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Guided tour

Istanbul: Fener/Balat Walking Tour, Pierre Loti Hill & Ferry

4.8  / 5
52 reviews
Activity provider:My Local Guide Istanbul
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Guided tour

Istanbul: Fener/Balat Walking Tour, Pierre Loti Hill & Ferry

Activity provider:My Local Guide Istanbul
4.8  / 5
52 reviews
Likely to sell out

From US$ 79.98 per person

Likely to sell out

Explore the historic outer western area of Istanbul away from typical tourist routes. Experience the local culture and lifestyle, admire centuries-old Ottoman buildings, and cruise on the Golden Horn.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English
Small group
Limited to 10 participants

Experience

Highlights
  • Explore the Fener/Balat district and admire Ottoman houses, churches, mosques, and synagogues
  • Take a cable car up to historic Pierre Loti Café and take in the spectacular views of Istanbul
  • Enjoy a ferry ride on the waters of the Golden Horn, the world’s longest natural harbor
Full description
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.

Includes
  • English-speaking local guide
  • Golden Horn ferry ride
  • A çay tea
  • Turkish coffee or soft drink at the panoramic Pierre Loti Café
  • Public ferry fare back to Karaköy
  • Extra drinks
  • Gratuities
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

The meeting point is outside the entry gate of the Spice Market/Egyptian Bazzar in front of the dairy shop named "Itimat Satış Mağazası". The guide meet you there.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets
Likely to sell out

From US$ 79.98 per person

Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
  • Give this as a gift

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.8 /5

based on 52 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    5/5
  • Transportation
    4.8/5
  • Service
    5/5
  • Organization
    5/5

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Beautiful tour, our guide Salih explained everything very well, that made the tour more interesting, we visited very interesting places, he even invited us to drinks and local appetizers, very kind of him, we had a pleasant afternoon, I highly recommend this tour, especially with our guide. Thanks to him I have beautiful photos, and a good experience 🥰

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September 2, 2023

s
sandy Lisbeth – SpainVerified booking

Helpful?

I was traveling with my daughter (20yrs) and I'm glad we took the tour to get to Balat etc as it seemed overwhelming to figure out the different busses/ferry needed. We lucked out as we were the only two on the tour. Our guide (forgot his name-sorry) was very knowledgeable, and pleasant to spend the time with. Unfortunately, the Balat, Fenir area is very run down and not too much to see (not the guides fault, though he provided a wealth of information and it was good to have him guide us to the few important areas-rather than us just rambling on our own). Pierre Lotti Hill is a must and again we lucked out with weather and the view was stunning.

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April 8, 2023

S
Stacey – IsraelVerified booking

Helpful?

ONDER (guide) arrived in good time to meet me. I was the only one on this tour, which meant that I had a private tour. This tour was excellent, both in terms of content and because of Onder - he was highly knowledgeable, generous with his time, highly considerate, and enthusiastic in a low-key way. He showed me everything there was to see, and more, and went out of his way to make this a highly memorable experience in a variety of ways. Nothing was too much trouble for him, and it felt as though I was with a friend. I was particularly delighted about two things: (1) that we were able to enter the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, and (2) that we had an iconic dish (balik ekmek) that was on my personal wish list, but I had the pleasure of having it with Onder. Excellent tour, excellent compassionate, knowledgeable guide. Special.

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May 28, 2019

B
Beba – South AfricaVerified booking

Helpful?

Product ID: 45417

  • Turkey
  • Marmara Region
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  • Golden Horn

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