15 Best Istanbul Tours & Experiences 2022

Loved this class!!

My 3 friends and i took this class and we has so much fun .The owners of the studio Hakan and his wife were so artistic, and had alot of patience teaching us how to make these beautiful paintings. Their studio was very "zen".We loved spending the morning with them and had we known the class was going to be that much fun and creative we would have booked more with them that week! .Next visit we will .We highly recommend taking a class with them !!! Deb S ,Salem MA USA

Reviewed by Deb • September 24, 2022

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

Great trip

Our guide was a sweetheart! I was travelling with my mom and the guide was very attentive to her, which made it an easy and memorable trip. He also definitely knows a lot about the city and told us a great deal about Istanbul while we were on the island. This is perfect for companies of 3-5 people. Excellent experience!

Reviewed by Никита • July 01, 2019

Full Day Group Princes' Islands Tour from Istanbul

Fantastic

It was a great experience. We had a very competent guide, very knowledgeable and attentive to our questions and needs. This is an ideal option if you are travelling with family (3-5 people), keeps it very personal and entertaining. Definitely would recommend it to a friend!

Reviewed by Никита • July 01, 2019

Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour

Great day exploring Istanbul

Eyup was a great source of information as he showed us round the main tourist attractions. Friendly and engaging we had a fanatic day exploring and left as good friends.

Reviewed by Tim • December 09, 2018

Tour of the Historical Peninsula of Istanbul

Simply amazing!

This is what you call an actual dervish ceremony. The one you see at bosphorus tours is just for fun. This was actually spiritual. Loved it.

Reviewed by Rameez • October 24, 2019

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Istanbul Every Thursday

lovely experience!!!

i had the most fun learning Ebru with bettul and her husband. theyre both really lovely people and very good teachers.

Reviewed by Devika • January 11, 2018

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

Mezmerizing

This is definitely worth your time and money. An enchanting spectacle and unusual unforgettable music.

Reviewed by Никита • July 01, 2019

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony at Istanbul’s Sirkeci Train Station ( Kizlaragasi Medresesi in Sultanahmet )

An authentic experience

If you want to experience Whirling Dervishes Ceremony like a local then don’t miss that one.

Reviewed by Hisham • March 07, 2019

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Istanbul Every Thursday

P

Great orientation of Istanbul

We had Gökhan show us around Istanbul on our first day in town and are really glad we did.

Prior to the tour he asked what we were interested in seeing and doing. We were interested in getting a feel for the city, seeing some of the things locals do on the weekend and finding some good places to eat. I said we didn't want to visit a heap of Mosques and museums as we're not big history buffs. He came up with a plan and also said he'd bring his wife along which worked out well.

On the day they were at our hotel on time and we set off for our walking tour. Things my wife and I liked about the tour:
- as we walked he told us about the things were passing
- he'd clearly thought about a plan for the day based on what we wanted to do
- showed us how to use public transport and we used it to quickly move between areas
- tasted a few local specialities
- showed us things they like to do on the weekend in Istanbul
- explained some of the major areas

After the tour he was more than happy to message us to answer questions and give more advice.

Gökhan is relatively new as a tour guide but we really enjoyed our experience with him. We felt like we could enjoy the city without having to check google maps every 2 minutes. He offers the tours because he is proud of Istanbul and likes to meet new people and it really shows through. I'd strongly recommend booking a tour with him

Reviewed by Paul • August 01, 2018

Personalised Tour of Istanbul with a Local

S

Paper marbling

We just got back from Istanbul and the I booked the marbling class for the last day. I was not expecting to have such experience. The artist talked about the whole process then walked us through step by step allowing us to creat more elaborate are as we went. I have very little talent but even so I was proud of my work. My daughter, on the other hand, is very talented and caught on right away. Even though the lesson was supposed to be a couple of hours, Ali worked with my daughter for double the amount of time. The attached picture shows what you can creat having never done this before. After we finished working we were welcome on the terrace for tea and cookies. I don't think there is a better view in all of Istanbul. We had to allow the paper to dry so we took a walk to the spice market to do a bit of shopping for kitchen items. When we walked back to the studio our artwork was dry and ready to take home.

The day was certainly not spent waiting on long lines to view tourist attractions rather experiencing something fun and unique.

An A+ company giving A+ experience.

Reviewed by sulphurlady / TripAdvisor • May 30, 2017

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

N

Sahabe visit May 2016

We had the privilege of this being our second visit to the blessed Sahabe of Istanbul. The blessings received are priceless. I would totally recommend anyone visiting this beautiful city not to leave without doing ziyaret of the blessed Sahabe.
This company is thoroughly professional & it is commendable that they are keeping alive the history of the blessed Sahabe in Istanbul . This is not something that can be done without guidance as most tombs are scattered around the city,some in obscure locations.
Time was allocated at each place for respectful contemplation & prayers.
We had the full benefit of Dervish Erol's expert knowledge & spiritual insight. He brought the stories of the Sahabe alive with great eloquence. His words were poetic, translated with great care from Turkish by Hakan, who was amazing.
Many thanks for a memorable day.
May Allah bless you with every success in your endeavours.

Reviewed by nasim3911 / TripAdvisor • May 29, 2017

Half Day Islamic Muslim Sahaba Tour Istanbul

A

Enchanting Istanbul with an awesome guide!

