici Koprusu).

See all 3649 experiences in Istanbul