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An exclusive walking tour through well preserved historical texture of Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim communities in Fener and Balat’s narrow streets and slopes surrounded by stylish artisan coffee shops, art workshops and antique shops.

Destination

Istanbul, Turkey

Category

Art Culture Tours

Duration

4 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide

Excluded

• Meals
• Beverages

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Mine .

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Istanbul to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting point:

   St. Stephan Bulgarian Church

4. Bulgarian Church

   Visit gorgeous St. Stephan Bulgarian Church (the Iron Church) and hear out their history in Fener

5. Ottoman History

   See Cantemir Palace and hear out the story of this 18th century Ottoman intellectual

6. Architectural Masterpiece

   Walk through an architectural masterpiece, the Greek (Red) School. It’s the most stunning building in the neighbourhood with its Disneyland castle look.

7. Colourful Streets

   Walk through amazing art workshops, old Jewish Bazaar, pubs, antique shops and colorful buildings.

8. Holy Place

   Visit Surp Hresdagabet Gregorian Armenian Church (surprisingly former Orthodox church with its holy spring)

9. Local dessert

   A delightful break for a local dessert

10. Jewish Heritage

    An outline of Ahrida and Yanbol synagogues as well as Jewish heritage in Balat

11. Beautiful Churches

    Visit the unobtrusive Orthodox Patriarchate of Fener and Hagios Georgios Church inside.

12. Old City Walls

    Hear out the war history of Byzantine city walls while passing by.

13. Magical Mosque

    Visit Sultan Selim Mosque learn its history which dates back to 16th century

14. End of the tour

    Suggestions for local meals and/or more coffee shops

15. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Teddy

10 February 2025

Knowledgeable - historically and culturally, enthusiastic, flexible, outgoing, best advices ever, and truely sympathetic…so we love Mine!We love Mine

Kirsty

6 December 2024

Mine - met me and took me all around Fener and Balat. It involved a lot of walking but well worth it. Her historical knowledges of the the area - the people and the mosques, churches and synagogues was phenomenal and really interesting. The whole area is historical and quite beautiful. Balat's buildings and streets are both historical and beautiful - but get there sooner rather than later as the place is being gentrified. It still has a village feeling. Thoroughly enjoyed my tour. Mine went above and beyond travelling with me on the metro and making sure I got on the right lines and showed my how to use the system! Which was great because it is a bit daunting at first. Also for all those animal lovers - Mine is a saint, feeding the stray cats on her way and if you know Istanbul and culture this is a good thing and all about karma. Thank you Mine - highly recommend this tour to anyone!!!One of the best tours and guide ever!!!

Marisa🇿🇦 South Africa

7 October 2024

This was my favourite part of Istanbul. Mine took us on an incredible journey through time and cultures walking streets which quickly became a favourite. Filled with history, unique places and people, shops and restaurants that feel removed from the commercialism of the tourism industry and truly authentic. Loved every minute of it and spent time afterward meandering the streets she introduced us too. You need to experience this

Joseph 🇦🇺 Australia

14 September 2024

Mine is absolutely fascinating. She picked my star sign and showed me parts of Istanbul , Relatable and Fenner forgive spellings that were absolutely unique. When I return next year I will be doing a tour with her on Sinan the great architect. Such passion and how endearing is she with cats. 200 Islamic sects

Colin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

19 May 2024

This was our second tour with Mine in 2 days, the first one was the Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and hidden Backstreets tour - highly recommended. This one was different, Balat and Fener being unknown to us but the description of the tour was fascinating so we took the plunge. How pleased we were to do so. Mine is meticulous with her planning. We were messaged the day before (as per previous tour) for meeting place confirmation with a Google maps location - highly reassuring and making travel to the point easy. As it turned out, we arrived early, getting a quick lunch in advance of the afternoon’s tour and we texted her to say where we were, she then came to our location to prevent rushing our food and starting the tour on a relaxed and efficient footing. Mine’s knowledge was fantastic. Her commentaries of items / sights in between the bigger stops were truly enlightening and reinforced her confidence with the subjects being discussed. We can’t recommend Mine highly enough. If you’re interested in this tour - go for it - you’ll enjoy…..Fascinating….!