Top sites half day tour with Emir
I got back from Istanbul with some wonderful memories!
They started with my first tour on the first day of my arrival.
I met Emir, the tour guide, at the pudding shop.
He was punctual and friendly on introduction.
Then went on to Hagia Sophia, I was impressed with the level of knowledge he had and the ability to share his sense of humour alongside an awesome tour!
Honestly this was my favourite tour of the city and top sites.

I would highly recommend this tour early on in your visit because you get fast track entry to the sites so you're not waiting around in the long queues.
Whether you're travelling alone or in a group, definitely book the tour with Emir! You really got a sense of him being proud of his city and how he loved sharing his knowledge with others!

Wishing him all the best to his future!
Until the next visit!

Tour in Istanbul: Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour. Photo by Aqsa.

Things to do in Istanbul. Photo by Aqsa.

Image by Aqsa who visited Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour.

Activity in Istanbul: Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour. Photo by Aqsa who visited that tour.

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Reviewed by Aqsa • November 30, 2019

Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour

P

Turkish painting

I took 2 classes from Betul Senguler. The classes were fabulous I have learnt a lot. The first class we did backgrounds did the peacock wave. Next went onto flowers. I learnt about the tools as well. The second class we went into more info about the paint brushes and other tools. I could not of asked for a better instructor. Betul taught me the carnation and rose. She also showed me how to do a full background. I thoroughly enjoy my experience and will be going back next year when I come back to instanbul. She gave me a name who supplies her with product and I am going there this afternoon.. thank you so much I could not of had a better time.
Pearl Highstead.

Reviewed by Pearl • February 23, 2022

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

E

Great Experience

I am a long-time fan of the poet, Rumi, so this authentic experience of seeing a whirling dervish ceremony was one of the top highlights of my trip to Istanbul. The educational session beforehand was excellent and our guide was well organized and thoughtful. I booked this excursion two weeks in advance from the states, and the guide answered all of my emails/questions promptly beforehand. I highly recommend this event for anyone who is interested in learning more about the true history of the whirling dervish community.

Reviewed by Elizabeth • October 04, 2018

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Istanbul Every Thursday

R

Great tour

Our guide was knowledgeable, accommodating and friendly. We enjoyed getting a taste of the rich history and not spending the entire day doing it.

We’re well traveled and enjoy seeing the highlights of any spot we visit but we’re not interested in dragging things out unnecessarily. Our guide picked up on that and got us to the best spots with maximum efficiency. He even accommodated our schedule change graciously due to a mix up on our part.

Would absolutely recommend!

Reviewed by Ryan • October 05, 2019

Top Sites Of Istanbul: Half Day Small-Group tour

J

Fun and educative

This was a fantastic class with Betul and Ali. They showed my friend and I the techniques of Ebru (Turkish paper marbling, which is not unlike west European paper marbling), showed us how to make some traditional floral designs, then left us to our own devices. We made 20 or 30 sheets, some independent pictures, others we plan to use as a basis for painting and/or collage. The workshop is fantastic, in historic Istanbul with a view over the Bosphorus.

Reviewed by Joad • January 10, 2020

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

M

Great Experience :)

We've had a great experience learning how to draw on the water in Ebru method, we had a great artistic talk with Mr. Ali the ebru teacher.

very friendly place in a great tourist area if you want to visit the blue mosque and Sultan Ahmet area.

The booking process with Hakan is smooth and easy and we got his confirmation on very quickly in short notice.

This experience is highly recommended by me and my friend that share with me the experience.

Image by Mohamed K who visited Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul.

Activity in Istanbul: Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul. Photo by Mohamed K who visited that tour.

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Reviewed by Mohamed K • April 08, 2019

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

S

Great tour with a very knowledgeable guide

I've been on masses of Segway tours (over 100) all around the world but this tour had probably the most knowledgeable guide I've had. What he didn't know about the history of Turkey and Istanbul wasn't worth knowing!

It's a great way of getting around Instanbul and leaning about the history of the sights plus we went up some hills so had the most wonderful panoramic view of the city and river.

I can't recommend this tour highly enough!

Reviewed by Sue • September 25, 2019

Segway Istanbul Old City Tour - Morning

R

Great experience surely will come back!!!

‏This was a great experience I indulged myself on my last trip to Istanbul.
The teacher was pleasant and patient and I immediately knew it was a good matchup. Betül and her husband Ali were wonderful and hospitable, pleasant conversation people. I will definitely be back there on my next trip and bring more friends with me to this interesting and inspiring workshop.

I was so engaged with the art that forgot to take pictures :-)

Reviewed by Rony • May 31, 2022

Turkish Paper Marbling (Ebru) Class in Istanbul

M

A breath of fresh air

Thanks to our lovely captains Basak and Anil (they were attentive and so fun!), We had an absolute blast during pandemic time.

The Bosphorus tour was simply fascinating, we did not even realize how couple of hours passed. Snacks and drinks were satisfying.

Surprisingly, we got to see numerous dolphins close up, which was my favorite part of the tour.

Highly recommended, will definitely do it again! 😊

Reviewed by Merve / Tripadvisor • July 16, 2020

Private Luxury Yacht Cruise