John🇺🇸 United States

17 May 2024

We had two nice days with Mine, and both were excellent. She was prompt, friendly, and very knowledgable. We learned far more about Istanbul in these two days than we ever could have on our own. I would highly recommend Mine to all guests visiting her city.A Wonderful Experience

Kshitij🇮🇳 India

20 August 2023

Mine is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Istanbul, the history of Religion, Architecture, and just about anything and everything! She’s a perfect guide! We took her Fenner and Balat tour, which is a wonderful experience if you are curious about the history of Istanbul. You will see a Bulgarian Church, an Orthodox Church, an Armenian Church, a Synagogue, and the Fatih Mosque (mosque of Sultan Memhmed II who conquered Constantinople and ended the Roman Empire) - all in a single walking tour! You will also learn how each sect is different from the other and about how the politics evolved around each of them in Istanbul. It’s a wonderful leaning experience.History Savant!

Ferrel🇺🇸 United States

19 June 2022

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 hours+ with Mine. She is genuinely enthusiastic with an impressive knowledge of art, history, and contemporary culture. I learned so much more about both past and present than I would have if I had been left to explore Fener and Balat on my own. Mine pointed out many details I would have missed, while also remaining responsive to my interests and questions. I also appreciate her willingness to share more about her own experiences, adding to the sense that I was getting to know the culture more fully. Reaching this area was easier than I supposed --just a short bus ride on any of the #99 buses leaving the transportation hub of Eminönü. Be sure to have a good breakfast before your tour. Had I requested it, Mine would have allowed for a food stop, but there was really so much to see and learn on this tour that I would have missed out on something well worth seeing if we had stopped.enriching half day in a fascinating area

Wolfgang🇨🇭 Switzerland

7 June 2022

Mine hat uns auf ihrer 4-stündigen Tour einen tollen Einblick in das lebhafte Fener & Balat Quartier gegeben. Wir haben viel gelernt über die Geschichte, die unterschiedlichen Kulturen und Religionen und auch das Leben heute in diesem überaus spannenden Teil von Istanbul. Mine kennt das Quartier, seine Vergangenheit und auch seine Gegenwart und sie hat uns ihr Wissen auf eine lebhafte und vergnügliche vermittelt. Ich kann Mine als Tourguide nur bestens empfehlen!Eine spannende Tour durch das kulturell vielseitige Fener & Balat

Ales🇸🇮 Slovenia

1 November 2021

Istanbul is one of our favorite cities, we always like to return. We’ve already seen Istanbul’s must see attractions, so we wanted to discover something new. And for sure we took the right decision. Fener Art tour with Mine was so nice and different experience about Istanbul. Mine is the guide I would recommend to all my friends and to very demanding guests as she have had answers to all our questions. Really great experience.The experience we’ll never forget

Kelli🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2021

While in Istanbul I booked the Fener & Balat tour with Mine and it was outstanding! She is knowledgeable, fun and we had such a good time viewing the colorful neighborhoods. She was even flexible when I wanted to stop for a morning snack since I had skipped breakfast. She shared insights about her town that made me feel like a local, too. Book this tour! :)Mine is the absolute best!

Pola🇹🇷 Turkey

1 July 2021

If you have an extra day or few hours where you really want to see the city, take this tour! Mine does an amazing job of mixing the religious and cultural history of the neighborhoods while also taking you down the charming streets, patiently accompanying you as you pop into a few shops or stop for coffee. You really feel like an old friend is showing you one of their favorite parts of their hometown. I loved it! Definitely do it.

Sue🇦🇺 Australia

11 March 2020

Mine was a breath of fresh air. So informative as Mine really knows her history, culture & accompanying mythology of this truly civilised city. Mine was also happy to laugh & share her experience as a resident of Istanbul. I highly recommend Mine & her walking tour of Balat. SueFun & informative

Julieta🇦🇷 Argentina

31 January 2020

Mine was an excellent guides. She not only gave us thorough info about the different areas and religions in Istanbul but also helped us move around in other parts of the city. We all enjoyed her company. I definitely recommend traveling with Mine!!!!Excellent tour in beautiful neighborhoods!

David🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

24 February 2025

My wife and I had an amazing three plus hours tour with Mine today visiting the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market and within each a curated collection of key stores where there was no pressure to buy. Lots of history and fokelore was shared. I’d highly recommend this tour and guide. Fantastic tour and guide

George🇦🇺 Australia

21 December 2024

It was obvious that Mine knew her stuff and she was passionate about her subject. Wherever we went, she told stories and shared information that brought the places to life. Beyond historical insights, Mine gave us very useful advice about navigating Istanbul itself and recommended a perfect restaurant for lunch after the three hours we spent with her. She gave us a wonderful insight into Istanbul.Ticked all the boxes

Noah🇺🇸 United States

14 December 2024

Mine was an excellent guide! Very knowledgeable, very engaged, and worked flexibly to make the tour fabulous. Excellwnr guide

Amanda

6 December 2024

So, it’s always difficult meeting someone for the first time, but Mine does this all the time and does it well, she has endless patience. She is packed with information and knowledge and is just really good at her job. She probably doesn’t realise that along with the insight and knowledge she imparts about the beautiful monuments , the snippets of Turkish life, like how her mother cuts baklava, just make it more real. Always choose a local. They live and love their history. No one’s perfect!

Kenneth🇺🇸 United States

25 November 2024

Mine was brilliant for my private guided tour. She was there before time, gave very clear instructions and her English is impeccable. I really enjoyed my tour of Topkapi Palace and the time seemed to fly past. My time in Türkiye was continuing by a road trip in a rental car. Mine arranged my tour of Ephesus with one of her friends. I can’t recommend her enough. She is first class.Exceptional guide

Steven🇺🇸 United States

20 November 2024

I booked a private tour for two with Mine (pronounced long I, short e) to see Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. As these were the places we wanted to see. It was fantastic. I should note that she will customize the tour to match your request. Prior to and after booking, I had a number of questions and she responded quickly and clearly using the withlocals chat tool. Her background and expert knowledge provided us with a clear, historical description of each location and her English was excellent. She provided clear instructions how to get to our meeting location from the Cruise Port. Lastly, as a licensed guide, we were able to skip the line so we had very little wait time. When visiting Istanbul, I would highly recommend Mine as your tour guide.Excellent Tour/Guide-Highly Recommend Mine

William🇧🇪 Belgium

18 November 2024

We zijn 2 dagen met Mine op pad geweest door Istanbul. Mine verteld heel coherent en goed gedocumenteerd over de geschiedenis van Constantinopel / Istanbul. We kregen veel informatie met veel kennis ter zake gebracht. Mine is daarnaast ook een warme persoon voor mens en dier (ook de katten van istanbul zijn haar grootste fan).

Evie

12 November 2024

Mine was a wonderful guide! This tour is a great way to get acclimated to the enormous Grand Bazaar and Spice market, especially if you don't have lots of time. She asked what we were interested in and brought us to some great shops with quality goods but also reasonable pricing. Really appreciated her knowledge of history, art, and culture, and also her pointing out some unique aspects and historic shops. She gave us a great recommendation for lunch based on our interest. Insider experience

Charles🇺🇸 United States

28 October 2024

Mine did a great job with us. She was a wealth of information and insight. She enabled us to see the major sites we wanted to see and gave us so much background and historical information. She pointed us in the best position to get the clearest pictures. At the end, she provided us with a restaurant recommendation that we went to whose food and ambiance were truely outstanding. We would highly recommend Mine for anyone looking to hire a local guide.Mine was our rock star!

Jens

27 October 2024

Mine is an incredibly knowledgable guide. She guided us expertly through Istanbul highlights. She helped us efficiently past long lines and gave us unique insight into Istanbul’s dramatic history. She helped with booking meals and gave us great tips of places to go and things to do. We can highly recommend Mine. Regards Your 10 very satisfied Norwegian customersFantastic way to experience Istanbul

V🇩🇪 Germany

25 October 2024

Mine was on time and picked up my parents at the hotel. Unfortunately she was double booked on another day, and we were forced to find an alternative guide within 48 hours of the scheduled day. It wasn't her fault, but would have made for a better experience if that did not happen.Good guide, would recommend

John🇺🇸 United States

25 October 2024

Mine was excellent. She was extremely knowledgeable about history and art, and was even great for shopping tips in the Grand Bazaar. She was energetic, kind, and fun. We highly recommend her. Istanbul tour with Mine

Marianne🇺🇸 United States

22 October 2024

Mine was incredibly knowledgeable. She really organized the tour to suit our schedule. Would definitely choose her for another tour in Istanbul.Great Tour!

Jamie🇮🇪 Ireland

22 October 2024

What can I say.. Perfect tour from start to finish ! I booked a personal Highlights of Istanbul tour with Mine the night before, and to my delight was accepted. What a great choice of Tour guide, as Mine was absolutely wonderful. Her in depth knowledge of the local Art, Architecture and history was amazing. We packed a huge amount in and got to see many sites and mosques in just a few hours, as Mine is a registered Tour Guide, we got to bypass long ques and get almost instant access to various sites. I was also delighted to be shown some of Mine's personal favourites, including access to prayer time in one of the mosques. Mine speaks very good English, and made me feel comfortable and excited about our tour from the very start. If you are visiting Istanbul, don't hesitate to hire Mine for a few hours if you are lucky enough to have her available. 10 stars . Highly recommended 👌 -Jamie Dunne Littlefield.ie B&B, Ireland. 🇮🇪 Istanbul Highlights Tour

Lily

19 October 2024

It was one of the most wonderful experience with Mine, she was so knowledgeable and friendly. She took us through the different ages of the city, showing us places and things outside of your usual touristy “must-dos”. She was so well versed in art and history, we learned a lot about the city’s history and Islamic art in general. She even gave us recommendations on books to read up when we showed interest. I would recommend Mine and her tour to anyone coming to Istanbul for more than just tourism. A must for any art lovers

Julie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

14 October 2024

Good communication from Mine , where to meet. We had a fabulous morning shopping with Mine around the grand Bazaar/ spice market . Lots of hidden gems lots of history and knowledge. Was relaxed and we throughly enjoyed shopping experience. Highly recommend. Istanbul Shopping mayhem

Andreas🇩🇪 Germany

11 October 2024

Prophoned knowledge of everything We wanted to know, Art, history, politics, techniques of woodcraft, religion, wonderful Communication! Mine was very Kind and had a Special eye on my 12 year old son, so that he managed the whole day tour with interrest! Mine does her guiding with a lot of enthusiasm and passion that We always would Book her again! All the best to you from Noah and Andreas from Germany.Exellent

Oliver 🇱🇺 Luxembourg

7 October 2024

I recently had the pleasure of exploring Istanbul with Mine, and it was an unforgettable experience! From the German Fountain to the serene beauty of the Little Hagia Sofia, Mine provided insightful commentary and fascinating historical context at every stop. Her passion for the city was evident, making each location come alive with stories and facts that you wouldn’t find in a typical guidebook. The tour was well-paced, allowing us to soak in the vibrant culture and stunning architecture without feeling rushed. I highly recommend Mine for anyone looking to truly experience the magic of Istanbul.Hidden Gems in the heart of Istanbul

Janice🇺🇸 United States

6 October 2024

We met Mine at the entrance to the Grande Bazaar and she spent the day introducing us to exquisite craftsman, interesting and unusual finds and one of a kind items. She made the day feel special and was able to incorporate lessons of history and Turkish tradition into everything. Her knowledge of history and art make her a wonderful guide. We wish we could have had more time with her to take us through the historic palaces and Mosques as her knowledge would have added so much to the experience. Best of all, she really loves what she does and her exuberance and warmth makes her a really special guide. We highly recommend her!!FANTASTIC DAY!!

Chris🇦🇺 Australia

2 October 2024

Mine was a most wonderful and knowledgeable guide in Istanbul. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a guide in this city. Thank you Mine Excellent Guide

Phillip

1 October 2024

Mine was a pleasure to accompany us as we gave her a big list of potential sights and treasures. She was very patient, took us to some stunning cultural and really unique finds in the Grand Bazaar. Highly recommend for even those who have visited before.Amazing time with Mine

Pascal🇩🇰 Denmark

30 September 2024

Mine is absolutely great. Nice personality, listen to your wishes and come With great knowledge and Insights. She is easy to understand and knows some good hidden gems👌👍🏻 Mine has our biggest recommendations and we would for sure book her again og we come back to Istanbul. Thank you Mine for your time and professionalism. Tine and Pascal from DenmarkAmacing experience

Elsje🇿🇦 South Africa

27 September 2024

We had such a lovely time in Istanbul and Mine made the experience even better! She is very knowledgeable in history and shared so many interesting facts. We were a very curious group and we asked a lot of questions, which Mine answered with care and patience. She was also very accommodating to the needs of the group. Mine had to be flexible with our tour group since we had two babies doing the tour with us. She really went the extra mile and made our experience unique and pleasant. We are thankful for that. Mine is exceptional!

Kirstie🇨🇦 Canada

23 September 2024

Our tour with Mine was everything we could have imagined. She was very professional and knew so much history of the area. We learned so much about Istanbul that we didn’t know before. We stopped at loads of historic sites and she was able to answer all our questions. We would highly recommend Mine to anyone without hesitation.

Wendy🇦🇺 Australia

22 September 2024

We had a good afternoon shopping in the bazaars with Mine. We made some purchases that we would not have found by ourselves. The textile shop was a highlight. Thanks.Unique experience

5qktrm4x8t🇨🇦 Canada

18 September 2024

Very informative tour, we got to see hidden gems including a rarely seen mosque.Walking tour of Istanbul

Mark🇦🇺 Australia

18 September 2024

We had a fun afternoon with Mine in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. She explained the history of the Bazaars and took us into ancient back laneways and producer’s workshops we would never have found on our own. It is so enjoyable being led to the right places by someone who knows their way through the maze! Mine is acquainted with the owners of some of the best quality outlets. We particularly enjoyed buying lovely Turkish Delight, baklava, saffron and other spices at her favourite shop in the Spice Market. With hindsight we should have brought along a longer list of things to buy, especially jewellery where there is a huge choice of both gold and silver.A spicy mix of history and shopping

Tim

17 September 2024

We just can’t say enough good things about Mine! We spent the morning with her on her Hidden Gems of Istanbul tour and it was wonderful! She took us to off the beaten track mosques, was very knowledgeable about Turkish history and culture, and tailored our tour with us to specific things and places we were most interested in. We tried to book her for another day, but she was completely booked. Thanks to Mine we had a fantastic first day in Istanbul!Amazing day!

shari🇺🇸 United States

17 September 2024

So lovely, knowledgeable. The time flew by. The highlight of my trip! I only wish i had been able to book a full day with Mine! I could have spent all days inIstanbul learning history and culture. Well worth it!Incredible one in a million guid

Joe🇺🇸 United States

10 September 2024

Mine was a lovely guide. She was effortlessly charming and thoroughly versed in the local culture, art, and history. She brought a terrific energy to the endeavor and intuited what we needed at every turn. I especially appreciated her ability to contextualize the architecture and art in terms of political power through the ages. I also appreciated that she gave us several restaurant recommendations for the days ahead and helping us decide what to emphasize for the balance of our visit. Choose time with Mine: you will not be disappointed!Exactly what we had hoped for!

Gian Luca🇮🇹 Italy

1 September 2024

A 3 Hours no stop tour for 2 to visit most iconic places in Istanbul such as Ayasofya, Basilica Cistern and blue mosque. All lines always skipped, learned a lot of details, Mine really smart. RecommendedMine really smart, thank you!

Alicia🇺🇸 United States

6 August 2024

We had a fantastic experience with Mine as our tour guide. She was incredibly knowledgeable and had a perfect sense of timing, which made our 3-hour tour both informative and enjoyable. Mine was especially great with our two 15-year-old daughters, engaging them with interesting stories and facts. She also ensured that we reached our driver on time for our evening flight. We appreciated her attention when we ate and purchased goods to be sure we were receiving the best prices so as not to get taken advantage of. When buying pomegranate juice, she insisted it be freshly squeezed in front of our eyes. Loved this!Great 3 HR Tour

Dana

4 July 2024

We had a wondreful time with Mine as our tour guide in Istanbul. Mine is so thoughful & knowledgable I would definitely use her again Highly recommend MineWonderful experience

John

1 July 2024

Mine was prompt, spoke clearing (English), has a wealth of historical knowledge, friendly and answered all of our questions. We would certainly use Mine if we come back to Istanbul Overview of Istanbul

Monica🇺🇸 United States

30 June 2024

So incredibly grateful for Mine. She was a treasure to shop with. The bazaars can be overwhelming and she made the experience consumable and fun for our entire family. We had three kiddos with us and she found a way to help the men, women and children find the perfect things to view and shop for. She sprinkled history with shopping and created a wonderful experience for our entire family. We ate and drank at some local stops that were highlights of food for us during our trip. Thank you Mine!Bazaars Fun worh Mine

xtvvqk9qqz

9 June 2024

Thanks Mine for your flexibility and making the tour with us happen today! And thanks for showing us your gorgeous favorite mosques and the goosebumps moments included. 🙏 We should have done this tour early on our trip to get a holistic overview of the cities history. Open minded historic tour